Association Between Change in Circulating Progenitor Cells During Exercise Stress and Risk of Adverse Cardiovascular Events in Patients With Coronary…

1. A decrease in circulating progenitor cells during exercise stress-testing in patients with stable coronary artery disease is associated with worse outcomes than the presence of myocardial ischemia.

Evidence Rating Level:2 (Good)

Risk stratification for stable coronary artery disease (CAD) typically involves the measurement of stress-induced myocardial ischemia, often using single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) myocardial perfusion imaging. However, given the cost and radiation exposure associated with this technique, efforts are being focused towards the identification of surrogate biomarkers. Recent evidence suggests that levels of circulating progenitor cells (CPCs) and resident stem cells may be decreased in patients with myocardial ischemia, however, the impact on adverse cardiovascular events is unknown. In this prospective cohort study, 454 patients with stable CAD were studied to investigate the association between the change in CPC counts during stress testing and the risk of adverse cardiovascular events, specifically, cardiovascular death and myocardial infarction (MI). CPCs were enumerated with flow cytometry as CD34+mononuclear cells, with additional evaluation of subsets co-expressing the chemokine receptor 4 (CXCR4+), at rest and 45 minutes after stress testing. Stress-induced myocardial ischemia was measured with SPECT myocardial perfusion imaging at rest and 30 to 60 minutes after stress testing. At baseline, 76% of patients were men, and 31.3% had stress-induced ischemia by SPECT. Researchers found that those with stress-induced ischemia had a decrease in circulating CD34+/CXCR4+cells (median decrease 20.2%, IQR -45.3 to 5.5, p<0.001), whereas those without stress-induced ischemia experienced a cell count increase (median increase 3.2%, IQR -20.6 to 35.1, p<0.001). After adjusting for demographic variables and comorbidities, every unit increase in the ischemic defect was found to be associated with a 13% decrease in CD34+cell counts after exercise stress. During a median follow-up of 3 years, 5.2% of patients experienced adverse events (12 cardiovascular deaths, 12 MIs). Stress-induced ischemia was significantly associated with adverse events after adjustment for covariates (HR 2.79, 95% CI 1.55 to 5.03). Furthermore, each 50% decrease in the CD34+/CXCR4+count after stress testing, was found to be significantly associated with adverse outcomes, even after adjusting for presence of ischemia (HR 1.84, 95% CI 1.34 to 3; HR 2.59, 95% CI 1.15 to 5.32, respectively). In summary, this study suggests that a decreased CPC count during and after exercise is an even stronger predictor of adverse outcomes in patients with stable CAD than stress-induced myocardial ischemia. Thus, further research on the prognostic implications of increasing CPC mobilization are warranted.

Click to read the study in JAMA Cardiology

Image: PD

20192 Minute Medicine, Inc. All rights reserved. No works may be reproduced without expressed written consent from2 Minute Medicine, Inc. Inquire about licensinghere. No article should be construed as medical advice and is not intended as such by the authors or by 2 Minute Medicine, Inc.

Read more from the original source:
Association Between Change in Circulating Progenitor Cells During Exercise Stress and Risk of Adverse Cardiovascular Events in Patients With Coronary...

The Most Significant Cancer Research Advances of the 2010s – Dana-Farber Cancer Institute

It was a decade that began with the electrifying results of a clinical trial for a revolutionary new cancer therapy and ended with a Nobel Prize in Medicine for very different cancer-related research. In between those dramatic bookends, the 2010s were packed with progress, with discoveries leading to the FDAs 2017 approval of the first CAR T-cell therapy. Additional approvals would follow.

The 2010s started with clinical trial results centered on the use of checkpoint inhibitors, drugs that unleash a powerful immune system attack on cancer cells. The results founded on decades of research by scientists like Dana-Farbers Gordon Freeman, PhD helped usher in a new era of cancer immunotherapy.

Checkpoint blockersare transformational, Laurie H. Glimcher, MD, president and CEO of Dana-Farber and a prominent immunologist, said back in 2017, but they are only the tip of a proverbial immunotherapy iceberg.

On the other side of the last 10 years in cancer research was the Nobel Prize in Medicine, shared by Dana-Farbers William G. Kaelin, Jr., MD, for discoveries into the mechanism that enables cells to sense and adapt to changes in oxygen abundance research that has already led to exciting new treatments for cardiovascular disease and cancer.

As cancer research pioneer and Dana-Farber founder Sidney Farber, MD, said back in 1965, I have never accepted the incurability of cancer. And I have remained hopeful, not because of wishful thinking thats not progress but because of the factual evidence of progress. There is no such thing as a hopeless case.

Aside from these prominent discoveries, what were the most significant advances in cancer research and treatment? Heres what scientists and clinicians from around Dana-Farber said.

William Hahn, MD, PhD, Chief Research Strategy Officer

The sequencing of human cancer genomes over the past decade has demystified the genetics of cancer. We now have a blueprint of cancer genes in every type of cancer and information about the frequency and type of mutations that occur. This has revealed new genes and pathways important for cancer development and in some cases has already led to new approved cancer therapies.

In addition, geneticallysequencing tumor tissue samples guides the therapeutic agents selected for asubset of cancer patients. This tailored approach, termed precision medicine,selects patients most likely to respond and spares those that are unlikely torespond from untoward side effects. Recent discoveries that its possible tosequence DNA in the blood to detect cancers provide hope that this approach canbe used to identify cancers earlier and follow the response to therapy.

Through the study of rare cancers, we have identified mutations in genes that regulate the epigenome, the cells machinery for activating and deactivating genes. These studies have revealed that these same pathways are dysregulated in many common cancers and play key roles in cancer pathogenesis and resistance to therapy.

Sapna Syngal, MD, MPH, Director of Research, Center for Cancer Genetics and Prevention

The realization that upto 10% of many solid tumors have an inherited genetic basis provides us with agreat opportunity for precision prevention and early interception.

Scott Armstrong, MD, PhD, President, Dana-Farber/Boston Childrens Cancer and Blood Disorders Center

Were now able to identify several premalignant states that significantly increase peoples risk of developing certain hematologic cancers. Individuals with clonal hematopoiesis of indeterminate potential (CHIP), for example, have certain genetic mutations in their blood-forming stem cells that are associated with leukemia.

People with CHIP dont have symptoms of disease, but their risk of developing a blood cancer such as leukemia is 10 times higher than average and their risk of cardiovascular disease is elevated as well. Being able to identify high-risk individuals means we can begin to think about early-intervention strategies to prevent these cancers from developing an active area of research.

Ursula Matulonis, MD, Chief, Division of Gynecologic Oncology

The introduction of drugs known as PARP inhibitors has had a major impact on the treatment of ovarian cancer, and now they are showing effectiveness against other cancers including breast and pancreatic. PARP inhibitors work by blocking one of the key routes by which cells repair damaged DNA and are especially effective in cancers with existing DNA-repair deficiencies such as those harboring BRCA mutations.

Also, better understanding of the genomics of gynecologic cancers the set of genetic mutations within the cancer cells is transforming the way we approach treatment and prevention. Its now widely recognized that women with ovarian cancer, regardless of age, histology type, or the stage at which their cancer is diagnosed, should undergo genetic testing. A percentage of them will have a predisposing mutation in one of the BRCA genes. Women with newly diagnosed endometrial cancer should have their cancer tested for mismatch repair deficiencies, which interfere with the proper copying of DNA during cell division.

The presence of these genetic features not only influences the treatment patients receive, but, because they can be inherited, often enable us to identify family members who are also at risk and can benefit from more intensive monitoring or preventive treatment.

Richard Stone, MD, Program Director in Adult Leukemia

Morethan 10 drugs have been approved for acute leukemia in the past three years,whereas there had been very few new agents in the previous 25 years.

DNA sequencing of patients leukemia cells to identify mutations is being used to help guide treatment decisions.

Eric Winer, MD, Senior Vice President for Medical Affairs and Faculty Development; Chief, Division of Breast Oncology

In the treatment of breast cancer, we now know for a certainty that one size does not fit all. This allows us to personalize therapy to a much greater extent than ever before. In some patients, this means we can treat them with less-intensive therapy and still obtain excellent results. Others may require more extensive therapy or benefit from a different therapeutic approach. For all patients, this means better, more effective care, fewer side effects, and, for many, a longer life.

Kimberly Stegmaier, MD, Vice Chair of Pediatric Oncology Research

There have been multiple approvals of new targeted drugs in adult acute myeloid leukemia (AML) in the past two years, as well as TRK inhibitor approval for adult and pediatric patients with TRK fusion-positive cancers.

Bruce Johnson, MD, Chief Clinical Research Officer

Addingthe kinase inhibitor midostaurin to standard chemotherapy significantlyprolonged overall and event-free survival in patients with acute myeloidleukemia whose cancer cells have a FLT3 mutation.

Enzalutamide,an androgen receptor inhibitor, was associated with significantly longer progression-freeand overall survival than standard care in men with metastatic,hormone-sensitive prostate cancer receiving testosterone suppression.

Dana-Farberscientists reported on the feasibility, safety, and immunogenicity of apersonalized cancer vaccine that caused immune T cells to recognizecancer-related neoantigens on tumor cells. These results have promptedfurther development of a neoantigen vaccine approach.

Nadine Jackson McCleary, MD, MPH, Gastrointestinal Oncologist

Weve made strides in ensuring that evidence from cancer research studies actually makes its way into clinical practice. For too long, research findings often seemed to remain in academia without being translated to clinical medicine.

Professional and patient advocacy organizations have undertaken a variety of steps to not only implement these advances in the clinical setting but also to make sure theyre sustainable. For example, organizations such as the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) and cooperative research groups regularly inform the broader public about research results and work at the state and federal level on behalf of patients. The development of implementation science is having a sizable impact on clinical practice.

Were also making progress in improving equity in cancer care delivery. Where equity issues have traditionally involved issues such as race, gender, and socioeconomic status, were broadening the focus to include considerations of gender identity, patient location (where patients receive treatment may affect their outcome), and treatment of the very youngest and oldest patients. These efforts will help ensure that advances in cancer medicine reach all populations.

Toni Choueiri, MD, Director of the Lank Center for Genitourinary Oncology

An important ongoing approach is liquid biopsies obtaining tumor-related DNA in the blood as a means of early cancer detection. Liquid biopsies also have the potential to detect minimal residual disease in the body following surgery to predict the risk of relapse.

Rameen Beroukhim, MD, PhD, Physician-Scientist in Neuro-Oncology

This decade is the first in which targeting collateral vulnerabilities in cancer cells has become an important strategy. Most efforts at treating cancer focus treatment on the genetic changes within cells that cause them to become cancer. But along the way, many genes that have nothing to do with cancer are also affected, and scientists have found that targeting these genes on which the cancer cells depend can be an effective way of attacking cancer. Immunotherapy, for example, detects cancer cells based on this collateral damage.

I predict that targeting collateral vulnerabilities will become increasingly important in future decades. Another recent strategy is based on the emerging technology of protein degradation, which removes cancer-related proteins from cells rather than simply binding to these proteins to inhibit their activity.

Read more here:
The Most Significant Cancer Research Advances of the 2010s - Dana-Farber Cancer Institute

Metabolic dysregulation: origins of neurodegenerative disease – Health Europa

A new study, published in the journal Neuron, implicates metabolic dysregulation in neurodegenerative diseases leading to altered calcium homeostasis in neurons as the underlying cause of cerebellar ataxias.

This study not only tells us about how SCA7 begins at a basic mechanistic level, but it also provides a variety of therapeutic opportunities to treat SCA7 and other ataxias, said Al La Spada, MD, PhD, professor of Neurology, Neurobiology, and Cell Biology, at the Duke School of Medicine, and the studys senior author.

SCA7 is an inherited neurodegenerative disorder that causes progressive problems with vision, movement, and balance. Individuals with SCA7 have CAG-polyglutamine repeat expansions in one of their genes; these expansions lead to progressive neuronal death in the cerebellum. SCA7 has no cure or disease-modifying therapies.

La Spada and colleagues performed transcriptome analysis on mice living with SCA7. These mice displayed down-regulation of genes that controlled calcium flux and abnormal calcium-dependent membrane excitability in neurons in their cerebellum.

La Spadas team also linked dysfunction of the protein Sirtuin 1 (Sirt1) in the development of cerebellar ataxia. Sirt1 is a master regulator protein associated both with improved neuronal health and with reduced overall neurodegenerative effects associated with aging.La Spadas team observed reduced activity of Sirt1 in SCA7 mice; this reduced activity was associated with depletion of NAD+, a molecule important for metabolic functions and for catalysing the activity of numerous enzymes, including Sirt1.

When the team crossed mouse models of SCA7 with Sirt1 transgenic mice, they found improvements in cerebellar degeneration, calcium flux defects, and membrane excitability. They also found that NAD+ repletion rescued SCA7 disease phenotypes in both mouse models and human stem cell-derived neurons from patients.

These findings elucidate Sirt1s role in neuroprotection by promoting calcium regulation and describe changes in NAD+ metabolism that reduce the activity of Sirt1 in neurodegenerative disease.

Colleen Stoyas, PhD, first author of the study, and a postdoctoral fellow at the Genomics Institute of the Novartis Research Foundation in San Diego, said: Sirt1 has been known to be neuroprotective, but its a little unclear as to why.

Tying NAD+ metabolism and Sirt1 activity to a crucial neuronal functional pathway offers a handful of ways to intervene that could be potentially useful and practical to patients.

Go here to see the original:
Metabolic dysregulation: origins of neurodegenerative disease - Health Europa

Inside the US-Iran prisoner swap, and what comes next – Al-Monitor

Days before an Iranian stem cell scientist was due to plead guilty and be sentenced to time served by an Atlanta judge as part of a carefully negotiated prisoner swap that would lead to the release by Iran of Princeton graduate student Xiyue Wang, a potential spoiler emerged.

State Department Iran envoy Brian Hook sent a message to the Swiss and Iranians that former New Mexico governor and US Ambassador to the United Nations Bill Richardson was not authorized to negotiate the swap by the US government, according to a person involved in the negotiations. Instead, the Justice Department directed the USattorney in Atlanta to drop all charges against the stem cell scientist, Masoud Soleimani.

We had a plea agreement that had been agreed to by the US attorney in Atlanta and defense counsel, and was awaiting the judges acceptance on Dec. 11, former Kansas Democratic Rep. James Slattery, who worked pro bono to try to help attorney JasonPoblete secure Wangs release, told Al-Monitor. The court date was set for Dec. 11 for the judge to review the plea agreement. It was certain to be approved by a federal judge. After that, Dr. Soleimani would have been sentenced to time served and released.

And then the Justice Department intervenes with the US attorney, and basically directs the US attorney to drop all charges, Slattery continued. Thats how that all happened.

The swap proceeded in Zurich on Dec. 8, with the charges dropped against Soleimani rather than a plea deal. Hook had flown on a plane with Soleimani, who was in the custody of US marshals until he was turned over to Iranian officials. Wang was flown to Zurich from Tehran on a flight with Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif and a senior foreign ministry adviser on Latin American affairs, Mohsen Baharvand.

Hook subsequently said that he and Baharvand did not converse at the swap, calling it a missed opportunity, and suggesting that Baharvand may not have been authorized to speak with a USofficial.

We demonstrated with the prisoner exchange that we know how to work together and reach a deal, Hook toldan audience at the Council on Foreign Relationson Dec. 12.I do hope this exchange is a first step.

Hook did not immediately respond to a query from Al-Monitor on why he had allegedly intervened in the potential swap preparations in the final days, before subsequently jumping in and claiming credit.

Mickey Bergman, the vice president of the Richardson Centerfor Global Engagement which had been approached by the Wang family as well as others held in Iran, Syria, Venezuela, North Korea and Russia to try to secure their release, and had been engaged with both Zarif and officials at the National Security Council and Justice Department for months said the important thing is that Wang was home.

"The Wang-Soleimani exchange proved to the Iranians that we can deliver, not only talk; and it proved to us, including the US government, that the Iranians are good on their promise to Richardson, Bergman told Al-Monitor. This is very important as there are more Americans in Iran that we want to bring home."

"We work on behalf of the families, Bergman said. While governments have a complex set of interests with any foreign government, we have a singular one: Bring the person home. While we understand the 'bigger picture,' that means that we often need to 'cook' an arrangement on our own, and introduce it to the government only when we feel it is set, otherwise we allow spoilers who don't want a deal, to spoil."

I wish they understood this is not a one-time game, Bergman said of government officials jumping in at the last minute to try to seize control of or credit for a sensitive exchange, noting there are other prisoners whose release they are working to secure.

Bergman said he and Richardson were encouraged by a meetingthey held with Zarif on the sidelines of the Doha Forum on Dec. 15 onthe prospect of securing the homecoming of others held by Iran, including Navy veteran Michael White. They are also working on the case of former FBI agent Bob Levinson, who went missing on Irans Kish Island in 2007.

"Following the Wang-Soleimani exchange, Gov.Richardson sat with Foreign Minster Zarif in Doha, closing the loop on the latest exchange and discussing further humanitarian exchanges, Bergman said."We are working on behalf of and at the request of Michael White's family as well as Bob Levinson's family. Naturally, those two cases were discussed in our meeting with FM Zarif. The discussion was productive. There is a lot of heavy lifting to do, but we are hopeful."

Though Hook, Ivanka Trump and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin also attended the Doha Forum, Zarif said there had been no Iranian official encounters with members of the US government delegation there. No meeting or even accidental encounter in Doha, he told Al-Monitor.

If the Trump administration wants to get to talks with Iran, it should adjust its approach, Bergman said.

If the US wanted to facilitate meaningful dialogue with Iran, either in Zurich during the exchange or in Doha after the exchange, he suggested holding off on announcing new sanctions. Instead, make a positive statement, like the president actually did, but back it up in actions, don't follow it up with slapping additional sanctions. That proved to the Iranians that they couldnt trust the president."

Slattery, who was acquainted with Iransambassador to the United Nations, Majid Takht-Ravanchi, who did his university and graduate studies in Kansas, said he hoped the United Statesand Iran could build on the success of Wangs release.

I learned a lot during these negotiations working with Jason Poblete and Gov. Bill Richardson and the Iranian officials, the former Kansas congressmantold Al-Monitor by email. The Iranian officials did exactly what they promised me they would do.

But Slattery said he had concerns about prisoner swaps, and respected the Justice Departments concerns about politicizing, or the appearance of politicizing, the US legal system. He also urged the US government to ease sanctions thatrestrictIrans ability to procure medicines, because banks donot have the assurances they need to facilitate the transaction.

I do not like prisoner swaps because they can politicize our legal system, he said. We must never charge someone with a crime for political reasons nor should we release someone from prison who has been charged with violating US law for political reasons.Criminal cases should be processed based on the law and facts.

I hope the [US] administration will actively pursue the sale of medicines to Iranthat are excluded from US sanctions, Slattery said. "The people of Iran, including children, senior citizens and the critically ill are suffering from the lack of medicines. USsanctions permit the sale of medicines. Preventing the sale of medicines by denying banks the assurances they need to facilitate the medicine sale transactions empowers the Revolutionary Guard in Iran while causinggreat suffering among the people. This does not serve US interests or Israeli interests.

I urge the administration to be as bold with its diplomatic outreach to Iran as it has been to North Korea, Slattery concluded.The rewards will be far greater.

I believe it's in the interest of all to engage in a comprehensive exchange of detainees on both sides, an Iranian diplomat, speaking not for attribution, said Wednesday.

Nizar Zakka, a Lebanese US green card holder released by Iran in June, said that he and Wangs wife,Hua Qu,had met with US national security adviser Robert OBrien in September and sought to persuade him that the United Statesshould respond to Zarifs overtures that he had authority to negotiate a prisoner swap.

We were very clear, why do you not respond to Zarif, Zakka told Al-Monitor. He said they tried to impress on OBrien, who previously served as Trumps special hostage envoy, that it was the first time that Zarif was mentioning names of Iranians held by the United States that could be potentially released in a swap,

Zakka, who said he was in the same cell with Wang in Iran for two years, expressed joy that he was back. We stayed next to each other for two years, Zakka said. He is a great guy. I am so glad that he is back.

Link:
Inside the US-Iran prisoner swap, and what comes next - Al-Monitor

Global Stem Cell Therapy Market to Surpass US$ 40.3 Billion by 2027 Coherent Market Insights – Business Wire

SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--According to Coherent Market Insights, the global stem cell therapy market was valued at US$ 7,313.6 million in 2018, and is expected to exhibit a CAGR of 21.1% over the forecast period (2019-2027).

Key Trends and Analysis of the Stem cell therapy Market:

Key trends in market are increasing incidence of cancer and osteoporosis, rising number of research and development activities for product development, and adoption of growth strategies such as acquisitions, collaborations, product launches by the market players.

Key players are focused on launches of production facility for offering better stem cell therapy in the potential market. For instance, in January 2019, FUJIFILM Cellular Dynamics, Inc., a subsidiary of FUJIFILM Corporation, announced to invest around US$ 21 Mn for building new cGMP-compliant production facility, in order to enhance production capacity of induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cell for the development of cell therapy and regenerative medicine products. The new facility is expected to begin its operations by March 2020.

Request your Sample copy @ https://www.coherentmarketinsights.com/insight/request-sample/2848

Market players are adopting inorganic growth strategies such as acquisitions and collaborations, in order to enhance their offerings in the potential market. For instance, in August 2019, Bayer AG acquired BlueRock Therapeutics, a company developing cell therapies based on induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) platform. This acquisition is expected to strengthen Bayers market position in the stem cell therapy market.

Furthermore, increasing research and development activities of stem cells by research organizations to provide efficient treatment options to patients suffering from various chronic diseases is expected to drive growth of the stem cell therapy market over the forecast period. For instance, in January, 2019, the Center for Beta Cell Therapy in Diabetes and ViaCyte, Inc. initiated a trial of human stem cell-derived product candidates in type 1 diabetes patients in Europe.

However, high cost of preservation of stem cells and other factors is expected to hamper growth of stem cell therapy market over the forecast period. High cost of stem cell storage is a factor that is expected to hinder growth of the market. For instance, according to the Meredith Corporation, a private bank generally charges US$ 1,200 to US$ 2,300 to collect cord blood at the time of delivery, with annual storage fees of US$ 100 to US$ 300 each year. Thus, high cost associated with stem cell storage combined with high production cost are expected to hinder growth of the market, especially in emerging economies.

Key Market Takeaways:

Buy this Report (Single User License) @ https://www.coherentmarketinsights.com/insight/buy-now/2848

Market Segmentations:

The rest is here:
Global Stem Cell Therapy Market to Surpass US$ 40.3 Billion by 2027 Coherent Market Insights - Business Wire

The 3D cell culture market is projected to reach USD 1,846 million by 2024 from USD 892 million in 2019, at a CAGR of 15.7% – PRNewswire

NEW YORK, Dec. 17, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The global 3D cell culture market is projected to grow at a CAGR of 15.7% during the forecast period.

Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p05206182/?utm_source=PRN

The 3D cell culture market is projected to reach USD 1,846 million by 2024 from USD 892 million in 2019, at a CAGR of 15.7%. The growth in this market is primarily driven by the increasing focus on developing alternatives to animal testing, growing focus on personalized medicine, increasing incidence of chronic diseases, and the availability of funding for research. On the other hand, the lack of infrastructure for 3D cell-based research and the high cost of cell biology research are expected to limit market growth during the forecast period.

The microfluidics-based 3D cell cultures segment is projected to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period.Based on product, the 3D cell culture market is segmented into scaffold-based, scaffold-free, microfluidics-based, and magnetic & bioprinted 3D cell cultures.The microfluidics-based segment is expected to register the highest CAGR during the forecast period.

Funding initiatives from various government and private investors are among the key factors driving the growth of this market.

The cancer and stem cell research segment accounted for the largest share of the 3D cell culture market in 2018.On the basis of application, the 3D cell culture market is segmented into cancer & stem cell research, drug discovery & toxicology testing, and tissue engineering & regenerative medicine.The cancer & stem cell research segment accounted for the largest share of the market in 2018.

The increasing prevalence of cancer and significant funding initiatives for cancer research from the government as well as the private sector are some of the major factors driving the growth of this application segment.

Europe to witness high growth during the forecast period.Based on region, the 3D cell culture market is segmented into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and the Rest of the World (RoW). The European market is expected to grow at the highest CAGR owing to the growth of the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industry, increasing incidence of cancer, growing number of venture capital investments, strategic expansion of market players in the region, recent commercialization of microfluidic-based products, increasing presence of major market players, and the large number of research activities in the region.

The primary interviews conducted for this report can be categorized as follows: By Company Type: Tier 1: 50%, Tier 2: 30%, and Tier 3: 20% By Designation: C-level: 37%, D-level: 29%, and Others: 34% By Region: North America: 38%, Europe: 23%, Asia: 30%, and the RoW: 9%

List of companies profiled in this report Thermo Fisher Scientific (US) Corning Incorporated (US) Merck (Germany) Lonza AG (Switzerland) REPROCELL Incorporated (Japan) TissUse (Germany) InSphero (Switzerland) Synthecon (US) 3D Biotek (US) CN Bio (UK) Hamilton Company (US) MIMETAS (Netherlands) Emulate (US) Hrel Corporation (US) QGel SA (Switzerland) SynVivo (US) Advanced BioMatrix (US) Greiner Bio-One International (Austria) PromoCell (Germany)

Research Coverage:The report provides an overview of the 3D cell culture market.It aims at estimating the market size and growth potential of this market across different segments such as product, application, end user, and region.

The report also includes an in-depth competitive analysis of the key players in the market, along with their company profiles, recent developments, and key market strategies.

Key Benefits of Buying the Report:The report will help the market leaders/new entrants in the 3D cell culture market by providing them with the closest approximations of revenues for the overall market and its subsegments.This report will help stakeholders to understand the competitive landscape better and gain insights to position their businesses and help companies adopt suitable go-to-market strategies.

The report also helps stakeholders understand the pulse of the market and provide them with information regarding key market drivers and opportunities.

Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p05206182/?utm_source=PRN

About Reportlinker ReportLinker 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.

__________________________ Contact Clare: clare@reportlinker.com US: (339)-368-6001 Intl: +1 339-368-6001

SOURCE Reportlinker

http://www.reportlinker.com

Follow this link:
The 3D cell culture market is projected to reach USD 1,846 million by 2024 from USD 892 million in 2019, at a CAGR of 15.7% - PRNewswire

Orthopaedic Surgeon, Dr. Jeffrey Carlson, first in Central and Eastern Virginia to implant the M6-C Artificial Cervical Disc – BioSpace

NEWPORT NEWS, Va., Dec. 18, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Orthopaedic and Spine Center announced Dr. Jeffrey Carlson, Orthopaedic Spine Surgeon, became the first surgeon in Central and Eastern Virginia area to implant the M6-Cartificial cervical disc. The outpatient surgery was performed on a 53 year old female at Bon Secours/Mercy Health Mary Immaculate Hospital in Newport News, Virginia on November 20, 2019.

The patient reported symptoms of severe neck pain which radiated to both shoulders after a motor vehicle accident. After she failed to respond to conservative treatment, an MRI was ordered revealing severe spinal stenosis and spinal cord abutment at level C3-4 caused by a herniated disc. In consultation with Dr. Carlson, the patient made the decision to have cervical disc arthroplasty, using the Orthofix M6-C artificial cervical disc.

"I've been waiting for the right patient with the appropriate diagnosis to employ the M6-C disc," said Carlson. "The technology used in this procedure facilitates a speedy recovery with minimal limitations and a great outcome, so that my patient can get back to her active life. She just had her two week post-surgical follow-up appointment - her recovery is going very well and she feels much relief from the severe pain she once experienced."

The M6-C disc received U.S. Food and Drug Approval in February 2019.It was designed to closely mimic the anatomic structure of a natural disc as well as provide an effective alternative to a spinal fusion. By allowing the spine to move naturally, the M6-C artificial disc potentially minimizes stress to adjacent discs and other vertebral structures.

About Jeffrey R. Carlson, M.D.Dr. Jeffrey Carlson has been a part of Orthopaedic & Spine Center since 1999 and serves as the President and Managing Partner. He is a board-certified, fellowship-trained orthopaedic surgeon who focuses on the treatment of injuries and disorders of the spine.

About Orthopaedic & Spine CenterOrthopaedic & Spine Center (OSC) is staffed by outstanding medical professionals who strive to provide the very best orthopaedic and interventional pain management care available anywhere. Our Center includes a comfortable, state-of-the-art medical facility, pleasant and well-trained personnel, physicians trained in the most advanced orthopaedic treatments, interventional pain management procedures, regenerative medicine, using stem cell and platelet therapies and a dedication to old-fashioned patient care.

View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/orthopaedic-surgeon-dr-jeffrey-carlson-first-in-central-and-eastern-virginia-to-implant-the-m6-c-artificial-cervical-disc-300976419.html

SOURCE Orthopaedic & Spine Center

Read the original:
Orthopaedic Surgeon, Dr. Jeffrey Carlson, first in Central and Eastern Virginia to implant the M6-C Artificial Cervical Disc - BioSpace

Gene Therapy for Sickle-Cell Anemia Looks Promisingbut It’s Riddled With Controversy – Singularity Hub

Gene therapy is fighting to enter mainstream medicine. With sickle cell disease, the fight is heating up.

Roughly two years ago, the FDA made the historic decision to approve the first gene therapy in the US, finally realizing the therapeutic potential of hacking our biological base code after decades of cycles of hope and despair. Other approvals soon followed, including Luxturna to target inherited blindness and Zolgensma, a single injection that could save children with a degenerative disease from their muscles wasting away and dying before the age of two.

Yet despite their transformative potential, gene therapy has only targeted relatively rareand often fataldisorders. Thats about to change.

This year, a handful of companies deployed gene therapy against sickle-cell anemia, a condition that affects over 20 million people worldwide and 100,000 Americans. With over a dozen therapies in the run, sickle-cell disease could be the indication that allows gene therapy to enter the mainstream. Yet because of its unique nature, sickle-cell could also be the indication that shines an unflinching spotlight on challenges to the nascent breakthrough, both ethically and technologically.

You see, sickle-cell anemia, while being one of the worlds best-known genetic diseases, and one of the best understood, also predominantly affects third-world countries and marginalized people of color in the US. So far, gene therapy has come with a hefty bill exceeding millions; few people afflicted by the condition can carry that amount. The potential treatments are enormously complex, further upping costs to include lengthy hospital stays, and increasing potential side effects. To muddy the waters even more, the disorder, though causing tremendous pain and risk of stroke, already has approved pharmaceutical treatments and isnt necessarily considered life-threatening.

How we handle gene therapies for sickle-cell could inform many other similar therapies to come. With nearly 400 clinical trials in the making and two dozen nearing approval, theres no doubt that hacking our genes will become one of the most transformative medical wonders of the new decade. The question is: will it ever be available for everyone in need?

Even those uninterested in biology have likely heard of the disorder. Sickle-cell anemia holds the crown as the first genetic disorder to be traced to its molecular roots nearly a hundred years ago.

The root of the disorder is a single genetic mutation that drastically changes the structure of the oxygen-carrying protein, beta-globin, in red blood cells. The result is that the cells, rather than forming their usual slick disc-shape, turn into jagged, sickle-shaped daggers that damage blood vessels or block them altogether. The symptoms arent always uniform; rather, they come in crisis episodes during which the pain becomes nearly intolerable.

Kids with sickle-cell disorder usually die before the age of five; those who survive suffer a lifetime of debilitating pain and increased risk of stroke and infection. The symptoms can be managed to a degree with a cocktail of drugsantibiotics, painkillers, and a drug that reduces crisis episodes but ups infection risksand frequent blood transfusions or bone marrow transplants. More recently, the FDA approved a drug that helps prevent sickled-shaped cells from forming clumps in the vessels to further combat the disorder.

To Dr. David Williams at Boston Childrens Hospital in Massachusetts, the availability of these treatmentshowever inadequatesuggests that gene therapy remains too risky for sickle-cell disease. Its not an immediately lethal diseaseit wouldnt be ethical to treat those patients with a highly risky experimental approach, he said to Nature.

Others disagree. Freeing patients from a lifetime of risks and pain seems worthy, regardless of the price tag. Inspired by recent FDA approvals, companies have jumped onto three different treatments in a bitter fight to be the first to win approval.

The complexity of sickle-cell disease also opens the door to competing ideas about how to best treat it.

The most direct approach, backed by Bluebird Bio in Cambridge, Massachusetts, uses a virus to insert a functional copy of the broken beta-globin gene into blood cells. This approach seems to be on track for winning the first FDA approval for the disorder.

The second idea is to add a beneficial oxygen-carrying protein, rather than fixing the broken one. Here, viruses carry gamma-globin, which is a variant mostly present in fetal blood cells, but shuts off production soon after birth. Gamma-globin acts as a repellent that prevents clotting, a main trigger for strokes and other dangerous vascular diseases.

Yet another idea also focuses on gamma-globin, the good guy oxygen-carrier. Here, rather than inserting genes to produce the protein, the key is to remove the breaks that halt its production after birth. Both Bluebird Bio and Sangamo Therapeutics, based in Richmond, California, are pursing this approach. The rise of CRISPR-oriented companies is especially giving the idea new promise, in which CRISPR can theoretically shut off the break without too many side effects.

But there are complications. All three approaches also tap into cell therapy: blood-producing cells are removed from the body through chemotherapy, genetically edited, and re-infused into the bone marrow to reconstruct the entire blood system.

Its a risky, costly, and lengthy solution. Nevertheless, there have already been signs of success in the US. One person in a Bluebird Bio trial remained symptom-free for a year; another, using a CRISPR-based approach, hasnt experienced a crisis in four months since leaving the hospital. For about a year, Bluebird Bio has monitored a dozen treated patients. So far, according to the company, none has reported episodes of severe pain.

Despite these early successes, advocates worry about the actual impact of a genetic approach to sickle-cell disease.

Similar to other gene therapies, the treatment is considered a last-line, hail Mary solution for the most difficult cases of sickle cell disease because of its inherent risks and costly nature. Yet end-of-the-line patients often suffer from kidney, liver, and heart damages that make chemotherapy far too dangerous.

Then theres the problem of global access. Some developing countries, where sickle-cell disease is more prevalent, dont even have consistent access to safe blood transfusions, not to mention the laboratory equipment needed for altering blood-producing stem cells. Recent efforts in education, early screening, and prevention have also allowed people to live longer and reduce the stigma of the disorder.

Is a $1 million price tag ever attainable? To combat exhorbitant costs, Bluebird Bio is offering an installment payment plan for five years, which can be terminated anytime the treatment stops working. Yet for patients in South Africa, India, or Cambodia, the costs far exceed the $3 per month price tag for standard treatment. Even hydroxyurea, the newly-approved FDA drug to reduce crisis pain episodes, is just a fraction of the price tag that comes with gene therapy.

As gene therapy technologies are further refined and their base cost reduced, its possible that overall costs will drop. Yet whether these treatments will be affordable in the long run remains questionable. Even as scientists focus on efficacy rather than price tag, NIH director Dr. Francis Collins believes not thinking about global access is almost unethical. There are historical examples for optimism: vaccines, once rather fringe, now touch almost every corner of our world with the help of scientific knowledge, advocacy groups, andfundamentallyproven efficacy.

With the rise of gene therapy, were now in an age of personalized medicine beyond imagination. Its true that perhaps sickle-cell disease genetic therapies arent quite there yet in terms of safety and efficacy; but without tackling access issues, the therapy will be stymied in its impact for global good. As genetic editing tools become more powerful, gene therapy has the potential to save even more livesif its made accessible to those who need it most.

Image Credit: Image by Narupon Promvichai from Pixabay

Link:
Gene Therapy for Sickle-Cell Anemia Looks Promisingbut It's Riddled With Controversy - Singularity Hub

Orbiting Organoids: Research in Space to Unveil New Neurodegeneration Insight – Xconomy

XconomyNational

More than 250 miles above the Earths surface aboard the International Space Station, a first-in-kind study of neurodegenerative disease is expected to reveal never-before-seen cell interactions.

The National Stem Cell Foundation (NSCF) is funding the study, which is the result of a bi-coastal collaboration between the New York Stem Cell Foundation (NYSCF) Research Institute and Aspen Neuroscience, a San Diego startup developing personalized cell therapies for Parkinsons disease.

Collaborating with the New York Stem Cell Foundation (NYSCF) Research Institute on the other side of the country, the two teams have been working together for more than two years, exchanging and sharing technology to develop patient-derived, induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) organoid models.

The 3D human organoid models were launched to the International Space Station earlier this month for research in microgravity, with the goal of furthering our understanding of neurogenerative diseases back on earth.

The models incorporate microglia, the inflammatory cells of the immune system that are implicated in the development of Parkinsons, multiple sclerosis, and other neurodegenerative diseases, explains Paula Grisanti, CEO of NSCF.

Studying the 3D models in microgravity, researchers are able to observe cell interaction, gene expression, and other developments not seen in a regular lab.

Its not possible for you to have this same 3D model of cell interaction on Earth. This will be the first time in space where we can see these in 3D, Grisanti tells Xconomy.

Cells behave differently in space, though its not completely understood why. Cartilage grows faster and bigger, proteins fold differently, and cells mature more rapidly. Being able to see this happen in real-timethe models will be filmed for the full 30 dayswill offer researchers unprecedented insight into neurodegenerative disease.

To see how those cells talk to each other for 30 days when they are up on the international space station will allow scientists to see the point at which things start to go awry in those diseases and hopefully identify a new place or a new point at which you could intervene with a cell or gene therapy that may or may not currently exist, says Grisanti.

The research will touch back down to earth in early January at which time both labs will analyze the models to determine what exactly happened during their time in space. All data will be published for full dissemination.

(Paul Kuehl, Jason Rexroat, Gentry Barnett, Valentina Fossati, Jason Stein, Scott Noggle, Jana Stoudemire. Image courtesy of Space Tango)

NSCF has budgeted for a year of post-flight research after which the researchers will send the models back to the space station for a second flight to confirm what they saw and test new hypotheses, explains Grisanti. A second year of post-flight research also is funded, as is a second flight at the end of 2020.

We know were going to see something new because it has never been done before, says Grisanti, who explains that the budget and project will continue to be extended as long as new theories and opportunities are being developed.

The December flight was the second for the research teams at Apsen and NYSCF. A preliminary flight was conducted in July 2019 to test the hardware systems and prepare for the SpaceX CRS-19 launch.

Aspen has also been pressing ahead with its own research on solid ground. Last week, the company closed a $6.5 million seed round led by Domain Associates and Axon Ventures.

Aspens cell therapy approach was developed by its co-founders, Jeanne Loring, professor emeritus and founding director of the Center for Regenerative Medicine at The Scripps Research Institute and Andres Bratt-Leal, a former post-doctoral researcher in Lorings lab. Also serving as Aspens chief scientific officer, Jeanne Loring was in May named Xconomys Stem Cell Pioneer of the Year.

(Main image: Experiment loaded for launch at Kennedy Space Center. Courtesy of Space Tango)

Melissa Fassbender is an Xconomy editor based in Chicago. You can reach her at mfassbender@xconomy.com.

Excerpt from:
Orbiting Organoids: Research in Space to Unveil New Neurodegeneration Insight - Xconomy

Dr. Jack Zamora Partners with the Exclusive Haute Beauty Network – PR Web

Specializing in innovative cosmetic applications for the face, eyes, and body, Dr. Zamora is a leader in minimally invasive treatments.

DENVER (PRWEB) December 18, 2019

Dr. Jack Zamora, a renowned face expert in Denver, Colorado has joined the esteemed Haute Beauty network.

The Haute Beauty Network, well known for its exclusive and luxurious lifestyle publication Haute Living is privileged to present Dr. Jack Zamora as a face expert and our newest addition to the Haute Beauty members-only network.

Haute Beauty offers a prominent collective of leading doctors. The invitation-only exclusive publication maintains elite as ever, with only two doctors in every market. This partnership allows Haute Beauty to connect its affluent readers with industry-leading aesthetic surgeons located in their area.

ABOUT DR. ZAMORADr. Jack Zamora is an oculofacial plastic surgeon, and a pioneer in plasma treatments and stem cell technology. Specializing in innovative cosmetic applications for the face, eyes, and body, Dr. Zamora is a leader in minimally invasive treatments. Graduating from Tulane University in New Orleans, he received a doctorate degree in medicine and completed his internship at Boston Medical Center (internal medicine), his residency at Boston University (ophthalmology department), and completed his fellowship at Boston University (ophthalmology and oculoplastics).

Dr. Zamora is the medical director of several locations throughout Colorado offering select surgical and non-surgical facial refinement, skin rejuvenation, and body sculpting services. Known for exceptional patient care and state-of-the-art procedures that achieve natural-looking results with as little downtime as possible, Dr. Zamora and his team work with each patient to tailor a combination of treatments for long-term results.

As the creator of J-Plazty, Dr. Zamora has received national and international attention for his revolutionary technique. J-Plazty is a minimally invasive procedure that uses Renuvion plasma energy sub-dermally to instantly tighten and rejuvenate skin anywhere on the face and body without large incisions, downtime, or the complications of traditional surgery. As an authority on skin tightening applications, Dr. Zamora has seen remarkable results with plasma and often combines it with other radiofrequency (RF) modalities for superior rejuvenation. Utilizing his plasma techniques with micro and macro-needling radiofrequency (RF), Dr. Zamora is seeing unparalleled skin shrinkage as well as tightening of extremely delicate tissue allowing for long-term improvement with less downtime

In an effort to improve the outcome of aesthetic procedures, Dr. Zamora has partnered with Vitro BioPharma to develop the worlds first ultra pure cosmetic stem cell serum, InfiniVive MD, to be used topically by plastic surgeons, cosmetic surgeons, and aestheticians throughout the United States. InfiniVive MD is the highest quality cGMP-grade cosmetic stem cell serum containing ultra pure mesenchymal stem cells and exosomes. InfiniVive MD is to be used with ablative and non- ablative lasers, plasma energy technologies, and microneedling radiofrequency. The serum provides an unprecedented improvement in fine lines and wrinkles, helps reduce the signs of aging, and helps promote accelerated healing.

Being an international trainer for J-Plazty, Apyx Medical, and Bausch Health Companies Inc., and a luminary for AMP Medical, Lutronic Medical, and Syneron ELOS, Dr. Zamora offers his expertise to physicians from around the globe. He is a regular speaker and consultant, has been featured on The Doctors TV Show, and has written on the techniques and parameters of soft tissue coagulation and subcutaneous neck skin plasma tightening. Valuing continued education, Dr. Zamora created the Jack Zamora MD Aesthetic Institute, which offers advanced aesthetic training to medical professionals and licensed aestheticians.

Share article on social media or email:

See the original post:
Dr. Jack Zamora Partners with the Exclusive Haute Beauty Network - PR Web