Stem Cell Clinic

Growth in Cell and Gene Therapy Market – BioPharm International

Biopharma focuses on streamlining biomanufacturing and supply chain issues to drive uptake of cell and gene therapies.

Cell and gene therapies (CGTs) offer significant advances in patient care by helping to treat or potentially cure a range of conditions that have been untouched by small molecule and biologic agents. Over the past two decades, more than 20 CGTs have been approved by FDA in the United States and many of these one-time treatments cost between US$375,00 and US$2 million a shot (1). Given the high financial outlay and patient expectations of these life-saving therapies, it is essential that manufacturers provide integrated services across the whole of the supply chain to ensure efficient biomanufacturing processes and seamless logistics to reduce barriers to uptake.

The following looks at the who, what, when, and why of biomanufacturing and logistics in CGTs in the bio/pharmaceutical industry in more detail.

According to market research, the global gene therapy market will reach US$9.0 billion by 2027 due to favorable reimbursement policies and guidelines, product approvals and fast-track designations, growing demand for chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell-based gene therapies, and improvements in RNA, DNA, and oncolytic viral vectors (1).

In 2020, CGT manufacturers attracted approximately US$2.3 billion in investment funding (1). Key players in the CGT market include Amgen, Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, Dendreon, Gilead Sciences, Novartis, Organogenesis, Roche (Spark Therapeutics), Smith Nephew, and Vericel. In recent years, growth in the CGT market has fueled some high-profile mergers and acquisitions including bluebird bio/BioMarin, Celgene/Juno Therapeutics, Gilead Sciences/Kite, Novartis/AveXis and the CDMO CELLforCURE, Roche/Spark Therapeutics, and Smith & Nephew/Osiris Therapeutics.

Many bio/pharma companies are re-considering their commercialization strategies and have re-invested in R&D to standardize vector productions and purification, implement forward engineering techniques in cell therapies, and improve cryopreservation of cellular samples as well as exploring the development of off-the-shelf allogeneic cell solutions (2).

The successful development of CGTs has highlighted major bottlenecks in the manufacturing facilities, and at times, a shortage of raw materials (3). Pharma companies are now taking a close look at their internal capabilities and either investing in their own manufacturing facilities or outsourcing to contract development and manufacturing organizations (CDMOs) or contract manufacturing organizations (CMOs) to expand their manufacturing abilities (4). Recently, several CDMOsSamsung Biologics, Fujifilm Diosynth, Boehringer Ingelheim, and Lonzahave all expanded their biomanufacturing facilities to meet demand (5).

A major challenge for CGT manufacturers is the seamless delivery of advanced therapies. There is no room for error. If manufacturers cannot deliver the CGT therapy to the patient with ease, the efficacy of the product becomes obsolete. Many of these therapies are not off-the-shelf solutions and therefore require timely delivery and must be maintained at precise temperatures to remain viable. Thus, manufacturers must not only conform to regulations, but they must also put in place logistical processes and contingency plans to optimize tracking, packaging, cold storage, and transportation through the products journey. Time is of the essence, and several manufacturers have failed to meet patient demands, which have significant impacts on the applicability of these agents.

Several CAR T-cell therapies have now been approved; however, research indicates that a fifth of cancer patients who are eligible for CAR-T therapies pass away while waiting for a manufacturing slot (6). Initially, the manufacture of many of these autologous products took around a month, but certain agents can now be produced in fewer than two weeks (7). Companies are exploring new ways to reduce vein-to-vein time (collection and reinfusion) through the development of more advanced gene-transfer tools with CARs (such as transposon, CRISPR (Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats) among others, and the use of centralized organization with standardized apheresis centers (5). Others are exploring the use of the of allogeneic stem cells including Regen Biopharma, Escape Therapeutics, Lonza, Pluristem Therapeutics, and ViaCord (7).

Several gene therapies have also been approved, mainly in the treatment of rare disease (8). Many companies are evaluating novel gene therapy vectors to increase levels of gene expression/protein productions, reduce immunogenicity and improve durability including Astellas Gene Therapies, Bayer, ArrowHead Pharmaceuticals, Bayer, Bluebird Bio, Intellia Therapeutics, Kystal Biotech, MeiraGTx, Regenxbio, Roche, Rocket Pharmaceuticals, Sangamo Therapeutics, Vertex Pharmaceuticals, Verve Therapeutics, and Voyager Therapeutics (8).

While many biopharma companies have established their own in-house CGT good manufacturing practice (GMP) operation capabilities, others are looking to decentralize manufacturing and improve distribution by relying on external contracts with CDMOs and CMOs such as CELLforCURE, CCRM, Cell Therapies Pty Ltd (CTPL), Cellular Therapeutics Ltd (CTL), Eufets GmbH, Gravitas Biomanufacturing, Hitachi Chemical Advances Therapeutic Solutions, Lonza, MasTHerCell, MEDINET Co., Takara Bio, and XuXi PharmaTech (6, 9, 10).

The top 50 gene therapy start-up companies have attracted more than $11.6 billion in funds in recent years, with the top 10 companies generating US$5.3 billion in series A to D funding rounds (10). US-based Sana Biotechnology leads the field garnering US$700 million to develop scalable manufacturing for genetically engineered cells and its pipeline program, which include CAR-T cell-based therapies in oncology and CNS (Central Nervous System) disorders (11). In second place, Editas Medicine attracted $656.6 million to develop CRISPR nuclease gene editing technologies to develop gene therapies for rare disorders (12).

Overall, CGTs have attracted the pharma industrys attention as they provide an alternative route to target diseases that are poorly served by pharmaceutical and/or medical interventions, such as rare and orphan diseases. Private investors continue to pour money into this sector because a single shot has the potential to bring long-lasting clinical benefits to patients (13). In addition, regulators have approved several products and put in place fast track designation to speed up patient access to these life-saving medicines. Furthermore, healthcare providers have established reimbursement policies and manufacturers have negotiated value- and outcome-based contracts to reduce barriers to access to these premium priced products

On the downside, the manufacture of CGTs is labor intensive and expensive with manufacturing accounting for approximately 25% of operating expenses, plus there is still significant variation in the amount of product produced. On the medical side, many patients may not be suitable candidates for CGTs or not produce durable response due to pre-exposure to the viral vector, poor gene expression, and/or the development of immunogenicity due to pre-exposure to viral vectors. Those that can receive these therapies may suffer infusion site reactions, and unique adverse events such as cytokine release syndrome and neurological problems both of which can be fatal if not treated promptly (14).

Despite the considerable advances that have been made in the CGT field to date, there is still much work needed to enhance the durability of responses, increase biomanufacturing efficiencies and consistency and to implement a seamless supply chain that can ensure these agents are accessible, cost-effective, and a sustainable option to those in need.

Cleo Bern Hartley is a pharma consultant, former pharma analyst, and research scientist.

BioPharm International Vol. 35, No. 10 October 2022 Pages: 4951

When referring to this article, please cite it as C.B. Hartley, "Growth in Cell and Gene Therapy Market," BioPharm International 35 (10) 4951 (2022).

Continue reading here:
Growth in Cell and Gene Therapy Market - BioPharm International

Organ on a Chip Market – Focus on Products and Technologies – Distribution by Type of Product, Application Area, Purpose, and Key Geographical Regions…

ReportLinker

INTRODUCTION It is a well-known fact that almost 90% of the therapeutic interventions fail in clinical trials, resulting in significant economic losses to the pharmaceutical industry.

New York, Sept. 30, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Reportlinker.com announces the release of the report "Organ on a Chip Market - Focus on Products and Technologies - Distribution by Type of Product, Application Area, Purpose, and Key Geographical Regions : Industry Trends and Global Forecasts, 2022-2035" - https://www.reportlinker.com/p06323408/?utm_source=GNW The lack of effective preclinical prediction of drug responses in humans is one of the various reasons for drugs failure to get approved. Animal testing for preclinical evaluation of drugs sometimes fails to identify toxicity signs caused by a drug in humans. Moreover, these studies are quite expensive, time-consuming and are associated with several ethical concerns. In order to reform the drug approval process and use non-animal testing models for preclinical evaluations, the US democrats and republicans introduced the FDA Modernization Act in 2021. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has also declared the termination of the funds granted for the studies on mammals by 2035. As a result, several stakeholders have opted to modernize their conventional testing methods in order to cope up with the increasing limitations associated with animal models. One such innovative technology, organ-on-chip has the potential to transform the drug discovery process by simulating the human physiological and functional environment on a microfluidic system. The use of such novel testing models in drug discovery and toxicity testing has been steadily increasing. Up till now, several pharmaceutical manufacturers and research institutions have embraced the use of these in vivo like in vitro models; however, a remarkable rise in the adoption rate of these models has been observed since the FDA changed its laws towards putting an end on the animal testing models. , The novel organ-on-chip models have various advantages over the traditional animal-based models, including fine control over microenvironment, lower cost, lesser time, easy to use and portable. , Given the inherent benefits of organ-on-chip technology, a number of players have launched their proprietary products in order to expedite preclinical studies of novel drug interventions across a wide array of disease indications. There are several organ-on-chip models, including lung-on-chip, liver-on-chip, heart-on-chip, brain-on-chip and multiple organ models, which are being offered by various players. Apart from offering efficient user-friendly organ-on-chip models, some developers also offer customization of these models as per the client requests. It is worth mentioning that various developers have made significant efforts in developing organ-on-chip technologies, paving the way for new innovations, primarily integrating artificial intelligence driven technology for early detection of pharmaceuticals and toxicity risks, along with detection of unknown mutations. Driven by promising benefits over animal testing, increasing R&D activity and financial support from investors, the organ-on-chip market is anticipated to grow at a commendable pace in the mid to long term.

SCOPE OF THE REPORT The Organ-on-Chip Market, 2022-2035: Focus on Products and Technologies - Distribution by Type of Product (Organ(s) based Models and Disease(s) based Models), Application Area (Cancer Research, Drug Discovery and Toxicity Testing, Stem Cell Research and Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine), Purpose (Research and Therapeutic Production), and Key Geographical Regions (North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific and Rest of the World): Industry Trends and Global Forecasts report features an extensive study of the current market landscape, offering an informed opinion on the likely adoption of organ-on-chip products and technologies, over the next decade. The report features an in-depth analysis, highlighting the diverse capabilities of stakeholders engaged in this domain. In addition to other elements, the study includes: A general introduction of organ-on-chip, including history and development, classification, advantages and limitations and applications and future perspectives of organ-on-chip. A detailed assessment of the current market landscape of organ-on-chips based on a number of relevant parameters, such as type of offering(s) (chip, plate / system, and technology), type of model (organ(s) based and disease(s) based), status of development (commercialized, developed, and under development), type of technology / platform, number of chips in a plate, material used for construction of chip / plate (polymer, glass and silicon), type of polymer (polydimethylsiloxane, cyclic olefin polymer, cyclic olefin copolymer, elastomer, polycarbonate, polypropylene, polystyrene, polyester, tygon, and styrene TEP), compatible tissue / organ, and application area (cancer research, drug discovery and toxicity testing, stem cell research, and tissue engineering and regenerative medicine). In addition, the chapter provides details on the companies engaged in the development of organ-on-chip products and technologies, along with information on their year of establishment, company size and location of headquarters. Elaborate profiles of the key players developing organ-on-chips (which are presently commercialized), which are headquartered in North America, Europe and Asia-Pacific. Each profile features a brief overview of the company, its financial information (if available), organ-on-chip product portfolio, recent developments, and an informed future outlook. An in-depth analysis of various patents that have been filed / granted for organ-on-chip, till 2022, based on various relevant parameters, such as type of patent, publication year, application year, issuing authorities involved, type of organizations, emerging focus area, patent age, CPC symbols, leading patent assignees (in terms of number of patents granted / filed), patent characteristics and geography. It also includes an insightful patent valuation analysis. A detailed brand positioning analysis of the key industry players, highlighting the current perceptions regarding their proprietary products by taking into consideration several relevant aspects, such as experience of the manufacturer, number of products and technologies offered, product diversity, and number of patents published. A study of the various grants that have been awarded to research institutes engaged in projects related to organ-on-chip, between 2017 and 2022, based on parameters, such as year of award, support period, amount awarded, funding institute center, grant type, emerging focus area, type of recipient organization, key regions, and leading recipient organizations. An analysis of the partnerships that have been established since 2017, covering various types of partnerships, such as research and development agreements, clinical trial agreements, product development and commercialization agreements, technology integration agreements, and product development and manufacturing agreements of the companies focused on developing organ-on-chip products and technologies. An analysis of the investments made, including seed financing, venture capital financing, debt financing, grants, capital raised from IPOs and subsequent offerings, at various stages of development in start-ups / small companies (with less than 50 employees) and mid-sized companies (with 51-200 employees) that are focused on developing organ-on-chip products and technologies. A case study on scaffold-free 3D cell culture products, including hanging drop plate, 3D petri dish, and ultra-low attachment plate, featuring a list of more than 60 products that are being used for research and pharmaceutical testing, based on a number of relevant parameters, such as status of development (commercialized and developed, not commercialized), type of system (suspension system, attachment resistant and microfluidic system), type of product (ultra-low attachment plate, plate, hanging drop plate, chips and dish) and material used for fabrication (chemical / polymer based, human based and plant based).

One of the key objectives of the report was to understand the primary growth drivers and estimate the future size of organ-on-chip market. Based on multiple parameters, such as overall 3D cell culture market, and share of organ-on-chip, we have provided informed estimates of the evolution of the market for the period 2022-2035. Our year-wise projections of the current and future opportunity have further been segmented on the basis of type of product (organ(s) based models and disease(s) based models), application area (cancer research, drug discovery and toxicity testing, stem cell research and tissue engineering and regenerative medicine), purpose (research and therapeutic production), key geographical regions (North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific and Rest of the World). In order to account for future uncertainties and to add robustness to our model, we have provided three forecast scenarios, namely conservative, base and optimistic scenarios, representing different tracks of the industrys growth.

The opinions and insights presented in this study were also influenced by discussions conducted with multiple stakeholders in this domain. The report features detailed transcripts of discussions held with the following individuals (in alphabetical order of company / organization names): Pierre Gaudriault, (Chief Business Development Officer, Cherry Biotech) Matt Dong-Heon Ha (Chief Executive Officer, EDmicBio) Michael Shuler (President, Hesperos) Jelena Vukasinovic (Chief Executive Officer, Lena Biosciences) Maurizio Aiello (Chief Executive Officer, react4life) Michele Zagnoni (Chief Executive Officer, ScreenIn3D)

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY The data presented in this report has been gathered via secondary and primary research. For all our projects, we conduct interviews with experts in the area (academia, industry, medical practice and other associations) to solicit their opinions on emerging trends in the market. This information is primarily useful for us to draw out our own opinion on how the market will evolve across different regions and technology segments. Wherever possible, the available data has been checked for accuracy from multiple sources of information.

The secondary sources of information include: Annual reports Investor presentations SEC filings Industry databases Press releases from company websites Government policy documents Industry analysts views

All actual figures have been sourced and analyzed from publicly available information forums and primary research discussions. Financial figures mentioned in this report are in USD, unless otherwise specified.

KEY QUESTIONS ANSWERED Who are the leading players engaged in the development of organ-on-chip products and technologies? What are the different application areas where organ-on-chip can be used? Primarily in which geographical regions, are the organ-on-chip developers located? How has the intellectual property landscape of organ-on-chip, evolved over the years? Which partnership models are commonly adopted by stakeholders in the organ-on-chip domain? What are the investment trends and who are the key investors actively engaged in the research and development of organ-on-chip systems? How is the current and future opportunity likely to be distributed across key market segments?

CHAPTER OUTLINES

Chapter 2 is an executive summary of the key insights captured in our research. It offers a high-level view on the current state of the organ-on-chip market and its likely evolution in the short to mid-term and long term.

Chapter 3 provides a general introduction to organ-on-chip, covering details on the background of organ-on-chips along with their classification. In addition, it also provides information on various advantages and limitations of such products. It also discusses the various application areas and future perspectives of organ-on-chips market.

Chapter 4 provides a detailed analysis of the current market landscape of organ-on-chips based on a number of relevant parameters, such as type of offering(s) (chip, plate / system, and technology), type of model (organ(s) based and disease(s) based), status of development (commercialized, developed, and under development), type of technology / platform, number of chips in a plate, material used for construction (polymer, glass and silicon), type of polymer (polydimethylsiloxane, cyclo olefin polymer, cyclic olefin copolymer, elastomer, polycarbonate, polypropylene, polysterene, polyester, tygon, and styrene TEP), compatible tissue / organ, and application area (cancer research, drug discovery and toxicity testing, stem cell research, and tissue engineering and regenerative medicine). In addition, the chapter provides details on the companies engaged in the development of organ-on-chip products and technologies, along with information on their year of establishment, company size and location of headquarters.

Chapter 5 features elaborate profiles of the key players engaged in development of organ-on-chip (which are presently commercialized), which are headquartered in North America, Europe and Asia-Pacific. Each profile features a brief overview of the company, its financial information (if available), organ-on-chip product portfolio, recent developments, and an informed future outlook.

Chapter 6 features in-depth analysis of various patents that have been filed / granted for organ-on-chip, till July 2022, highlighting key trends associated with these patents, across type of patents, publication year, application year, issuing authorities involved, type of organizations, emerging focus area, patent age, CPC symbols, leading patent assignees (in terms of number of patents granted / filed), patent characteristics and geography. It also includes an insightful patent valuation analysis.

Chapter 7 features brand positioning analysis of the key industry players, highlighting the current perceptions regarding their proprietary products by taking into consideration several relevant aspects, such as experience of the manufacturer, number of products and technologies offered, product diversity, and number of patents published.

Chapter 8 features study of the various grants that have been awarded to research institutes engaged in projects related to organ-on-chip, between 2017 and 2022, highlighting various important parameters, such as year of grant award, amount awarded, funding institute, support period, type of grant application, purpose of grant, activity code, emerging focus area, study section involved, type of recipient organization, key project leaders, key regions, and leading recipient organizations.

Chapter 9 features analysis of the partnerships that have been established since 2017, covering various parameters such as, research and development, clinical trial agreement, product development and commercialization agreement, technology integration agreement, and product development and manufacturing agreement of the companies focused on developing organ-on-chip products and technologies.

Chapter 10 features analysis of the investments made, including seed financing, venture capital financing, debt financing, grants, capital raised from IPOs and subsequent offerings, at various stages of development in start-ups / small-sized companies (with less than 50 employees) that are focused on developing organ-on-chip products and technologies.

Chapter 11 is a case study featuring scaffold-free 3D cell culture products, including hanging drop plate, 3D petri dish, and ultra-low attachment plate, featuring a list of more than 60 products that are being used for research and pharmaceutical testing, based on a number of relevant parameters, such as status of development (commercialized and developed, not commercialized), type of system (suspension system, attachment resistant and microfluidic system), type of product (ultra-low attachment plate, plate, hanging drop plate, chips and dish) and material used for fabrication (chemical / polymer based, human based and plant based).

Chapter 12 features an insightful market forecast analysis, highlighting the future potential of the market till 2035. The current and future opportunity has further been segmented on the basis of type of product (organ(s) based models and disease(s) based models), application area (cancer research, drug discovery and toxicity testing, stem cell research and tissue engineering and regenerative medicine), purpose (research and therapeutic production), key geographical regions (North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific and Rest of the World). It is worth mentioning that we adopted a top-down approach for this analysis, backing our claims with relevant datapoints and credible inputs from primary research.

Chapter 13 is the summary of the overall report, which presents insights on the contemporary market trends and the likely evolution of the organ-on-chip market.

Chapter 14 is a collection of interview transcripts of discussions held with various key stakeholders in this market. The chapter provides a brief overview of the company and details of the interview held with Pierre Gaudriault (Chief Business Development Officer, Cherry Biotech), Matt Dong-Heon Ha (Chief Executive Officer, EdmicBio), Michael Shuler (President, Hesperos), Jelena Vukasinovic (Chief Executive Officer, Lena Biosciences), Maurizio Aiello (Chief Executive Officer, react4life) and Michele Zagnoni (Chief Executive Officer, ScreenIn3D).

Chapter 15 is an appendix, which provides tabulated data and numbers for all the figures provided in the report.

Chapter 16 is an appendix, which contains the list of companies and organizations mentioned in the report. Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p06323408/?utm_source=GNW

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.

__________________________

Story continues

Continue reading here:
Organ on a Chip Market - Focus on Products and Technologies - Distribution by Type of Product, Application Area, Purpose, and Key Geographical Regions...

Curis Announces Date for the 1st Symposium on IRAK4 in Cancer – PR Newswire

Symposium hosted by Guillermo Garcia-Manero, M.D.; Hagop Kantarjian, M.D.; Amit Verma, M.B.B.S.

Academics and industry professionals will gather virtually on October 7, 2022

LEXINGTON, Mass., Oct. 3, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Curis, Inc. (NASDAQ: CRIS), a biotechnology company focused on the development of innovative therapeutics for the treatment of cancer, today announced the 1st Symposium on IRAK4 in Cancer taking place virtually onOctober 7,9:00am-1:00pm ET.

Hosted by Drs. Guillermo Garcia-Manero, Hagop Kantarjian, and Amit Verma, this symposium will focus on IRAK4, an essential protein in innate immune response and promising target in the treatment of hematologic malignancies and other cancers. Experts across academia and industry will discuss IRAK4 biology, the present understanding of IRAK4 function, and the future of anti-cancer therapeutic development focused on this target.

"Following the success of the VISTA Symposium over the past two years, Curis is proud to be sponsoring the first symposium on IRAK4 in cancer," said James Dentzer, President, and Chief Executive Officer of Curis. "IRAK4 shows great promise as a potential immunotherapy target for the treatment of hematologic cancers, as well as solid tumors, and we look forward to advancing the conversation on how this promise is being translated into meaningful results for patients."

Symposium hosts:

Joining our hosts will be the following speakers and participants:

The virtual event will address topics including:

To learn more about the free to attend symposium and register, please visit https://bit.ly/IRAK4.

AboutCuris, Inc.Curis is a biotechnology company focused on the development of innovative therapeutics for the treatment of cancer. In 2015, Curis entered into a collaboration with Aurigene in the areas of immuno-oncology and precision oncology. As part of this collaboration, Curis has exclusive licenses to oral small molecule antagonists of immune checkpoints including the VISTA/PDL1 antagonist CA-170, and the TIM3/PDL1 antagonist CA-327, as well as the IRAK4 kinase inhibitor, emavusertib (CA-4948). Emavusertib is currently undergoing testing in the Phase 1/2 TakeAim Lymphoma trial, in patients with hematologic malignancies, such as non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and other B cell malignancies, both as a monotherapy and in combination with BTK inhibitor ibrutinib, and the Phase 1/2 TakeAim Leukemia trial in patients with AML and MDS, for which it has received Orphan Drug Designation from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The FDA has placed a partial clinical hold on the TakeAim Leukemia trial during which no new patients will be enrolled in the combination phase (Phase 1b) of emavusertib with azacitidine or venetoclax and expansion phase (Phase 2a), and current study participants benefiting from treatment may continue to be treated with emavusertib at doses of 300mg BID or lower. In addition, Curis is engaged in a collaboration with ImmuNext for development of CI-8993, a monoclonal anti-VISTA antibody, which is currently undergoing testing in a Phase 1 trial in patients with solid tumors. Curis is also party to a collaboration with Genentech, a member of the Roche Group, under which Genentech and Roche are commercializing Erivedge for the treatment of advanced basal cell carcinoma. For more information, visit Curis' website atwww.curis.com.

SOURCE Curis, Inc.

Read the rest here:
Curis Announces Date for the 1st Symposium on IRAK4 in Cancer - PR Newswire

A Clear Vision | The UCSB Current – The UCSB Current

Good vision is essential to everyday living, yet approximately 12 million Americans aged 40 and over live with vision impairment, including 1 million who are legally blind, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Although some affected individuals can be treated with surgery or medication, and recent advances in gene and stem cell therapies are showing promise, no effective treatments exist for many people who are blinded by severe degeneration of, or damage to, the retina, the optic nerve or the cortex. In such cases, an electronic visual prosthesis, or bionic eye, may be the only option.

Michael Beyeler, an assistant professor of computer science and psychological and brain sciences at UC Santa Barbara, aims to bring to the mainstream an AI-powered bionic eye that can generate artificial vision, in an effort to increase the quality of life for patients who are blind or visually impaired.

I envision a smart bionic eye that could find misplaced keys on a counter, read out medication labels, inform a user about peoples gestures and facial expressions during social interactions, and warn a user of nearby obstacles and outline safe paths, he said.

For his project, Towards a Smart Bionic Eye: AI-Powered Artificial Vision for the Treatment of Incurable Blindness, Beyeler has been selected for a National Institutes of Health (NIH) Directors New Innovator Award. The five-year, $1.5 million grant was one of 103 awarded this week by the NIH to enable exceptionally creative early-career scientists to push the boundaries of biomedical science and pursue high-impact projects that aim to advance knowledge and enhance health.

I offer my sincerest congratulations to Professor Beyeler for having his innovative research recognized with the prestigious NIH Director's New Innovator Award, saidTresa Pollock,the interim dean of the College of Engineering and Alcoa Distinguished Professor of Materials. His novel approach of using recent advances in computer vision, AI and neuroscience has tremendous potential to uncover new knowledge and provide millions of people with useful vision through a smart bionic eye.

I am tremendously honored and excited to be given this award, said Beyeler, who has previously received the NIH Pathway to Independence Award. As part of the NIHs High-Risk, High-Reward Research program, this award will allow my group to explain the science behind bionic technologies that may one day restore useful vision to millions of people living with incurable blindness.

Bionic eyes, as we know them, transform light, captured by a head-mounted camera, into electrical pulses that are delivered through a microelectrode array implanted in the eye or the visual cortex, which is then interpreted by the brain as visual perceptions, or phosphenes. Although current devices generally offer an improved ability to differentiate light from dark backgrounds and see motion, the vision they provide is blurry, distorted and often hard to interpret.

A major challenge for scientists trying to develop visual prosthetics is thus to predict what implant recipients see when they use their devices. Instead of seeing focal spots of light, current retinal-implant users perceive highly distorted phosphenes that often fail to assemble into more complex objects of perception. Consequently, the vision generated by current prostheses has been widely described as fundamentally different from natural vision, and does not improve over time.

Beyeler takes a different approach. Rather than aiming to make bionic vision as natural as possible, he proposes to focus on how to create practical and useful artificial vision that would be based on artificial intelligence (AI)-based scene understanding and be tailored to specific real-world tasks that affect a blind persons quality of life, such as facial recognition, outdoor navigation and self-care.

His novel, multidisciplinary strategy for this project will investigate the neural code of vision, studying how to translate electrode stimulation into a code that the human brain can understand.

We want to address fundamental questions at the intersection of neuroscience, computer science, and human-computer interaction to enable the development of a Smart Bionic Eye, a visual neuroprosthesis that functions as an AI-powered visual aid for the blind, said Beyeler.

To enable a technology that provides cues to the visually impaired, much as a computer vision system talks to a self-driving car, Beyeler must first understand how visual prostheses interact with the human visual system to shape perception. He said that a common misconception in the field is that each electrode in a devices microelectrode array can be thought of as a pixel in an image, or a minute area of illumination on a display screen, and that to generate a complex visual experience, one simply needs to turn on the right combination of pixels. His research shows, however, that the visual experience provided by current prostheses is highly distorted and unrelated to the number of electrodes.

Current devices do not have sufficient image resolution to convey a complex natural scene. Hence, there is a need for scene simplification, Beyeler said.

One way to simplify the visual scene and create useful artificial vision, according to Beyeler, is through deep-learning-based computer vision, which can be used to highlight nearby obstacles or remove background clutter. Computer vision is a field of AI that enables computers and systems to derive important information from digital images, videos and other visual inputs and take actions or make recommendations based on that information. Computer vision relies on cameras, data, and algorithms, rather than retinas, optic nerves and a visual cortex.

He said that his project will be patient-centric, involving people at all stages of the design process to test out his groups theoretical predictions. The patients will be provided by his collaborators at four universities across the country and in Spain. Beyelers team will design experiments that probe an implants potential to support functional vision for real-world tasks involving object recognition, scene understanding and mobility. This method strays from the typical vision tests performed in clinics that measure acuity, contrast sensitivity and orientation discrimination.

Due to the unique requirements of working with bionic-eye recipients, such as constant assistance, setup time and travel, experimentation remains time-consuming and expensive. Beyeler proposes an interim solution.

A more cost-effective and increasingly popular alternative might be to rely on an immersive virtual reality (VR) prototype based on simulated prosthetic vision (SPV), Beyeler explained.

The classical SPV method relies on sighted subjects wearing a VR head-mounted display (HMD). The subjects are then deprived of natural viewing and allowed to perceive only phosphenes displayed in the HMD. This approach enables sighted participants to see through the eyes of the bionic-eye user as they explore a virtual environment. The visual scene can then be manipulated by researchers according to any desired image-processing or visual-enhancement strategy.

The challenge in the field is less about dreaming up new augmentation strategies and more about finding effective visual representations to support practical, everyday tasks, said Beyeler. This is why, in my project, we utilize a prototyping system that allows us to explore different strategies and find out what works before implanting devices in patients.

In the future, he said, the Smart Bionic Eye could be combined with GPS to give directions, warn users of impending dangers in their immediate surroundings, or even extend the range of visible light with the use of an infrared sensor, providing what he describes as bionic night-time vision. But before any of that can happen, Beyeler said, the fundamental scientific questions must be addressed.

Success of this project would translate to a new potential treatment option for incurable blindness, which affects nearly 40 million people worldwide, said Beyeler, who plans to make all of his groups software, tools and deidentified data available to the scientific community. Overall, this will be a fantastic opportunity for my lab to contribute substantially in the field of sight restoration and make a difference in the world.

See original here:
A Clear Vision | The UCSB Current - The UCSB Current

Global Cell Separation Technology Market Remarkable Growth Factors, New Innovations and Forecast Till 2028- Zi – openPR

Global Point Of Care Diagnostics Market

Major parameters covered under these company profiles include revenues, gross profits, operating income, COGS, EBITDA, sales volume, product offerings, company landscape analysis, key strategic moves, key recent developments, and technological roadmap. We provides a complete understanding of general market scenarios and future market situations to prepare for rising above the challenges and ensuring strong growth, the complete analysis of Cell Separation Technology Market Size, Data and development forecast from 2022-2028.

Also, representing the Cell Separation Technology Market Factor Analysis- Porter's Five Forces, Supply/Value Chain, PESTEL analysis, CAGR value, product offerings, company landscape analysis, Market Entropy, CAPEX cycle, COGS Analysis, EBITDA analysis, Patent/Trademark Analysis, and Post COVID Impact Analysis. Key Leading Players having extreme Growth Rate in last Few decades included Carl Zeiss AG, Lumenis Ltd, FEI Company, Hamamatsu Photonics K.K, Becton, Dickinson and Company, Perkinelmer, Andor Technology Ltd, Affymetrix Inc, Olympus Corporation of the Americas.

Download FREE Sample Report here:- https://www.zionmarketresearch.com/sample/cell-separation-technologies-market

(We Provide Free Sample copy as per your Research Requirement, also including COVID 19 impact analysis)

Don't miss out on the Analysis of business opportunities in the Cell Separation Technology Market. Speak to our analysts and gain vital industry insights that will help you for your business growth.

The Major Manufactures covered in this Report:- Carl Zeiss AG, Lumenis Ltd, FEI Company, Hamamatsu Photonics K.K, Becton, Dickinson and Company, Perkinelmer, Andor Technology Ltd, Affymetrix Inc, Olympus Corporation of the Americas.

Global Cell Separation Technology Market Product and Application Are:-

Product: Immunomagnetic Cell Separation, Fluorescence-Activated Cell Sorting, Density Gradient Centrifugation, Microfluidic Cell Separation, And Others

Application: Stem Cell Research, Immunology, Neuroscience, Cancer Research, And Others

Our analysts covers all key parameters required for COVID-19 effect on business industry, economic implications their trends, factors, consumer behavior on shopping, effect on spending lot of money on advertising and also on useful industries like medical, transportation, food and Beverage. The globally rising of Bio crisis 'COVID-19' has many businesses are struggling and confused on what steps to take to minimize or maximize the economic impact.

The Global Cell Separation Technology Market Research Report Forecast 2022-2028 is a valuable source of insightful data for business strategists. It provides the Cell Separation Technology industry overview with growth analysis, historical & futuristic cost, revenue, demand and supply data. The research analysts provide an elaborate description of the value chain and its distributor analysis. This Cell Separation Technology market study provides comprehensive data which enhances the understanding scope and application of this report.

Geographically, Global Cell Separation Technology Market covers:- United States, Europe, China, Japan, India and Southeast Asia and rest of the world

(Our Analyst can add Regional analysis as per your Research need also)

Buy This Report: https://www.zionmarketresearch.com/buynow/su/cell-separation-technologies-market

Timeline for Analysis:-

History Year: 2016- 2020 Base Year: 2021 Forecast Year: 2022 to 2028

Key Stakeholders

Cell Separation Technology Manufacturers Cell Separation Technology Distributors/Traders/Wholesalers Cell Separation Technology Subcomponent Manufacturers Industry Association Downstream Vendors

Key questions answered in this report

What are the key market trends? What is driving this market? What are the challenges to market growth? Who are the key vendors in this market space? What are the market opportunities and threats faced by the key vendors? What are the strengths and weaknesses of the key vendors?

The study objectives of this report are:-

To analyze the opportunities in the market for stakeholders by identifying the high growth segments. To strategically analyze each submarket with respect to individual growth trend and their contribution to the market To analyze competitive developments such as expansions, agreements, new product launches, and acquisitions in the market. To analyze and study the Cell Separation Technology capacity, production, value, consumption and forecast (2022-2028) Focuses on the global key manufacturers to describe and analyze the market competition landscape with SWOT analysis. To define, describe and forecast the market by type, application and region. To analyze the global key regions market potential and advantages, opportunities, challenges, restraints and risks. To identify significant trends and factors driving or inhibiting the market growth. To strategically profile the key players and comprehensively analyze their growth strategies.

View Customized Full Report Related News with TOC @ https://bit.ly/3fzdZgB

If you have any special requirements, please let us know and we will offer you the report as you want.

Read Our Other Reports:

Global Point Of Care Diagnostics Market Key Drivers, Size & Share 2022-2028 Report by Zion Market Research: https://www.openpr.com/news/2757927/global-point-of-care-diagnostics-market-key-drivers-size-share

Global Personal Care Appliances Market: https://www.einnews.com/pr_news/593358124/global-personal-care-appliances-market-growth-increasing-more-than-usd-29-25-billion-by-2028-says-zion-market-research

Global Space Situational Awareness (SSA) Market: https://www.einnews.com/pr_news/593198972/at-cagr-4-6-global-space-situational-awareness-ssa-market-expected-to-reach-approximately-usd-1-495-million-by-2027

Reach Out us at the following address:

Zion Market Research 244 Fifth Avenue, Suite N202 New York, 10001, United States Tel: +1 (844) 845-5245 Email: sales@zionmarketresearch.com

Our Expertise

In Zion Market Research, we have built our team with industry analysts, domain experts, and consultants, who leverage their global experience that help us deliver excellence in all projects we undertake. Zion Market Research publishes over 100+ market research reports that provide data covering following aspects:

Market Research Market Sizing and Forecasts Industry Entry Strategies Niche Market Trends Novel Sustainability Trends Innovation Trends Customer Cognizance Distribution Channel Assessment Primary Interviews Consumer Surveys Secondary Research

This release was published on openPR.

Continue reading here:
Global Cell Separation Technology Market Remarkable Growth Factors, New Innovations and Forecast Till 2028- Zi - openPR

Nancy and Geoffrey Stack Family Foundation give $2 million to UCI Health – UCI News

Oct. 3, 2022, Irvine, Calif. UCI Health is pleased to announce a $2 million gift that will benefit the emergency department in the new $1.3 billion UCI Health Irvine medical campus being built on the corner of Jamboree Road and Birch Street in Irvine.

The gift, funded by the Nancy and Geoffrey Stack Family Foundation, will name the patient welcome areas in the emergency department of the planned acute care hospital and at the Chao Family Comprehensive Cancer Care and Ambulatory Care building.

UCI Health is grateful for the friendship and generosity of Nancy and Geoffrey Stack, said UCI Health CEO Chad Lefteris. With their support, we continue to improve access to the clinical innovation, lifesaving research, and world class care of Orange Countys only academic health system.

In November, UCI and the universitys health enterprise, UCI Health, officially broke ground on the medical complex, which will include a 144-bed general acute care hospital with an emergency department, the Chao Family Comprehensive Cancer Center and Ambulatory Care center and the Joe C. Wen & Family Center for Advanced Care.

The UCI Health Irvine complex will support the systems growing primary and specialty care network in coastal and south Orange County, Lefteris said.

UCI Health is a beacon of hope in Orange County, said Nancy Stack. The new medical complex will bring hope and healing to our region and will save lives. Jeff and I are honored to support such a worthwhile cause.

The Stacks are longtime supporters of UCI Health. The couple has made previous philanthropic gifts to support UCI Medical Center in Orange. They have continued their legacy of giving by investing in healthcare through the UCI Health Irvine medical campus.

The new UCI Health Irvine medical campus will complement the UCI Medical Center in Orange and will be a key part to providing the region with the advanced care available only from a health system that is part of a leading, premier academic research institution. The hospital will include a 24-hour emergency department and focus on leading clinical programs including oncology, neurology, neurosurgery, orthopedics, and digestive health. The first patients are expected in 2023 at the Joe. C. Wen & Family Center for Advanced Care. The Chao Family Comprehensive Cancer Care and Ambulatory Care building, and the hospital will begin serving patients in 2023 and 2025, respectively.

Nancy and Geoffrey Stack Family Foundation was created by the longtime Orange County residents to support education, health and other vital community-based programs in Orange County and beyond. Geoffrey Stack is one of the founding partners of the Sares-Regis Group, a commercial and residential real estate development and management firm. Nancy Stack is founder and president of the Cystinosis Research Foundation, which supports medical research including stem cell research seeking a cure for the rare disease cystinosis.

If you want to learn more about supporting this or other activities at UCI, please visit the Brilliant Future website athttps://brilliantfuture.uci.edu. Publicly launched on Oct. 4, 2019, the Brilliant Future campaign aims to raise awareness and support for UCI. By engaging 75,000 alumni and garnering $2 billion in philanthropic investment, UCI seeks to reach new heights of excellence instudent success,health and wellness, research and more. UCI Health plays a vital role in the success of the campaign. Learn more by visiting https://brilliantfuture.uci.edu/uci-health/

About UCI Health:UCI Healthis the clinical enterprise of the University of California, Irvine. Patients can access UCI Health at primary and specialty care offices across Orange County and at its main campus,UCI Medical Center in Orange, Calif. The 459-bed acute-care hospital, listed among Americas Best Hospitals byU.S. News & World Reportfor 22 consecutive years, provides tertiary and quaternary care, ambulatory and specialty medical clinics, as well as behavioral health and rehabilitation services. UCI Medical Center is home to Orange Countys onlyNational Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center,high-risk perinatal/neonatal programandAmerican College of Surgeons-verified Level I adult and Level II pediatric trauma centerandregional burn center. It is the primary teaching hospital for theUCI School of Medicine. UCI Health serves a region of nearly 4 million people in Orange County, western Riverside County and southeast Los Angeles County. Follow us onFacebookandTwitter.

About the University of California, Irvine:Founded in 1965, UCI is the youngest member of the prestigious Association of American Universities and is ranked among the nations top 10 public universities byU.S. News & World Report. The campus has produced three Nobel laureates and is known for its academic achievement, premier research, innovation and anteater mascot. Led by Chancellor Howard Gillman, UCI has more than 36,000 students and offers 224 degree programs. Its located in one of the worlds safest and most economically vibrant communities and is Orange Countys second-largest employer, contributing $7 billion annually to the local economy and $8 billion statewide. For more on UCI, visitwww.uci.edu.

Excerpt from:
Nancy and Geoffrey Stack Family Foundation give $2 million to UCI Health - UCI News