Acorn Biolabs partners with Executive Health Centre to become first clinic in North America to offer non-invasive stem cell collection – Canada…

TORONTO, Oct. 23, 2019 /CNW/ -Acorn Biolabs, a pioneer in non-invasive stem cell collection, today announced a strategic partnership with Toronto-based Executive Health Centre, a medical wellness centre and leader in precision and personalized medicine. Under the agreement, Executive Health Centre will become the first clinic in North America to offer its patients the ability to have their stem cells banked through a method that involves simply plucking a few hair follicles from a person's head.

Acorn's innovative method allows for full genome collection without the need for surgery or other painful and invasive procedures, making stem cell collection significantly more affordable and accessible for everyone.

"Our partnership with Acorn is tremendously exciting for the future of healthcare," says Dr. Elaine Chin, founder of Executive Health Centre. "Stem cells play a critical role in predictive analytics and will allow us to identify and prevent diseases before they happen, in addition to creating the possibility for an array of personalized regenerative treatments in the future."

Once stem cells are collected, Acorn uses a proprietary method of keeping cells viable during transport and storage, turning collected hair follicles into a highly valuable and accessible resource for regenerative medicine and genetics. Not only are these stem cells securely stored for future use, but the company's scientists can also extract critical genetic information that will unlock valuable data about a person's health that has never been available before.With this partnership, Executive Health Centre patients will also have access to Acorn's genetic age reports that provide insights into a person's aging process.

"Dr. Chin has been a trailblazer in using biometric and monitoring technology with her patients, and has established herself as an eminent thought leader in this space. For Acorn to combine our technology with her clinic's expertise is a major win not just for patients, but also for the broader industry as a whole," says Dr. Drew Taylor, co-founder and CEO of Acorn. "Both Executive Health Centre and Acorn strongly believe that our cells are the future of healthcare, and we're thrilled to be working together in making regenerative medicine accessible to more and more people."

Media AvailabilityTime: 4:00 p.m.Location: Executive Health Centre, 4120 Yonge Street, Toronto, ONDr. Drew Taylor and Dr. Elaine Chin are available for interviews.

About Acorn Biolabs, Inc.Founded in 2017 by Steven ten Holder, Patrick Pumputis and Dr. Drew Taylor and borne out of years of research, Acorn is a healthcare technology company. Based at Johnson & Johnson INNOVATION JLABS in Toronto, Acorn is focused on giving every human being the best chance to experience more healthy years with its easy, affordable and non-invasive live-cell collection, analysis and cryopreservation service. Acorn helps you live a longer, healthier tomorrow by freezing the clock on your cells today.Visit http://www.acorn.me.

About Executive Health CentreThe Executive Health Centre is recognized for its visionary work in personalized, preventative healthcare. Dr. Elaine Chin, founder of the Executive Health Centre, established North America's first physician and naturopathic doctor-integrated health clinic in 1997 at the Mississauga Hospital (now Trillium Health Partners). Today, the combined expertise of this innovative model is unmatched in North America and provides its patients the best in seamless integrative medicine and rejuvenation therapies. Dr. Chin is also the author of "Lifelines Unlocking the Secrets of Your Telomeres for a Longer, Healthier Life," on The Globe and Mail's Top 10 Bestseller List. Visit: http://www.executivehealthcentre.com.

SOURCE Acorn Biolabs

For further information: Morgan McLellan, E: morgan@providentcomms.com, C: 647-802-4825

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Acorn Biolabs partners with Executive Health Centre to become first clinic in North America to offer non-invasive stem cell collection - Canada...

Brooks Koepka slips on wet concrete, withdraws from CJ Cup – Golfweek

World No. 1 Brooks Koepka has withdrawn from the CJ Cup.

Koepka released a statement in which he says that he slipped and aggravated an injury on his left knee.

The full statement, released on the PGA Tours twitter account, reads:

During the course of Fridays round, I slipped on wet concrete aggravating a previous injury to my left knee. After consulting with my doctor, I have been advised to withdraw from the CJ Cup and head home for further tests. I appreciate everyones concerns and support. Ill keep you posted as I learn more.

CJ CUP:Scores|Photos |Updates

A little more than two weeks ago, ahead of his season debut in the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open at TPC Summerlin in Las Vegas, Koepka revealed that he had undergone a stem cell procedure for a partially torn patella tendon. He did it to relieve discomfort and strengthen a left knee that had been bugging him since March.

The procedure was performed Sept. 2 in Orlando.

Its stem cell, so they go in and inject it into my knee, Koepka said. Im watching it on the screen, as they were doing it, and it was probably one of the most painful things, I was screaming when they did it.

The 29-year-old limped out of the clinic and stayed off his feet best he could for three days, then started rehabbing the area.

Koepka shot 69-75 over the first two rounds this week in Korea, which had him at even par, T-51 in the no-cut, 78-man field.

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Brooks Koepka slips on wet concrete, withdraws from CJ Cup - Golfweek

New research center to explore muscle health and disease – Newswise

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Newswise With collaborating labs across the University of Washington campus and at other Seattle-area institutions and beyond, the Center for Translational Muscle Research will encompass a myriad of muscle science and disease investigations. Studies will range from the basics of muscle-related proteins, genes and cell biology to the design of potential treatments for devastating muscle diseases. At present, only symptom management and supportive care is available for many of these conditions.

The latest advances in such areas as gene therapy and stem cell biology are putting medical science closer to finding options for people with as-yet incurable muscle conditions that cause disability and shorten lives. A few of these disorders eventually result in neuromuscular breathing weakness or failure requiring mechanical ventilation.

What the new muscle research center offers patients with these diseases, many of whom are racing against time, is hope, said center director Michael Regnier, professor of bioengineering, a jointly operated department of the University of Washington College of Engineering and the UW School of Medicine.

A few of the several diseases for which the new center initially will be seeking answers are

Time is of the essence for many patients eagerly awaiting treatment progress in muscle diseases that are characterized by a decline and weakening.

Clinical partners include pediatric experts in rare genetic disorders and physical medicine physicians who care for patients with neuromuscular disorders at the UW Medical Center Rehabilitation Medicine Clinic and other settings.

One of several areas in which the center is expected to take a major leadership role is in growing human stem cells, some of which will be derived from patient cells, to produce disease-in-a-lab-dish models. These models will improve understanding of how the disease pathology begins and develops, and will also serve for testing possible treatments.

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New research center to explore muscle health and disease - Newswise

Opinion: Neighborhood Health Clinic contributes to the overall wellbeing of Naples – Naples Daily News

Leslie Lascheid, CEO Published 12:44 p.m. ET Oct. 16, 2019

On Monday, October 7, 2019, Gregg Semenza, MD, Ph.D., Director of Vascular Research at the Institute for Cell Engineering, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and American Cancer Society Research Professor, received a call he will never forget.

Shortly before 4 a.m., the Nobel Committee called Semenza to inform him that hed won the Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine for his discovery of hypoxia-inducible factor 1 (HIF-1), the protein complex that turns off and on our genes in response to low oxygen levels.

Leslie Lascheid(Photo: rolandscarpa[photography])

Specifically, the role HIF-1 plays in cancer metastasis (spreading), metabolism, stem cell maintenance, immune evasion and chemotherapy resistance.

Awarded jointly to Semenza; William G. Kaelin Jr., Harvard University; and Sir Peter J. Ratcliffe, University of Oxford in England, at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm; his finding has far-reaching implications for cancer treatment, coronary artery disease, blood disorders, diabetes, eye diseases and other conditions.

As the C. Michael Armstrong Professor of Pediatrics at Johns Hopkins, Dr. Semenzas relationship opened a window of opportunity for the clinic since C. Michael Armstrong, who funds Semenzas position serves on our executive board as treasurer. As a result of the connection, we were able to bring Semenza to tour the clinic and update our medical committee and volunteer physicians on his research inFebruary 2018.

Dr. Semenza has visited Naples as part of the Neighborhood Health Clinics ongoing efforts to provide the 250 physicians who volunteer at our campus access to the latest research, technological advances and practices available.

With Armstrong on the Board, our ability to bring such leaders to Naples has expanded. In fact, he arranged for Dr. Ben Carson, neurosurgeon and United States Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), to tour and host a private physician seminar in 2014.

The importance of these visits is multifaceted. First, the information these leaders share not only benefits the uninsured workers our 385 medical/dental volunteers provide during 11,000 patient visits annually, but enhances the care they offer in their private practices and hospital service across the area.

Its also a meaningful way for the clinic to say thank you to the professionals who so generously donate their time and expertise providing more than 27,095 medical and dental procedures annually.

Educational opportunities like these also provide another avenue for the clinic to fully engage our board members, as well as show our supporters that our charity is a good steward of the resources entrusted to us. Finally, its another way the clinic contributes to the overall wellbeing of Naples.

When my parents Dr. Bill and Nancy Lascheid started the Neighborhood Health Clinic in 1999, they couldnt have imagined that we would provide more than 107,000 patient visits in the years that followed.

They did see that we would continue to expand to meet the growing needs of the areas uninsured workers, which now exceeds 50,000 women and men.

So, as we congratulate clinic-friend Dr. Semenza on his accomplishments, we also honor all the medical researchers working diligently to ensure nonprofits like the Neighborhood Health Clinic truly do provide our communities both hope and healing.

For more information, including volunteer opportunities, please visit http://www.NeighborhoodHealthClinic.org, or call 239.261.6600.

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Opinion: Neighborhood Health Clinic contributes to the overall wellbeing of Naples - Naples Daily News

Magenta Therapeutics Appoints Jan Pinkas as Senior Vice President, Head of Translational Sciences and Announces Transition of Chief Scientific Officer…

CAMBRIDGE, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Magenta Therapeutics (NASDAQ: MGTA), a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing novel medicines to bring the curative power of stem cell transplant to more patients, today announced the appointment of Jan Pinkas, Ph.D., as Senior Vice President, Translational Sciences. The Company also announced that Mike Cooke, Ph.D., Chief Scientific Officer, will leave Magenta to pursue other opportunities.

We have made tremendous progress at Magenta, with two clinical programs in multiple trials and with our targeted antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) for patient preparation advancing toward the clinic, said Jason Gardner, D. Phil., Chief Executive Officer and President, Magenta. Jan is an expert drug developer who will provide critical translational input and help us accelerate the advancement of our programs as we work to make cures possible for more patients.

Magenta is uniquely positioned as the only company taking a comprehensive approach to unlocking the power of stem cell transplant medicine, said Dr. Pinkas. I am very excited to be part of the team that is building and expanding upon this foundational and innovative work to bring potentially transformative therapies to patients.

Dr. Pinkas is a seasoned scientist with deep expertise in leading drug development programs, specifically ADCs. Prior to joining Magenta, he was Head of Translational Research & Development at Immunogen, where he led nonclinical and translational research and development-related activities for all programs in discovery through late-stage clinical development. Dr. Pinkas earned his undergraduate degree in biology from Johns Hopkins University and his doctorate in Molecular and Cellular Biology from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst.

As Magenta has evolved into a clinical-stage company with a robust pipeline of preclinical assets, Mike has made tremendous contributions. He has built a world-class research organization and advanced our pipeline. Mike and I agreed that now, with a well-established Magenta research platform that is generating strong conditioning ADCs, validated targets, and discovery biology, it is the right time for Mike to explore other opportunities. We wish him well in his new adventure and will always be grateful for his scientific contributions, added Dr. Gardner.

I am very proud of Magentas rapid progress since our launch three years ago, and I am particularly proud of the cutting-edge scientific work that has come from our platform, said Dr. Cooke. I am confident that the scientific groundwork we have laid will help ensure that Magenta achieves its vision to transform the lives of many patients.

About Magenta TherapeuticsHeadquartered in Cambridge, Mass., Magenta Therapeutics is a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing novel medicines for patients with autoimmune diseases, blood cancers and genetic diseases. By creating a platform focused on critical areas of unmet need, Magenta Therapeutics is pioneering an integrated approach to allow more patients to receive one-time, curative therapies by making the process more effective, safer and easier.

Forward-Looking StatementThis press release may contain forward-looking statements and information within the meaning of The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and other federal securities laws. The use of words such as may, will, could, should, expects, intends, plans, anticipates, believes, estimates, predicts, projects, seeks, endeavor, potential, continue or the negative of such words or other similar expressions can be used to identify forward-looking statements. The express or implied forward-looking statements included in this press release are only predictions and are subject to a number of risks, uncertainties and assumptions, including, without limitation risks set forth under the caption Risk Factors in Magentas Registration Statement on Form S-1, as updated by Magentas most recent Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q and its other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. In light of these risks, uncertainties and assumptions, the forward-looking events and circumstances discussed in this press release may not occur and actual results could differ materially and adversely from those anticipated or implied in the forward-looking statements. You should not rely upon forward-looking statements as predictions of future events. Although Magenta believes that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking statements are reasonable, it cannot guarantee that the future results, levels of activity, performance or events and circumstances reflected in the forward-looking statements will be achieved or occur. Moreover, except as required by law, neither Magenta nor any other person assumes responsibility for the accuracy and completeness of the forward-looking statements included in this press release. Any forward-looking statement included in this press release speaks only as of the date on which it was made. We undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.

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The global wound care market is growing at a CAGR of over 5% during the forecast period20182024 – Yahoo Finance

The adoption of wound care biologics is augmenting the growth of the global wound care market. The commercial availability of a wide array of wound biologics is likely to encourage many end-users to use them in treating wounds as they are clinically proven, safe, and effective than other products.

New York, Oct. 14, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Reportlinker.com announces the release of the report "Wound Care Market - Global Outlook and Forecast 2019-2024" - https://www.reportlinker.com/p05822880/?utm_source=GNW The growing incidence of infections caused in lesions is another factor accelerating the growth of anti-microbial dressings market segment. Anti-microbial agents such as chlorhexidine, maggots, silver, iodine, and honey are increasingly becoming important in the global wound care market. Therefore, the incorporation of anti-microbial agents in wound dressing products is improving clinical outcomes for the treatment of wounds, thereby driving the global wound care market.

The following factors are likely to contribute to the growth of the wound care market during the forecast period: Growing Focus on the Development and Commercialization of Wound Biologics The emergence of Stem Cell Therapy for Wound Healing New Product Approvals/Launches Increasing Number of Surgical Procedures

This research report on the global wound care market covers sizing and forecast, market share, industry trends, growth drivers, and vendor analysis. The market study includes insights on segmentation by products (advanced wound care products, sutures and stapling devices, traditional wound care products, and hemostats and surgical sealants), wound type (acute wound and chronic wound), end-users(hospitals and specialty wound care clinics, long-term care facilities, home healthcare,and others), and geography (North America, APAC, Europe, Latin America, and MEA).

The study considers the present scenario of the wound care market and its market dynamics for the period 2018?2024. It covers a detailed overview of several market growth enablers, restraints, and trends. The study covers both the demand and supply aspect of the market. The report profiles and examines leading companies and other prominent companies operating in the wound care market.

Wound Care Market: SegmentationThis research report includes detailed market segmentation by products, wound type, end-users, and geography. The increase in the geriatric population is a major contributing factor for the growth of the advanced wound care segment as the prevalence of diabetes and other diseases is more common in the elderly age group than youth. The advanced segment is also growing as the majority of market players are offering innovative products to meet the demand for wound care worldwide. The rising incidence of diabetes and associated diabetic foot ulcers in the elderly population globally is fueling steady growth for traditional products. The market is also growing steadily as products such as gauze bandages and adhesive bandages witness sustainable demand for small cuts, bruises as well as for chronic wounds and burns, especially in developing countries. Developing regions such as Africa, Asia, and Latin America are the largest contributors to the traditional products.

The acute wound market is growing mainly due to the rise in surgical site infections (SSI) and the increase in the number of burn cases worldwide. Chronic wounds do not heal through the normal healing process. The segment is growing due to the growing burden of diabetic foot ulcers, venous leg ulcers, pressure ulcers, and some surgical site infections that do not heal naturally or with medicines. Further, about 70% of lower-extremity ulcers are caused by chronic venous insufficiency. People aged 65 years or above are vulnerable to venous ulcers. The overweight and obese population also develop a high risk for diabetes and associated chronic wounds. Therefore, the growing incidence of several chronic wounds is driving the growth of the segment.

The shift from traditional lower technology wound care treatments to the adoption of advanced treatments is a major factor for the high share of the hospitals and specialty wound clinic segment. Long-term care facilities segment is growing at a steady pace because of the growing incidence of chronic wounds due to the increase in chronic diseases such as diabetes. The growing elderly population is contributing to the growth of the segment as they are more prone to chronic diseases.

Market Segmentation by Products Advanced Wound Care Products Sutures and Stapling Devices Traditional Wound Care Hemostats and Surgical SealantsMarket Segmentation by Wound Type Acute Wounds Chronic WoundsMarket Segmentation by End-users Hospitals and Specialty Wound Care Clinics Long-term Care Facilities Others (ASCs, solo practitioners, and other acute care settings) Home Healthcare

Wound Care Market: Geography

The growth in the number of people suffering from several acute and chronic wounds in the US is the primary factor for the high market share of the North American market. The rise in the geriatric population is another key factor driving the market growth of the wound care market in the region.Germany, France, the UK, Italy, and Spain are witnessing significant growth in the wound care market. Factors such as the presence of highly sophisticated healthcare infrastructure, the increase in the patient population, and high awareness regarding the availability of advanced treatment options are the major growth factors.

Market Segmentation by Geography North Americao USo Canada APACo Japano Chinao Indiao South Koreao Australia Europeo Germanyo Franceo UKo Spaino Italy Latin Americao Brazilo Mexicoo Argentine MEAo Turkeyo Saudi Arabiao South Africao Iran

Key Vendor AnalysisThe global wound care market is highly competitive and dynamic characterized by the presence of several global, regional, and local vendors, offering a diverse range of products and devices for treating various acute and chronic wounds. There are approximately more than 400 vendors providing a wide array of wound care products worldwide. Multiple product launches, strategic acquisitions, and differentiated products have fueled the growth in recent years. New product launches and strategic acquisitions, collaborations will be crucial for companies to maintain revenue growth in the coming years. Large and diversified companies account for nearly 48% of the market share. Also, the majority of key players have demonstrated consistent growth in the last three years. Moderate to the high growth of major players will continue to boost the market growth. In addition, both established and emerging players are developing or commercializing wound care products and devices. Major players are focusing on technological innovations, thereby investing substantial amounts on R&D activities for offering advanced wound care products such as advanced wound dressings, skin grafts, and wound biologics.

Key Vendors 3M Acelity Cardinal Health Coloplast ConvaTec Medtronic Mlnlycke Health Care PAUL HARTMANN Smith & Nephew

Prominent Vendors Acell Adhesys Medical Advanced Medical Solutions Group Advancis Medical AediCell AlloSource AMERX Health Care AOTI AxioBiosolution Baxter B. Braun Melsungen BD BSN Medical BTI Biotechnology Institute Carilex Medical Cohera Medical CONMED Cork Medical Covalon Technologies CryoLife DeRoyal Industries Ethicon Grena Hollister Integra LifeSciences Intuitive Surgical LOHMANN & RAUSCHER (L&R) Medline Industries MiMedx MPM Medical MTF Biologics Ocular Therapeutix Organogenesis Osiris Therapeutics Pters Surgical Purple Surgical Reach surgical Sealantis Sechrist Sonoma Pharmaceuticals Sutures India Synovis MCA Talley Group TRIAGE MEDITECH Tricol Biomedical URGO Group Vivostat Waston Medical Appliance

Key Market InsightsThe report provides the following insights into the wound care market for the forecast period 20192024. Offers market sizing and growth prospects of the wound care market for the forecast period 20192024. Provides comprehensive insights on the latest industry trends, market forecast, and growth drivers in the wound care market. Includes a detailed analysis of market growth drivers, challenges, and investment opportunities. Delivers a complete overview of market segments and the regional outlook of the wound care market. Offers an exhaustive summary of the vendor landscape, competitive analysis, and key market strategies to gain a competitive advantage in the market.Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p05822880/?utm_source=GNW

About ReportlinkerReportLinker is an award-winning market research solution. Reportlinker finds and organizes the latest industry data so you get all the market research you need - instantly, in one place.

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The global wound care market is growing at a CAGR of over 5% during the forecast period20182024 - Yahoo Finance

Saving rhinos with stem cells; $5.5 billion stem cell ballot measure readied – The San Diego Union-Tribune

The San Diego Zoos project to save the northern white rhino is now researching how to make sperm and egg cells to help resurrect the nearly extinct species, a zoo scientist said Thursday.

Marisa Korody, a conservation genetics scientist at the zoos Institute for Conservation research, gave the update to a scientific audience at the Sanford Consortium for Regenerative Medicine in La Jolla.

ICR scientists have developed induced pluripotent stem cells from frozen tissue samples, Korody said. These cells act like embryonic stem cells. In theory, they can be converted into nearly any cell type in the body.

A number of tests have confirmed that these are true pluripotent stem cells, she said, displaying a video of beating heart cells, or cardiomyocytes, made from the cells.

In theory, sperm and egg cells can be united to produce embryos, which can be implanted into closely related southern white rhino females, serving as surrogate mothers. Six of these are now being trained at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park.

But making these gametes is complicated, she said. They require supporting structures to mature properly, and nobody knows how to determine if they do mature properly. This means the zoo and colleagues are performing original science.

So-called primordial germ cells, the common ancestor of eggs and sperm, have arisen spontaneously. But they need to be reliably generated under controlled circumstances.

All rhino species and subspecies are endangered due to habitat loss and poaching for their horns, Korody said. Its our fault, we really need to help these species, she said.

On the positive side, Korody said the dozen or so tissue samples from northern white rhinos contains enough genetic diversity to bring back a viable population.

This is known because that diversity is greater than that in the southern white rhino, which rebounded from near-extinction to a population of about 18,000.

A long-discussed state initiative to refund Californias stem cell program with $5.5 billion has at last begun.

Backers filed the initiative Thursday, according to the California Stem Cell Report, which closely tracks the program, called the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine, or CIRM. If it gets 633,212 valid signatures, the initiative will appear on the November 2020 ballot.

CIRM was founded by the passage of Proposition 71 in 2004. It got $3 billion from the sale of state bonds. It has been severely criticized for overpromising the speed at which stem cell treatments would get to patients. Advocates said the agency has had to go slow because of safety reasons.

Theres also the question of whether the agency should get more money, or whether its work should be transferred to private entities. California has the biggest biomedical industry in the nation, but it also has billions in state liabilities for purposes such as pensions. Critics say the state needs to address these unfunded liabilities.

Robert N. Klein, a real estate investment banker who led the original campaign to create CIRM, said in a recent interview that the new funding was necessary to ensure that therapies now in the clinic can reach patients.

The initiative sets aside $1.5 billion for research and development of treatments for neurological conditions, such as Alzheimers disease, Parkinsons disease, and stroke. It also provides money to help disadvantaged patients receive these treatments, Klein said.

Patients who live far away from major academic centers may have difficulty arranging to stay nearby while awaiting or receiving treatment, Klein said.

Initiative supporters need to convince the public that the $5.5 billion from state bonds is a wise use of public money. Earlier this week, a study from University of Southern California professors said that it was.

CIRM, funded with $3 billion from state bonds, has yielded $10.7 billion of additional gross output, or sales revenue, the study said. In addition, more than 56,000 full-time jobs were created. Go to http://j.mp/cirmeireport for the study.

The agency said the study and another report were funded by $206,000 from CIRM, which said the study was independent.

However, the California Stem Cell Report said the study didnt convince critics of the agency, who said the agency has received enough money as it is.

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Saving rhinos with stem cells; $5.5 billion stem cell ballot measure readied - The San Diego Union-Tribune

BEYOND LOCAL: Expert recommends ‘path of cautious optimism’ about the future of stem cell treatment – ThoroldNews.com

This article, written byKatharine Sedivy-Haley, University of British Columbia, originally appeared on The Conversation and is republished here with permission:

When I was applying to graduate school in 2012, it felt like stem cells were about to revolutionize medicine.

Stem cells have the ability to renew themselves, and mature into specialized cells like heart or brain cells. This allows them to multiply and repair damage.

If stem cell genes are edited to fix defects causing diseases like anemia or immune deficiency, healthy cells can theoretically be reintroduced into a patient, thereby eliminating or preventing a disease. If these stem cells are taken or made from the patient themselves, they are a perfect genetic match for that individual, which means their body will not reject the tissue transplant.

Because of this potential, I was excited that my PhD project at the University of British Columbia gave me the opportunity to work with stem cells.

However, stem cell hype has led some to pay thousands of dollars on advertised stem cell treatments that promise to cure ailments from arthritis to Parkinsons disease. These treatments often dont help and may harm patients.

Despite the potential for stem cells to improve medicine, there are many challenges as they move from lab to clinic. In general, stem cell treatment requires we have a good understanding of stem cell types and how they mature. We also need stem cell culturing methods that will reliably produce large quantities of pure cells. And we need to figure out the correct cell dose and deliver it to the right part of the body.

Embryonic, 'induced and pluripotent

Stem cells come in multiple types. Embryonic stem cells come from embryos which makes them controversial to obtain.

A newly discovered stem cell type is the induced pluripotent stem cell. These cells are created by collecting adult cells, such as skin cells, and reprogramming them by inserting control genes which activate or induce a state similar to embryonic stem cells. This embryo-like state of having the versatile potential to turn into any adult cell type, is called being pluripotent.

However, induced pluripotent and embryonic stem cells can form tumours. Induced pluripotent stem cells carry a particularly high risk of harmful mutation and cancer because of their genetic instability and changes introduced during reprogramming.

Genetic damage could be avoided by using younger tissues such as umbilical cord blood, avoiding tissues that might contain pre-existing mutations (like sun-damaged skin cells), and using better methods for reprogramming.

Stem cells used to test drugs

For now, safety concerns mean pluripotent cells have barely made it to the clinic, but they have been used to test drugs.

For drug research, it is valuable yet often difficult to get research samples with specific disease-causing mutations; for example, brain cells from people with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).

Researchers can, however, take a skin cell sample from a patient, create an induced pluripotent stem-cell line with their mutation and then make neurons out of those stem cells. This provides a renewable source of cells affected by the disease.

This approach could also be used for personalized medicine, testing how a particular patient will respond to different drugs for conditions like heart disease.

Vision loss from fat stem cells

Stem cells can also be found in adults. While embryonic stem cells can turn into any cell in the body, aside from rare newly discovered exceptions, adult stem cells mostly turn into a subset of mature adult cells.

For example, hematopoietic stem cells in blood and bone marrow can turn into any blood cell and are widely used in treating certain cancers and blood disorders.

A major challenge with adult stem cells is getting the right kind of stem cell in useful quantities. This is particularly difficult with eye and nerve cells. Most research is done with accessible stem cell types, like stem cells from fat.

Fat stem cells are also used in stem cell clinics without proper oversight or safety testing. Three patients experienced severe vision loss after having these cells injected into their eyes. There is little evidence that fat stem cells can turn into retinal cells.

Clinical complications

Currently, stem cell based treatments are still mostly experimental, and while some results are encouraging, several clinical trials have failed.

In the brain, despite progress in developing treatment for genetic disorders and spinal cord injury, treatments for stroke have been unsuccessful. Results might depend on method of stem cell delivery, timing of treatment and age and health of the patient. Frustratingly, older and sicker tissues may be more resistant to treatment.

For eye conditions, a treatment using adult stem cells to treat corneal injuries has recently been approved. A treatment for macular degeneration using cells derived from induced pluripotent stem cells is in progress, though it had to be redesigned due to concerns about cancer-causing mutations.

A path of cautious optimism

While scientists have good reason to be interested in stem cells, miracle cures are not right around the corner. There are many questions about how to implement treatments to provide benefit safely.

In some cases, advertised stem cell treatments may not actually use stem cells. Recent research suggests mesenchymal stem cells, which are commonly isolated from fat, are really a mixture of cells. These cells have regenerative properties, but may or may not include actual stem cells. Calling something a stem cell treatment is great marketing, but without regulation patients dont know what theyre getting.

Members of the public (and grad students) are advised to moderate their excitement in favour of cautious optimism.

Katharine Sedivy-Haley, PhD Candidate in Microbiology and Immunology, University of British Columbia

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

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BEYOND LOCAL: Expert recommends 'path of cautious optimism' about the future of stem cell treatment - ThoroldNews.com

Microbiome research needs a gut check – The Globe and Mail

Timothy Caulfield is a Canada Research Chair in Health Law and Policy at the University of Alberta and host of A Users Guide to Cheating Death

It happened with stem-cell research. Ditto genetics and precision medicine. And now we are seeing it play out with microbiome research. Good science is being exploited to market bunk products and ideas.

Gut hype is everywhere.

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The pattern is now familiar, as highlighted by what happened with regenerative medicine. In the late 1990s and early 2000s, stem-cell research started receiving a massive amount of media coverage. It was presented as a potentially revolutionizing field of study. This hyped language was then exploited by clinics around the world to push unproven and dangerous stem-cell therapies. And now regulators, including the the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the U.S. and Health Canada, are trying to contain the mess.

Microbiome research is headed down the same path, but at an accelerated pace.

There is no doubt that the human microbiome the vast collection of microorganisms that live on and in all of us plays an important role in our health and well-being. Researchers around the world are now studying the complex relationship between the microbiome and a range of conditions, including obesity, depression and cardiovascular disease. This is a genuinely exciting area of scientific inquiry with great promise. Indeed, Im involved with an interdisciplinary research team, led by the University of British Columbias Stuart Turvey, exploring the impact of the microbiome on the development of childhood asthma.

But it is still early days for microbiome research. There are, in fact, only a few microbiome-related interventions that are ready for the clinic, such as the use of probiotics to help prevent diarrhea when taking antibiotics and fecal transplants for the treatment of a particular severe intestinal infection. Despite this reality, the idea that the microbiome is relevant to our health in ways that are immediately applicable to the massive wellness industry has permeated pop culture incredibly quickly. (A Google Trends analysis of the word microbiome in the United States reveals an increase in interest starting around 2013.) The ubiquity of microbiome-related products and promises often framed in the rhetoric of gut health has led to growing concern that the research is being inappropriately hyped.

As with stem cells, the language of microbiome research is now being used to legitimize some potentially harmful and thoroughly unproven alternative therapies, including the idea that we need to do regular colonics (basically, an enema) to cleanse and detox our bodies.

As is so often the case, proponents of these kinds of alternative gut-health practices want the best of both worlds. They want to situate the therapy as both ageless wisdom (many ancient civilizations practised inner cleansing) and rooted in modern, cutting-edge science (colonic hydrotherapy helps to detoxify the colon and increase peristaltic activity). And they claim it has both amorphous wellness benefits (youre feeling lighter, your futures brighter) and can treat serious health conditions (one of the most important high-blood-pressure natural remedies).

But despite the use of ancient anecdotes and science-y, microbiome-infused language, there is absolutely no evidence to support the practice or the too-good-to-be-true claims. Indeed, studies have found that while colon cleanses can affect the gut microbiome it is, after all, a pretty dramatic assault on your innards the change doesnt last. After a few weeks, our gut reverts back to its precolonic state.

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The language of gut health and microbiome research is also used to sell a range of foods and supplements. While research continues, there is still little evidence to support the use of probiotics by healthy individuals. As noted in a recent commentary in the journal The Lancet: increasing evidence suggests that both commercial and clinical use of probiotics is outpacing the science. And there may be situations where probiotics might even be harmful, adversely affecting the way our body reacts to some drugs. But the lack of evidence to support the claims of health benefit hasnt stopped the rapid expansion of the probiotic industry, which is estimated to be worth almost US$74-billion by 2024.

But perhaps the most absurd example of the twisting of microbiome research is the marketing surrounding the raw water phenomenon. Over the past few years, a number of bottled water companies have started offering water that is straight from the natural source, such as a stream or spring. It is untreated and unfiltered. One of the arguments for the practice is the idea that drinking raw water improves microbiome health because it contains healthy microbes and minerals removed by public water-treatment facilities. This is, of course, beyond absurd (as are the ridiculous prices people are willing to pay). The production and distribution of clean water is one of the single greatest public-health achievements. Raw water kills more than 500,000 people a year.

In this era of misinformation, scientists must take extra care not to hype their work. Indeed, we need the scientific community particularly those working in these emerging and genuinely exciting fields of study to speak up when science is being misrepresented. We need credible voices to explain what is and isnt currently possible.

And we all need to be aware that science-y language is often used to market bunk.

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Microbiome research needs a gut check - The Globe and Mail

BEYOND LOCAL: Expert recommends ‘path of cautious optimism’ about the future of stem cell treatment – GuelphToday

This article, written byKatharine Sedivy-Haley, University of British Columbia, originally appeared on The Conversation and is republished here with permission:

When I was applying to graduate school in 2012, it felt like stem cells were about to revolutionize medicine.

Stem cells have the ability to renew themselves, and mature into specialized cells like heart or brain cells. This allows them to multiply and repair damage.

If stem cell genes are edited to fix defects causing diseases like anemia or immune deficiency, healthy cells can theoretically be reintroduced into a patient, thereby eliminating or preventing a disease. If these stem cells are taken or made from the patient themselves, they are a perfect genetic match for that individual, which means their body will not reject the tissue transplant.

Because of this potential, I was excited that my PhD project at the University of British Columbia gave me the opportunity to work with stem cells.

However, stem cell hype has led some to pay thousands of dollars on advertised stem cell treatments that promise to cure ailments from arthritis to Parkinsons disease. These treatments often dont help and may harm patients.

Despite the potential for stem cells to improve medicine, there are many challenges as they move from lab to clinic. In general, stem cell treatment requires we have a good understanding of stem cell types and how they mature. We also need stem cell culturing methods that will reliably produce large quantities of pure cells. And we need to figure out the correct cell dose and deliver it to the right part of the body.

Embryonic, 'induced and pluripotent

Stem cells come in multiple types. Embryonic stem cells come from embryos which makes them controversial to obtain.

A newly discovered stem cell type is the induced pluripotent stem cell. These cells are created by collecting adult cells, such as skin cells, and reprogramming them by inserting control genes which activate or induce a state similar to embryonic stem cells. This embryo-like state of having the versatile potential to turn into any adult cell type, is called being pluripotent.

However, induced pluripotent and embryonic stem cells can form tumours. Induced pluripotent stem cells carry a particularly high risk of harmful mutation and cancer because of their genetic instability and changes introduced during reprogramming.

Genetic damage could be avoided by using younger tissues such as umbilical cord blood, avoiding tissues that might contain pre-existing mutations (like sun-damaged skin cells), and using better methods for reprogramming.

Stem cells used to test drugs

For now, safety concerns mean pluripotent cells have barely made it to the clinic, but they have been used to test drugs.

For drug research, it is valuable yet often difficult to get research samples with specific disease-causing mutations; for example, brain cells from people with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).

Researchers can, however, take a skin cell sample from a patient, create an induced pluripotent stem-cell line with their mutation and then make neurons out of those stem cells. This provides a renewable source of cells affected by the disease.

This approach could also be used for personalized medicine, testing how a particular patient will respond to different drugs for conditions like heart disease.

Vision loss from fat stem cells

Stem cells can also be found in adults. While embryonic stem cells can turn into any cell in the body, aside from rare newly discovered exceptions, adult stem cells mostly turn into a subset of mature adult cells.

For example, hematopoietic stem cells in blood and bone marrow can turn into any blood cell and are widely used in treating certain cancers and blood disorders.

A major challenge with adult stem cells is getting the right kind of stem cell in useful quantities. This is particularly difficult with eye and nerve cells. Most research is done with accessible stem cell types, like stem cells from fat.

Fat stem cells are also used in stem cell clinics without proper oversight or safety testing. Three patients experienced severe vision loss after having these cells injected into their eyes. There is little evidence that fat stem cells can turn into retinal cells.

Clinical complications

Currently, stem cell based treatments are still mostly experimental, and while some results are encouraging, several clinical trials have failed.

In the brain, despite progress in developing treatment for genetic disorders and spinal cord injury, treatments for stroke have been unsuccessful. Results might depend on method of stem cell delivery, timing of treatment and age and health of the patient. Frustratingly, older and sicker tissues may be more resistant to treatment.

For eye conditions, a treatment using adult stem cells to treat corneal injuries has recently been approved. A treatment for macular degeneration using cells derived from induced pluripotent stem cells is in progress, though it had to be redesigned due to concerns about cancer-causing mutations.

A path of cautious optimism

While scientists have good reason to be interested in stem cells, miracle cures are not right around the corner. There are many questions about how to implement treatments to provide benefit safely.

In some cases, advertised stem cell treatments may not actually use stem cells. Recent research suggests mesenchymal stem cells, which are commonly isolated from fat, are really a mixture of cells. These cells have regenerative properties, but may or may not include actual stem cells. Calling something a stem cell treatment is great marketing, but without regulation patients dont know what theyre getting.

Members of the public (and grad students) are advised to moderate their excitement in favour of cautious optimism.

Katharine Sedivy-Haley, PhD Candidate in Microbiology and Immunology, University of British Columbia

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

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BEYOND LOCAL: Expert recommends 'path of cautious optimism' about the future of stem cell treatment - GuelphToday