Stem Cell Therapy Market Set to Witness an Uptick during 2017 to 2025 – Science In Me

Global Stem Cell Therapy Market: Overview

Also called regenerative medicine, stem cell therapy encourages the reparative response of damaged, diseased, or dysfunctional tissue via the use of stem cells and their derivatives. Replacing the practice of organ transplantations, stem cell therapies have eliminated the dependence on availability of donors. Bone marrow transplant is perhaps the most commonly employed stem cell therapy.

Osteoarthritis, cerebral palsy, heart failure, multiple sclerosis and even hearing loss could be treated using stem cell therapies. Doctors have successfully performed stem cell transplants that significantly aid patients fight cancers such as leukemia and other blood-related diseases.

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Global Stem Cell Therapy Market: Key Trends

The key factors influencing the growth of the global stem cell therapy market are increasing funds in the development of new stem lines, the advent of advanced genomic procedures used in stem cell analysis, and greater emphasis on human embryonic stem cells. As the traditional organ transplantations are associated with limitations such as infection, rejection, and immunosuppression along with high reliance on organ donors, the demand for stem cell therapy is likely to soar. The growing deployment of stem cells in the treatment of wounds and damaged skin, scarring, and grafts is another prominent catalyst of the market.

On the contrary, inadequate infrastructural facilities coupled with ethical issues related to embryonic stem cells might impede the growth of the market. However, the ongoing research for the manipulation of stem cells from cord blood cells, bone marrow, and skin for the treatment of ailments including cardiovascular and diabetes will open up new doors for the advancement of the market.

Global Stem Cell Therapy Market: Market Potential

A number of new studies, research projects, and development of novel therapies have come forth in the global market for stem cell therapy. Several of these treatments are in the pipeline, while many others have received approvals by regulatory bodies.

In March 2017, Belgian biotech company TiGenix announced that its cardiac stem cell therapy, AlloCSC-01 has successfully reached its phase I/II with positive results. Subsequently, it has been approved by the U.S. FDA. If this therapy is well- received by the market, nearly 1.9 million AMI patients could be treated through this stem cell therapy.

Another significant development is the granting of a patent to Israel-based Kadimastem Ltd. for its novel stem-cell based technology to be used in the treatment of multiple sclerosis (MS) and other similar conditions of the nervous system. The companys technology used for producing supporting cells in the central nervous system, taken from human stem cells such as myelin-producing cells is also covered in the patent.

The regional analysis covers:

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Global Stem Cell Therapy Market: Regional Outlook

The global market for stem cell therapy can be segmented into Asia Pacific, North America, Latin America, Europe, and the Middle East and Africa. North America emerged as the leading regional market, triggered by the rising incidence of chronic health conditions and government support. Europe also displays significant growth potential, as the benefits of this therapy are increasingly acknowledged.

Asia Pacific is slated for maximum growth, thanks to the massive patient pool, bulk of investments in stem cell therapy projects, and the increasing recognition of growth opportunities in countries such as China, Japan, and India by the leading market players.

Global Stem Cell Therapy Market: Competitive Analysis

Several firms are adopting strategies such as mergers and acquisitions, collaborations, and partnerships, apart from product development with a view to attain a strong foothold in the global market for stem cell therapy.

Some of the major companies operating in the global market for stem cell therapy are RTI Surgical, Inc., MEDIPOST Co., Ltd., Osiris Therapeutics, Inc., NuVasive, Inc., Pharmicell Co., Ltd., Anterogen Co., Ltd., JCR Pharmaceuticals Co., Ltd., and Holostem Terapie Avanzate S.r.l.

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Stem Cell Therapy Market Set to Witness an Uptick during 2017 to 2025 - Science In Me

A Quarantine Trendsetter – Long Island Weekly News

Coronavirus (Image source: U.S. Department of State)

In my February column, I wrote about the fact that I had a stem cell transplant in early December 2019, about a month before I heard for the first time about the coronavirus.

The transplant entailed getting an unrelated donors stem cells to replace mine; then, if all went according to plan, these cells would grow into a new immune system to seek and destroy my cancer cells.

As a result of the transplant, all of my childhood vaccinations became ineffective. I was instructed to stay in isolation for at least four months in order to avoid infectious and possibly deadly diseases like influenza. Consequently, I have been quarantined since December.

Just a day before writing this, a friend told me that Im a trendsetter.

I knew very little about viruses before the coronavirus came alongonly that they were microscopic infectious organisms that invade living cells and then reproduce. In an effort to review what I had been (mostly unconsciously) protected from before transplant, I Googled the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and found a piece entitled, Vaccines for children: Diseases you almost forgot about.

I was reminded that most of us had vaccines as children for some of the nastiest viruses, including polio, which invades the brain and spinal cord and leads to paralysis; tetanus, a potentially fatal disease that causes lockjaw; whooping cough, which can lead to violent coughing that makes it difficult to breathe; and many more.

Most older adults are familiar with chicken pox, mumps and measles. I had two of them as a young teenager. One that I forgot about is diphtheria, which affects breathing or swallowing and can lead to heart failure, paralysis and death. There are several more.

I imagined the panic that parents must have felt and the pain that young children must have experienced before vaccines were discovered to prevent these horrible infectious diseases.

For the time being, I cannot replace my old vaccines. I must wait for at least one year while my new immune system gets stronger.

The idea of being in isolation and maintaining a safe social distance for a few months post-transplant made sense to me. I was well prepared by doctors and nurses and I knew my wife would be a great caregiver, so I thought I could do the time.

And then, the coronavirus came along.

For me, being quarantined was an old hat by the time a national emergency was declared and everything started to shut down. I learned that this new virus main target was the lungs and people older than 60 years with underlying health conditions were its primary targets.

I fit the bill and knew that Id have to do more time: at least another three months, my transplant doctor told me. The only difference is that this time, hundreds of millions of people would be joining me.

I was well-prepared before and after my transplant. I knew why I had to self-isolate and for how long. No one, including me, was prepared for COVID-19 and the mass quarantine that it now requiresnot only to protect oneself and ones family, but also to protect strangers. Mostly older strangers like me.

Scientists and other health professionals were the heroes of viral epidemics gone by. I do believe we will get through this, with people like immunologist Dr. Anthony Fauci leading the way.

Still, the unknown is what is most frightening. We all want answers, yet some remain illusive at the moment. This is an opportunity for all of us to strengthen our tolerance for ambiguity.

When will this end? No clue. Will it come back? No idea.

Although my new immune system needs more time to protect me, I just found out after a PET scan that Im in complete remission from my cancer.

Will it come back? No idea.

We are all in the same boat, living in uncertainty, whether young or old, healthy or unwell. As Plato said, Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a harder battle.

Andrew Malekoff is the executive director of North Shore Child and Family Guidance Center. To find out more, call 516-626-1971 or visit http://www.northshorechildguidance.org.

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A Quarantine Trendsetter - Long Island Weekly News

What We Know About Masks and the New Coronavirus – The New Yorker

So, going back to your question about the argument against the public wearing masks, I think that there was a mixture of concern that the public would hoard and that it would create alarm. But, to this point, we are in alarming circumstances, and the risk is non-zero. Lets say in the worst-case scenario that masks only offer fifty-per-cent protection. Well, fifty per cent is better than zero. And it seems to me, more and more, that the C.D.C. and the White House have come around to the idea that people should be wearing masks.

The other arguments I have read against them were about people scratching and touching their faces more, or about the difficulty of cleaning them, which introduces another risk.

If we ask the public to wear masks, whatever masks they are, we need a simple decontamination protocol. Because what we dont want is people to wear masks, and feel safe, whereas, in fact, they are collecting respiratory droplets. So we need a simple decontamination protocol.

What about cleaning masks? The C.D.C. says that they should be routinely washed, and that a washing machine should suffice.

You should follow the C.D.C. recommendations, but Im not aware of a lot of empirical data about whether washing degrades the fibres, and it would be very helpful if someone produced that data. I am agnostic, to be honest. If washing works, it works. I am totally fine with washing. I would follow the C.D.C. recommendations.

Just to emphasize: I do not have empirical data that simple masks work for the coronavirus. But we do know they work for other respiratory viruses. So what we are trying to do is extrapolate. There is no empirical evidence that Im aware of that going to the grocery store with a mask will protect you more than anything else from the coronavirus. But with other viruses, including ones that behave similarly, it helps.

What sort of face coverings should we be using if we dont have access yet to professionally made masks?

The quick answer is that I dont know and we dont know. I would vastly prefer that if we are going to ask the public to use masks, the C.D.C. or someone should give us very clear guidelines on what works and what doesnt work. There is a study from Cambridge University in which they tested a number of household materials, ranging from cloth to linen, against the size of a typical respiratory droplet. The study suggested that T-shirts and pillowcases worked fine. Again, we are operating with little data. Surgical masks are the most effective in this study. Then a vacuum-cleaner bag and then a dish towel. Then a cotton-blend T-shirt. So that is probably a reasonable item to use in a double layer.

The problem is that if we have a free-for-all, and say you can make your own, then there is no control over it. Some people will make things that are really good, and some people will make things that are terrible. And we will think they are all identical and move right along. It would be very helpful if we could standardize this and have a decontamination protocol for public use.

Has the science changed on masks at all recently? Or has this always been what it has been?

There is more science now. There are more papers for SARS, which show that, in the hospital, a simple surgical mask, in conjunction with hand hygiene and social distancing, vastly decreased the infection rate. The problem with science is that it cant catch up with what people are doing on the side. If everyone says they are going to use their own material, then science cant catch up with it, because we dont know what you are using. So there is more science, but the science has to go hand in hand with the social shifts. And it would seem to me that, rather than the President saying to cover your mouth with a scarf, having a scientific, centralized way to distribute it, produce it free of charge, and make everyone wear it, and have a decontamination protocol would be crucial.

Make everyone wear it, or suggest that they do?

I would suggest it, and if it really makes a dent, then put out a public-service announcement saying everyone should wear it. You cant force people to adopt behaviors in this country, although you can make it very uncomfortable for people who show up without masking because of social pressures. But I dont think it should be compulsory. I do think that, given the seriousness of what is going on, given the paralysis in the economy, and the desire for people to get back to work, I think there should be some sense of social responsibility, and if it really decreases the chance of infecting others and yourself, and if people agree universally to wear it, I think we could potentially convince the vast majority of the people to wear a mask.

Does this contradict what you said earlier about not wanting to shame people who dont wear it? Could we get to a point where we should be shaming people who dont?

I think shame is not the best mechanism for getting people to wear it. I think the better mechanism is for everyone to understand that there is a sense of social responsibility that they have, and adopting that social responsibility is part of what we do as a country to prevent economic collapse. If we dont get back to work by June or Julyhopefully, there will be medicines by then. But there will not be vaccines, and if we want to get back to work by June or July, I strongly suggest that we find mechanisms by which we can get back to work with masks.

Lots of evidence has shown that masked countries are doing better than unmasked ones in terms of spread. Do you attribute that to the masks?

Its very hard, because there is no trial and we have to believe the evidence at face value. There was a meme going around Twitter showing that countries with masks were doing better, but then someone superimposed that same meme and instead of masks they wrote bubble tea and no bubble. It is suggestive, but it is an unknowable, because no one did the experiment, and the scientist in me has to say that its an unknowable because there is no direct evidence that the countries wearing masks were more successful in decreasing the rise in infections.

And, in South Korea, say, it could be about something else, like testing.

It could be about testing. Yes.

Is mask wearing something that would generally be healthy and cut down on other diseases and flu deaths? Is this a societal change we should be making or thinking about apart from the coronavirus?

We know, again, from a vast amount of scientific evidence that viruses that are secreted through respiratory secretions and cough droplets, including influenza and SARS, are decreased in their exposure when people wear masks. So, under conditions when the infections are spreading fast, the evidence suggests that mask wearing really decreases the chance of infecting others and getting infected yourself. And the return on the so-called R0 of the virus may be quite large. So I think in conditions such as now, when there is exponential spread of the virus, I think that would be the right thing to do.

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What We Know About Masks and the New Coronavirus - The New Yorker

TISSUE REGENERATION TECHNOLOGIES Announces That Its First Coronavirus Clinical Trial Has Been Initiated Utilizing Unfocused Shockwave Therapy…

(MENAFN - Newswire) ATLANTA,April 11, 2020(Newswire.com) - Tissue Regeneration Technologies (TRT) announced today an important addition to our patent family to potentially aid in the fight against the Coronavirus. This patent applies the known mechanisms of action of unfocused shockwaves against this deadly virus. It is documented that the application of shock waves can produce the following effects in vivo:

Stem cell activation

Modulation of inflammation

Blood flow improvement

Antimicrobial and antiviral

Dislodging, liquefaction and dilution of viscous fluids such as phlegm

All of these effects may aid in the fight against the Coronavirus. The last bullet point may allow for life-threatening mucous to be expelled more efficiently. As shockwaves pass through tissue types with differing acoustic properties (lung tissues and thick mucus produced by COVID type viruses), energy is released at the interfaces, which is theorized to contribute to the dislodging of mucus that has been observed immediately after treatment. Additionally, the known anti-inflammatory properties of shockwaves may modulate the inflammatory overreaction initiated by COVID-19. Finally, the reparative properties of Shockwaves, including the activation of resident stem cells, may aid in the recovery and regeneration of damaged lung tissue.

John Warlick, CEO states, 'the most exciting development is that we have initiated our first clinical trial enrolling those patients where both ventilators and ECMO (Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation) have failed to stabilize the patient. Based on the fast-acting mechanism of action discussed above, we hope to release the initial results very soon. We have been very cautious to develop our unfocused Shockwave (SoftWave) therapy for the treatment of the lungs as there are many misconceptions about the risks associated with shockwaves and lung tissue developed from the thirty plus years of utilizing high energy, focused shockwaves to destroy kidney stones. TRT's unique, patented low energy unfocused shockwaves do not adversely affect lung tissue as previously feared. This has been demonstrated with extensive invitro and invivo trials.'

CEO John Warlick further states, 'TRT has assembled a team of doctors, engineers, and physicists to support this Herculean effort to eradicate the virus in the lungs. More importantly, TRT will release an open-source 'white paper' site for others to contribute to this project. This project is too critical to handle on our own. We need to enlist additional experts in this endeavor. We know shockwaves influence most of the known biologic pathways to disrupt viral replication and aid in the support of the patient's recovery. We are very confident in the outcome of our fight to destroy the effects of the virus.'

' Ironically, a virus is a very fragile agent. Others seek very elaborate, expensive technologies to fight viruses. Sometimes you just need a sonic hammer. At the most basic level, shockwaves are just a biologic hammer triggering a basic biological response.'

Pleasereview the attached PDF below for full release.

MENAFN1304202000704191ID1100019367

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TISSUE REGENERATION TECHNOLOGIES Announces That Its First Coronavirus Clinical Trial Has Been Initiated Utilizing Unfocused Shockwave Therapy...

Michael Schumacher health: The truth about the F1 champ’s recovery after a devastating head injury in 2013 – EconoTimes

Michael Schumachers exact health condition is still a mystery up to now. His familys efforts to guard him against the media and the public eyes proved to be successful as people dont really know how he is doing today. There is no single photograph of the F1 racing champ since suffering from a severe head injury while skiing in the Alps with his family in December 2013.

Today, most of what people know about Schumi came from his close friends or sometimes from the medical professionals who cared for or treated him. But is he really recovering well just like what his friends and family are saying?

Early days after the accident

Immediately after Michael Schumacher bumped his head on a rock while skiing with his son, he was found unconscious due to traumatic head injury. He was airlifted to Hospital of Moutiers and then brought to Grenoble University Hospital Center, a bigger medical facility where he could get the treatment he needed at that time.

Doctors declared him in critical condition due to the severity of his brain trauma. Before 2014, he was put into an induced coma so he could be saved. He underwent brain surgery to stop the bleeding in his head.

There were reports that he passed away already, but the Grenoble University Hospital denied the rumors and announced on February 14 that Michael Schumacher is still alive. Since then, theres a media blackout about Schumacher but he was said to have woken up already after six months in a comatose state.

"He is sleeping, he looks normal and he showed a few responses with his mouth," Express quoted Felipe Massa, a Ferrari teammate who visited Schumi in the hospital. "I was very happy to be able to spend some time with him. I really hope that he will again be able to enjoy life."

The truth on Schumis condition today

Over six years after his accident, it was said that Michael Schumacher is recovering well as his family has been taking good care of him. It was claimed that he underwent stem-cell therapy in September last year but it appeared that this did not help him much.

As per The Daily Mail, the surgeon who performed the procedure on the F1 legend stated that he doesnt perform miracles which could mean that the treatment, even if it is considered as one of the breakthroughs in this age, did not heal Michael Schumacher. In another report, a surgeon stated that Schumi is very different now as the truth is - because of his prolonged medication and illness, his health is deteriorating.

"We must imagine a person very different from the one we remember on the track, with a very altered and deteriorated organic, muscular and skeletal structure," Nicola Acciari, a surgeon, told Ovacion Uno. All as a result of the brain trauma he suffered."

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Michael Schumacher health: The truth about the F1 champ's recovery after a devastating head injury in 2013 - EconoTimes

Michael Schumacher health: Timeline of F1 champion’s recovery bid – Express.co.uk

Michael Schumacher retired in 2012 as a seven-time F1 world champion and is widely regarded as one of the sport's greatest drivers of all time. However, the following year, the German racer suffered traumatic head injuries while on a skiing trip with his family.

Schumacher - who was wearing a helmet - fell and hit his head on a rock in the French Alps.

The 51-year-old has not been seen in public since the accident and updates on his health have been scarce.

December 29, 2013: Schumacher is airlifted to Hospital of Moutiers following the accident and later transported to Grenoble University Hospital Centre, where doctors said he was "suffering a serious brain trauma with coma on his arrival, which required an immediate neurosurgical operation".

December 30, 2013: Schumacher is said to be in "critical condition" as surgeons operate to stop brain haemorrhaging and treat intracranial pressures.

The former F1 star is placed in a medically induced coma.

ALSO SEE: What Michael Schumacher once told Bernie Ecclestone revealed by legend

January 1, 2014: Schumacher's condition is said to have improved slightly after the second operation but doctors added he was "not out of danger".

January 7, 2014: Schumacher's wife, Corinna, speaks publically for the first time since her husband's accident.

In a statement, she asked media at the Grenoble hospital to leave to "ease the burden on the doctors and the hospital so that they can do their work in peace".

She added: "Please also leave our family alone."

January 31, 2014: Doctors begin to gradually wake Schumacher up from the medically induced coma.

February 2014: Grenoble University Hospital confirm that Schumacher is still alive following reports the former F1 driver had died.

Schumachers agent, Sabine Kehm, says he is still in the wake-up phase from an induced coma.

Former Ferrari team-mate Felipe Massa also visits Schumacher in hospital and provides a brief update.

"He is sleeping, he looks normal and he showed a few responses with his mouth," said Massa.

"I was very happy to be able to spend some time with him. I really hope that he will again be able to enjoy life."

London neurosurgeon Colin Shieff says it is unlikely Schumacher will make a full recovery.

"The fact that he hasn't woken up implies that the injury has been extremely severe and that a full recovery is improbable," said Shieff.

March 2014: Kehm says there are "small and encouraging signs" the German's condition is improving.

Schumacher is moved to the University Hospital of Lausanne in Switzerland, close to his family home in Geneva.

June 2014: Schumacher is no longer in a medically induced coma.

July 2014: Corinna says her husband has begun to recognise her voice.

September 2014: Schumacher's recovery continues at his private home in Geneva, Switzerland.

A statement read: "Michael's rehabilitation will take place at his home.

"Considering the severe head injuries he suffered, progress has been made in the past weeks and months. There is still, however, a long and difficult road ahead."

2015: FIA president Jean Todt says the former Ferrari driver is "still fighting".

2016: Kehm says Schumacher's family are struggling to come to terms with the accident but hope he will "one day be back with us".

2017: Schumacher's lawyer was forced to tell a court the F1 legend "cannot walk" after an article by German magazine Bunte claimed he was walking. Bunte magazine had to pay 50,000 in damages.

2018: Corinna issues a brief update.

"It is good to receive so many kind wishes and other well-intentioned words - which is a great support for our family," she says.

"We all know Michael is a fighter and will not give up."

2019: Jean Todt, Schumacher's former Ferrari boss, says the star is "making good progress".

"Im always careful with such statements, but its true," said Todt. "I saw the race together with Michael Schumacher at his home in Switzerland."

Schumacher reportedly goes to the Georges-Pompidou hospital in Paris to undergo pioneering stem cell treatment.

The hospital neither confirms nor denies this, however, an unnamed nurse tells French outlet Le Parisien that Schumacher is conscious after a stem-cell procedure.

2020: Nicola Acciari, a leading neurosurgeon, says "we must imagine a person very different from the one we remember on the track, with a very altered and deteriorated organic, muscular and skeletal structure".

"All as a result of the brain trauma he suffered," she added.

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Michael Schumacher health: Timeline of F1 champion's recovery bid - Express.co.uk

COVID-19 Tips for Patients with Myelodysplastic Syndromes and Acute Myeloid Leukemia – Curetoday.com

The COVID-19 pandemic has created a unique challenge for patients with myelodysplastic syndromes and acute myeloid leukemia, creating many questions that experts tried to answer in a recent webinar from The Aplastic Anemia and MDS International Foundation.

The Aplastic Anemia and MDS International Foundation (AAMDSIF) recently hosted a webinar to address the questions of this patient population by connecting them with Dr. Gail J. Roboz, professor of medicine and director of the clinical and translational leukemia program at the Weill Medical College of Cornell University in the New York Presbyterian Hospital in New York City.

Over the course of the webinar, Dr. Roboz, also a member of the AAMDSIF Medical Advisory Board, answered questions from the audience about the various ways that COVID-19 is impacting patients, from treatment delays to transplant and beyond.

Audience: If a patient with MDS were to be diagnosed with COVID-19, what are the most important things that they should let their medical team know, as they may not be familiar with MDS?Roboz: I think that it's important that if you're being seen in a facility where they don't know you very well or they don't know much about MDS, you can tell them that MDS is a is a bone marrow failure problem. You can tell them about your own blood counts, do I usually run low neutrophils or low hemoglobin or low platelets or all three, so you can tell them about what your specific experience is. But with respect to therapy, it is not completely clear that the underlying diagnosis, in this case MDS, is going to change what they do.

I think one of the questions is going to be about potential interactions with any medications that you're taking for MDS. And that's, of course, something that would be discussed if you're hospitalized.

If you are not getting hospitalized and you are patient with MDS, I certainly think it's reasonable to have, if at all possible, a daily or every other day telemedicine visit, either by video or by phone or by email, or however you're communicating with your doctor as a check in to just see how you're doing, see how your symptoms are evolving.

Should I continue with routine blood tests under the conditions or should I hunker down and not leave the house? If the previous blood test that the patient has had is looking absolutely perfect, and if there is a track record over a period of time that we know that this patient is tolerating the drug well and hasn't had any issues, I would be willing to consider skipping a routine blood test.

That said, I think it's really important to discuss this individually with the physician. First of all, depending on where you are, I'm hearing that in some parts of the country, you can actually drive to the doctor's office and they have a check in system that's allowing you to check in from your car, so that you could actually get into the office, get a lab check and get out without seeing really anybody.

Is there a change in patient protocol for when patient should be concerned about a fever?That is a really important question, especially for neutropenic patients. I think that if you are neutropenic and running a fever, neutropenic fevers do have to be evaluated, especially in hematologic malignancy patients.

If you don't feel too bad, and you're not having shaking chills and you think you can get your doctor's office on the phone quickly, it's not unreasonable to try that. That said, most of the time, it's really tough to get seen urgently in an office at this point. Again, it depends on where you are.

If you're going into the ER, you have to be very specific with them and say, hey, listen, I have leukemia, or I have MDS. This is my doctor. I'm neutropenic. I'm coming in with neutropenic fever, and they will evaluate you simultaneously for all of the routine things for neutropenic fever, as well as for coronavirus.

What are the recommendations regarding patients moving forward with transplant?I think that the issue is that the intensive care units in many areas, and the infectious disease doctors and many of the pulmonary specialists and other supportive specialties that are so critical to get patients safely through transplant, are very occupied at the moment.

But we want to make sure that when you come in for a procedure with curative intent, that all of the backup that we need to get you through the procedure safely is 100% available. So, it is definitely the case that patients are being delayed in their transplant. However, there are situations in which people might proceed. And I think again, this has to be a very individual discussion with the physician.

In the New York area, we are anticipating a surge in mid-April. So we definitely have been making decisions for our transplant patients that we don't want to bring you in here literally at the moment when they're predicting that things are going to get much worse, because maybe things will be better at the end of the month or at the beginning of the next month. And then we can hopefully start breathing a sigh of relief and bring you in much more safely.

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COVID-19 Tips for Patients with Myelodysplastic Syndromes and Acute Myeloid Leukemia - Curetoday.com

Column: Scientific advancements in the time of COVID-19 and what they offer us – The Daily Tar Heel

The coronavirus, otherwise known as COVID-19, has dramatically transformed the lives of people around the globe. It has decimated economies, overwhelmed health care systems and affected families in unimaginable ways. However, in spite of the havoc that it has caused, COVID-19 has furthered our understanding of pandemic control beyond anything that we've known before. Most importantly, it has proven the resilience of the scientific and healthcare communities.

Data sharing is a huge aspect of how epidemiologists can begin to understand diseases. It provides insight in terms of the populations that the conditions affect, as well as the speed and extent of transmission. This is something that health care professionals at UNC and the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai are attempting to address with the establishment of SECURE-IBD.

SECURE-IBD is a project that is focused on collecting disease-specific COVID-19 data, with an emphasis on patients with inflammatory bowel disease, such as Crohns disease and colitis, who contract the virus.

The registry takes patients with varying disease symptoms and hospitalizations and connects them with specialists and healthcare professionals. The tool has inspired other disease-specific registries, and can be used to identify things like potential drugs and treatments. It also connects doctors and scientists in a way that hasnt been this widely done in the past.

Data sharing has also allowed researchers to collaborate on projects in order to study coronavirus at an expedited pace. The virus was sequenced within a week of discovery and has been made publicly available. Courses at UNC, such as Computer Science 555 (Bioalgorithms), have even integrated the genome into everyday classwork. And although academic life has generally been branded with the 'publish or perish' mindset for decades, publishing is the last thing on anyones minds at the moment.

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Column: Scientific advancements in the time of COVID-19 and what they offer us - The Daily Tar Heel

Medical ‘Wonder Women’ making a difference in the region’s fight on coronavirus – The Arab Weekly

TUNIS--From Merit-Ptah, the ancient Egyptian healer, to Rufaida Al-Aslamia, known as the first female surgeon in Islamic history, to Tunisian pioneering doctor Tewhida Ben Cheikh, the Middle East and North Africa region has been the birthplace of unique and exceptional women medical professionals.

Today, figures show an increasingly female-dominated sector in the Arab world: Women represent 65% of the medical doctors in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Bahrain, 61.5% of the graduate medical residents in Oman and more than 60% of the health sector workforce in Tunisia. Women constitute 79% of the nurses in Jordan.

Their numbers include talented and dedicated health workers who, today more than ever, face the biggest and riskiest challenge of their careers.

In the face of the pandemic, which has officially infected so far about 400 people in their country, Tunisian doctors, nurses and other medical professionals have been working day and night trying to limit the damage and make a difference while increasing risk to themselves.

We can talk about real gender parity here in the health sector. Women represent 50% of the total number of doctors in the country and they also represent a 60% majority of medical school students, Samira Merai, a lung specialist and former health and womens affairs minister, told The Arab Weekly.

Currently head of the pulmonary diseases department at the Rabta hospital, one of the most important public health establishments in the capital, Tunis, Dr Merai underlined the importance of the role played by women in the war against the coronavirus threat. None of the female doctors is claiming any particular advantage or protection because of their gender.

In all the hospitals of the country, I see resilient women who have pledged to work for days away from their families in order to help the country overcome the crisis, said Dr Merai.

To lead by example and reassure the employees, the former minister was the one who took blood samples from the first suspected cases received in the hospital. Dr Merai was also the one who suggested placing all COVID-19 patients in one centralised hospital in order to facilitate their treatment and contain the disease. Other female professionals are overseeing reconstruction work aimed at expanding the medical facilitys ability to accommodate more patients. Her actions and ideas encouraged other female health-care workers to give more. I see what they do and they make me believe in our health system, she says, proudly.

Dr Merai is among a number of female doctors playing key roles in the war on the coronavirus in Tunisia. On the public awareness-building front, Dr Nissaf Ben Alaya, an epidemiologist and head of the National Observatory of New and Emerging Diseases, has been offering daily briefings to the media since the beginning of the crisis. Another public health figure is Dr Agns Hamzaoui, director of the Abderrahmen Mami Hospital, the only health centre in the country exclusively dedicated to coronavirus patients.

Women medical professionals in the private sector are offering help to their colleagues in public hospitals. Some private clinics have even offered to treat patients for free and their staff have responded positively to the initiative.

Marwa H, a private clinic nurse (who preferred not to give her full name), told The Arab Weekly she is willing to stay at work and confine herself for up to a month away from her family just to be of help.

It is our role, no matter how small or large, to support our country in these circumstances. I am not the only one to have offered this aid, dozens like me have been helping every day for weeks, women left family and comfort to participate in the general efforts in this war, said the nurse. It is a war and we are its soldiers, despite the growing risk.

From the doctors to the cleaning janitors to the factory employees who self-isolated to manufacture face masks daily to the businesswomen who offered to shelter patients in their hotels and deliver food for the health-care workers of the hospitals, women are joining hands with men in fighting the pandemic. Beyond Tunisia, many medical professionals across the Arab world are setting an example and giving their all to help win the battle.

In Syria, Dr Iman Mohamed Abdel-Razzaq is one of the many heroes risking their lives on the frontlines. As an emergency physician, she has launched an individual initiative touring the northern Idlib camps to raise awareness of the dangers of the coronavirus and how to prevent it.

Meeting women and children, she takes a daily tour of the refugee camps to provide advice and guidance on the threat of the virus in light of the lack of health services and cleanliness in the space.

In Beni Suef, Egypt, eight female nurses working in the Department of Chest Diseaseshave volunteered to stay inside the local hospital permanently to work with the team of doctors treating coronavirus patients.On the other side of the Atlantic, Dr Nermeen Botros, an Egyptian-American doctor, has become an online sensation after an interview in The New York Post. Chief medical resident at Brookdale University Hospital Medical Centre in Brownsville, New York, the 35-year-old has been working six-day weeks, from early morning until late in the evening, dealing with the overwhelming inflow of cases.

Female healthcare professionals are not only treating patients but also suggesting solutions to put an end to the pandemic. Dr Heba Badreddine, a Sudanese doctor specialising in stem cell treatments and hematology, believes stem cell technology could help treat the coronavirus.

An associate professor at Khartoums Neelain University, she explained that stem cell treatment can be used to reduce complications caused by the virus to the lungs, possibly offering new ways to beat the disease.

Women medical professionals know that the war against the invisible enemy of coronavirus is not without risk to them. The pandemic has also infected quite a few members of the white army. Iraqis are still mourning the female doctor who died in the Norwegian capital, Oslo, after contracting coronavirus when treating patients. Dr Sara Hassan al-Musawi had passed away from complications of the virus at the age of 35.

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Medical 'Wonder Women' making a difference in the region's fight on coronavirus - The Arab Weekly

Ive had Seder in isolation, and this is my message of hope – The Jerusalem Post

This will not be my first Seder night in isolation. I hope my experience over a decade ago will offer some hope and encouragement for those approaching this coming Passover with understandable trepidation. More than 10 years have passed, but I can still smell the bleached sterility of Rambam Hospitals bone marrow transplant ward. I still see the tilted-headed sympathetic looks of the incredible nurses and doctors. But most of all, I recall the deep sense of horror I and my family were enduring.Diagnosed with a relapse of the blood cancer lymphoma, not yet 30, and with two small children at home, I arrived at the hospital a week before Passover to undergo a stem-cell transplant. It was a procedure that at best would see me hospitalized for a month, and in isolation for nothing less than two weeks. The treatment would include severe chemotherapy, and carried the risk of any infection likely being fatal. However, it offered the chance of remission from cancer. Such are the pros and cons of life and death decisions. Accompanied by my husband, I entered my hospital room and examined the confines of what was to be my only view for some time. My mind drifted longingly home, where we had left my parents, freshly flown in from London, and my two young boys whom I had kissed goodbye, maybe for three weeks, maybe for a month, maybe forever. But there was no turning back.I remember that Passover every year. And as I hug my children close, I recall that Seder night in isolation. I remember the uncertainty and the apprehension. This year, these fears resonate more than ever. I find my mind drawn back to the last time Passover was not as it should be, without family on Seder night. The last time the joy of the Feast of Freedom was soured by more than bitter herbs, but by concern and distress. This year, however, these fears are not solely mine. They are shared by thousands as, all over Israel and the Jewish world, families are facing the reality that grandparents will be alone on Seder night. We wont all get to hear grandchildren ask the Four Questions, join them singing Seder songs, or see them rummaging under the table for the afikoman. It is heart-breaking and distressing to even contemplate.But because these are demons I have faced, I want to share a message of hope. Even when not surrounded by family, even when faced with the enormity of my situation, Passover that year brought me strength. I was not able to be with my children but it served as a reminder to value every moment that we are together. It inspired me to push forward, to overcome, and to survive. Seder night has that power. Passover has that power. People and the Jewish People especially have the power to bring light where there is dark. We didnt just go through the motions of the Seder, or just rush through the Haggadah that year, instead we found new meaning in the texts and rituals. We found purpose. We found hope.To add to the inspiration of that lonely, special night, we were blessed with an unexpected guest. A fellow patient, who from a distance was able to join us for Seder in the isolation ward. With the nurses permission, she sat with us, and we spoke about how Moses led the Jews from slavery, and shared how the doctors were leading us from cancer. Both, to be clear, with the strong arm and outstretched hand of God.It occurred to me then, as it occurs to me now, that we were not separated because of hate an experience our people have known all too well but instead because of love. We are apart to keep us safe, to be sure that we may be able to be together again, soon.That said, there is no doubting that Passover, and especially Seder this year, will be very tough. But I hope it will serve as a source of inspiration for us all, and as we always say, Next year in Jerusalem.The author immigrated to Israel from the UK in 2006, and lives in Modiin with her husband and three sons.

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Ive had Seder in isolation, and this is my message of hope - The Jerusalem Post