Stem Cell Clinic

Health and Fitness: Hip replacement surgery: getting back to what you love – taosnews

By adminAugust 14, 2020Stem Cell Medical Center

More than 300,000 total hip replacement surgeries are performed annually in the United States.

Awhile back, I helped develop a hiking plan for a friend who had hip replacement surgery and wanted to return to hiking gradually as part of her physical therapy. It didn't occur to me that I would need the same type of plan one day.

I have had the opportunity to hike many of the beautiful trails near Taos over the last 30 years. I began to write about hiking for the Taos News in 2011 and wrote the "Taos Hiking Guide" in 2015.

Up until about two years ago, I was hiking 14 miles round trip to places like Las Trampas Lakes near the Truchas Peaks, sometimes backpacking with no problem and little pain. Then that winter, I started to experience a lot of discomfort in my right hip and leg; occasionally my leg would just collapse and refuse to work.

I had seen Dr. Keith Christian, DOM, of Taos Chiropractic Health Center over time whenever I had a little twinge of pain in my knee or hip and for awhile, he was able to straighten out my body and reduce the pain.

But there came a time when no amount of adjusting reduced the pain or improved function. We both realized that something new was going on and Christian suggested that there was some significant deterioration in my hips.

When I got an X-ray at Holy Cross Hospital last summer, it showed that I had worn out all the cartilage in my right hip and had only a bit remaining in my left hip. I made an appointment with Dr. Sean Marvil at Taos Orthopaedic Institute to talk about options for treatment.

It turns out there aren't many options: steroid shots can help with pain for a period of months and stem cell therapy is an emerging approach that has promise for the future, but the proposed solution from Marvil was hip replacement surgery, technically known as total hip arthroplasty, at least for my right hip.

The number of hip replacement surgeries in the U.S. is projected to grow over time. The average age for hip replacement is 67 years old, according to the American Joint Replacement Registry. In addition to improving the quality of life for patients, one study in Sweden showed that hip replacement surgery also may add years to a person's life.

According to the two surgeons I consulted, the reason I needed the procedure is osteoarthritis: a condition that damages the cartilage covering the end of the bones where they come together in the hip socket. This condition arises from a combination of wear and tear and genetics.

Although hip surgery is generally classified as elective surgery, doctors may recommend it if the condition is causing a lot of pain and interfering with the ability to do basic tasks like getting dressed and walking.

Although I had two other friends who have had hip replacement surgery and I was beginning to wonder if my pain was the result of arthritis l, I was still surprised and a little angry at the diagnosis. I had somehow assumed that being active and fit would protect me from needing this kind of surgery. And I am younger than the average age for the surgery by a number of years.

After I had a chance to reflect on the situation a bit, I was relieved that at least there was something that could be done about the pain and dysfunction and that I could again be hiking longer distances. I made the decision to have the surgery and planned for it sometime in the spring of 2020.

Then life intervened. With the coming of the COVID-19 virus, elective surgeries were delayed. My mom who had been diagnosed with ovarian cancer at Christmas passed away in April and during that time all my priorities changed.

Finally in early June, I was able to see a surgeon in Colorado. Due to the requirements of my insurance plan, I had to have the procedure done in Colorado from a preapproved list of doctors in order to have it covered. This was a difficult decision, as I would have been happy to work with Marvil at Taos Orthopaedic Institute.

After reading reviews of all the approved physicians, I chose Dr. Joseph Assini at OrthoOne at Swedish Medical Center in Denver, due to his favorable reviews by past patients.

When asked about the benefits of hip replacement surgery, Assini said, "It is always great to see the amazing pain relief patients get after a total hip replacement. While the path for each patient is variable in terms of time and discomfort, patients will end up happy and generally back to most activities six to 12 weeks from surgery. Being able to help patients get back their quality of life is very rewarding."

Before the surgery in June, I had a variety of exams and tests, including a screening for the COVID virus. All the test results looked good.

Early on the morning of June 24, my sister Brenda Staab picked me up and we went across town to the Rocky Mountain Surgery Center. I had spoken to the anesthesiologist the night before, who advised I have no food for eight hours and no liquids four hours before.

When I arrived, I checked in and was taken back to the preoperative area where an IV was started and I was given some painkillers. Assini stopped by and marked the right hip where the incision would be.

The anesthesiologist discussed the options with me. The two primary options were general anesthetic or a spinal block with additional medication that made sure the patient was asleep for the operation. We agreed on the spinal block as it is less impactful to the body and less likely to cause nausea and other side effects. He explained that he would put some cold gel on my back before giving me the injection. The cold gel was the last thing I remember until waking up a short time later.

What was amazing to me was that the actual hip replacement took under an hour. After demonstrating I could walk with crutches and perform certain other bodily functions to ensure that the spinal block had worn off, I was able to go home later the same day as the procedure.

I came back home to Taos the Sunday after my surgery to settle into the recovery process.

Recovery and physical therapy

Right after the surgery, I had nausea and a fair amount of pain. I was surprised by the extent of the swelling and bruising I experienced, not only in my hip, but also all the way down my leg to my foot, although Assini and staff reassured me that what I was experiencing was in the normal range.

For the first two weeks after surgery, I had to wear compression stockings which were hot and uncomfortable, but reduced the risk of a blood clot, one of the major risks of surgery. I've been taking two aspirin per day as a blood thinner to prevent clots and will need to continue to do so for a total of six weeks.

The pain medication that was prescribed to me was oxycodone - a narcotic drug with many side effects. It carries with it the risk of addiction. For the first few days, I took it every four to six hours and found it made me lightheaded and added to my nausea. Since then, I have been taking only one per day to help me sleep at night and am ready to begin to end that use as well.

In order to get back into shape for hiking and gardening, I have had the pleasure of working with Amryn Ayres of Physical Therapy and Rehab, a program of Holy Cross Hospital. Ayres received her doctorate in physical therapy just over two years ago and has worked at Physical Therapy and Rehab since the beginning of April.

She said, "The goal for physical therapy is to get people back to what they love. Surgery in general has widespread effects on the body in regard to motion, strength and overall function. As physical therapists, we are trained to identify specific impairments and guide you back to feeling better and living your life."

I first saw Ayres five days after surgery. She assessed my mobility and put together a series of exercises for me to do at home. She's also looked at my incision and helped determine it was ready to have the stitches removed.

I have been going to physical therapy one to two times a week since returning home and can feel that my hip and leg are becoming stronger.

After hip replacement on the right side, the patient is not able to drive for several weeks. I found Michelle Chandler, who in addition to being a musician and executive director of the Taos Youth Music School, offers various services to individuals and couples, including ministerial counseling and practical support. Chandler took me to physical therapy and also grocery shopping. Without her assistance, I would not have been able to navigate the first few weeks after surgery.

Also, 10,000 Wags Pet Resort was helpful. They picked up my dog twice a week and took him to play group so he got some exercise when I couldn't walk him.

Although I am not done recovering, I can feel that I'm stronger every day and have been returning to some of my regular activities slowly. I was cleared to drive at about four weeks after surgery and am slowly returning to short hikes with my dog, while continuing my physical therapy appointments and exercises at home.

At five weeks after surgery, I have much better mobility in my hip and the remaining muscle pain from the surgery is gradually decreasing.

Not surprisingly, another thing I observed is having medical insurance is important. The total bill covered by insurance was more than $73,000, with my portion totaling around $3,000.

I may need to have my left hip replaced at some point. But for now, I am going to focus on healing and becoming stronger, so that by the time fall is here, I will be once again hiking high in the mountains around Taos watching the leaves turn to gold.

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Health and Fitness: Hip replacement surgery: getting back to what you love - taosnews

This revolutionary new coronavirus cure is already saving lives – BGR

By adminAugust 14, 2020Adult Stem Cells

The novel coronavirus is an incredibly scary illness given the complex way it operates. Its incredibly infectious and it can cause severe complications that can lead to death. It even kills younger patients and people who have no other underlying conditions. And some of the people who manage to recover after what could be a months-long battle with COVID-19 will have to deal with secondary health problems that could last a lifetime. Thats why you should avoid other people as much as possible, wash your hands often, and wear face masks until treatments and vaccines become available and even after that. The good news is that doctors and researchers have not run out of ideas in their quest to beat the novel virus. Plenty of promising therapies are in clinical trials right alongside vaccines, as the world will need therapeutics that can cure the infection as well as drugs that can prevent it. Not all of them are miracle drugs, and remdesivir and dexamethasone are the best examples of that. Theyre drugs that work and can save lives, but they wont save everyone. And weve often told you that we dont even need a single miracle drug. Instead, combinations of effective medicines could reduce complications and the risk of death. But it turns out there may be a drug that does qualify as a miracle COVID-19 cure, one that might save plenty of severe COVID-19 patients.

The promising therapy uses medicinal signaling cells or MSCs, which are found on blood vessels throughout the body, explained Kevin Kimberlin in a Wall Street Journal op-ed. These MSCs pack a powerful 1-2-3 punch, according to the piece. These cells eliminate the virus, calm the immune overreaction known as a cytokine storm, and repair damaged lung tissue, Kimberlin wrote.

Thats the kind of combination we havent seen from other drugs, and it could save lives of patients experiencing serious COVID-19 complications. In fact, its already saving lives right now. The report mentions two pilot studies, one from Mount Sinai Hosptial in March and one published in The Lancet in July. MSCs were used to treat 25 critically ill COVID-19 cases between the two studies. 10 people our of 12 survived in the March trial, and 11 people out of 13 lived in the July pilot.

While Kimberlin calls these drugs MSCs in his article, Mesoblast actually has a name for the drug: Remestemcel-L, which is based on mesenchymal lineage adult stem cells. The July study calls them adipose-tissue derived mesenchymal stromal cells (AT-MSC). In other words, were looking at stem cell therapy and weve already reported on the Mount Sinai pilot months ago. Doctors involved with that project said at the time that vaccines will be the miracle drug everyone is waiting for, not stem cell therapy.

Mount Sinai and Mesoblast won FDA clearance and National Institutes of Health funding for a randomized trial on 300 patients that started in May. Researchers found that MSCs can increase the number of T cells and reduce inflammation at the same time. Furthermore, chest X-rays showed that the drugs helped to repair lung tissue, sometimes as soon as 48 hours after therapies began.

MSCs were identified some 30 years ago by Prof. Arnold Caplan and colleagues at Case Western Reserve University, explains Kimberlin, who co-founded Osiris Therapeutics together with Caplan in 1993. These MSCs sound very promising, at least on paper:

When a MSC detects an infection or an injury to those vessels, it transforms into a factory to recruit and pump out immune-modulating and vessel-repair agents. These cells ameliorate crippling and deadly conditions when traditional chemical or biochemical drugs fail.

According to Kimberlin, MSCs therapy also worked in a Mesoblast study on graft-versus-host disease. Up to 80% of affected children can die if steroids dont stop the inflammation. But in an MSCs trial, 160 of 239 patients who did not respond to steroids survived after infusions with MSCs. Their cytokine storm disappeared. Injured tissues normalized, Kimberlin wrote.

Results from the May COVID-19 trial should be available before the end of September. Its unclear how much treatments like this would cost, however, or whether theyre scalable to meet demand. Still, if MSCs are found to be as effective as they were in the early trials, we may soon have the first drugs that can really crush COVID, as Kimberlin puts it.

Chris Smith started writing about gadgets as a hobby, and before he knew it he was sharing his views on tech stuff with readers around the world. Whenever he's not writing about gadgets he miserably fails to stay away from them, although he desperately tries. But that's not necessarily a bad thing.

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This revolutionary new coronavirus cure is already saving lives - BGR

Survivors of Pediatric Cancers May Experience Lasting Impact on Heart, Metabolic Health Following Radiation Therapy – Pharmacy Times

By adminAugust 14, 2020Adult Stem Cells

Survivors of Pediatric Cancers May Experience Lasting Impact on Heart, Metabolic Health Following Radiation Therapy

Previous reports had been made regarding the impact of radiation therapy on the metabolic health of survivors of pediatric leukemia, brain tumors, and hematopoietic stem cell transplants. However, the radiation therapys effect on survivors of pediatric abdominal and pelvic tumors had not yet been assessed.

"Body composition abnormalities and cardiometabolic impairments are of concern among survivors given that in the general population, these conditions increase the risk of developing life-threatening diseases including cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes," said Carmen Wilson, PhD, assistant member in the Epidemiology and Cancer Control Department at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, in a press release.

Specifically, the analyses showed that survivors of abdominal and pelvic solid tumors had low lean body mass, which is the measurement of the non-fat content of the body. The researchers found that survivors lean body mass was lower than the general population and that the lower relative lean body mass was connected with the prior abdominal or pelvic radiation. Those individuals with lower lean body mass burn fewer calories while resting than those with higher lean body mass, Wilson explained.

In conducting the study, the researchers assessed 431 adult survivors of pediatric abdominal or pelvic solid tumors who were treated at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. At the time of the study, the median age of the participants was 29.9 years.

Of the childhood diagnoses, the most frequent were neuroblastoma, Wilms tumor, and germ cell tumor, with a median age of 3.6 years at diagnosis. Approximately 37% of participants had received abdominal radiation therapy and 36% had received pelvic radiation therapy during their treatment.

In order to assess the participants' body composition, metabolic abnormalities, and physical function in relation to the general population, the researchers used data from the 2013 to 2014 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) that matched the age, sex, and ethnicity of the patients in the study.

The researchers found that compared with individuals from NHANES, the survivors of abdominal and pelvic solid tumors had a significantly higher likelihood of having insulin resistance (33.8% vs. 40.6%), high triglycerides (10.02% vs. 18.4%), and low levels of high-density lipoproteins (28.9% vs. 33.5%), which are commonly referred to as good cholesterol. However, the levels of low-density lipoproteins (bad cholesterol) between survivors and individuals from NHANES showed no significant differences.

"It is possible that abdominal and pelvic-directed radiation therapy damages postural muscles or subtly impairs sex hormone production, ultimately affecting muscle mass," Wilson said in the press release.

Radiation therapy has been previously shown to cause muscle injury, resulting in the loss of muscle fiber and muscle regenerative cells in animal studies, Wilson explained. She noted that lifestyle choices could potentially affect relative lean mass and cardiometabolic health as well.

The researchers said that it would be beneficial for future research on the topic to examine the effect of radiation therapy and other cancer treatments in relation to fat distribution in the body. This is of particular interest because increased abdominal obesity can be a stronger predictor of adverse effects than overall obesity, according to the study.

Additionally, Wilson noted that she is interested in investigating how lifestyle behaviors might influence lean mass among survivors of pediatric cancers.

"While it may not be possible to avoid radiation therapy as a key treatment for many solid tumors, early research suggests that resistance training interventions in survivors increase lean mass," Wilson said. "Further work is needed to see if training would also impact cardiometabolic impairments in this population."

REFERENCE Radiation to treat pediatric cancers may have lasting impact on heart and metabolic health. American Association for Cancer Research; August 13, 2020. eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2020-08/aafc-rtt081020.php. Accessed August 14, 2020.

TG Therapeutics Umbralisib Development, And Other News: The Good, Bad And Ugly Of Biopharma – Seeking Alpha

By adminAugust 14, 2020Adult Stem Cells

TG Therapeutics reports development for Umbralisib

TG Therapeutics Inc. (TGTX) reported that the FDA has accepted its New Drug Application for umbralisib. The drug candidate will be reviewed under the Priority Review pathway. It had been granted Breakthrough Therapy tag for treating marginal zone lymphoma condition. Its Prescription Drug User Fee Act (PDUFA) goal date has been set at February 15, 2021. For follicular lymphoma, the drug candidate will undergo standard review and the PDUFA goal date of June 15, 2021, has been set.

TG Therapeutics has used data from the umbralisib monotherapy MZL and FL cohorts of the UNITY-NHL Phase 2b trial for supporting its NDA. The trial was set to assess the potential of umbralisib in treating patients suffering from marginal zone lymphoma or follicular lymphoma. Michael S. Weiss of TG Therapeutics said:

If approved, we believe umbralisib could become an important treatment option for patients with previously treated MZL and FL. We look forward to presenting the data from the UNITY-NHL trial that supported this NDA submission by year end."

TG Therapeutics had earlier reported that each cohort of the trial had met its primary endpoint pertaining overall response rate. The company's target guidance was pegged at 40 to 50 percent ORR and its achievement was confirmed by an Independent Review Committee. The drug candidate was tagged as an orphan drug for both the indications of MZL and FL.

The UNITY-NHL trial is a global multicenter, open-label Phase 2b trial. Its MZL cohort aimed to assess the safety and efficacy of single-agent umbralisib in patients with MZL who have been administered at least one prior anti-CD20 regimen. All treated MZL patients met the primary endpoint of overall response rate.

The follicular Lymphoma cohort aimed to assess the safety and efficacy of single-agent umbralisib in patients with FL who were relapsed or refractory following at least two prior lines of therapy, including an anti-CD20 regimen and an alkylating agent. All treated FL patients also met the primary endpoint of ORR. The results were also in line with the company's pre-decided response target of 40 to 50 percent ORR.

On June 15, 2020, TG Therapeutics reported that it has completed the rolling submission of an NDA to the FDA. The company had requested the FDA for accelerated approval of the drug candidate for treating patients with previously treated MZL and FL. The company's request has now been accepted by the FDA.

TG Therapeutics is mainly invested in acquiring, developing, and commercializing treatments for various autoimmune diseases and B-cell malignancies. The company currently has two investigational compounds in late-stage clinical development phase. These two compounds are ublituximab and umbralisib and they target autoimmune ailments and hematological malignancies.

Ublituximab is a glycoengineered monoclonal antibody and works by targeting a particular epitope on the CD20 antigen found on mature B-lymphocytes. Umbralisib is an oral dual inhibitor and is designed to be taken once a day daily. TG Therapeutics has a robust development pipeline with two fully enrolled identical Phase 3 trials evaluating ublituximab monotherapy in patients with relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis.

Mesoblast Limited (MESO) announced that the Oncologic Drugs Advisory Committee of the FDA has voted in favor of Ryoncil in pediatric patients with steroid-refractory acute graft versus host disease. The ODAC is an independent panel of experts that assesses the efficacy and safety of data for the purpose of making appropriate recommendations to the FDA.

The news has come as a surprise to many industry experts as the company had been marred with several issues pertaining to the drug candidate. It has been noted that the review team had raised concerns regarding the data presented by the company with its application. The committee had raised concerns that the main pediatric study, MSB-GVHD001, allowed the use of other agents, which might have compromised the outcomes.

While the FDA takes committee recommendation into account while delivering the final verdict, it has no obligation to follow such recommendation. Dr. Fred Grossman of Mesoblast said:

We are very encouraged by today's outcome and are committed to working closely with the FDA as they complete their review of our submission regarding approval of RYONCIL for this life-threatening complication of an allogeneic bone marrow transplant."

The drug candidate has been given an action date of September 30, 2020, under the Prescription Drug User Fee Act.

Ryoncil is the lead drug candidate for Mesoblast. It is an investigational therapy comprising culture-expanded mesenchymal stem cells. These cells are taken from the bone marrow of an unrelated donor. The drug candidate is deemed to have immunomodulatory properties for counteracting the inflammatory processes. These processes may down regulate the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines and thus may expand the production of anti-inflammatory cytokines and allowing recruitment of naturally occurring anti-inflammatory cells to involved tissues.

Imara Inc. (IMRA) announced the dosing of the first patient for the company's Ardent Phase 2b clinical trial of IMR-687 for adult patients with sickle cell disease. The company had earlier reported the data from the second planned interim analysis of Phase 2a clinical trial of IMR-687. The company is looking to report top-line data from this Phase 2a clinical trial in the fourth quarter of 2020.

IMR-687 Phase 2b Clinical Trial is a global, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicenter study under the name of Ardent. The study will have nearly 99 adult patients suffering from sickle cell disease and will be randomized using hydroxyurea and the region. Doses will be based on weight to optimize tolerability and drug exposure.

The primary efficacy objective of the trial is to assess the proportion of all patients with fetal hemoglobin (HbF) response. The endpoint has been defined as an increase of 3% in HbF from baseline to week 24, compared to placebo. Rahul Ballal, CEO of Imara said:

Dosing of the first patient in the Ardent clinical trial represents a critical step forward as we advance IMR-687 into Phase 2b testing, a clinical trial that will test higher doses and longer durations of IMR-687."

During the trial, the patients will be kept on treatment through 52 weeks to gather data for planned secondary and additional exploratory endpoints. Some of these endpoints are indices of red cell hemolysis, quality of life measures, and HbF-associated biomarkers. Once the period of 52 weeks of treatment is over, patients will be entitled to be enrolled in an open-label extension study.

IMR-687 is a highly selective and potent small-molecule inhibitor of PDE9. People suffering from SCD and beta-thalassemia generally have lower levels of cGMP and may experience greater cell adhesion and reduced blood flow in addition to the decline in nitric oxide-mediated vasodilation.

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TG Therapeutics Umbralisib Development, And Other News: The Good, Bad And Ugly Of Biopharma - Seeking Alpha

AgeX Therapeutics Reports Second Quarter 2020 Financial Results and Provides Business Update – Business Wire

By adminAugust 14, 2020Embryonic Stem Cells

ALAMEDA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--AgeX Therapeutics, Inc. (AgeX; NYSE American: AGE), a biotechnology company developing therapeutics for human aging and regeneration, reported financial and operating results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2020.

AgeX made strides with respect to its newly established licensing and collaboration model, which aims to embed its technology platforms across the cell therapy industry. AgeX has entered into a research license for the use of its immunotolerance UniverCyteTM technology by Sernova Corp. (Sernova), a publicly-listed Canadian regenerative medicine therapeutics company. It also entered a Manufacturing, Marketing, and Distribution Agreement with Pluristyx, Inc. (Pluristyx), an advanced therapy tools and services company serving customers in the fields of regenerative medicine and cellular and gene therapies. In addition, AgeX signed a letter of intent with ImStem Biotechnology (ImStem), for ImStem to utilize AgeXs ESI-brand pluripotent stem cells to derive a cell therapy product for potential use in the treatment of COVID-19 and as well acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) from non-COVID-19 causes.

We are working diligently to position our subsidiary Reverse Bioengineering to optimize the potential of induced tissue regeneration (iTR) technology, said Michael West, CEO of AgeX. We believe this technology offers a powerful new modality to treat age-related degenerative diseases by reversing developmental aging in a tissue, thereby unlocking an innate capacity of tissues to regenerate scarlessly.

AgeX completed its restructuring to streamline its operations to allow efficient usage of capital in the current pandemic environment as well to meet near-term strategic company priorities of deriving value and generating preclinical and ultimately clinical data from our technology platforms through external licensing and collaboration agreements. In the longer-term, AgeX remains committed to in-house product development of AgeX-BAT1 and AgeX-VASC1. AgeX is considering options to bring capital into the company.

AgeX has made excellent progress in terms of its collaboration and licensing model, closing five deals since the beginning of the year so far, said Greg Bailey M.D., Chairman of AgeX. The deals have spanned all three of our technology platforms of UniverCyte for the generation of universal cells, PureStem for the derivation and manufacturing of therapeutic cells, and AgeX ESI pluripotent stem cells to act as a source material for cellular therapies. All these deals show the value industry and academia see in our offerings.

Q2 Highlights

Liquidity and Capital Resources

AgeX is in need of additional capital to finance its operations. On March 30, 2020, AgeX entered into a Secured Convertible Facility Agreement (the New Loan Agreement) with Juvenescence Limited pursuant to which AgeX may borrow funds from time to time. As of August 14, 2020, AgeX has borrowed $3.5 million and may draw additional funds from time to time subject to Juvenescences discretion, prior to the contractual repayment date on March 30, 2023. AgeX may not draw down more than $1.0 million in any single draw. More information about the New Loan Agreement can be found in AgeXs Annual Report on Form 10-K and Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q for the periods ended March 31, 2020 and June 30, 2020 filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 30, 2020, May 14, 2020, and August 14, 2020 respectively.

On April 13, 2020, AgeX obtained a loan in the amount of $432,952 from Axos Bank under the Paycheck Protection Program (the PPP Loan). The PPP Loan bears interest at a rate of 1% per annum. No payments will be due on the PPP Loan during a six month deferral period commencing on the date of the promissory note. Commencing one month after the expiration of the deferral period, and continuing on the same day of each month thereafter until the maturity date of the PPP Loan, monthly payments of principal and interest will be due, in an amount required to fully amortize the principal amount outstanding on the PPP Loan by the maturity date. The maturity date is April 13, 2022. The principal amount of the PPP Loan is subject to forgiveness under the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) to the extent that PPP Loan proceeds are used to pay expense permitted by the PPP, including payroll, rent, and utilities (collectively, Qualifying Expenses), during the time frame permitted by the PPP. AgeX believes that it has used the PPP Loan amount for Qualifying Expenses. However, no assurance is provided that AgeX will obtain forgiveness of the PPP Loan in whole or in part.

Staff Reductions

In May 2020, AgeX laid off 11 research and development personnel and consequently paid approximately $105,000 in accrued payroll and unused paid time off and other benefits and recognized approximately $194,800 in restructuring charges in connection with the reduction in staffing, consisting of contractual severance and other employee termination benefits, substantially all of which have been settled in cash. The staff reductions followed AgeXs strategic review of its operations, giving consideration to the status of its product development programs, human resources, capital needs and resources, and current conditions in the capital markets resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Going Concern Considerations

As required under Accounting Standards Update 2014-15, Presentation of Financial Statements-Going Concern (ASC 205-40), AgeX evaluates whether conditions and/or events raise substantial doubt about its ability to meet its future financial obligations as they become due within one year after the date its financial statements are issued. Based on AgeXs most recent projected cash flows, and considering that loans from Juvenescence under the New Loan Agreement will be subject to Juvenescences discretion, AgeX believes that its cash and cash equivalents, the remaining $5.5 million available under the New Loan Agreement and reduction in staff in May 2020 would not be sufficient to satisfy its anticipated operating and other funding requirements for the twelve months following the filing of AgeXs Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the three and six months ended June 30, 2020. These factors raise substantial doubt regarding the ability of AgeX to continue as a going concern.

Second Quarter 2020 Operating Results

Revenues: Total revenues for the second quarter of 2020 were $414,000 as compared with $380,000 for the second quarter of 2019. AgeX revenues are primarily generated from subscription and advertising revenues from the GeneCards online database through its subsidiary LifeMap Sciences, Inc. Revenues in 2020 also included approximately $36,000 of allowable expenses under its research grant from the NIH as compared with $47,000 in the same period in 2019.

Operating expenses: Operating expenses for the three months ended June 30, 2020 were $3.0 million as compared to $3.8 million for the same period in 2019. On an as-adjusted basis, operating expenses for the three months ended June 30, 2020 were $2.5 million as compared to $3.1 million for the same period in 2019.

The reconciliation between GAAP and non-GAAP operating expenses is provided in the financial tables included with this earnings release.

Research and development expenses decreased by $0.3 million to $1.4 million during the three months ended June 30, 2020 from $1.7 million during the same period in 2019. The decrease was primarily attributable to the layoff of 11 research and development personnel in May 2020 and decrease in shared services from Lineage Cell Therapeutics, Inc. (Lineage) with the termination of our Shared Facilities and Services Agreement on September 30, 2019.

General and administrative expenses decreased by $0.4 million to $1.7 million during the three months ended June 30, 2020 from $2.1 million during the same period in 2019 despite an increase in head count with the employment of AgeXs own finance team since October 1, 2019. These increases were offset by a decrease in travel and related expenses with the shelter in place mandates since March 15, 2020 resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, and the elimination of shared facilities and services fees from Lineage following the termination of the Shared Facilities and Services Agreement on September 30, 2019.

About AgeX Therapeutics

AgeX Therapeutics, Inc. (NYSE American: AGE) is focused on developing and commercializing innovative therapeutics for human aging. Its PureStem and UniverCyte manufacturing and immunotolerance technologies are designed to work together to generate highly defined, universal, allogeneic, off-the-shelf pluripotent stem cell-derived young cells of any type for application in a variety of diseases with a high unmet medical need. AgeX has two preclinical cell therapy programs: AGEX-VASC1 (vascular progenitor cells) for tissue ischemia and AGEX-BAT1 (brown fat cells) for Type II diabetes. AgeXs revolutionary longevity platform induced Tissue Regeneration (iTR) aims to unlock cellular immortality and regenerative capacity to reverse age-related changes within tissues. AGEX-iTR1547 is an iTR-based formulation in preclinical development. HyStem is AgeXs delivery technology to stably engraft PureStem cell therapies in the body. AgeXs core product pipeline is intended to extend human healthspan. AgeX is seeking opportunities to establish licensing and collaboration arrangements around its broad IP estate and proprietary technology platforms and therapy product candidates.

For more information, please visit http://www.agexinc.com or connect with the company on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, and YouTube.

Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements contained in this release are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Any statements that are not historical fact including, but not limited to statements that contain words such as will, believes, plans, anticipates, expects, estimates should also be considered forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties. Actual results may differ materially from the results anticipated in these forward-looking statements and as such should be evaluated together with the many uncertainties that affect the business of AgeX Therapeutics, Inc. and its subsidiaries, particularly those mentioned in the cautionary statements found in more detail in the Risk Factors section of AgeXs most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q filed with the Securities and Exchange Commissions (copies of which may be obtained at http://www.sec.gov). Subsequent events and developments may cause these forward-looking statements to change. In addition, with respect to AgeXs Manufacturing, Marketing and Distribution Agreement with Pluristyx there is no assurance that (i) Pluristyx will generate significant sales of AgeX ESI hESC lines, or (ii) AgeX will derive significant revenue from sales of ESI hESC lines by Pluristyx. AgeX specifically disclaims any obligation or intention to update or revise these forward-looking statements as a result of changed events or circumstances that occur after the date of this release, except as required by applicable law.

AGEX THERAPEUTICS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS

(IN THOUSANDS, EXCEPT PAR VALUE AMOUNTS)

June 30, 2020

December 31, 2019

(Unaudited)

ASSETS

CURRENT ASSETS

Cash and cash equivalents

1,033

2,352

Accounts and grants receivable, net

235

363

Prepaid expenses and other current assets

836

1,339

Total current assets

2,104

4,054

Scientists hope to bring Malaysian rhinoceros back from extinction with stem cell technology – Canada.com

By adminAugust 14, 2020Embryonic Stem Cells

The last Sumatran rhinoceros individual of Malaysia Iman, photographed at her sanctuary on the island of Borneo in October 2019. KAISA SIREN / LEHTIKUVA

Some skin, eggs and tissue samples are all that remain of Malaysias last rhino, Iman, who died last November after years of failed breeding attempts.

Now scientists are pinning their hopes on experimental stem cell technology to bring back the Malaysian variant of the Sumatran rhinoceros, making use of cells from Iman and two other dead rhinos.

Im very confident, molecular biologist Muhammad Lokman Md Isa told Reuters in his laboratory at the International Islamic University of Malaysia.

If everything is functioning, works well and everybody supports us, its not impossible.

The smallest among the worlds rhinos, the Sumatran species was declared extinct in the wild in Malaysia in 2015. Once it had roamed across Asia, but hunting and forest clearance reduced its numbers to just 80 in neighboring Indonesia.

Iman, 25, died in a nature reserve on Borneo island, following massive blood loss caused by uterine tumors, within six months of the death of Malaysias last male rhino, Tam.

Efforts to get the two to breed had not worked.

He was the equivalent of a 70-year-old man, so of course you dont expect the sperm to be all that good, said John Payne of the Borneo Rhino Alliance (BORA), who has campaigned for about four decades to save Malaysias rhinos.

It was obvious that, to increase the chances of success, one should get sperm and eggs from the rhinos in Indonesia. But right till today, Indonesia is still not keen on this.

ACROSS THE BORDER

Indonesias environment ministry disputed accusations of cross-border rivalry as a reason why Malaysias rhinos died out, saying talks continue on ways to work with conservationists in the neighboring southeast Asian nation.

Because this is part of diplomatic relations, the implementation must be in accordance with the regulation of each country, said Indra Exploitasia, the ministrys director for biodiversity conservation.

The Malaysian scientists plan to use cells from the dead rhinos to produce sperm and eggs that will yield test-tube babies to be implanted into a living animal or a closely related species, such as the horse.

The plan is similar to one for the African northern white rhinoceros, which number just two. Researchers in that effort reported some success in 2018 in producing embyronic stem cells for the southern white rhino.

But the process is still far from producing a whole new animal, say Thomas Hildebrandt and Cesare Galli, the scientists leading the research.

And even if it worked, the animals lack of genetic diversity could pose a threat to long-term survival, Galli told Reuters.

Indonesian scientist Arief Boediono is among those helping in Malaysia, hoping success will provide lessons to help his countrys rhinos.

It may take five, 10, 20 years, I dont know, Arief added. But there has already been some success involving lab rats in Japan, so that means there is a chance.

Japanese researchers have grown teeth and organs such as pancreas and kidneys using embryonic stem cells from rats and mice in efforts to grow replacement human organs.

For now, however, Imans hide will be stuffed and put on display alongside Tam in a Borneo museum.

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Cell Expansion Market Research Report by Product, by Cell Type, by Application, by End User – Global Forecast to 2025 – Cumulative Impact of COVID-19…

By adminAugust 13, 2020Stem Cell Medicine

August 13, 2020 05:36 ET | Source: ReportLinker

New York, Aug. 13, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Reportlinker.com announces the release of the report "Cell Expansion Market Research Report by Product, by Cell Type, by Application, by End User - Global Forecast to 2025 - Cumulative Impact of COVID-19" - https://www.reportlinker.com/p05913775/?utm_source=GNW

The Global Cell Expansion Market is expected to grow from USD 13,177.29 Million in 2019 to USD 28,822.19 Million by the end of 2025 at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 13.93%.

Market Segmentation & Coverage: This research report categorizes the Cell Expansion to forecast the revenues and analyze the trends in each of the following sub-markets:

Based on Product, the Cell Expansion Market studied across Consumables and Instruments. The Consumables further studied across Disposables, Media, Reagents, and Sera. The Instruments further studied across Automated Cell Expansion System, Bioreactors, and Cell Expansion Supporting Equipment.

Based on Cell Type, the Cell Expansion Market studied across Animal Cells and Human Cells. The Human Cells further studied across Differentiated Cells and Stem Cells.

Based on Application, the Cell Expansion Market studied across Cancer and Cell-Based Research and Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research.

Based on End User, the Cell Expansion Market studied across Biotechnology & Biopharmaceutical Companies, Cell Banks, and Research Institutes.

Based on Geography, the Cell Expansion Market studied across Americas, Asia-Pacific, and Europe, Middle East & Africa. The Americas region surveyed across Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Mexico, and United States. The Asia-Pacific region surveyed across Australia, China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Philippines, South Korea, and Thailand. The Europe, Middle East & Africa region surveyed across France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Spain, United Arab Emirates, and United Kingdom.

Company Usability Profiles: The report deeply explores the recent significant developments by the leading vendors and innovation profiles in the Global Cell Expansion Market including Beckman Coulter Inc., Becton, Dickinson and Company, Corning Incorporated, GE Healthcare, Lonza Group LTD., Merck KGaA, Miltenyi Biotec, Promocell GmbH, Sartorius AG, Stemcell Technologies, Inc., Takara Bio Inc., Terumo BCT, and Thermo Fisher Scientific, Inc..

FPNV Positioning Matrix: The FPNV Positioning Matrix evaluates and categorizes the vendors in the Cell Expansion Market on the basis of Business Strategy (Business Growth, Industry Coverage, Financial Viability, and Channel Support) and Product Satisfaction (Value for Money, Ease of Use, Product Features, and Customer Support) that aids businesses in better decision making and understanding the competitive landscape.

Competitive Strategic Window: The Competitive Strategic Window analyses the competitive landscape in terms of markets, applications, and geographies. The Competitive Strategic Window helps the vendor define an alignment or fit between their capabilities and opportunities for future growth prospects. During a forecast period, it defines the optimal or favorable fit for the vendors to adopt successive merger and acquisition strategies, geography expansion, research & development, and new product introduction strategies to execute further business expansion and growth.

Cumulative Impact of COVID-19: COVID-19 is an incomparable global public health emergency that has affected almost every industry, so for and, the long-term effects projected to impact the industry growth during the forecast period. Our ongoing research amplifies our research framework to ensure the inclusion of underlaying COVID-19 issues and potential paths forward. The report is delivering insights on COVID-19 considering the changes in consumer behavior and demand, purchasing patterns, re-routing of the supply chain, dynamics of current market forces, and the significant interventions of governments. The updated study provides insights, analysis, estimations, and forecast, considering the COVID-19 impact on the market.

The report provides insights on the following pointers: 1. Market Penetration: Provides comprehensive information on the market offered by the key players 2. Market Development: Provides in-depth information about lucrative emerging markets and analyzes the markets 3. Market Diversification: Provides detailed information about new product launches, untapped geographies, recent developments, and investments 4. Competitive Assessment & Intelligence: Provides an exhaustive assessment of market shares, strategies, products, and manufacturing capabilities of the leading players 5. Product Development & Innovation: Provides intelligent insights on future technologies, R&D activities, and new product developments

The report answers questions such as: 1. What is the market size and forecast of the Global Cell Expansion Market? 2. What are the inhibiting factors and impact of COVID-19 shaping the Global Cell Expansion Market during the forecast period? 3. Which are the products/segments/applications/areas to invest in over the forecast period in the Global Cell Expansion Market? 4. What is the competitive strategic window for opportunities in the Global Cell Expansion Market? 5. What are the technology trends and regulatory frameworks in the Global Cell Expansion Market? 6. What are the modes and strategic moves considered suitable for entering the Global Cell Expansion Market? Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p05913775/?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.

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Cell Expansion Market Research Report by Product, by Cell Type, by Application, by End User - Global Forecast to 2025 - Cumulative Impact of COVID-19...

NYC Healthcare Heroes Successfully Delivers More Than 400000 Care Packages with More Than 15 Million Products to 100 Hospitals and Healthcare…

By adminAugust 13, 2020Stem Cell Medicine

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--NYC Healthcare Heroes, a city-wide philanthropic program launched by the Debra and Leon Black Family in partnership with Aramark (NYSE:ARMK), the American Red Cross, Robin Hood, and the Mayors Fund to Advance New York City to support NYC workers on the front lines of the fight against COVID-19, today announced that it has successfully completed deliveries of more than 400,000 care packages with more than 15 million products. This represents the successful culmination of the NYC Healthcare Heroes program, which, since its launch in early April, has delivered 302,653 care packages of shelf-stable food, household cleaning and personal care products, over-the-counter medicine, as well as 104,052 boxes of fresh fruit and nuts, to the professionals who served NYC during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic. To further serve healthcare professionals and high need New Yorkers, NYC Healthcare Heroes is also donating an additional $300,000 worth of food and supplies to local food pantries that partner with NYC Health + Hospitals.

The NYC Healthcare Heroes program was launched with a $10 million donation by the Debra and Leon Black Family and a commitment to match up to $10 million in donations to expand the impact of the program. Through the generous contributions of over 700 donors, the program doubled in size to become a $20 million effort and provided well-deserved encouragement and thanks for the tremendous efforts of critical healthcare professionals. Initially aimed at serving over 100,000 healthcare professionals across the five boroughs, the program expanded in May to include more than 5,000 EMS and disaster services workers, helping alleviate the burden of having to shop for themselves and their families.

Our city is forever indebted to our healthcare heroes for the tireless work and painful sacrifices they have made over the past few months, said Debra and Leon Black. Like all New Yorkers, our family has been humbled and inspired by their courage and resilience, and it has been an honor to support their heroic efforts through NYC Healthcare Heroes. We hope that the boxes of shelf-stable food, household cleaning and personal care products, as well as the bags of fresh fruit, brought our heroes comfort and alleviated the burden of having to grocery shop for themselves and their families.

Aramark is proud to have joined the Black Family to launch NYC Healthcare Heroes in support of the heroic efforts of healthcare workers, said John Zillmer, Chief Executive Officer of Aramark. We appreciated the opportunity to build relationships with our program partners, including Robin Hood, the Red Cross and the Mayors Fund, all of which helped make NYC Healthcare Heroes a success. In our efforts, we are hopeful we were able to bring smiles to the faces of heroes who continue to make countless sacrifices on the front lines for the benefit of New York City.

The NYC Healthcare Heroes initiative has provided a critical service for the frontline healthcare professionals who continue to serve in unprecedented circumstances, said Wes Moore, Chief Executive Officer of Robin Hood. We along with our partners will continue to support New Yorkers impacted by this crisis, and we are proud that even as the program comes to a close, it will continue to give back by donating extra resources to local food pantries to meet the needs of vulnerable communities.

The American Red Cross has been honored to join with the Black Family, Aramark and our other partners in supporting New York Citys healthcare heroes during these extremely challenging times, said Gail McGovern, President and Chief Executive Officer of the American Red Cross. Our volunteers have shared countless touching, inspiring and uplifting stories from their experiences, and the Red Cross is grateful to have participated in this impactful initiative.

The COVID-19 pandemic has confronted New Yorkers with one of the most challenging periods this city has seen, but thanks to the Black Family, the American Red Cross, Aramark and Robin Hood, our community has weathered this storm together so far," said Toya Williford, Executive Director of the Mayors Fund to Advance New York City. We are grateful for the generosity of the NYC Healthcare Heroes partners and the individuals who, despite facing a national economic crisis, gave donations that put vital resources into this and other programs that continue to meet the critical needs of New Yorkers from all walks of life.

About Debra and Leon Black

Debra and Leon Black support numerous medical and other institutions in New York City and throughout the United States. Debra sits on the Board of Overseers at Weill Cornell Medicine, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, and Rockefeller University, and she has spearheaded gifts for Melanoma and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) research. Leon is Co-Founder, Chairman, and CEO of Apollo Global Management. He also is the chairman of the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) and serves as a trustee of Mount Sinai Hospital, where his family launched The Black Family Stem Cell Institute in 2005.

In 2007, the Blacks co-founded the Melanoma Research Alliance (MRA), a nonprofit foundation that has become the largest private funder of Melanoma research worldwide, having committed over $150 million in funding to advance understanding of the disease. MRA has helped fund 12 drugs approved by the Federal Drug Administration (FDA) since its founding, which have been instrumental in launching the immunotherapy revolution, now helping to combat thirty different cancers.

In 2020, the Blacks co-founded The Foundation for OCD Research (FfOR) to fund research into and treatment of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder.

The Blacks are also deeply committed to supporting veterans. In 2014, Leon launched the Apollo Veterans Initiative, where companies commit to hiring and retaining veterans, national guard, reserves, and military spouses and partners. The Debra and Leon Black Family also funds a graduate student fellowship program for U.S. veterans and active duty military members, which covers the cost of attendance and supports comprehensive leadership development annually at Harvard Kennedy School, Harvard Business School, and Harvard Law School.

About Aramark

Aramark (NYSE: ARMK) proudly serves the worlds leading educational institutions, Fortune 500 companies, world champion sports teams, prominent healthcare providers, iconic destinations and cultural attractions, and numerous municipalities in 19 countries around the world. We deliver innovative experiences and services in food, facilities management and uniforms to millions of people every day. We strive to create a better world by making a positive impact on people and the planet, including commitments to engage our employees; empower healthy consumers; build local communities; source ethically, inclusively and responsibly; operate efficiently and reduce waste. Aramark is recognized as a Best Place to Work by the Human Rights Campaign (LGBTQ+), DiversityInc, Equal Employment Publications and the Disability Equality Index. Learn more at http://www.aramark.com or connect with us on Facebook and Twitter.

About Robin Hood

Founded in 1988, Robin Hood finds, fuels, and creates the most impactful and scalable solutions lifting families out of poverty in New York City, with models that can work across the country. Robin Hood invests nearly $120 million annually toprovide legal services, housing, meals, workforce development training, education programs, and more to families in poverty in New York City. Robin Hood tracks every program with rigorous metrics, and since Robin Hoods Board of Directors covers all overhead, 100 percent of every donation goes directly to the poverty fight. Learn more at http://www.robinhood.org; and follow Robin Hood on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram.

About the American Red Cross

The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides emotional support to victims of disasters; supplies about 40 percent of the nation's blood; teaches skills that save lives; provides international humanitarian aid; and supports military members and their families. The Red Cross is a not-for-profit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its mission. For more information, please visit redcross.org or cruzrojaamericana.org, or visit us on Twitter at @RedCross.

About the Mayors Fund to Advance New York City

The Mayor's Fund to Advance New York City is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization working with 50 City agencies and offices, 300 institutional funders, and 100 community-based partners.

The Mayor's Fund and its partners advance initiatives that improve the lives of New Yorkers from all walks of life and across all five boroughs. In particular, the Mayor's Fund has made strategic investments to promote mental health services for all New Yorkers, increase workforce development opportunities for young New Yorkers, and meet the needs of New York City's diverse immigrant community.

The Mayor's Fund is chaired by First Lady Chirlane McCray and governed by a Board of Directors appointed by the Mayor. In addition, the Mayor's Fund has an Advisory Board composed of prominent civic and business leaders appointed by the Mayor to advise and assist the Board of Directors. Learn more at http://www.nyc.gov/fund, sign up for our newsletter, or connect with us on Twitter.

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NYC Healthcare Heroes Successfully Delivers More Than 400000 Care Packages with More Than 15 Million Products to 100 Hospitals and Healthcare...

Kerala Crash: A pregnant woman missed the flight because she didn’t have a fit-to-fly certificate. But what is it and why do you need one? – Gulf News

By adminAugust 13, 2020Stem Cell Medicine

The documents pregnant women need to fly, plus other tips for air travel when pregnant

Dubai-based Ijaz Ummar and his seven-month-pregnant wife Jasleena were left stunned at their narrow escape, for she was slated to be on the Air India Express flight that crashed at Kozhikode on Friday evening, leaving at least 18 passengers and crew members dead.

Ummar said he was in the office when Jasleena called him to say that she needed a fitness certificate to board the flight. "There was a delay in getting that since it was a Friday and, despite our efforts, it could not be obtained," he said.

Consequently, Jasleena's trip was postponed and the couple did not think any more about it until they began receiving frantic calls from their relatives in their hometown of Kozhikode in the evening.

"Everyone was asking if she was on the flight. We had failed to inform relatives that her trip was postponed," Ummar said.

Jasleena said both of them are still in shock after watching the news of the crash on TV.

"We feel sad seeing all the visuals. While we are thanking God, we are also praying for all those who are suffering. We do not know what to say and how to express our feelings," she said.

In the wake of the accident, there are still many questions as the community reels from this tragedy. Jasleena and Ummar can only count their blessings at the narrow escape, which potentially saved Jasleena and their unborn baby - their first child, which they are expecting after five years of trying.

But what is the fitness certificate that may have inadvertently saved Jasleena and why do pregnant women need one?

Different airlines have different timelines but, generally speaking, if you are travelling at any point around your third trimester (from 28 weeks onwards) you will be required to show a fit-to-fly certificate to your airline before being allowed to board the plane.

This is a medical certificate or letter written on a clinic or hospital letterhead paper and / or stamped and signed by your obstetrician that mentions:

A Fit to Fly certificate during pregnancy is a certificate for the treating doctor to state that the patient is fit to travel and has no risk factors that may affect her and her foetus during the travel, says Dr. Sonia Chaudhary, Specialist obstetrics & gynaecology, Medcare Women & Children Hospital. This is a requirement from the airlines for expectant mothers.

If you have any heightened risk factors, such as being pregnant with multiples or gestational diabetes, it may be harder to obtain one and you may need to have a more thorough check from your doctor before they can sign it.

If the expectant mother has any condition like a history of bleeding, history of preterm delivery, high blood pressure, or sickle cell disease then its especially important that she is checked to ensure she is medically fit to fly, says Dr Chaudhary. These conditions put the mother and the foetus at risk due to the air pressure change in the plane, hence for the safety of the mother and the foetus it is always advised to be checked over first in order to get a certificate to travel.

In order to get your certificate you have to visit your doctor, says Dr Chaudhary. Your doctor will examine you and review your antenatal record. After examining if there are no complicating factors the doctor will issue this certificate. However you need to ensure that you time your medical visit right: The certificate is valid only for 48 hours. The best time to travel for expectant mothers is between 14th week and the 28th week of pregnancy.

During the time of COVID-19 pregnant women may be less eager to fly anywhere, although Dr Chadhary says that it is still relatively straight forward to get the fit-to-fly certificate if you do need to travel: During the pandemic if it is necessary to travel, to get a certificate is not as challenging provided the patient is completely aware about all the safety measures and precautions that she has to take. The patient should also be aware about all details with regards to the quarantine period at her destination.

You may not be accepted on your flight if you travel without one, especially if you are visibly pregnant (although most airlines do not require documentation if you are 27 weeks pregnant or less).

According to Skyscanner, some of the UAEs most popular airlines have the following policies for pregnant women:

Etihad Airways allow women to travel during the first 28 weeks of pregnancy without a medical certificate.

At Emirates Airlines, traveling after the 36th week is not allowed, unless with special permission from the Medical Department of the airlines.

Air Arabia allows travel until 35 weeks, if the expectant woman provides a medical certificate indicating the number of weeks of her pregnancy.

Flydubai allows normal travel of expectant mothers until the end of 28 weeks. Travelling after 28 weeks is not allowed, unless with an official medical report sufficient to Flydubai.

Pregnant women are potentially at a higher risk of more severe forms of COVID-19, so ensure that you are following all of the usual precautions to the letter. This means wearing your mask at all times (including and especially in the restroom), washing your hands with soap and water or sanitizing gel frequently, and being careful not to touch your face. When you sit down, immediately sanitise everything that you are likely to touch..twice (i.e. TV screen, handsets, tray stable, arm rest, overhead cabin crew call buttons). Everything you can! says Dr Richard Jones, Family Medicine doctor at Mediclinic. This is probably where people pick up most coughs and colds. Other advice includes directing the air vent over yourself to create a cone of protection against any airborned germs, as well as keeping nasal passages moisturized (through saline sprays and keeping hydrated) to help them combat any infection. Some people even recommend dabbing petroleum jelly on your nostrils to keep your nose moisturized and prevent infection.

No matter the flight length, its good to get up from your seat for a bit as there is an increased risk of getting blood clots during pregnancy. Every half hour during the flight stand up and walk, or flex and extend your legs to prevent swelling of the feet and to improve blood circulation. But be sure to, Wear shoes to the toilet or if you are walking around the cabin, warns Dr Richard Jones. The carpets are full of germs.

Ask your OB/GYN or midwife about elastic compression socks for your flight. When pregnant, slower circulation increases the chance of blood clots and these will help. However it is important that they fit you properly or they can restrict blood flow even more, so its best to buy a pair with the advice of your doctor.

If you can afford the luxury of flying in business class or premium economy then do it. If not, try to select an extra-legroom seat before your flight. You could even just ask the flight staff if they can make some accommodations for you. If a seat with extra legroom is unavailable, the second best option would be to get an aisle seat.

Its important to drink lots of water when pregnant and youre much more likely to get dehydrated when travelling on planes. Firstly, stay hydrated while waiting to get on the plane, then buy a large bottle of water to take on the flight with you so youre not at the mercy of the airline's food and beverage service.

When you arrive at the airport, staff and airline personnel are available to assist you at every stage of your journey, so ask for help. Alert your airline if you need assistance with your luggage when boarding or when travelling to your flight.

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Kerala Crash: A pregnant woman missed the flight because she didn't have a fit-to-fly certificate. But what is it and why do you need one? - Gulf News

Novel CAR T-Cell Therapy Shows Promise in Advanced Hodgkin Lymphoma – Curetoday.com

By adminAugust 13, 2020Stem Cell Clinic

Unlike other CAR T-cell therapies, clinical success was not associated with significant complications from therapy, said Dr. Jonathan Serody. This means this treatment should be available to patients in a clinic setting and would not require patients to be hospitalized, which is critical in our current environment.

Results from the parallel phase 1 and phase 2 studies also demonstrated that the CAR T-cell therapy was safe and did not produce any serious or severe side effects.

Researchers from the UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center and Baylor College of Medicine administered anti-CD30 CAR T cells to 41 patients with relapsed or refractory Hodgkin lymphoma. All patients underwent lymphodepletion with bendamustine alone, bendamustine and fludarabine, or cyclophosphamide and fludarabine prior to the anti-CD30 CAR T-cell therapy.

Measuring safety was the primary goal of the two parallel studies.

The overall response rate, or the percentage of partial or complete responses to therapy, among 37 evaluable patients was 62%. Thirty-four of the patients received fludarabine-based lymphodepletion 17 of which received it with bendamustine, and the other half received it with cyclophosphamide. Two of these patients were considered to be complete response at infusion and maintained the response, so they were not included in final analysis.

The overall response rate among the remaining patients was 72%, with 59% of patients achieving a complete response. After a median follow-up of 533 days, researchers identified the one-year progression free survival rate to be 36% and the one-year overall survival rate to be 94%.

This is particularly exciting because the majority of these patients had lymphomas that had not responded well to other powerful new therapies, said senior study author Dr. Barbara Savoldo, professor in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology at the UNC School of Medicine, in a press release. Patients within the study had received a median of seven previous lines of therapy that included checkpoint inhibitors and autologous or allogeneic stem cell therapies, therapies known to be powerful but also tend to come with a host of side effects.

However, treatment with the anti-CD30 CART cells demonstrated a favorable safety profile. Although 10 patients developed cytokine release syndrome, all cases were considered minor.

Patients who received fludarabine-containing lymphodepletion were the only participants in the study to have a response to the anti-CD30 CAR T-cell therapy.

Although CD30 CAR T (cells) showed modest activity in (Hodgkin lymphoma) when infused without lymphodepletion, robust clinical responses were achieved when these cells were infused in hosts lymphodepleted with fludarabine-containing regimens, the authors wrote.

The activity of this new therapy is quite remarkable and while we need to confirm these findings in a larger study, this treatment potentially offers a new approach for patients who currently have very limited options to treat their cancer, said Dr. Jonathan Serody, director of the bone marrow transplant and cellular therapy program at UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, in the release. Additionally, unlike other CAR T-cell therapies, clinical success was not associated with significant complications from therapy. This means this treatment should be available to patients in a clinic setting and would not require patients to be hospitalized, which is critical in our current environment.

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Novel CAR T-Cell Therapy Shows Promise in Advanced Hodgkin Lymphoma - Curetoday.com