Stem Cell Clinic

Tulane team researching ways to end opioid addiction – News from Tulane

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Michael J. Moore, center, a professor of biomedical engineering in the Tulane School of Science and Engineering, is leading a team of researchers on a project called the HEAL Initiative, or Helping to End Addiction Long-term Initiative. Researchers include Jeffrey Tasker, the Catherine and Hunter Pierson Chair in Neuroscience, left, and James Zadina, director of the Neuroscience Laboratory at the Veterans Administration Medical Center and an adjunct professor of medicine at the Tulane School of Medicine. (Photo by Matthew Hinton)

A Tulane University researcher is joining more than 40 universities from across the United States in looking for ways to improve treatment of chronic pain and ultimately achieve long-term recovery from opioid addiction.

Michael J. Moore, professor of biomedical engineering in the Tulane School of Science and Engineering, is part of a $945 million National Institutes of Health project called the HEAL Initiative, or Helping to End Addiction Long-term Initiative.

In 2016, an estimated 50 million U.S. adults suffered from chronic pain and in 2018, an estimated 10.3 million people 12 years and older misused opioids, including heroin.

This is indeed an exciting opportunity to work on a problem of great public health significance to our nation.

Tulane biomedical engineering professor Michael J. Moore

Its clear that a multi-pronged scientific approach is needed to reduce the risks of opioids, accelerate development of effective non-opioid therapies for pain and provide more flexible and effective options for treating addiction to opioids, NIH Director Francis S. Collins said in a statement. This unprecedented investment in the NIH HEAL Initiative demonstrates the commitment to reversing this devastating crisis.

Moores share of the project is $1.2 million. He will be teaming up with Jeffrey Tasker, the Catherine and Hunter Pierson Chair in Neuroscience, and James Zadina, director of the Neuroscience Laboratory at the Veterans Administration Medical Center and an adjunct professor of medicine at the Tulane School of Medicine.

This is indeed an exciting opportunity to work on a problem of great public health significance to our nation, Moore said.

The management of pain both acute and chronic can be a frustratingly futile endeavor for both patients and clinicians, Moore said. Desperate attempts at treatment with opioids and other narcotics has led to a heartbreaking and calamitous epidemic of addiction to prescription painkillers.

The epidemic has prompted federal agencies and the pharmaceutical industry to work toward identifying the next generation of painkillers. Unfortunately, Moore said, there are few adequate model systems currently in use to enable rapid screening of the analgesic properties of drug candidates.

Moores proposal seeks to develop the first model of pain that utilizes living human cells on a computer chip, mimicking the transmission of pain and enabling the evaluation of the cellular basis of tolerance to certain drugs. Moore said the model will eventually enable experimental drugs to be screened in a way that is faster, less expensive and more effective.

He and his team are collaborating with Randolph Ashton, an associate professor of biomedical engineering at the University of Wisconsin, and Swaminathan Rajaraman, an assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering at the University of Central Florida. Ashton is developing human stem-cell derived spinal neurons, and Rajaraman is developing specially-made microelectrodes for taking electrical measurements from the cells.

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Tulane team researching ways to end opioid addiction - News from Tulane

The most amazing medical breakthroughs of 2019 – New York Post

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Richard Berry had tried nearly everything to fight his prostate cancer: surgery, radiation and chemotherapy. But after two years of treatment, his cancer had metastasized. The opportunity to participate in a clinical trial was his last hope.

I wasnt ready to die, Berry, 75, of Keene, NH, tells The Post. I didnt want to mess around.

In 2015, he connected with Dr. Christopher Sweeney, an oncologist at Bostons Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, who was leading a trial in which the drug enzalutamide an androgen-receptor inhibitor that stops the growth of cancer cells was being used in conjunction with testosterone suppression to treat metastasized prostate cancer.

Berry became one of 1,125 patients involved in the trial. Remarkably, hes now cancer-free.

Hes one of the most dramatic cases to date, Sweeney tells The Post of Berrys progress. Hes in a deep remission. This is what I had hoped to see. However, the magnitude of the effect and the early results were a surprise and delight.

So far, Sweeney says, hes seen a handful of deep remissions like Berrys and that the results were positive sooner than we anticipated. The study was published in July in the New England Journal of Medicine.

The drug, which is already FDA-approved for other uses, is currently under FDA review to make it more widely available for metastasized prostate cancer patients and not just for use in clinical trials.

Approval is anticipated any day now, according to Dana-Farber Cancer Institute reps.

Meanwhile, Berrys scans continue to be clear a year after he stopped the treatment.

I dont even think about [the cancer] anymore, Berry says. I feel good. I have energy again, and, overall, Im just happy.

Here, six more amazing medical breakthroughs that could be a reality and soon.

A blood test for breast cancer

Researchers at the University of Nottingham in England have created a blood test that could potentially detect breast cancer up to five years before a lump or other symptoms appear. The test, which would be much cheaper and easier to conduct than a mammogram, looks for autoantibodies (produced by the body in reaction to cancer cells) in the blood.

The researchers said in a statement that another larger study is planned, and, if all goes well, the test could be on the market within the next five years.

The discovery was presented at the UKs National Cancer Research Institutes annual conference in early November, which showcases the worlds biggest cancer advances. A similar test for lung cancer is currently being studied in Scotland.

A new cystic fibrosis find

After two clinical trials, a new drug, Trikafta, a triple combination therapy, was found to cause significant improvements in cystic fibrosis patients respiratory health and lung function, leading the FDA to fast-track its approval in October.

The trials results were published in the Lancet and the New England Journal of Medicine.

Trikafta is now available to patients 12 and older who have the most common cystic fibrosis mutation, which could affect almost 90% of people with the disease, or about 27,000 people in the US.

A promising Alzheimers drug

Early disappointing results halted studies, but after a comprehensive review of the data, researchers are excited once again about an Alzheimers drug called aducanumab.

After 18 months of taking the drug, participants showed lowered cognitive decline (about 15% to 27%) on memory and cognitive ability tests compared to a placebo. The results were published in late October in the journal Nature.

Due to these results, the drug manufacturer is currently seeking FDA approval for aducanumab to treat Alzheimers disease soon after diagnosis.

Crispr for everything

Crispr is a gene-editing tool that allows scientists to modify DNA and genes.

The technique is being used in numerous ways, from medical research to growing crops. Some of its proposed innovations destroying superbugs, eradicating malaria and curing HIV are quite far off.

Still, the progress is exciting. A patient has been successfully treated for sickle cell disease using the technology, and clinical trials using Crispr to treat cancers such as non-Hodgkins lymphoma are currently recruiting. Next month, at the American Society of Hematology meeting in Orlando, Fla., scientists will present the results of a three-person cancer study where Crispr was used to treat two people with multiple myeloma and one with sarcoma.

Another sickle cell breakthrough

The first patient in an ongoing clinical trial for sickle cell disease, Manny Johnson, 22, who used to require monthly blood transfusions, has been symptom-free for more than a year after undergoing treatment in Boston. Another sufferer, Jennelle Stephenson, 28, reported showing no signs of sickle cell anemia in March after undergoing a yearlong treatment in DC.

The treatment, which is based on 70 years of research, uses a novel gene therapy treatment an infusion of the patients own reworked bone marrow to help the body produce normal red blood cells consistently.

Clinical trials are ongoing around the country. The results of the first adolescent participant, a 16-year-old girl, are expected next month from Dana-Farber.

Peanut allergy promise

A new study out of Stanford University showed that after one injection of the antibody, etokimab, which is already being studied to treat other immune issues such as asthma and eczema, people with severe peanut allergies were able to eat peanut protein just two weeks later.

The study was published Nov. 14 online in the journal JCI Insight.

Currently, the only available treatment for the potentially deadly allergy is oral immunotherapy, where patients eat small doses in graduating scales under medical care. The process can take up to a year and can cause allergic reactions.

A larger study is planned to shore up dosing, timing and hopefully be used to treat other food allergies.

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The most amazing medical breakthroughs of 2019 - New York Post

Precision Medicine and Personalized Treatments Shifting the Tide in Mantle Cell Lymphoma – Curetoday.com

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While resistance can often make it a challenge to treat mantle cell lymphoma, therapies have come a long way in recent years thanks to the emergence of personalized treatment and the use of BTK inhibitors, according to one expert.

Ruan, a hematologist and oncologist from Weil Cornell Medicine in New York City, recently sat down with OncLive, CUREs sister publication, to discuss the treatment trends in this disease space.

We're moving toward precision medicine and personalized treatment (in MCL), said Ruan. The objective is to overcome resistance and come up with treatment plans that address the underlying disease biology and take personal factors about the patients into consideration.

When asked about the novel agents that are currently showing promise in MCL, Ruan explained that BTK inhibitors have resulted in highoverall response rates (ORRs), more complete remissions (CRs) and a lower number of side effects in this patient population.

Since the approval of Revlimid (lenalidomide) in 2013, a number of newer BTK inhibitors have been approved, with first-generation Imbruvica (ibrutinib) standing out as the top choice for many. So far, this class of agents has the best single-agent activity in MCL to date, explained Ruan. For example, ibrutinib would give about a 65% to 67% ORR, and about 20% of that would be CRs. In contrast, lenalidomide would give you about a 30% ORR and up to about 8% CR.

A newer BTK inhibitor, Calquence (acalabrutinib), is considered just as effective as Imbruvica with an overall response rate of 81% and complete response in 40% of patients who took it during the phase 2 study that led to its approval. That's quite remarkable for a single agent for patients who have relapsed/refractory MCL, Ruan said.

The field continues to grow with the testing of new agents, including BCL-2 inhibitor, Venclexta (venetoclax), which is currently approved in chronic lymphocytic leukemia and other indolent B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphomas. In MCL, we have data to suggest that it has promising activity as a single agent, she said. Currently, it's being studied in combination with a variety of other agents, including BTK inhibitors. They seem to work very well and are helping to move treatment away from chemotherapy.

However, treating MCL can be challenging because of treatment resistance, explained Ruan. All of the agents are being introduced, tested, and approved in the setting of relapsed disease, said Ruan. That is a big challenge for a sizable portion of patients who do not respond maybe they have a genetic mutation that is not responsive to targeted therapy or they develop a secondary mutation in the process of being treated and then they become resistant.

The issue of resistance is important to consider when treating MCL, according to Ruan. We have to provide novel agents that are sensitive to the disease at every stage of the evolution and come up with additional therapies that can overcome the resistance, she said.

In the future, Ruan predicts the shift toward precision medicine and personalized treatment will continue. The objective is to overcome resistance and come up with treatment plans that address the underlying disease biology and take personal factors about the patients into consideration, she said. This is important for us to understand MCL individually.

This precise approach would mean doing more genetic analysis to determine what type of disease is being treated in order to create a treatment plan that would provide the most benefit for the patient.

If we could know (about mutations) ahead of time, we could have the treatment designed and tailored to maximize treatment effectiveness and minimize adverse events, said Ruan.

It doesn't make sense to subject patients to all of the cytotoxicity associated with conventional intensive chemotherapy while other options, such as participation in clinical trials with novel agents, could be very effective.

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Precision Medicine and Personalized Treatments Shifting the Tide in Mantle Cell Lymphoma - Curetoday.com

Low-Concentration PTX And RSL3 Inhibits Tumor Cell Growth Synergistica | CMAR – Dove Medical Press

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Jing Ye, Xiaohua Jiang, Zhihuai Dong, Sunhong Hu, Mang Xiao

Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, College of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, Peoples Republic of China

Correspondence: Mang XiaoDepartment of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, College of Medicine, Zhejiang University, East Qingchun Road Nr.3, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310016, Peoples Republic of ChinaEmail joelxm@zju.edu.cn

Introduction: RSL3-induced ferroptosis is a cell death pathway dependent upon intracellular iron and is characterized by accumulation of lipid hydroperoxides. Glutaminolysis, a glutamine-fueled intracellular metabolic pathway, is an essential pathway of ferroptosis in cancer cells. Recent findings showed low-concentration paclitaxel (PTX) could inhibit cell death by upregulating p53 expression; downregulating glutaminolysis-related genes.Methods: The therapeutic effect of RSL3 plus low-concentration PTX combination therapy was investigated in HPSCC cells harboring mutant p53 (mtp53). Relative cell viability, ferroptosis-specific lipid peroxidation and relevant protein expression were evaluated.Results: We demonstrated that neither PTX nor RSL3 in low concentration caused significant cell death; however, the combination therapy is shown to induce ferroptosis and significant cell death in mtp53 HPSCC. We discovered that low-concentration PTX enhanced the RSL3-induced ferroptosis by upregulating mtp53 expression. Furthermore, mtp53-mediated transcriptional regulation of SLC7A11 could be the key determinant.Discussion: Although gain-of-function of p53 variants remains to be characterized, our findings provide new insight into the synergistical cell death by regulating ferroptosis and p53.

Keywords: HPSCC, ferroptosis, low-concentration paclitaxel, RSL3, synthetic cell death, mtp53, SLC7A11, GOF p53 variants

This work is published and licensed by Dove Medical Press Limited. The full terms of this license are available at https://www.dovepress.com/terms.php and incorporate the Creative Commons Attribution - Non Commercial (unported, v3.0) License.By accessing the work you hereby accept the Terms. Non-commercial uses of the work are permitted without any further permission from Dove Medical Press Limited, provided the work is properly attributed. For permission for commercial use of this work, please see paragraphs 4.2 and 5 of our Terms.

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Low-Concentration PTX And RSL3 Inhibits Tumor Cell Growth Synergistica | CMAR - Dove Medical Press

THUMPD3-AS1 Is Correlated With Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer And Regulate | OTT – Dove Medical Press

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Jia Hu, Youfang Chen, Xiaodong Li, Huikai Miao, Rongzhen Li, Dongni Chen, Zhesheng Wen

Department of Thoracic Oncology, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou 510060, Peoples Republic of China

Correspondence: Zhesheng Wen Email wenzhsh@sysucc.org.cn

Background: Of all malignancies, lung cancer is the leading cause of death, and non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) accounts for 8085% of all lung cancers. In this study, the long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) THUMPD3-AS1 was observed to be highly expressed in NSCLC and correlated with TNM stages and relapse, suggesting that THUMPD3-AS1 is involved in the regulation of NSCLC.Methods: The aim of this study was to investigate the regulatory function and mechanism of THUMPD3-AS1 in NSCLC cells by cellular function and molecular biology experiments.Results: Overexpression and knockdown analysis revealed that THUMPD3-AS1 promoted tumor progression by increasing cell proliferation and self-renewal of NSCLC cells. Moreover, THUMPD3-AS1 may act as an endogenous sponge of microRNA-543 (miR-543) which can regulate the target gene ONECUT2 in NSCLC cells.Conclusion: Our study indicated that THUMPD3-AS1 regulated NSCLC cell self-renewal by regulating the expression of miR-543 and ONECUT2, and THUMPD3-AS1 can potentially act as a biomarker or therapeutic target in NSCLC.

Keywords: non-small cell lung cancer, self-renewal, THUMPD3-AS1, miR-543, ONECUT2

This work is published and licensed by Dove Medical Press Limited. The full terms of this license are available at https://www.dovepress.com/terms.php and incorporate the Creative Commons Attribution - Non Commercial (unported, v3.0) License.By accessing the work you hereby accept the Terms. Non-commercial uses of the work are permitted without any further permission from Dove Medical Press Limited, provided the work is properly attributed. For permission for commercial use of this work, please see paragraphs 4.2 and 5 of our Terms.

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THUMPD3-AS1 Is Correlated With Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer And Regulate | OTT - Dove Medical Press

Teen ready to get back on the field after risky tumor surgery – KFOR Oklahoma City

By Stem Cell Doctors

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NORMAN, Okla. (KFOR) - A love of sports runs deep for 14-year-old Xander Brayfield from Norman.

Basketball, soccer, E-sports, and even a friendship with OU Linebacker Kenneth Murray are all things that bring out this teenager's famous grin.

But in quiet moments last May, Xander started feeling a troubling pain he couldn't ignore.

His mother, Kirsten De Beurs recalled, "When it came time to sit down and do his homework, he said my back is hurting so bad I can't take it."

"It was not the best summer," agreed Xander.

Not the best, because of what scans revealed.

Xander had a large tumor, wrapped around his aorta, lodged and growing between his heart and his spine.

"I couldn't listen to the doctors the first week because all I did was cry and I couldn't process the information," said Xander's mother.

Dr. Kisha Beg from Jimmy Everest Cancer Center shakes her head when asked about Xander's treatment for neuroblastoma cancer.

"You get a whole kitchen-sink of treatment," she acknowledged.

She says she's been very impressed by how Xander takes charge of his treatment plan.

"He picked up all the chemotherapy papers, he wanted me to talk to him about all the terms, all the side-effects, and he had GREAT questions," Dr. Beg said.

Chemotherapy did not erase the tumor, and the Brayfields eventually traveled to Michigan to a specialist who collaborated with Jimmy Everest Center doctors and performed an extremely risky operation.

Xander shows how the incision wraps around from his ribs to his shoulder blades.

He explained, "She went through my ribs, and took out the tumor somehow."

This tricky surgery was successful but is just the start of a checklist of needed medical procedures.

Dr. Beg explained, "He has to go through a transplant, stem-cell transplant, radiation, then maintenance."

All this difficult news has been balanced by incredible support from his medical team, his school, and the community.

Xander says he stays on track mentally by "just staying strong and knowing you're going to get back to your normal stuff if you just keep on going."

He added, "I love playing soccer, so as soon as I'm ready for it I'm going to get on the field and practice, get a physical trainer and get back in shape."

Xander is always ready with a smile, ready to reclaim his old life.

If you would like to help kids like Xander fight cancer, consider donating to JECFriends.org.

Kids with Courage is sponsored by Friends of the Jimmy Everest Center.

35.222567-97.439478

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Teen ready to get back on the field after risky tumor surgery - KFOR Oklahoma City

Breaking News: Cardiol Therapeutics Announces Clinical Steering Committee for Phase 2 International Trial in Acute Myocarditis Using CardiolRx(TM) 100…

By Stem Cell Doctors

Cardiol Therapeutics Inc. (TSX: CRDL) (OTCQX: CRTPF), a leader in the production of pharmaceutical cannabidiol (CBD) products and in the development of innovative cannabidiol medicines for heart disease, is pleased to announce the formation of the Clinical Steering Committee (CSC) for a Phase 2 international trial in acute myocarditis using the Companys CardiolRx100 cannabidiol formulation.

The CSC, which comprises key opinion leaders in acute myocarditis from North America and Europe, recently met during the American Heart Associations Scientific Sessions in Philadelphia held November 16th to 18th. The role of the CSC is to advise on the trial design, provide overall supervision of the trial, and ensure that it is being conducted in accordance with the principles of Good Clinical Practice. The CSC has oversight of the protocol, any protocol amendments, and provides advice to the investigators on all aspects of the trial.

Acute myocarditis is characterized by inflammation of the heart muscle (myocardium). The most common cause is viral infection of the heart tissue which is initially responsible for the inflammation. In a significant number of cases, perhaps due to an autoimmune process, the inflammation persists with ongoing myocardial damage and depressed heart function. Although the symptoms are often mild, myocarditis remains an important cause of acute and fulminant heart failure and is the most common cause of sudden cardiac death in people less than 35 years old. In addition, some patients proceed to develop chronic dilated cardiomyopathy which continues to be the leading indication for cardiac transplantation. Symptoms include chest pain, fatigue, shortness of breath, and arrhythmias. Because of the progressive damage to heart cells, heart failure develops (defined as the inability of the heart to pump sufficient blood to meet the needs of the body). The study will use left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) as one measure of heart function.

CardiolRx100 is Cardiol Therapeutics pure pharmaceutically (cGMP) produced high concentration cannabidiol formulation that is THC free (<10ppm). Based on the large body of experimental evidence of the anti-inflammatory and cardioprotective properties of cannabidiol in models of cardiovascular disease, Cardiol believes there is an opportunity to develop a potential breakthrough therapy for acute myocarditis that would be eligible for designation as an orphan drug. In the United States, an orphan drug designation is granted for pharmaceuticals being developed to treat medical conditions affecting fewer than 200,000 people. These conditions are referred to as orphan diseases. In the U.S. and the European Union, orphan drugs are eligible for accelerated marketing approvals and companies developing orphan drugs typically receive other incentives, including a prolonged period of market exclusivity that can extend over seven years, during which the drug developer has sole rights to market the drug.

Cardiol has assembled eight highly distinguished thought leaders in cardiology from North America and Europe to oversee and guide our acute myocarditis trial that is being planned at world leading heart institutes, including the Cleveland Clinic, the Mayo Clinic, the Houston Methodist DeBakey Heart and Vascular Center, the University of Ottawa Heart Institute, and Charit University Medicine Berlin, stated David Elsley, President and CEO of Cardiol Therapeutics. The U.S. orphan drug program was successfully utilized to accelerate the first FDA approval of cannabidiol for the treatment of two pediatric epilepsy orphan diseases. We see a similar opportunity with our international trial in acute myocarditis to fast track the development of our CardiolRx formulation for a serious cardiovascular orphan disease for which there is currently no accepted standard of care.

Members of Cardiols Acute Myocarditis CSC include:

Dennis M. McNamara, MD (Chair)

Dr. Dennis McNamara is a Professor of Medicine at the University of Pittsburgh. He is also the Director of the Heart Failure/Transplantation Program at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. Dr. McNamara received his undergraduate/graduate education at Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, respectively. He completed his internship, residency, and cardiology fellowship at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. McNamaras current research interests include etiology and pathogenesis of dilated cardiomyopathies; inflammatory syndromes of cardiovascular disease; myocardial recovery in recent onset non-ischemic primary cardiomyopathy; etiology and management of peripartum cardiomyopathy; and genetic modulation of outcomes in cardiovascular disease.

Leslie T. Cooper, Jr., MD (Co-Chair)

Dr. Leslie T. Cooper, Jr., is a general cardiologist and the chair of the Mayo Clinic Enterprise Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, as well as chair of the Department of Cardiovascular Medicine at the Mayo Clinic in Florida. Dr. Coopers clinical interests and research focus on clinical and translational studies of rare and undiagnosed cardiomyopathies, myocarditis, and inflammatory cardiac and vascular diseases, such as giant cell myocarditis, cardiac sarcoidosis, eosinophilic myocarditis, and Takayasus arteritis. He has published over 130 original peer-reviewed papers, as well as contributing to and editing books on myocarditis. In addition to his clinical and research work, Dr. Cooper is a fellow of the American College of Cardiology, the American Heart Association, the European Society of Cardiology Heart Failure Association, the International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation, and the Society for Vascular Medicine and Biology. He is also the founder and former president of the Myocarditis Foundation and continues to serve on its Board of Directors.

Arvind Bhimaraj, MD

Dr. Arvind Bhimaraj is a specialist in Heart Failure and Transplantation Cardiology and is Assistant Professor of Cardiology, Institute for Academic Medicine, at Houston Methodist and at Weill Cornell Medical College, NYC. He has been Co-Director of the Heart Failure Research Laboratory at Houston Methodist since 2016. His area of focus is anti-fibrotic mechanisms and how to promote recovery of a damaged heart. Dr. Bhimaraj was a Heart Failure Fellow at the Cleveland Clinic from July 2010 to September 2011. Dr. Bhimaraj also specializes in Interventional Cardiology, is board certified in Cardiovascular Disease, and the author of numerous cardiovascular publications.

Matthias Friedrich, MD

Dr. Matthias Friedrich is Full Professor with the Departments of Medicine and Diagnostic Radiology at the McGill University in Montreal and Chief, Cardiovascular Imaging at the McGill University Health Centre. He is also Professor of Medicine at Heidelberg University in Germany. Dr. Friedrich earned his MD at the Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nrnberg, Germany. He completed his training as an internist and cardiologist at the Charit University Medicine Center, Humboldt University in Berlin. Dr. Friedrich founded one of the first large Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance centres in Germany at the Charit University Hospital in Berlin. After his move to Canada, from 2004 to 2011, he was Director of the Stephenson Cardiovascular MR Centre at the Libin Cardiovascular Institute of Alberta and Professor of Medicine within the Departments of Cardiac Sciences and Radiology at the University of Calgary, Canada. From 2011 to 2015, he directed the Philippa and Marvin Carsley Cardiovascular MR Centre at the Montreal Heart Institute and was Michel and Renata Hornstein Chair in Cardiac Imaging at the Universit de Montral.

Peter Liu, MD

Dr. Peter Liu is the Chief Scientific Officer and Vice President, Research, of the University of Ottawa Heart Institute, and Professor of Medicine and Physiology at the University of Toronto and University of Ottawa. He was the former Scientific Director of the Institute of Circulatory and Respiratory Health at the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, the major federal funding agency for health research in Canada. Prior to that role, he was the inaugural Director of the Heart & Stroke/Lewar Centre of Excellence in Cardiovascular Research at University of Toronto. Dr. Liu received his MD from the University of Toronto, and postgraduate training at Harvard University. His laboratory investigates the causes and treatments of heart failure, the role of inflammation, and the identification of novel biomarkers and interventions in cardiovascular disease. Dr. Liu has published over 300 peer-reviewed articles in high impact journals and received numerous awards in recognition of his research and scientific accomplishments.

Wai Hong Wilson Tang, MD

Dr. Wai Hong Wilson Tang is the Advanced Heart Failure and Transplant Cardiology specialist at the Cleveland Clinic in Cleveland, Ohio. Dr. Tang is also the Director of the Cleveland Clinics Center for Clinical Genomics; Research Director, and staff cardiologist in the Section of Heart Failure and Cardiac Transplantation Medicine in the Sydell and Arnold Miller Family Heart & Vascular Institute at the Cleveland Clinic. He attended and graduated from Harvard Medical School in 1996, having over 23 years of diverse experience, especially in Advanced Heart Failure and Transplant Cardiology. Dr. Tang is affiliated with many hospitals including the Cleveland Clinic and cooperates with other doctors and physicians in medical groups including The Cleveland Clinic Foundation.

Barry Trachtenberg, MD

Dr. Barry H. Trachtenberg is a cardiologist specializing in heart failure and cardiac transplantation. He is also the director of the Michael DeBakey Cardiology Associates Cardio-Oncology program, an evolving field devoted to prevention and management of cardiovascular complications of cancer therapies such as chemotherapy and radiation. His clinical experience includes heart failure and heart transplantation, mechanical support pumps, and cardio-oncology. He has contributed to multiple publications related to advanced heart failure, cardiac transplantation, regenerative therapies, and ventricular assist devices. Dr. Trachtenberg is a member of the American Heart Association, the International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation, the Heart Failure Society of America, and the International CardiOncology Society of North America.

Carsten Tschpe, MD

Dr. Carsten Tschpe is Professor of Medicine and Cardiology and Vice Director of the Department of Internal Medicine and Cardiology, Charit University Medicine Berlin. He received his doctorate in medicine in 1993 and has over 140 peer-reviewed publications, including overview and book articles, and 120 international original articles. His research interests include inflammatory cardiomyopathy, diabetic cardiopathy, and ischemic cardiopathy. He also includes diastolic dysfunction, endothelial dysfunction, peptide systems, and experimental and clinical studies in cardiology and stem cells in his research studies. For his outstanding research work, Dr. Tschpe was awarded the prestigious Arthur Weber Prize by the German Cardiac Society Cardiovascular Research.

About Cardiol Therapeutics

Cardiol Therapeutics Inc. (TSX: CRDL)(OTCQX: CRTPF) is focused on producing pharmaceutical cannabidiol (CBD) products and developing innovative therapies for heart disease, including acute myocarditis and other causes of heart failure. The Companys lead product, CardiolRx, is designed to be one of the safest and most consistent CBD formulations on the market. CardiolRx is pharmaceutically produced, cGMP certified, and is THC free. The Company plans to commercialize CardiolRx in the billion-dollar market for medicinal cannabinoids in Canada and is also pursuing distribution opportunities in Europe and Latin America.

In heart failure, Cardiol is planning an international clinical study of CardiolRx in acute myocarditis, a condition caused by inflammation in heart tissue, which remains the most common cause of sudden cardiac death in people less than 35 years of age. The Company is also developing proprietary nanotechnology to uniquely deliver pharmaceutical CBD and other anti-inflammatory drugs directly to sites of inflammation in the heart that are associated with heart failure. Heart failure is the leading cause of death and hospitalization in North America with associated healthcare costs in the U.S. alone exceeding $30 billion. For further information about Cardiol Therapeutics, please visitwww.cardiolrx.com.

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Breaking News: Cardiol Therapeutics Announces Clinical Steering Committee for Phase 2 International Trial in Acute Myocarditis Using CardiolRx(TM) 100...

Redruth woman travels over 3,500 miles to meet the stranger who saved her life – Cornwall Live

By Stem Cell Doctors

Ashop assistantfrom Redruthisappealing for people to become bone marrow donors after meeting the stranger who saved her life.

Carol Timmins was diagnosed with aplastic anaemia in January 2014.

The 58-year-old said: "Being told that I had bone marrow failure came as a great shock. I had no idea what it actually meant but soon realised that I was very, very sick.

"Id previously been diagnosed with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, so feeling tired and lacking energy had been a way of life for several years. The initial treatment that I received was regular blood transfusions until May when I started an Antilymphocyte Globulin treatment.

"By September it was apparent that the treatment was not working and a bone marrow transplant was my best chance of survival."

Carolhad a bone marrow transplant inDecember 2014from a stranger. Patients and donors must remain anonymous for two years after a transplant takes place.

After this period has passed, if both the patient and donor would like to meet, they can contact blood cancer charity Anthony Nolan, who are then able to put them in contact with each other.

In September 2019, Carol and her husband Paul, travelled from Cornwall to Detroit, USA, to meet her lifesaver.

She added: "Ninety days after my transplant I had decided that it was time to thank my donor so I sent an anonymous letter through Anthony Nolan. Within a few weeks I received a reply. We were both overjoyed at receiving such an important piece of mail and he was very pleased that I was making a good recovery."

From that moment she set her sights on thanking her donor in person.

"I knew that it would be a few years before I could travel but I made it my goal. I had to thank the man who had saved my life," Carol said.

As time passed by, the medication reduced and their correspondence increased. There was a turning point in her life when she was told that she had the option to release her personal information, and to request her donors details.

Carol continued: "I decided not to rush into it, as I needed time to comprehend exactly what that would mean. I had come so far, and to be able to correspond with my donor directly would be quite surreal."

Through letter writing, they contemplated at how their paths had crossed and shared stories about their families. In May 2018 she exchanged personal details with her donor.

She said: "It was a truly amazing day learning the name of the man I had written to for four years - Darin."

Through emails they exchanged family photos and started to make plans for her trip. Their friendship blossomed and finally, in September 2019 they met for the first time.

"The welcome that I received at the airport was something that only dreams are made of. After hugs and tears of joy with Darin and his wife Valerie, I was introduced to a local news channel who were delighted to witness and report on such an emotional and inspiring story," added Carol.

Carol and Paul stayed at Darin and Valeries home in Detroit for eight days. During that time they shared their experiences as a donor and recipient, reminiscing about a very surreal time in their lives.

Carol added: "Darin said that if he was asked to donate again he would do it in a heartbeat.

"I consider myself truly blessed to have found a donor who was a perfect match, but to have the opportunity to thank the man who gave me his bone marrow has meant the world to me.

"Please dont wait until it happens to you or yours, people are dying waiting for their perfect match and you can help them by joining the register. Without Darin I probably wouldnt be here today, so if youre a healthy 16-30 year old (or you know someone who is), Anthony Nolan needs you.

"My heartfelt thanks go to Anthony Nolan and to all of the potential donors on the register, as well as the wonderful team of doctors and nurses who treated me."

Anthony Nolan is the charity that finds matching donors for people with blood cancer and gives them a second chance of life.

It also carries out ground-breaking research to save more lives and provide information and support to patients after a stem cell transplant, through its clinical nurse specialists and psychologists, who help guide patients through their recovery.

Henny Braund, chief executive of Anthony Nolan said "Its fantastic to see Carol,living her life to the fullest andDarinshould be incredibly proud of the difference he has made to Carol and her family.

"Our amazing stem cell donors are lifesavers and they continue to give patients with blood cancer a second chance of life. Anyone wanting to find out more can visit our website to join the stem cell register or support our work by making a donation, which will help give someone likeCarola second chance of life in the future. Without you there is no cure."

For more information, visit the Anthony Nolan website here.

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Redruth woman travels over 3,500 miles to meet the stranger who saved her life - Cornwall Live

Chemotherapy and constant pills but DWP tells Hull man Kye Eastwood ‘you’re fit for work’ – Hull Daily Mail

By Stem Cell Doctors

A young Hull man whose life was saved by the generous people of Hull after being diagnosed with terminal cancer says he is looking forward to the future.

In 2014, Kye Eastwood, now 28, faced an unimaginable battle after being told there was nothing more UK doctors could do for him in his battle against Hodgkins Lymphoma - but there was hope.

The people of Hull heroically clubbed together and raised 46,000 within a month, paying for ground breaking - and life-saving - stem cell - treatment in Maryland, US.

Now, five years on, Kye and his fianc Chanelle Urquhart, 24, of Kingswood, are looking forward to their lives together - after what Kye has described as one of the most difficult years of his life.

Although the pioneering treatment cleared Kye of cancer, Kye has ongoing health issues. He is still undergoing chemotherapy and he is unable to work.

Despite this, he was told he was not allowed his PIP (Personal Independence Payment) benefits from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) after he underwent an eligibility assessment.

He said the report was "all wrong", stating he could do a number of things he could not do, which meant he was deemed fit for work.

He said: The report said I had a healthy complexion - that is completely wrong in the first place because of the vitiligo (pigmentation of the skin) I have.

Chanelle said he also split open a sore on his back trying to lift his arms further above his head during the assessment and it still needs treatment months later.

Although he has since had his benefits reinstated after the report was proved to be wrong, the trauma of living without any income and the strain it put on him for months has taken its toll.

He said: Someone came around in March theyd decided I was poorly enough for them to come to me rather than me go to them. I was on my cycle of chemo at the time and having massive allergic reactions.

Everything in the report was wrong and the woman who came didnt even look at any of the medical evidence and made out that I could move more.

"What the report said was not reflective of what happened in the meeting. We got a letter saying I wasnt entitled and why, and the report shed sent off.

Kye appealed and received another assessment and a complaint was put into the DWP by Chanelle, who sent pictures of Kyes skin and statements from every one of his doctors and specialists who see him in Rotherham.

Three months later, Kyes benefits were reinstated.

Chanelle said: He was three months without them, which help with his mobility. He was struggling to get to Rotherham, the treatment which ultimately keeps him alive.

She added the complaint has been escalated and is being looked at by an independent case examiner.

A DWP spokesman said: "We have apologised to Mr Eastwood for the confusion over his reapplication for PIP. It was resolved promptly and he is in receipt of all the benefits he is entitled to."

Chanelle said Kye would love nothing more than to go back to work but he needs something flexible that could work around treatment and hospital appointments.

She said: He was always working before the cancer and would love to go back to work and do things but its trying to find something he would be able to do safely, and something that would work around his health problems.

Kye added: I dont know an employer that would want me to be off at least a week every month while I go to my appointments.

During Kye's treatment the couple flew back and forth to Washington for a period of seven months and were able to stay at the amazing centre along with other families of people having treatment there.

During the time between treatments, they were able to explore the country and while staying in San Antonio in 2015 when they had been together for just six months, Kye proposed.

Chanelle said: At the time it happened, we hadnt been together for very long but we didnt know if he was going to survive. We instantly clicked and it was obvious it was going to work out.

Kye said: I knew I was going to do it. Wed known each other for years.

Five years later and they are still going strong - Chanelle even got to be the one to tell Kye he was cancer-free.

She said: He was in America and Id had to stay at home because I couldnt get the time off work.

"Theyd done a scan and the doctor had emailed me and told me he was completely clear. I was in Morrisons and was crying. I was trying to call him but he didnt have any signal.

I got through to him and just said, your cancer has completely gone'. Then he went to the car and told his mum.

Despite the relief at being given the all clear, Kye has faced difficulty during his recovery and still suffers side effects from all of his treatments.

Not long after he was told he was in remission, he started to suffer with a condition called Graft Versus Host Disease (GvHD).

The disease is classed as a medical complication of receiving of transplanted tissue from a different person such as Kyes stem cell treatment.

The white blood cells left in the donated tissue only recognise the receiver as foreign and begin to attack the receivers cells.

This has left Key with patches of dry skin on his body. His skin is thinner and he has vitiligo, which changes the pigment and colour.

Kye said: It started with a bit of itchy skin and I had a dry patch that wouldnt go away and we went for blood tests and they kept coming back really abnormal, my liver levels were through the roof.

Chanelle said: That was quite worrying as its quite dangerous and they were trying all sorts of things.

He now goes to Rotherham every week for treatment for the GvHD, and is on daily chemotherapy tablets.

He says he has tried a lot of different treatments but at the moment, this combination is working - although doctors are looking at other methods.

The GvHD in itself keeps the cancer at bay so doctors want to try and find a healthy balance.

Chanelle said: Hes hooked up to a machine that removes a certain volume of blood cells, which they separate. They give him his red blood cells back and treat the white blood cells with a UV light before putting them back in his body."

As well as GvHD Kye suffers with fatigue, breathlessness, bad sinuses and says he is now going deaf.

He has tried to get back to his fitness level before the cancer, even trying out BMXing, but he tires easily and becomes weak.

Despite all of the stress and heartache throughout this year, the pair are now looking forward to the future.

Kye said: Chanelle wants to finish her degree and get a job and a nice house. Were quite different to a lot of people who get engaged and start planning a wedding straight away. Weve got all the time in the world.

Ill have to be five years in remission before no more check ups, but the scares are always there.

They always will be, Chanelle added.

Kye and Chanelle say a few years down the line, they are still hugely grateful to the people of Hull for helping them to save his life.

Chanelle said: We would like to say thank you to everyone who contributed any money, or shared the story, or got involved in any of the fundraisers.

"They are what made this possible and have given Kye this second chance at life and they are why he is still here.

He was on palliative care and was going to die he probably wouldnt have made it to Christmas.

Kye said: It feels like such a long time ago. Im definitely looking forward to 2020."

Sophie Corcoran is a reporter for Hull Live and the Hull Daily Mail. Her interests include positive news, news about homelessness, court news and breaking news.

You can follow all the latest stories on her Facebook page here , her Twitter page here or on the Hull Live website here.

You can also call her on 01482 315174 or email sophie.corcoran@reachplc.com

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Chemotherapy and constant pills but DWP tells Hull man Kye Eastwood 'you're fit for work' - Hull Daily Mail

Innovative cell therapy research boosted by state funds – AroundtheO

By Uncategorized

An innovative new research project from UOs Robert Guldberg has captured the attention of Oregons economic development agency Business Oregon and the UOs Office of the Vice President for Research and Innovation.

Guldbergs $1.2 million project, which zeroes in on one of the central challenges of the fast-growing cell therapy industry, is the first to tap into the University Innovation Research Fund. The new state fund is designed to support research at Oregon universities that drives innovation and economic development.

The manufacturing sector around cell therapy repair or replacement of tissues such as bone, cartilage, blood vessels and skin is a rapidly growing biomedical market. Guldbergs project, which is co-funded by the Department of Defense, could help make Oregon a player in a sector that is projected to be worth $8 billion to $10 billion within the next decade.

Cell therapy has potential applications for everything from treating cancers to repairing spinal cord injuries to improving weakened immune systems. But one of the limitations of current methods of manufacturing is the high cost and variability of using animal-based culture media, Guldberg says.

The standardized media that Guldberg and his collaborators are seeking to develop could help accelerate the development and manufacturing of regenerative medicine products.

The impact of this project will be to develop and validate chemically defined and animal-free culture media that cost-effectively meets cell manufacturing industry standards and needs, said Guldberg, vice president and Robert and Leona DeArmond Executive Director of the Phil and Penny Knight Campus for Accelerating Scientific Impact. This project could help enable greater availability of new cell therapies to more patients and for a broader range of clinical applications.

Department of Defense funding for the project comes through the Medical Technology Enterprise Consortium supported by the U.S. Army Medical Research and Material Command program and in partnership with RegenMed Development Organization.

Not only does this research promise to lead to novel therapeutic treatments for patients but it will also open new doors for engagement with industry partners and the Department of Defense for UO researchers but also for other state research universities and biotechnology enterprises, said David Conover, vice president for research and innovation.

Conover stressed the collaborative elements that gave rise to the University Innovation Research Fund, which represents a unique partnership between Oregon universities and Business Oregon. Working with the states business development agency, he and other senior research officers from Oregons public universities successfully advocated for a state fund that would help attract more federal funds to support economic development.

We made the case before the state Legislature and they came through with the funding, Conover said. Its a real triumph and proof that our public universities can work together to achieve benefits for the state of Oregon.

State Rep. Dan Rayfield, a Corvallis Democrat and co-chair of the Joint Committee on Ways and Means, said he was proud to support the passage of the fund.

We know that Oregons research universities are frequently competing for federal grants that could contribute to the states well-being, but often they require nonfederal funding as a match, Rayfield said. This fund is a way for the state to show our commitment to innovation and economic development, and Im excited about this first project and many more to come. Its going to have a big return on investment for Oregon.

Projects supported by the innovation fund not only must fuel innovation and commercialization of technology from Oregons public universities but must also align with priority industries, such as advanced manufacturing, high technology, outdoor gear and apparel, health care innovation, food and beverage, and forestry and wood products. Guldbergs project checked several of these boxes, said Chris Harder, director of Business Oregon.

The state of Oregon strongly supports innovation at our states universities and we see great potential in Dr. Guldbergs groundbreaking research in the rapidly growing field of cell therapy manufacturing, Harder said. This award and the collaborative project behind it shows the potential we have to grow biotechnology industries in Oregon.

An internationally renowned researcher and entrepreneur in the regenerative medicine field, Guldberg is well-positioned to lead the states efforts to expand its cell manufacturing sector. He has co-founded five companies and is the past president of the Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine International Society Americas Chapter.

Before arriving at the UO from Georgia Tech to lead the Knight Campus, Guldberg helped lead a successful application to the National Science Foundation to establish a Center for Cell Manufacturing Technologies and participated in the development of a national roadmap for cell manufacturing in partnership with federal agencies, several universities and numerous biotech companies, including several companies with a presence in Oregon.

The project has already amassed a long list of industry collaborators and is expected to attract more interest moving forward as new partnerships are established through the Medical Technology Enterprise Consortium.

Through participating in these consortia, Oregon has the opportunity to tap into investment from these industry partners as well as create new technologies with the potential to lead to new start-up companies, Guldberg said.

Another benefit of participation, Guldberg says, is the training of Oregon students in a rapidly growing field and therefore job creation. Cost share on the project will fund three undergraduate scholars to help fulfill the scope of work but also provide them with experiential training and mentorship from senior staff scientists.

Kate Petcosky-Kulkarni, UOs director of strategic research initiatives, is hopeful other researchers will follow Guldbergs lead and apply for matching funding through the University Innovation Research Fund.

The program creates a new research opportunity that wasnt there a year ago, Petcosky-Kulkarni said. It effectively ups the ante and allows faculty to apply for funds that they might not otherwise pursue due to high match requirements.

UO researchers interested in applying for matching funds through the University Innovation Research Fund can find more information online. Potential applicants are required to contact Research Development Services at rds@uoregon.edu to discuss the project before preparing the application materials to confirm alignment with project goals.

By Lewis Taylor, University Communications

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Innovative cell therapy research boosted by state funds - AroundtheO

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