Researchers have found a probable cure for diabetes and we need to thank diabetic lab mice for it – International Business Times, Singapore Edition

10 Surprising Truths About Tapeworms

More than 415 million people are estimated to be suffering from diabetes across the globe. Until today, the most common treatment for the disease has been to either manage the disease with a carefully controlled diet and regular insulin shots, if required.

However, in a huge breakthrough for medical science, a team of researchers might have finally discovered the cure to the disease with some help from some diabetic lab mice.

A team of researchers at the Washington University School of Medicine in St Louis successfully managed to convert human stem cells into ones capable of producing insulin, which helps to control the blood sugar level in the human body.

The researchers then used the insulin-producing cells to control blood sugar levels in diabetic mice and the results were more than impressive. Jeffrey R Millman, assistant professor at Washington University, who led the team, said their four-legged subjects suffered from severe diabetes with blood sugar levels of more than 500 mg per decilitre of blood, levels that could easily kill a human.

After giving the mice the insulin-producing stem cells, it didn't take longer than two weeks for their blood glucose levels to return to normal and "functionally cured" the mice of the disease for up to nine months.

The new study builds on previous research, in which researchers successfully figured out a way to create these insulin-secreting cells using human stem cells. However, their effectiveness was not proven until now. One issue that cropped up was when converting the stem cells into another type of cell, there are always mistakes and random cells (off-target cells as researchers call it) are added to the mix along with insulin-producing ones. While these cells are harmless, they don't really help the cause either.

"The more off-target cells you get, the less therapeutically relevant cells you have," Millman said. "You need about a billion beta cells to cure a person of diabetes. But if a quarter of the cells you make are actually liver cells or other pancreas cells, instead of needing a billion cells, you'll need 1.25 billion cells."

That said, the new research is more on-target and not only improves the effectiveness of the treatment but also maximizes the number of insulin-producing cells. While the experiment has been successful in lab mice, it will be a long time before it can be tested on human subjects.

The team plans to continue testing the cells on larger animals, and over longer time periods, with their sights set on human clinical trials in the future as researchers aim to eventually find an automated way to produce enough cells that allow humans to control their diabetes on their own one day.

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Researchers have found a probable cure for diabetes and we need to thank diabetic lab mice for it - International Business Times, Singapore Edition

Kiadis Pharma announces FDA clearance of clinical study by The Ohio State University in R/R AML with off-the-shelf NK cells from universal donors -…

Amsterdam, The Netherlands, February 26, 2020 Kiadis Pharma N.V. (Kiadis or the Company) (Euronext Amsterdam and Brussels: KDS), a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company, and The Ohio State University - Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute (OSU or OSUCCC-James), today announced the launch of a first-in-human clinical trial in patients with relapsed/refractory acute myeloid leukemia (R/R AML) with off-the-shelf Natural Killer (NK) cells manufactured using Kiadis FC21 mbIL21 feeder cells and proprietary universal donor platform. The trial is expected to provide further clinical proof-of-concept of Kiadis K-NK003 product.

The investigator-sponsored trial will be conducted at OSUCCC James, a National Cancer Institute (NCI)-designated comprehensive cancer center and freestanding cancer hospital located in Columbus, Ohio, in the United States. The OSUCCC James team received Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval for an investigational new drug application to begin this trial and expects to begin enrolling patients in March 2020. Kiadis will support the study through a collaborative research agreement with OSUCCC-James. Additionally, OSU and Kiadis plan to work together to initiate a company sponsored trial with off-the-shelf K-NK003 cells expanded with Kiadis particle production platform (PM21) in the same patient population later this year.

The study entitled A Phase I Clinical Trial Testing the Safety of IL-21-Expanded, Off-the-shelf, Third-party Natural Killer Cells for the Induction of Relapsed/Refractory Acute Myeloid Leukemia and Myelodysplastic Syndrome will evaluate the NK cell product in up to 56 patients, ages 18 80 who have primary refractory AML, relapsed AML, or myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS). The goal of this study is to establish safety of the NK cell therapy for the induction of remission in patients with Relapsed/Refractory (R/R) AML or MDS and to determine the optimal dosing and overall response rate. Patients enrolled in the study will receive six doses of NK cells of 1 x 107 cells/kg to 1 x 108 cells/kg after receiving reinduction chemotherapy.

NK cells given outside the setting of transplantation have shown to induce remissions. Relapsed/refractory AML and MDS patients have a high chance of progression while waiting for manufacturing of expanded directed-donor NK cells, so having an easily accessible product, and one that does not require administration of cytokines, may be an attractive approach for these patients, stated Sumithira Vasu, MBBS, a hematologist scientist and Medical Director of the Cell Therapy Lab at OSUCCC - James who will serve as principal investigator of the clinical trial. Vasu is also an associate professor at The Ohio State University College of Medicine. This trial uses a novel off-the-shelf, readily available product to treat what is traditionally a very sick and difficult-to-treat group of patients. I look forward to the collaboration with Kiadis to help accelerate development of this cell therapy.

We are very pleased to be working with OSU and Dr. Vasu on the first clinical evaluation of our off-the-shelf universal donor K-NK-cell therapy in R/R AML as part of our K-NK003 cell therapy product program, says Andrew Sandler, MD, chief medical officer of Kiadis. While this study will use our FC21 technology, we plan to leverage this study to initiate a company sponsored study at OSU and other sites with our particle production platform (PM21) in the same patient population later this year. Our proprietary PM21 platform is the only technology that produces NK-cell therapy without the use of feeder cell lines, which carry the risk of tumor cells and DNA in the final product.

The NK cell product will be manufactured in the OSU Cell Therapy Lab under the direction of Lynn ODonnell, PhD, Director of Cell Therapy Engineering at OSUCCC - James Pelotonia Institute for Immuno-Oncology.

ODonnell notes this off-the-shelf NK cell therapy is unique in several ways:

Vasu and ODonnell have no potential financial conflicts of interest related to Kiadis or this study to disclose.

About Kiadis

Founded in 1997, Kiadis Pharma is building a fully integrated biopharmaceutical company committed to developing innovative therapies for patients with life-threatening diseases. With headquarters in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, and offices and activities across the United States, Kiadis Pharma is reimagining medicine by leveraging the natural strengths of humanity and our collective immune system to source the best cells for life.

Story continues

Kiadis Pharma is listed on the regulated market of Euronext Amsterdam and Euronext Brussels since July 2, 2015, under the symbol KDS. Learn more at kiadis.com.

Kiadis Contacts:

Maryann Cimino, Manager, Corporate AffairsTel: +1 (617) 710-7305m.cimino@kiadis.com

Forward Looking Statements Certain statements, beliefs and opinions in this press release are forward-looking, which reflect Kiadis Pharmas or, as appropriate, Kiadis Pharmas officers current expectations and projections about future events. By their nature, forward-looking statements involve a number of known and unknown risks, uncertainties and assumptions that could cause actual results, performance, achievements or events to differ materially from those expressed, anticipated or implied by the forward-looking statements. These risks, uncertainties and assumptions could adversely affect the outcome and financial effects of the plans and events described herein. A multitude of factors including, but not limited to, changes in demand, regulation, competition and technology, can cause actual events, performance, achievements or results to differ significantly from any anticipated or implied development. Forward-looking statements contained in this press release regarding past trends or activities should not be taken as a representation that such trends or activities will continue in the future. As a result, Kiadis Pharma expressly disclaims any obligation or undertaking to release any update or revisions to any forward-looking statements in this press release as a result of any change in expectations or projections, or any change in events, conditions, assumptions or circumstances on which these forward-looking statements are based. Neither Kiadis Pharma nor its advisers or representatives nor any of its subsidiary undertakings or any such persons officers or employees guarantees that the assumptions underlying such forward-looking statements are free from errors nor does either accept any responsibility for the future accuracy of the forward-looking statements contained in this press release or the actual occurrence of the anticipated or implied developments. You should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this press release.

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Kiadis Pharma announces FDA clearance of clinical study by The Ohio State University in R/R AML with off-the-shelf NK cells from universal donors -...

Immune-Based Therapies Emerge in Mantle Cell Lymphoma – Curetoday.com

Patients with the aggressive blood cancer can turn to immunotherapies like CAR-T cell therapy when disease recurs or becomes resistant.

Immunotherapies, such as chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cell therapy, are advancing the therapy landscape for these patients.

CAR-T cell therapy has shown significant benefits in this patient population, Dr. Charalambos (Babis) Andreadis, said in an interview with OncLive, a sister publication of CURE. In patients with relapsed/refractory MCL, both lisocabtagene maraleucel (JCAR017) and axicabtagene ciloleucel (Yescarta) have shown 70% to 90% response rates and 50% to 60% (complete response) rates. That is going to be the future of this field.

Mantle cell lymphoma is an aggressive, rare form of non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) that accounts for about 6% of all NHL cases in the United States. The disease results from a malignant transformation of a B lymphocyte in the outer edge of a lymph node follicle, or the mantle zone, according to The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.

Mantle cell lymphoma is a disease that responds well to initial therapy, so we try to throw (everything we have) at it (early), Andreadis, an associate professor of clinical medicine in the Department of Medicine at the University of California, San Francisco, Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, said. When a patient relapses, ibrutinib (Imbruvica) or a BTK-like agent is the drug of choice.

Types of BTK inhibitors include Imbruvica, Calquence (acalabrutinib) and Brukinsa (zanubrutinib). The responses seen with these drugs have led to approvals from the Food and Drug Administration for patients who have received at least one prior line of therapy. But often patients will relapse following BTK inhibitor therapy. The median duration of response is about 1 to 1.5 years, Andreadis explained.

As another approach to treatment, researchers are examining the effects of CAR-T cell therapy. During the 2019 American Society of Hematology annual meeting, results from the ZUMA-2 clinical trial showed promise in the investigational CAR-T cell therapy KTE-X19. The phase 3 trial included patients with relapsed and/or refractory mantle cell lymphoma who had received multiple prior lines of therapy. Patients received a single infusion of KTE-X19, and the researchers saw a 93% objective response rate and a 67% complete response rate.

Right now, we are asking, In what patient population can we use CAR-T cell therapy in? Andreadis said. Can we give it to patients with central nervous system disease? What about other lymphomas like follicular lymphoma? Can we give it in the clinic? We are getting the data that may increase the applicability of CAR-T cell therapy in those areas.

Although there is much hope in the use of CAR-T cell therapy, not all patients respond, or treatment may stop working. Thats where experts are exploring antibody-drug conjugates and bispecific T-cell engagers (BiTEs). We saw response rates of 50% to 70% in patients treated with bispecific antibodies, some whom failed CAR T prior, he said.

He added, Going forward, we need to get CAR T more affordable and accessible. We also need to work to simplifying the procedure, perhaps by using allogeneic CAR T cells.

Originally posted here:
Immune-Based Therapies Emerge in Mantle Cell Lymphoma - Curetoday.com

Texas A&M Researcher Named To National List Of Inspiring Black Scientists – Texas A&M University

Texas A&M researcher Dr. Yava Jones Hall was named to a list of 100 inspiring black scientists in the U.S.

Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences

Dr. Yava Jones-Hall, an associate professor in theDepartment of Veterinary Pathobiology (VTPB)at the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences (CVM), is leading in the field of veterinary medicine as the only veterinarian selected for CrossTalks list of100 inspiring black scientists in America.

CrossTalk is the official blog of Cell Press, a leading publisher of more than 50 scientific journals across the life, physical, earth and health sciences.

We are very happy to see one of our high-caliber faculty members being recognized for their outstanding work, said Carol A. Fierke, Texas A&M University provost and executive vice president.

Jones-Hall is joined on the list by scientists from African, Afro-Caribbean, Afro-Latinx and African-American backgrounds ranging from assistant professors to department heads at universities across the country.

It was surprising and amazing to be selected, especially being a veterinarian, Jones-Hall said. It was nice to see veterinary medicine represented.

The list of inspiring black scientists was created to encourage current and future generations of scientists and emphasize the importance of diversity in the field. CrossTalk clarified that while there are many more than 100 black scientists in the U.S. deserving of recognition, the list was created to provide an example of the impact black scientists can have on America.

Diversity drives excellence in everything that we do as a team, including biomedical education and research, saidDr. Ramesh Vemulapalli, VTPB department head. We are very proud to have Dr. Jones-Hall on our faculty. She is a great role model to minority students aspiring to pursue a career in veterinary medicine.

I definitely see diversity in veterinary medicine as an important concept, Jones-Hall said. The reality is, the world is not homogenous. We need our students to be exposed to working with different types of people to have cultural sensitivity and understand that not everybody is like you. Also, once you have diversity within any program, you get diverse ideas.

While earning her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) degree at the Tuskegee University College of Veterinary Medicine, Jones-Hall was introduced to the field of patholog they, study of the causes and effects of disease. Once she saw how seamlessly pathology combines with collaborative research, she was hooked.

As a veterinary pathologist, Im trained to understand disease in any organ in a multitude of species, Jones-Hall said. Whatever field of research an investigators in, I help them figure out how best a pathologist can tease out the data for them to see whats happening and how best to frame the research.

Considering herself a veterinary detective, Jones-Hall helps researchers look at clues in cells and body tissues to find the best way for the research to progress. Working on a variety of research topics, and never knowing what will come through the door next, are what make the field of pathology so appealing to her.

Jones-Hall joined the CVM from the Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine last August and, as the sirector of CVMs Histology Laboratory, began the project of creating a digital pathology program to increase the efficiency and accuracy of one of a pathologists typical jobs analyzing slides of cells to count those of the same kind.

Traditionally, pathologists would look at the slide under the microscope and give a subjective assessment of disease, Jones-Hall said. Digital pathology augments traditional pathology by allowing the pathologist to use computer-generated algorithms to assess disease. This gives objective, quantifiable, and repeatable results. Whereas it would take me weeks to look at hundreds of slides, I scan the slides to make a digital image and direct a computer program to find the cells of interest or disease state. Hundreds of slides can now be analyzed in hours instead of weeks.

Outside of the lab, Jones-Hall donates much of her spare time to volunteering for community outreach efforts and taking any opportunity she can to promote STEM careers, and specifically veterinary medicine, to disadvantaged youth.

She is also a member of Texas A&Ms STRIDE (Strategies and Tactics for Recruiting to Improve Diversity and Excellence) Committee, leading workshops for faculty members involved in faculty recruitment.

Diversity is important, in general, and its important to me, so Im willing to do more in order to improve the climate and increase everyones awareness she said.

Jones-Hall hopes that her recognition from CrossTalk can inspire others to spend their careers thinking not only of themselves, but also those who may not have had the same advantages.

The CVM is extremely proud of Dr. Jones-Hall for her accomplishments as an individual and as the only veterinarian to appear on the list of 100 inspiring black scientists, saidDr. Eleanor M. Green, the Carl B. King Dean of Veterinary Medicine. The work she does within and outside of the university will undoubtedly make a huge impact, both for the college and within the community, as she demonstrates the possibilities for budding scientists from all backgrounds.

Original post:
Texas A&M Researcher Named To National List Of Inspiring Black Scientists - Texas A&M University

Chinese Scientist Unite Together to Tackle With COVID-19 – Benzinga

BEIJING, Feb. 18, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Reported by Science & Technology Daily:

Astothe battle against the COVID-19, Chinese Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST) has been launched the program of "Dealing With the Outbreak of COVID-19 Using Science and Technology", a program including four batches of 20 emergency projects until now. Moreover, MOST re-examining two major scientific and technological projects, including the "Creation of Important Innovative New Drugs" and the "Prevention and Treatment of Severe Contagions", and a series of national essential research and development plans. Recently, some important achievements from these projects have already been implemented in the front line of epidemic prevention and control.

When it comes to drug screening, front-line staff from different research teams collaborated on the basis of existing researches, making great efforts to systematically and massively screen the drugs that have been on the market already or already go into clinical trials. As a consequence, they discovered potentially effective anti- coronavirus drugs, such as Chloroquine Phosphate, Remdesivir, and Favipiravir. Furthermore, in recent days, researchers have urgently launched some clinical trials and the results show that the curative effect of drugs on patients is increasingly obvious.

Based on the R&D level and preliminary accumulation in the field of cell therapy, traditional Chinese medicine and plasma therapy in China, the clinical trials of the three therapies organized by the "Joint Prevention and Control Group" have been gradually carried out, and they are playing significant role in curing critically ill patients.

For the purpose of providing more cutting-edge and effective solutions to the epidemic using stem cell therapy, the leaders of the MOST went to the Innovation Institute of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine of the Chinese Academy of Science to confirm their progressing. A new cellular drug called CAStem supposed to cure COVID-19 was created, and it has already made major progress in the experiment about the treatment of the severe acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) previously. The research team has applied for emergency approval from China National Medical Products Administration, and it is cooperating with relevant medical institutions. So far, the CAStem has already been approved by the Ethics Committee, and is ongoing clinical observation and evaluation.

An emergency project titled "Clinical Study on the Prevention and Treatment of COVID-19 by Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine" was officially launched on February 3 with the support from the MOST. "The positive curative effect has been shown in treating COVID-19," said Zhang Boli, the project leader and the headmaster of Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine. It was reported that a total of 23patients had been cured and discharged from Hubei Provincial Hospital of Integrated Traditional and Western Medicine and Wuhan Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine.

With regard to the field of plasma therapy,China National Biotech Group has completed the collection of plasma from some convalescent patients, as well as the preparation of special immune plasma products and special immune globulin of novel coronavirus on February 13. Through strict blood biosafety testing, virus inactivation, and antiviral activity testing, etc., special immune plasma has been successfully prepared for clinical treatment and has already been put into clinical treatment of severely ill patients.

In terms of field of vaccine research and development, the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) had successfully isolated the first COVID-19 virus strain on January 24, which was recognized by the World Health Organization and other international agencies. Several new type of vaccines for COVID-19 have started the animal testing phase, which bring hope to all.

View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/chinese-scientist-unite-together-to-tackle-with-covid-19-301006701.html

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Chinese Scientist Unite Together to Tackle With COVID-19 - Benzinga

Locking in and preserving your healthy stem cells has never been easier and more accessible as Acorn Biolabs partners with Coverdale Clinics. – Canada…

Appointments for stem cell & DNA collection now available.

TORONTO, Feb. 20, 2020 /CNW/ - With the rapid emergence of regenerative medicine therapies and genetic analysis testing reaching mainstream medicine, consumers are demanding increased opportunities to prepare for their future healthcare needs, including banking a viable source of cells to preserve their current health.

To meet this growing demand, Acorn Biolabs, the leading non-invasive stem cell collection, cryopreservation and analysis company, today announced its partnership with Coverdale Clinics Inc., a premium network of specialty care clinics in Canada. Together, Acorn and Coverdale will help make stem cell collection more accessible and affordable in the West Greater Toronto Area.

Through their partnership, Coverdale Clinics' Oakville location be offering Acorn's non-invasive stem cell collection services. The simple process involves plucking a few hair follicles from a client's head, which are then analyzed and cryopreserved for future use.

Acorn's innovative solution for live cell collection enables the collection of stem cells without the need for surgery or other painful and invasive procedures, making stem cell collection for life-long storage significantly more affordable and accessible for everyone.

"Our partnership with Acorn Biolabs opens up a great opportunity for us to expand Coverdale Clinics service offering into the emerging regenerative medicine and geneticsmarket. We're pleased to be able to leverage our specialty clinic in Oakville to offer a service that improves access to exciting and novel health care technologies," said Chris Dalseg, BioScript Solutions' Vice President of Strategic Growth and Marketing. "We have always been at the forefront of providing innovative health care services to Canadians, and adding stem cell collection services from Acorn exemplifies our ongoing commitment."

Once stem cells are collected, Acorn uses its proprietary capabilities to keep cells alive during transportation before going into long term cryogenic storage. The process turns collected hair follicles into a highly valuable and accessible resource for further regenerative medicine and genetics. Not only are these stem cells securely stored for future use, but the company's scientists will also be able to extract critical genetic information through DNA tests, for clients that want it, that will unlock valuable data about a person's health over their lifetime.

"We are excited to bring Acorn's preventative, personalized healthcare services to more people through this partnership with Coverdale Clinics. The cells collected are a life-long resource for these clients, not only in regenerative medicine, but also for advanced analytics, helping to identify diseases even before the first symptom," said Dr. Drew Taylor, Co-founder and CEO at Acorn Biolabs Inc. "The partnership is an important extension for Acorn to serve health-minded individuals in more geographies, freezing the clock on their stem cells so they can use them later in life, when they will need them most."

Clients can book their non-invasive stem cell collection appointment in Oakville, Ontario through Acorn's website today at http://www.acorn.me

About Acorn Biolabs, Inc.

Acorn helps you live a longer, healthier tomorrow by freezing the clock on your cells today. 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 everyone the best chance to experience more healthy years with its easy, affordable and non-invasive stem cell collection, analysis and cryopreservation service. For more information, visit acorn.me.

About Coverdale Clinics

Coverdale Clinics is a premium network of specialty care clinics, providing patients with a safe, comfortable environment to receive specialty medications by infusion or injection. With more than 100 clinics nationwide, our nurses take a personalized approach to patient care that includes education and counselling to better support medication adherence.

About BioScript Solutions

BioScript Solutions is committed to helping patients with chronic illnesses achieve the best possible health outcomes. With our total care approach, we simplify access to complex, specialty drug therapies and deliver full-service specialty care solutions at every stage of the patient's treatment journey. Through our specialty pharmaceutical distribution, pharmacies, patient support programs and clinical services, BioScript has the capability to manage the needs of manufacturers, payors, prescribers and health care practitioners across Canada today, and tomorrow. To learn more, please visit bioscript.ca.

SOURCE Acorn Biolabs

For further information: Press and media inquiries please contact: Sonya Verheyden, E: [emailprotected] C: 226-747-4600

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Locking in and preserving your healthy stem cells has never been easier and more accessible as Acorn Biolabs partners with Coverdale Clinics. - Canada...

Army spouse dances her way through chemotherapy – We Are The Mighty

It is not uncommon to stumble upon live videos while scrolling through Facebook. And for the hundreds of people who follow Army wife Sofia de Falco who is an adjunct professor of Italian language and literature it is not uncommon to come across her videos where she is smiling and dancing, uplifting them with a joyful and serene expression on her face. As the hundreds of comments on her posts highlight, Sofia is a source of inspiration and a true beacon of light to many.

But in those videos, Sofia is in a hospital room, wearing a shirt that lightly uncovers the right side of her chest, revealing the central venous catheter that feeds her chemotherapy medicine directly into her bloodstream.

In February 2019, Sofia was diagnosed with lymphoma. "I found a lump in my groin," Sofia said. "But I didn't give it much thought because it wasn't the first time. I always had them removed and nothing suspicious ever came of it."

During her Christmas vacation in Naples, Italy where she is originally from Sofia developed a dry and irritating cough. "I decided to go to a local doctor and see if there was anything he could do." After the doctor dismissed her because he couldn't find anything wrong, Sofia made a follow-up appointment with her PCM in Virginia, where she and her family are stationed.

"As I was leaving my PCM's office," Sofia said, "I turned around and told him about the lump in my groin, which had grown in size by then." The doctor had Sofia lie down, checked the lump and told her to see a hematologist and a surgeon. Although he didn't explicitly verbalize it at the time, the doctor suspected Sofia had lymphoma.

He was right. "Since February 2019, I have been going through countless tests and surgical procedures," Sofia revealed. After being told the first round of chemotherapy which she faced in "warrior mode," she said had worked and she was clear, in November 2019 Sofia's positive attitude and bright outlook on life was put to the test again. "The cancer came back," she said. "And this time, I have to fight even harder." Sofia will have to undergo a stem cell transplant and several rounds of high-dose chemotherapy.

Yet, she dances. As if those tubes were not attached to her body. As if the machine next to her was not feeding her chemo medicine. As if she didn't suffer from nausea and migraines. She dances as if she were by the beach in downtown Naples, with a bright sun glittering over the Mediterranean Sea in the background, its warm rays caressing her exposed skin.

"I dance on it," she said. "Dancing makes me happy, so I know it's what I'm supposed to do. My body feels so much better after I get up and start dancing, just like one, two, three, four," she said snapping her fingers as if following the rhythm of an imaginary song.

"Dancing is a way for me to keep away the pain, the sorrow and the negative thoughts," she admitted. "I believe that it is possible to defeat this beast because I believe in the power of hope."

And as her hundreds of followers are inspired by her inner strength that shines through her smile, and as the stunned nurses watch her from outside her hospital room while she dances through chemo, she laughs out loud confessing, "You know, I'm actually really bad at dancing!"

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The Winnipeg Foundation Innovation Fund supports cutting-edge research – UM Today

February 21, 2020

Thanks to a grant from The Winnipeg Foundation Innovation Fund, an interdisciplinary team in the Rady Faculty of Health Sciences will create heart tissue using a 3D bioprinter to study the development of diabetes.

Dr. Adrian West, an assistant professor of physiology and pathophysiology, Max Rady College of Medicine, said it is truly an honour for his team to receive the first-ever Winnipeg Foundation Innovation Fund grant.

The fact that The Winnipeg Foundation has the vision to invest in something like this is fantastic for our program because it really lets us develop these unusual ideas and push them forward to the national level, he said. High risk, high reward is always going to be difficult to fund and I think thats the project were doing.

The Winnipeg Foundation committed $1 million last year to give health sciences researchers at the UM the opportunity to work on innovative interdisciplinary research and develop projects to the point of qualifying for additional external funding.

West is collaborating on the project with Dr. Vernon Dolinsky, associate professor of pharmacology and therapeutics, Max Rady College of Medicine, and Dr. Joseph Gordon, associate professor in the College of Nursing and of human anatomy and cell science, Max Rady College of Medicine. All three are research scientists at the Childrens Hospital Research Institute of Manitoba.

The project, which was awarded close to $100,000, is looking at the origins of diabetic cardiomyopathy, a cardiovascular disease that makes it harder for the heart to pump blood throughout the body and can lead to heart failure. West said this research is important because 80 per cent of people with diabetes ultimately die of heart disease.

The team will build heart tissue using a 3D bioprinter, which creates the tissue by combining cells, biomaterials and growth factors that imitate natural tissue. West said that 3D bioprinting allows them to create a more realistic environment for cells than in a petri dish.

Cells arent flat, West said. Cells arent squished. Cells are three dimensional in nature and by creating these 3D bioprinted culture models it makes it much like it is in the body.

Theyre building the heart tissue with samples that are exposed to diabetes-like conditions during growth and development to see what underpins diabetic cardiomyopathy. Once theyve developed a model that replicates the disease, they can test a variety of different treatments and scientists around the world can follow their model.

West said that this research will lead to building tissues with human stem cells. The idea is that they will take a cell from a patient, grow it in a dish, build a piece of their own heart and test a treatment that is personalized to them, he said. It will give them the ability to potentially test drugs and treatments on a patients own cells rather than just relying on the results they derive from standard cell cultures and animal models.

Dr. Peter Nickerson, vice-dean (research), Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, said that The Winnipeg Foundation Innovation Fund is unique because it can allow transformative research like Wests to take place.

It is a bit higher risk, but if it pays off, it really will be not just a couple steps forward, but a leap forward from where we are today, Nickerson said. What were trying to achieve with The Winnipeg Foundation Innovation Fund is bringing teams together with really innovative ideas. Well then give them the seed money to bring that idea to life and see if they can get enough of a launch to then apply for national funding to move it to the next level.

The Winnipeg Foundation Innovation Fund grant has already helped Wests team with future funding.

Knowing that somebody had the confidence to fund this project, its already strongly advanced our other grant applications, West said. Just by The Winnipeg Foundation Innovation Fund grant being available has helped us apply for that grant a year, two years earlier.

Matthew Kruchak

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The Winnipeg Foundation Innovation Fund supports cutting-edge research - UM Today

Locking in and preserving your healthy stem cells has never been easier and more accessible as Acorn Biolabs partners with Coverdale Clinics. – Yahoo…

Appointments for stem cell & DNA collection now available.

TORONTO , Feb. 20, 2020 /CNW/ - With the rapid emergence of regenerative medicine therapies and genetic analysis testing reaching mainstream medicine, consumers are demanding increased opportunities to prepare for their future healthcare needs, including banking a viable source of cells to preserve their current health.

Acorn Biolabs (CNW Group/Acorn Biolabs)

To meet this growing demand, Acorn Biolabs, the leading non-invasive stem cell collection, cryopreservation and analysis company, today announced its partnership with Coverdale Clinics Inc., a premium network of specialty care clinics in Canada . Together, Acorn and Coverdale will help make stem cell collection more accessible and affordable in the West Greater Toronto Area .

Through their partnership, Coverdale Clinics' Oakville location be offering Acorn's non-invasive stem cell collection services. The simple process involves plucking a few hair follicles from a client's head, which are then analyzed and cryopreserved for future use.

Acorn's innovative solution for live cell collection enables the collection of stem cells without the need for surgery or other painful and invasive procedures, making stem cell collection for life-long storage significantly more affordable and accessible for everyone.

"Our partnership with Acorn Biolabs opens up a great opportunity for us to expand Coverdale Clinics service offering into the emerging regenerative medicine and geneticsmarket. We're pleased to be able to leverage our specialty clinic in Oakville to offer a service that improves access to exciting and novel health care technologies," said Chris Dalseg , BioScript Solutions' Vice President of Strategic Growth and Marketing. "We have always been at the forefront of providing innovative health care services to Canadians, and adding stem cell collection services from Acorn exemplifies our ongoing commitment."

Once stem cells are collected, Acorn uses its proprietary capabilities to keep cells alive during transportation before going into long term cryogenic storage. The process turns collected hair follicles into a highly valuable and accessible resource for further regenerative medicine and genetics. Not only are these stem cells securely stored for future use, but the company's scientists will also be able to extract critical genetic information through DNA tests, for clients that want it, that will unlock valuable data about a person's health over their lifetime.

"We are excited to bring Acorn's preventative, personalized healthcare services to more people through this partnership with Coverdale Clinics. The cells collected are a life-long resource for these clients, not only in regenerative medicine, but also for advanced analytics, helping to identify diseases even before the first symptom," said Dr. Drew Taylor , Co-founder and CEO at Acorn Biolabs Inc. "The partnership is an important extension for Acorn to serve health-minded individuals in more geographies, freezing the clock on their stem cells so they can use them later in life, when they will need them most."

Clients can book their non-invasive stem cell collection appointment in Oakville, Ontario through Acorn's website today at http://www.acorn.me

About Acorn Biolabs, Inc.

Story continues

Acorn helps you live a longer, healthier tomorrow by freezing the clock on your cells today. 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 everyone the best chance to experience more healthy years with its easy, affordable and non-invasive stem cell collection, analysis and cryopreservation service. For more information, visit acorn.me.

About Coverdale Clinics

Coverdale Clinics is a premium network of specialty care clinics, providing patients with a safe, comfortable environment to receive specialty medications by infusion or injection. With more than 100 clinics nationwide, our nurses take a personalized approach to patient care that includes education and counselling to better support medication adherence.

About BioScript Solutions

BioScript Solutions is committed to helping patients with chronic illnesses achieve the best possible health outcomes. With our total care approach, we simplify access to complex, specialty drug therapies and deliver full-service specialty care solutions at every stage of the patient's treatment journey. Through our specialty pharmaceutical distribution, pharmacies, patient support programs and clinical services, BioScript has the capability to manage the needs of manufacturers, payors, prescribers and health care practitioners across Canada today, and tomorrow. To learn more, please visit bioscript.ca.

SOURCE Acorn Biolabs

View original content to download multimedia: http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/February2020/20/c2552.html

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Locking in and preserving your healthy stem cells has never been easier and more accessible as Acorn Biolabs partners with Coverdale Clinics. - Yahoo...

Missouri S&T researchers create organ tissue with bioactive glass, stem cells and 3D printer – The Rolla Daily News

Researchers also working on 3D-printed bone models that showcase the types of research that complement the University of Missouri Systems NextGen Precision Health Initiative.

An interdisciplinary team of Missouri University of Science and Technology researchers is creating organ tissue samples using bioactive glass, stem cells and a 3D printer, the university announced Thursday. The project could advance pharmaceutical testing and lead to a better understanding of how diseases affect human cells.

The researchers grow stem cells and add them to hydrogels made of alginate, gelatin or similar substances. Then, in a step unique to Missouri S&T, the researchers add bioactive glass to supply needed calcium ions to the hydrogel/cell mixture and load the mixture as bioink into a 3D printer. They test the samples after bioprinting to determine the stem cell function, the materials tensile strength, degradation and the best glass type to add.

Different cells prefer different gels, so we work to find which gel combination suits our research, says Dr. Krishna Kolan, a postdoctoral researcher at S&T. The challenge is that dissolved glass adds calcium, but it changes the pH, and cells need neutral pH to survive. We figured out which glass and how much to add to maintain neutral pH.

Kolan says researchers are several years away from making a functioning organ, such as a liver or kidney, and the challenge is the vascular system and multiple types of cells in those organs. Missouri S&T researchers are working on ways to develop vascular systems within the bioprinted tissue. Kolan says they can imbed a channel into engineered tissue during printing, then line the channel with endothelial cells, which are the primary cells in blood vessels.

He is working on the experiments with two undergraduate students: August Bindbeutel (mechanical engineering) and Lesa Steen (materials science and engineering).

Endothelial cells form networks in environments they like, such as glass-infused hydrogel, Kolan says. As the network grows, it vascularizes the tissue.

As researchers work toward someday repairing or replacing organs with engineered organs, they are creating tissue models that can be used for pharmaceutical testing, Kolan says. Companies can scale down the composition of a drug to be appropriate for a tissue sample, he says.

Missouri S&T researchers are also currently working on 3D-printed bone models. Biology graduate student Bradley Bromet is comparing diseased cells with healthy stem cells to see in 3D how a disease diabetes, for instance affects cells.

Kolan is working on the project with Dr. Ming Leu, the Bailey Professor in Missouri S&Ts mechanical and aerospace engineering department; Dr. Richard Brow, interim deputy provost in the materials science and engineering department; Dr. Delbert Day, Curators' Professor Emeritus of ceramic engineering, and Dr. Julie Semon, assistant professor of biology and director of S&Ts Laboratory of Regenerative Medicine.

The research project showcases the types of research that complement the University of Missouri Systems NextGen Precision Health Initiative. NextGen is expected to accelerate medical breakthroughs and improve lives by harnessing the research being done at the systems four universities and training a new generation of health scientists and practitioners.

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Missouri S&T researchers create organ tissue with bioactive glass, stem cells and 3D printer - The Rolla Daily News