Stem Cell Clinic

‘London patient’ declared cured of HIV after three years – BioNews

16 March 2020

Three years after receiving a stem cell transplant, a man from London is the second patient in history to be cured of HIV, doctors report.

The study, published in the Lancet HIV, reports that the so-called 'London patient' has no detectable active HIV infection in blood, semen, or tissues 30 months after stopping anti-retroviral therapy. This follow-up comes a year after the first publication in Natureannouncing he was clear of the virus (seeBioNews 990).

'We've tested a sizeable set of sites that HIV likes to hide in and they are all pretty much negative for an active virus,' the study's lead author Dr Ravindra Gupta, from the University of Cambridge, told AFP. 'We propose that these results represent the second ever case of a patient to be cured of HIV.'

Adam Castillejo who recently decided to go public with his identity in the New York Times had been diagnosed with HIV in 2003 and then additionally with advanced Hodgkin's Lymphoma in 2012. After failed rounds of chemotherapy and attempts to transplant his own stem cells, he received a donor stem cell transplant in 2016 to treat his blood cancer. Similar to the 'Berlin patient' (the first person known to be cured of HIV) in 2011, the transplant came from a donor carrying a rare genetic mutation present in less than one percent of Europeans, which prevents HIV from entering the affected cells via the CCR5 receptor.

'This is a unique position to be in, a unique and very humbling position,' Castillejo told the New York Times. 'I want to be an ambassador of hope.'

Now, 30 months after cutting off retroviral therapy, the doctors reported no active infection in Castillejo's blood, cerebrospinal fluid, semen, intestinal tissue, or lymphoid tissue. Whatever traces of virus material could be found in the system are likely so-called fossil traces, which cannot replicate and harbour no risk of reoccurrence of the infection.

Dr Gupta said that this is to be expected. 'It's quite hard to imagine that all trace of a virus that infects billions of cells was eliminated from the body,' he explained.

Scientists agree that stem cell transplants will notbe a feasible treatment for the millions of people around the world infected with the virus. With a tenpercent mortality rate,bone marrow transplants are mainly used to treat cancer patients when no other options are available, and current antiviral drugs can enable HIV patients to live long and healthy lives. However, observing these 'cured' patients could provide helpful insights for the design of future genome editing tools to treat and cure HIV.

Professor Sharon Lewin from the University of Melbourne, Australia, said the case was exciting but warned: 'We need to also place it in context - curing people of HIV via a bone marrow transplant is just not a viable option on any kind of scale. We need to constantly reiterate the importance of, prevention, early testing and treatment adherence as the pillars of the current global response to HIV/AIDS.'

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'London patient' declared cured of HIV after three years - BioNews

Stem cells: what do bones have to do with boosting immunity? – Health Europa

A research team led by Professor Michael Sieweke, from the Center for Regenerative Therapies TU Dresden (CRTD) and the Center of Immunology of Marseille Luminy (CNRS, INSERM, Aix-Marseille University), has uncovered a surprising property of blood stem cells that contributes to boosting our immunity.

Not only do the stem cells ensure the continuous renewal of blood cells and contribute to the immune response triggered by an infection, but they can also remember previous infectious encounters to drive a more rapid and more efficient immune response in the future.

These cells are found within the soft tissue, or bone marrow, in the centre of large bones such as the hip and thigh bones.

The new findings should have a significant impact on future vaccination strategies and pave the way for new treatments of an underperforming or over-reacting immune system.

Stem cells in our bodies act as reservoirs of cells that divide to produce new stem cells, as well as a myriad of different types of specialised cells that are required to secure tissue renewal and function.

Commonly called blood stem cells, the hematopoietic stem cells (HSC) are found in the bone marrow, the soft tissue that is in the centre of large bones such as the hips or thighs. The role of the cells is to renew the repertoire of blood cells, including cells of the immune system, which are crucial to fight infections and other diseases.

Work from Professor Michael Siewekes laboratory and others over the past years has proven the dogma that HSCs were unspecialised cells, blind to external signals such as infections, was wrong, and has shown that HSCs can actually sense external factors to specifically produce subtypes of immune cells on demand to fight an infection.

Beyond their role in an emergency immune response, the question remained as to the function of HSCs in responding to repeated infectious episodes. The immune system is known to have a memory that allows it to better respond to returning infectious agents. The present study now establishes a central role for blood stem cells in this memory.

Professor Michael Sieweke, Humboldt Professor at TU Dresden, CNRS Research Director and last author of the publication, explained how they found the memory was stored within the cells: The first exposure to LPS causes marks to be deposited on the DNA of the stem cells, right around genes that are important for an immune response. Much like bookmarks, the marks on the DNA ensure that these genes are easily found, accessible and activated for a rapid response if a second infection by a similar agent was to come.

The authors further explored how the memory was inscribed on the DNA, and found C/EBPb to be the major actor, describing a new function for this factor, which is also important for emergency immune responses. Together, these findings should lead to improvements in tuning the immune system or better vaccination strategies.

Sieweke concluded: The ability of the immune system to keep track of previous infections and respond more efficiently the second time they are encountered is the founding principle of vaccines.

Now that we understand how blood stem cells bookmark immune response circuits, we should be able to optimise immunisation strategies to broaden the protection to infectious agents. It could also more generally lead to new ways to boost the immune response when it underperforms or turn it off when it overreacts.

The results of this research are published in Cell Stem Cellon March 12, 2020.

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Stem cells: what do bones have to do with boosting immunity? - Health Europa

Thinking out loud: IP strategies for gene therapy inventions – Med-Tech Innovation

Reuben Jacob and Fiona Kellas, Maucher Jenkins share their expertise on IP strategies and considerations for gene therapy inventions.

Gene therapy enables the treatment of a disorder or disease through the insertion of a gene into a patients cells instead of using drugs or surgery.This technique involves the introduction of genetic material into cells to compensate for abnormal genes in the patient or to make protein that will be beneficial to the patient.As an example, if a mutated gene causes a protein that is necessary for the correct functioning of cells to be faulty or missing, gene therapy may be able to introduce a normal copy of the gene to restore the function of the protein.Gene therapy is understood to be useful in the treatment of a range of conditions such as cancer, cystic fibrosis, muscular dystrophy and Alzheimers disease.

UK role in gene therapy techR&D

Gene therapy is considered to be very important to the future of medicine and as such, many companies are focussing their research and development into gene therapy technologies.The UK is a growing industry for research into these areas and it is anticipated that by 2035 the UK industry around cell and gene therapy technologies will be worth in the region of 10 billion.Gene therapy research is still at an early stage.Due to this length of time and the associated costs involved in developing an effective gene therapy and taking it through to approval, it will be important for companies working in this area to put into place an effective IP strategy that will provide protection for their inventions and assist them in maintaining their market position.In addition, the competitive nature of the gene therapy industry means that will be important for a company to obtain patent protection for inventions being developed, as well as reviewing the patent landscape to check that the company is free to operate in their chosen area.

What makes something patentable?

In order for an invention to be patentable, it must be new, inventive and capable of industrial application.In addition to the requirement that an invention meets the above requirements of patentability, it is also important that the invention does not contain subject matter that is excluded from patentability.One of the challenges associated with obtaining patent protection for gene therapy inventions is that the European and US patent systems include a number of exceptions to patentability that are relevant to biological material and natural products.In Europe, it is not possible to obtain patent protection for a method of treatment or surgery of the human body.Thus, the removal of cells from a patient would not be considered to be patentable in Europe.In addition, inventions relating to stem cells that are derived from the destruction of human embryos are not patentable in Europe.In the US, recent case law (Molecular Pathology v Myriad Genetics, Inc, 2013) has meant that inventions relating to natural phenomena and natural products must show characteristics that are different to their natural counterpart(s).

However, despite the above challenges, there are a number of aspects of the gene therapy technology that may be eligible for patent protection.Typically, the gene therapy procedure can involve performing the required modification procedure on cells that have been removed from a patient before reintroducing the cells into the subject to produce their modified effect.The process of modifying the cells may be patentable if it fulfils the above requirements of patentability.In addition, it may be possible to obtain protection for the methods that are used to culture, manipulate or modify the cells that are used for gene therapy.

At Maucher Jenkins, we have a team of attorneys who can provide IP advice and assistance in the area of patenting inventions involving gene therapy, molecular biology and biochemistry.

by Fiona Kellas, Reuben Jacob

16 March 2020

14:20

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Thinking out loud: IP strategies for gene therapy inventions - Med-Tech Innovation

Looking to the future with Dr. Francis Collins – Newswise

Newswise What gets the leader of the NIH jazzed?

Speaking to a packed West Pavilion auditorium March 6, Francis Collins, M.D., Ph.D., director of the National Institutes of Health, shared his picks of 10 areas of particular excitement and promise in biomedical research. (Watch the full talk here.)

In nearly every area, UAB scientists are helping to lead the way as Collins himself noted in several cases. At the conclusion of his talk, Collins addedhis advice for young scientists. Here is Collins top 10 list, annotated with some of the UAB work ongoing in each area and ways that faculty, staff and students can get involved.

1. Single-cell sequencing

[see this section of the talk here]

I am so jazzed with what has become possible with the ability to study single cells and see what they are doing, Collins said. They have been out of our reach now we have reached in. Whether you are studying rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes or the brain, you have the chance to ask each cell what it is doing.

Single-cell sequencing and UAB:Collins noted that Robert Carter, M.D., the acting director of the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases, was a longtime faculty member at UAB (serving as director of the Division of Clinical Immunology and Rheumatology). For the past several years, UAB researchers have been studying gene expression in subpopulations of immune cells inpatients with rheumatoid arthritis.

Join in:Researchers can take advantage of the single-cell sequencing core facility in UABsComprehensive Flow Cytometry Core, directed by John Mountz, M.D., Ph.D., Goodwin-Blackburn Research Chair in Immunology and professor in the Department of Medicine Division of Clinical Immunology and Rheumatology.

Learn more:Mountz and other heavy users of single-cell sequencing explain how the techniqueslet them travel back in time and morein this UAB Reporter story.

2. New ways to see the brain

[See this section of the talk here]

The NIHsBRAIN Initiativeis making this the era where we are going to figure out how the brain works all 86 billion neurons between your ears, Collins said. The linchpin of this advance will be the development of tools to identify new brain cell types and circuits that will improve diagnosis, treatment and prevention of autism, schizophrenia, Parkinsons and other neurological conditions, he said.

Brain tech and UAB:Collins highlighted thework of BRAIN Initiative granteeHarrison Walker, M.D., an associate professor in the Department of Neurology, whose lab has been developing a more sophisticated way to understand the benefits of deep brain stimulation for people with Parkinsons and maybe other conditions, Collins said.

Join in:UABs planned new doctoral program in neuroengineering would be the first of its kind in the country.

Learn more:Find out why neuroengineering is asmart career choicein this UAB Reporter story.

3. Induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells

[See this section of the talk here]

Researchers can now take a blood cell or skin cell and, by adding four magic genes, Collins explained, induce the cells to become stem cells. These induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells can then in turn be differentiated into any number of different cell types, including nerve cells, heart muscle cells or pancreatic beta cells. The NIH has invested in technology to put iPS-derived cells on specialized tissue chips. Youve got you on a chip, Collins explained. Some of us dream of a day where this might be the best way to figure out whether a drug intervention is going to work for you or youre going to be one of those people that has a bad consequence.

iPS cells at UAB:Collins displayed images of thecutting-edge cardiac tissue chipdeveloped by a UAB team led by Palaniappan Sethu, Ph.D., an associate professor in the Department of Biomedical Engineering and the Division of Cardiovascular Disease. The work allows the development of cardiomyocytes that can be used to study heart failure and other conditions, Collins said.

Join in:UABs biomedical engineering department, one of the leading recipients of NIH funding nationally, is a joint department of the School of Engineering and School of Medicine. Learn more about UABsundergraduate and graduate programs in biomedical engineering, and potential careers, here.

Learn more:See howthis novel bioprinterdeveloped by UAB biomedical researchers is speeding up tissue engineering in this story from UAB News.

4. Microbiome advances

[See this section of the talk here]

We have kind of ignored the fact that we have all these microbes living on us and in us until fairly recently, Collins said. But now it is clear that we are not an organism we are a superorganism formed with the trillions of microbes present in and on our bodies, he said. This microbiome plays a significant role not just in skin and intestinal diseases but much more broadly.

Microbiome at UAB:Collins explained that work led by Casey Morrow, Ph.D., and Casey Weaver, M.D., co-directors of theMicrobiome/Gnotobiotics Shared Facility, has revealed intriguing information abouthow antibiotics affect the gut microbiome. Their approach has potential implications for understanding, preserving and improving health, Collins said.

Join in:Several ongoing clinical trials at UAB are studying the microbiome, including a studymodifying diet to improve gut microbiotaand an investigation of the microbiomes ofpostmenopausal women looking for outcomes and response to estrogen therapy.

Learn more:This UAB News storyexplains the UAB researchthat Collins highlighted.

5. Influenza vaccines

[See this section of the talk here]

Another deadly influenza outbreak is likely in the future, Collins said. What we need is not an influenza vaccine that you have to redesign every year, but something that would actually block influenza viruses, he said. Is that even possible? It just might be.

Influenza research at UAB:Were probably at least a decade away from a universal influenza vaccine. But work ongoing at UAB in the NIH-fundedAntiviral Drug Discovery and Development Center(AD3C), led by Distinguished Professor Richard Whitley, M.D., is focused on such an influenza breakthrough.

Join in:For now, the most important thing you can do to stop the flu is to get a flu vaccination. Employees can schedule afree flu vaccination here.

Learn more:Why get the flu shot? What is it like? How can you disinfect your home after the flu? Get all the information atthis comprehensive sitefrom UAB News.

6. Addiction prevention and treatment of pain

[See this section of the talk here]

The NIH has a role to play in tackling the crisis of opioid addiction and deaths, Collins said. The NIHs Helping to End Addiction Long-term (HEAL) initiative is an all-hands-on-deck effort, he said, involving almost every NIH institute and center, with the goal of uncovering new targets for preventing addiction and improving pain treatment by developing non-addictive pain medicines.

Addiction prevention at UAB:A big part of this initiative involves education to help professionals and the public understand what to do, Collins said. The NIH Centers of Excellence in Pain Education (CoEPE), including one at UAB, are hubs for the development, evaluation and distribution of pain-management curriculum resources to enhance pain education for health care professionals.

Join in:Find out how to tell if you or a loved one has a substance or alcohol use problem, connect with classes and resources or schedule an individualized assessment and treatment through theUAB Medicine Addiction Recovery Program.

Learn more:Discover some of the many ways that UAB faculty and staff aremaking an impact on the opioid crisisin this story from UAB News.

7. Cancer Immunotherapy

[See this section of the talk here]

We are all pretty darn jazzed about whats happened in the past few years in terms of developing a new modality for treating cancer we had surgery, we had radiation, we had chemotherapy, but now weve got immunotherapy, Collins said.

Educating immune system cells to go after cancer in therapies such as CAR-T cell therapy is the hottest science in cancer, he said. I would argue this is a really exciting moment where the oncologists and the immunologists together are doing amazing things.

Immunotherapy at UAB:I had to say something about immunology since Im at UAB given that Max Cooper, whojust got the Lasker Awardfor [his] B and T cell discoveries, was here, Collins said. This is a place I would hope where lots of interesting ideas are going to continue to emerge.

Join in:The ONeal Comprehensive Cancer Center at UAB is participating in a number of clinical trials of immunotherapies.Search the latest trials at the Cancer Centerhere.

Learn more:Luciano Costa, M.D., Ph.D., medical director of clinical trials at the ONeal Cancer Center, discusses the promise ofCAR-T cell therapy in this UAB MedCast podcast.

Assistant Professor Ben Larimer, Ph.D., is pursuing a new kind of PET imaging test that could give clinicians afast, accurate picture of whether immunotherapy is workingfor a patient in this UAB Reporter article.

8. Tapping the potential of precision medicine

[See this section of the talk here]

The All of Us Research Program from NIH aims to enroll a million Americans to move away from the one-size-fits-all approach to medicine and really understand individual differences, Collins said. The program, which launched in 2018 and is already one-third of the way to its enrollment goal, has a prevention rather than a disease treatment approach; it is collecting information on environmental exposures, health practices, diet, exercise and more, in addition to genetics, from those participants.

All of Us at UAB:UAB has been doing a fantastic job of enrolling participants, Collins noted. In fact, the Southern Network of the All of Us Research Program, led by UAB, has consistently been at the top in terms of nationwide enrollment, as School of Medicine Dean Selwyn Vickers, M.D., noted in introducing Collins.

Join in:Sign up forAll of Usat UAB today.

Learn more:UABs success in enrolling participants has led to anew pilot study aimed at increasing participant retention rates.

9. Rare diseases

[See this section of the talk here]

Rare Disease Day, on Feb. 29, brought together hundreds of rare disease research advocates at the NIH, Collins said. NIH needs to play a special role because many diseases are so rare that pharmaceutical companies will not focus on them, he said. We need to find answers that are scalable, so you dont have to come up with a strategy for all 6,500 rare diseases.

Rare diseases at UAB: The Undiagnosed Diseases Network, which includes aUAB siteled by Chief Genomics Officer Bruce Korf, M.D., Ph.D., is a national network that brings together experts in a wide range of conditions to help patients, Collins said.

Participants in theAlabama Genomic Health Initiative, also led by Korf, donate a small blood sample that is tested for the presence of specific genetic variants. Individuals with indications of genetic disease receive whole-genome sequencing. Collins noted that lessons from the AGHI helped guide development of the All of Us Research Program.

Collins also credited UABs Tim Townes, Ph.D., professor emeritus in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, for developing the most significantly accurate model of sickle cell disease in a mouse which has been a great service to the [research] community. UAB is now participating in anexciting clinical trial of a gene-editing technique to treat sickle cellalong with other new targeted therapies for the devastating blood disease.

Join in:In addition to UABs Undiagnosed Diseases Program (which requires a physician referral) and the AGHI, patients and providers can contact theUAB Precision Medicine Institute, led by Director Matt Might, Ph.D. The institute develops precisely targeted treatments based on a patients unique genetic makeup.

Learn more:Discover how UAB experts solved medical puzzles for patients by uncovering anever-before-described mutationandcracking a vomiting mysteryin these UAB News stories.

10. Diversity in the scientific workforce

[See this section of the talk here]

We know that science, like everything else, is more productive when teams are diverse than if they are all looking the same, Collins said. My number one priority as NIH director is to be sure we are doing everything we can to nurture and encourage the best and brightest to join this effort.

Research diversity at UAB:TheNeuroscience Roadmap Scholars Programat UAB, supported by an NIH R25 grant, is designed to enhance engagement and retention of under-represented graduate trainees in the neuroscience workforce. This is one of several UAB initiatives to increased under-represented groups and celebrate diversity. These include several programs from theMinority Health and Health Disparities Research Centerthat support minority students from the undergraduate level to postdocs; thePartnership Research Summer Training Program, which provides undergraduates and especially minority students with the opportunity to work in UAB cancer research labs; theDeans Excellence Award in Diversityin the School of Medicine; and the newly announcedUnderrepresented in Medicine Senior Scholarship Programfor fourth-year medical students.

Join in:The Roadmap program engages career coaches and peer-to-peer mentors to support scholars. To volunteer your expertise, contact Madison Bamman atmdbamman@uab.eduorvisit the program site.

Learn more:Farah Lubin, Ph.D., associate professor in the Department of Neurobiology and co-director of the Roadmap Scholars Program,shares the words and deeds that can save science careersin this Reporter story. In another story, Upender Manne, Ph.D., professor in the Department of Pathology and a senior scientist in the ONeal Comprehensive Cancer Center, explains how students in the Partnership Research Summer Training Program gethooked on cancer research.

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Looking to the future with Dr. Francis Collins - Newswise

Tired of The Coronavirus? Here Are 10 Good News Stories You Need Right Now – ScienceAlert

Life during a global pandemic takes on a surreal quality. The ubiquitous presence of social media and a constant fire hose of coronavirus news can make it particularly hard if you're already feeling anxious.

So, we've put together a little round-up of recent science news that we find inspiring, encouraging, and worthy of note in these trying times.

In a world first, surgeons at Oregon Health & Science Institute have used the CRISPR gene-editing technique to attempt a cure for Leber congenital amaurosis, a rare genetic condition that causes blindness in early childhood.

While we await results on how this experiment worked out, this achievement joins a list of other medical uses of the technique, including the search for a Huntington's disease cure, herpes, HIV, and immunotherapy for some types of cancer.

Living at a time when medical researchers have this powerful tool at their disposal is certainly a good news item in our books.

In February, a huge stock of 60,000 seed samples was added to the Svalbard Global Seed Vault nestled inside a mountain in Norway's Svalbard archipelago, including the first-ever heirloom seed deposit by an indigenous US tribe.

Increasing deposits to this safehouse of crops reflect growing worldwide concern about potential loss of biodiversity and food security - but these actions also demonstrate a beautiful commitment to our future generations.

The virus strains that cause influenza are shapeshifters, constantly moving beyond our ability to immunise against them - hence, we need annual flu shots to stay ahead of the disease. A 'universal' flu vaccine would give us a huge advantage in this race, and there's now a truly promising candidate on the cards.

The vaccine, called FLU-v, has successfully passed phase I and phase II clinical trials, demonstrating its safety in human subjects; it's been found to induce immune responses that last at least six months. We can't wait to see the results of the next phase of trials.

A new type of contact lens could restore the colour spectrum limitations in people whose eyes struggle to tell apart green and red hues.

This brilliant technology already exists in some cleverly designed sunglasses; soon, people might also have access to it in the highly convenient form of contacts, thanks to a team of engineers at Tel Aviv University.

'Normal' image of a tree; colour blind version; corrected version. (Sharon Karepov/Tel Aviv University)

Researchers have announced that for the second time ever, a patient carrying the HIV virus has been declared cured, with no trace of infection in his blood 30 months after he stopped traditional treatment, undergoing a specialised type of stem cell therapy.

The achievement doesn't constitute a generalised cure, because the patient also had a type of lymphoma that enabled him to receive this experimental treatment; but it demonstrates a real breakthrough in medical science, showing scientists are able to push the boundaries like never before.

The tiny South Pacific nation of Niue recently accepted a unique honour, as it became the first country to be formally accredited as an International Dark Sky Place.

This accreditation is bestowed by the International Dark-Sky Association (IDA), a conservation non-profit charged with preserving the naturally dark night-time environment, defending it from the intrusive disturbances of artificial light pollution.

There's no end of scientific research charting the negative effects of light pollution, whether on animals, plants, or human health; this honour emphasises that seeking a truly dark night sky remains as important as ever.

Hydrogen fuel is one of the more promising zero-emissions options around - if only we could produce it cheaply and without needing insane amounts of energy input.

Now, a team of researchers in Tokyo have managed to do just that, refining a method that produces hydrogen fuel using just a few basic ingredients, including light and a particular type of rust. A new study shows this method yields 25 times more hydrogen than existing methods.

Speaking of sustainability, one of the biggest challenges to widespread adoption of renewables remains the problem of large-scale storage. However, there is one excellent solution to this problem - pumped thermal electricity storage. This approach stores electricity by turning it into heat, then turning it back into electricity when needed using an engine.

Unlike pumped hydro, which requires specific geographic requirements, this type of storage can be built in many places, and it uses thermodynamic principles to store electricity in the form of heat. And the best part? It's already being tested in pilot plants.

In June 2019, an odd paper made waves after it was published in Scientific Reports. The scientific community was quick to voice their concerns over this flawed study, which claimed that the Sun's movements were the real cause of anthropogenic global warming.

Now, the editors of the well-known journal have corrected the scientific record, issuing a retraction notice that explains the errors,showing that even if something incorrect initially slips through peer review, the scientific process is still rigorous enough to fix the mistake.You can read about this fascinating case in full here.

A new report by the non-profit Project Drawdown has outlined a whopping 76 solutions the world already has at hand if we want to slow down climate change. These strategies - from shifting our means of energy production, to reducing food waste and empowering women - span across all sectors.

Furthermore, these solutions are actually cheaper than maintaining the status quo (also known as 'doing nothing'). Project Drawdown estimates that if we implemented these 76 solutions, it would result in savings of up to around US$144 trillion of avoided climate damage and pollution-related healthcare costs. Tell everyone - we can do this.

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Tired of The Coronavirus? Here Are 10 Good News Stories You Need Right Now - ScienceAlert

‘It had the smell of Lehman Brothers’ – The Australian Financial Review

They found themselves, and their understanding of markets, tested. They struggled with exhaustion, stress and the knowledge their high-paid jobs could disappear in a recession.

Even veterans of previous crises were astonished by the markets' wild gyrations.

The S&P/ASX 200 fell 7.3 per cent Monday, rose 3.1 per cent the following day, then fell 3.6 per cent, 7.4 per cent and rose 4.4 per cent Friday. The dollar closed in on US60. Bond prices fell, even though official interest rates may be heading towards zero.

A few kilometres south of Wilson's Double Bay home, on Thursday, Andrew Brown pulled his second all-nighter of the week. He didn't have a choice.

Even though Australian shares had pre-empted Wall Street's Monday 7 per cent dive, the northern hemisphere was driving prices. If the East 72 Investments owner waited until dawn in Coogee to fire up his IG Markets trading account, he could be too late to staunch losses in its $14 million portfolio.

Andrew Brown of East 72 Investments stayed awake all night twice last week to trade.Peter Braig

The 160-hour week had tired Brown out, but not defeated him. The trading was exhilarating.

He watched Donald Trump and Christine Lagarde personally tank the markets. He bought JPMorgan at $US92 a few weeks after the investment bank was $US140. He sold his favourite investment, an aircraft-leasing company called AerCap, close to $60. On Friday the stock closed at $US24.50.

Prices were moving so quickly sometimes exacerbated by an absence of buyers that he traded in small increments. He cut back on a bet the S&P 500 would fall. Half an hour later the index was down 50 points.

By the end of the week, Brown sensed the sellers had sold everything they could. He was ready to start buying again.

"I think we are getting close to real capitulation," he said on Friday. "I suspect we may get some really good opportunities next week."

Etienne Alexiou isn't convinced. A trader by training he once ran the debt portfolio used to finance ANZ Bank's daily operations he was wary about getting caught up in the drama's minute-by-minute news.

On Wednesday, one of the worst days in the history of Australian shares, Alexiou opened an Excel spreadsheet. He wanted to know when to expect "peak panic".

Over the following two hours the Belay Capital founder conducted a crude model of when Australian hospitals would be overwhelmed by the coronavirus.

A day earlier, at the Australian Financial Review Business Summit, biosecurity professor Raina MacIntyre had said the infected were doubling every six days.

A Covid-19 testing station at St.Vincents hospital in Darlinghurst, Sydney. Hospitals will run out of beds by the middle of May, according to Belay Capital.Dean Sewell

Alexiou worked out that there were 32,718 spare beds in the medical system. At the same rate of infection cited by MacIntyre, he calculated they would be filled by COVID-19 patients by May 19, when 200,000 to 300,000 people would be infected.

Unable to provide care to all, doctors and nurses would be forced to send people home to die, he reasoned. The images would be profoundly disturbing.

At the same time, the rate of new cases would begin to slow. Even though deaths would mount up, the panic would subside given many Australians would assess their risk of falling ill as decreasing, Alexiou reasoned. That could be when the market turned.

Belay Capital's founder started last week with 45 per cent of his portfolio in cash and 5 per cent in shares, a conservative position. After buying Westpac Banking Corp stock Friday morning, he ended the week with 43 per cent of its holdings in cash.

"At peak panic I will gradually reduce cash," Alexiou said Sunday. "Pandemics have two waves that last three to nine months. You have to be cautious even after we have hit peak panic and you start to cautiously buy risk assets because it takes a long time for business to recover."

Like most stocks on the Australian Securities Exchange, Cynata Therapeutics had been hit hard. Unlike most, though, the Melbourne biotech company should have been going up.

The company is developing a stem cell treatment that is already being used to treat patients in China infected with the virus, which the company pointed out in a statement to the stock exchange on Wednesday.

It had the smell of Lehman Brothers collapse.

Martin Rogers, KTM Ventures Innovation

"Critically ill COVID-19 patients in China favourably responded to treatment," it said.

The shares rallied 7 per cent, then fell 23 per cent on Thursday and Friday.

On Friday morning Cynata chief executive Ross MacDonald rang one of his main investors, the chief investment officer of the KTM Ventures Innovation Fund, Martin Rogers, to discuss the disappointing response.

Rogers told the executive the brutal truth. Wednesday's positive news hadn't buoyed support for his company. It had given existing investors an exit.

"It didn't matter what," Rogers said on Sunday. "If it was liquid, they were selling it."

Rogers estimates he got about 50 calls that day from investors and CEOs.

"It had the smell of Lehman Brothers collapse," he said on Sunday.

Geoff Wilson, the chairman of Wilson Asset Management.Dominic Lorrimer

The manager of Wilson Asset Management's global fund, Catriona Burns, was in Europe last week meeting company managers. She texted a photo to the team of Munich. The city looked empty.

By Friday, Wilson had decided the week was a combination of the 2008 crisis, when Lehman went under, and Black Monday. The severity of 1987 is combined with the cascading events that marked the global financial crisis, he said.

None of the firm's staff will be working from their offices on Monday, and Wilson is girding himself for a challenging time on behalf of the 80,000 Australians who have entrusted him with $3 billion.

"In the first stages of a bear market there is disbelief," he said on Friday. "When it is starting to fall everyone is justifying what is going on. Everyone is trying to pick the capitulation.

"I heard this back in '87. Companies were making good money, until a year or two later.

"In the last three or four days you watch CNBC and it is like someone has died. There is no enthusiasm. They have nearly given up and they accept they are in a bear market.

"How deep it will be and go for [is unclear]. We haven't seen the third or fourth-order effects."

Wilson and his wife Karen are planning to build a holiday house. Last week their builder sought some investment advice: is it the right time to buy shares?

Wilson thought about the average bear market, which, since 1980, has lasted 46 weeks.

Hold off, he said.

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'It had the smell of Lehman Brothers' - The Australian Financial Review

HELP ME HAYLEY: Spokane father of six receiving life-saving cells from Poland donor – KHQ Right Now

UPDATE:

SPOKANE, Wash. -- Life-saving cells for alocal father of six are on their way to him from Poland. His family has been panicked after a travel ban was put in place by the Polish Government. They say they were told the status of the transport was stalled, and with time slipping away, they needed immediate action.

Jared Weeks was diagnosed withAcute Myeloid Leukemia back in October. His wife Janet contacted 'Help Me Hayley' on Saturday. On Sunday morning, Janet got word that the cells were on their way. She reached out to many government officials and is still trying to sort how and who helped make this happen for her husband.

"I heard that relief in (my husband's) voice and that's all I needed," she said. "I'm so thankful to everyone who shared the story, sent us prayers. I felt it. I really did. People are so overwhelmingly beautiful."

Janet says her husband will have the stem-cell transplant on Tuesday.

"I will be traveling over to Seattle on Monday evening to be there for his 're-birthday,'" she said of the procedure. "I'm so grateful."

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SPOKANE, Wash. -- A local father of six desperately needs help receiving life-saving cells provided by an overseas donor. His family says his life depends on it.

His wife Janet sent our Hayley Guenthner this 'Help Me Hayley' request:

"Dear Help Me Hayley,

My children and I are desperate to save my husband. He was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia on 10/15/2019 (on his 42nd birthday of all days) since then he has been in the hospital. At the beginning of February we started our journey to the west side of the state to be under the care of Seattle Cancer Care Alliance and to make a long story short, we are now in the transplant stage of his disease.

My husband, Jared Weeks, went inpatient to the University of Washington Medical Center (UWMC) on behalf of the Seattle Cancer Care Alliance. He started his myeloablative chemo regimen on March 10th with the expectation of receiving an Unrelated Allogeneic Peripheral Blood Stem Cell transplant. He had the highest dose of chemotherapy to eliminate his disease and replace his immune system with a 38-year-old female peripheral blood stem cell donation from Poland. Because of the travel ban put in place by the Polish Government in response to the outbreak of the Novel COVID-19 virus, it is becoming impossible to transport these LIFE-SAVING cells that have been extracted from my husband's donor and brought back to the United States. I have left messages for Senator Cathy McMorris-Rodgers, Governor Jay Inslee, Mayor Woodward and Senator Maria Cantwell. I was able to speak personally with State Senator Shelly Short who is passing on this to some of her contacts in the cabinet. I reached out to the Polish Government agency handling the travel ban restrictions and have spoken with an Overseas Citizen Services Safety Officer out of Krakow Poland at the US Embassy-State Department. The travel ban has been put in place but I have been told that roads are still open as well as trains and planes, but as of midnight tonight (not sure if our time or their time) the borders will be closed until March 25th, and maybe extended depending on the COVID-19 outbreak. The cells have been collected from the donor and we are desperate to get them here. Please help us!! God help us.

My husband, Jared Weeks, was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia on October 15, 2019 and is in DIRE need of these stem cells to survive.

We need some assistance from the "powers that be" to get these life-saving stem cells to my husband in Washington State ASAP.

His life depnds on it."

There have many people offering to test to see if they are a local match for Jared. Unfortunately, the family doesn't have the kind of time required to find a new donor.

"They would need to go to bethematch.org , however, it is too late in the game to be a donor for Jared but there are hundreds of others that need this life-saving donation as well," Janet said. "The HLA TYPING that is done can take weeks to complete and for Jared, we don't have that kind of time."

Janet is currently in Spokane with their children. She said she is doing everything she can to stay strong for her husband.

"(Jared) is one heck of a dad," Janet said. "He is hardworking, loves the outdoors, fishing, boating and taking his kids on adventures. He is amazing to us and is the center of gravity for our rather large family. He has been through hell and back with this cancer, and is still trusting God completely."

Seattle Cancer Cancer Care Alliance sent KHQ a statement on Jared and other cancer patients relying on life-saving bone marrow transplants during the COVID-19 outbreak.

"The COVID-19 outbreak is an evolving and fluid situation, and the global medical community is collaborating to address the needs of people who are relying on bone marrow transplants for their treatment and survival.

"Seattle Cancer Care Alliance is evaluating every patient who is currently connected with an international or USA-based donor to ensure we have an alternative solution for their treatment should the need arise.

"We are committed to continuing to coordinate with the National Marrow Donor Program and the World Marrow Donor Association, along with donor representatives in various countries, to prevent potential disruptions of critical medical transport so that every cancer patient has access to the life-saving treatment they need.

"SCCA is dedicated to providing the highest-quality cancer care, and we take that responsibility very seriously. We continue to work very closely with our alliance partners -Fred Hutch, UW Medicine and Seattle Childrens- and sharing our approach and best practices with other transplant centers around the country who may face similar unprecedented challenges."

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HELP ME HAYLEY: Spokane father of six receiving life-saving cells from Poland donor - KHQ Right Now

Gene Therapy Reverses Heart Failure in Mouse Model – Technology Networks

Barth syndromeis a rare metabolic disease caused by mutation of a gene calledtafazzinorTAZ. It can cause life-threatening heart failure and also weakens the skeletal muscles, undercuts the immune response, and impairs overall growth. Because Barth syndrome is X-linked, it almost always occurs in boys. There is no cure or specific treatment.

In 2014, to get a better understanding of the disease,William Pu, MD, and colleagues at Boston Childrens Hospital collaborated with the Wyss Institute to create a beatingheart on a chip model of Barth syndrome. The model used heart-muscle cells with theTAZmutation, derived from patients own skin cells.It showedthatTAZis truly at the heart of cardiac dysfunction: the heart muscle cells did not assemble normally, mitochondria inside the cells were disorganized, and heart tissue contracted weakly. Adding a healthyTAZgene normalized these features, suggesting that gene replacement therapy could be a viable treatment.

But to fully capture Barth syndrome and its whole-body effects, Pu and colleagues needed an animal model. The animal model was a hurdle in the field for a long time, says Pu, director of Basic and Translational Cardiovascular Research at Boston Childrens and a member of the Harvard Stem Cell Institute. Efforts to make a mouse model using traditional methods had been unsuccessful.

As described in the journalCirculation Research, most mice with the whole-bodyTAZdeletion died before birth, apparently because of skeletal muscle weakness. But some survived, and these mice developed progressive cardiomyopathy, in which the heart muscle enlarges and loses pumping capacity. Their hearts also showed scarring, and, similar to human patients with dilatedcardiomyopathy, the hearts left ventricle was dilated and thin-walled.

Mice lackingTAZjust in their cardiac tissue, which all survived to birth, showed the same features. Electron microscopy showed heart muscle tissue to be poorly organized, as were the mitochondria within the cells.

Pu, Wang, and colleagues then used gene therapy to replaceTAZ, injecting an engineered virus under the skin (in newborn mice) or intravenously (in older mice). Treated mice with whole-bodyTAZdeletions were able to survive to adulthood.TAZgene therapy also prevented cardiac dysfunction and scarring when given to newborn mice, and reversed established cardiac dysfunction in older mice whether the mice had whole-body or heart-onlyTAZdeletions.

Thats where the challenge will lie in translating the results to humans. Simply scaling up the dose of gene therapy wont work: In large animals like us, large doses risk a dangerous inflammatory immune response. Giving multiple doses of gene therapy wont work either.

The problem is that neutralizing antibodies to the virus develop after the first dose, says Pu. Getting enough of the muscle cells corrected in humans may be a challenge.

Another challenge is maintaining populations of gene-corrected cells. While levels of the correctedTAZgene remained fairly stable in the hearts of the treated mice, they gradually declined in skeletal muscles.

The biggest takeaway was that the gene therapy was highly effective, says Pu. We have some things to think about to maximize the percentage of muscle cell transduction, and to make sure the gene therapy is durable, particularly in skeletal muscle."

Reference: Wang et al. (2020).AAV Gene Therapy Prevents and Reverses Heart Failure in A Murine Knockout Model of Barth Syndrome.Circulation Research.https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/abs/10.1161/CIRCRESAHA.119.315956.

This article has been republished from the following materials. Note: material may have been edited for length and content. For further information, please contact the cited source.

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Gene Therapy Reverses Heart Failure in Mouse Model - Technology Networks

CytoDyn Files Modified IND and Protocol for Phase 2 Clinical Trial for Treatment of Patients with Coronavirus with Leronlimab (PRO 140) and Advises…

VANCOUVER, Washington, March 16, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- CytoDyn Inc. (OTC.QB: CYDY), (CytoDyn or the Company"), a late-stage biotechnology company developing leronlimab (PRO 140), a CCR5 antagonist with the potential for multiple therapeutic indications, announced today that the Company filed a modified IND and protocol for its Phase 2 clinical trial with leronlimab (PRO 140) as a therapy for patients who experience respiratory complications as a result of contracting Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). The modification came at the behest of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in response to the Companys filing of its IND and protocol for its Phase 2 clinical trial on March 9, 2020.

The modified protocol is a Phase 2, Randomized, Double Blind, Placebo Controlled Study to Evaluate the Efficacy and Safety of Leronlimab in Patients with Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) and calls for 75 planned patients in up to 10 centers in the United States. Patients enrolled in the trial are expected to have a treatment window of approximately 6 weeks.

Jacob Lalezari, M.D., CytoDyns Interim Chief Medical Officer commented: We appreciate the FDAs timely input on protocol design and hope to start the treatment study in the very near future.

Nader Pourhassan, Ph.D., president and chief executive officer of CytoDyn said: We are pleased with the new trial design and are rapidly sending supplies of leronlimab to the clinics to begin patient treatment.

With respect to the Companys press release issued on March 12, 2020, management announces the following correction: Patient #1 had missed one treatment of carboplatin and will continue to be treated with carboplatin and leronlimab. Additional updates about this patient will be included in the next Company update on all cancer patients.

About Leronlimab (PRO 140) The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have granted a Fast Track designation to CytoDyn for two potential indications of leronlimab for deadly diseases. The first as a combination therapy with HAART for HIV-infected patients and the second is for metastatic triple-negative breast cancer. Leronlimab is an investigational humanized IgG4 mAb that blocks CCR5, a cellular receptor that is important in HIV infection, tumor metastases, and other diseases including NASH. Leronlimab has successfully completed nine clinical trials in over 800 people, including meeting its primary endpoints in a pivotal Phase 3 trial (leronlimab in combination with standard anti-retroviral therapies in HIV-infected treatment-experienced patients).

In the setting of HIV/AIDS, leronlimab is a viral-entry inhibitor; it masks CCR5, thus protecting healthy T cells from viral infection by blocking the predominant HIV (R5) subtype from entering those cells. Leronlimab has been the subject of nine clinical trials, each of which demonstrated that leronlimab can significantly reduce or control HIV viral load in humans. The leronlimab antibody appears to be a powerful antiviral agent leading to potentially fewer side effects and less frequent dosing requirements compared with daily drug therapies currently in use. In the setting of cancer, research has shown that CCR5 plays an important role in tumor invasion and metastasis. Increased CCR5 expression is an indicator of disease status in several cancers. Published studies have shown that blocking CCR5 can reduce tumor metastases in laboratory and animal models of aggressive breast and prostate cancer. Leronlimab reduced human breast cancer metastasis by more than 98% in a murine xenograft model. CytoDyn is therefore conducting aPhase 1b/2 human clinical trial in metastatic triple-negative breast cancer and was granted Fast Track designation in May 2019. Additional research is being conducted with leronlimab in the setting of cancer and NASH with plans to conduct additionalclinical studies when appropriate.

The CCR5 receptor appears to play a central role in modulating immune cell trafficking to sites of inflammation and may be important in the development of acute graft-versus-host disease (GvHD) and other inflammatory conditions. Clinical studies by others further support the concept that blocking CCR5 using a chemical inhibitor can reduce the clinical impact of acute GvHD without significantly affecting the engraftment of transplanted bone marrow stem cells. CytoDyn is currently conducting a Phase 2 clinical study with leronlimab to further support the concept that the CCR5 receptor on engrafted cells is critical for the development of acute GvHD and that blocking this receptor from recognizing certain immune signaling molecules is a viable approach to mitigating acute GvHD. The FDA has granted orphan drug designation to leronlimab for the prevention of GvHD.

About CytoDynCytoDyn is a biotechnology company developing innovative treatments for multiple therapeutic indications based on leronlimab, a novel humanized monoclonal antibody targeting the CCR5 receptor. CCR5 appears to play a key role in the ability of HIV to enter and infect healthy T-cells. The CCR5 receptor also appears to be implicated in tumor metastasis and in immune-mediated illnesses, such as GvHD and NASH. CytoDyn has successfully completed a Phase 3 pivotal trial with leronlimab in combination with standard anti-retroviral therapies in HIV-infected treatment-experienced patients. CytoDyn plans to seek FDA approval for leronlimab in combination therapy and plans to complete the filing of a Biologics License Application (BLA) in the first quarter of 2020 for that indication. CytoDyn is also conducting a Phase 3 investigative trial with leronlimab as a once-weekly monotherapy for HIV-infected patients and plans to initiate a registration-directed study of leronlimab monotherapy indication, which if successful, could support a label extension. Clinical results to date from multiple trials have shown that leronlimab can significantly reduce viral burden in people infected with HIV with no reported drug-related serious adverse events (SAEs). Moreover, results from a Phase 2b clinical trial demonstrated that leronlimab monotherapy can prevent viral escape in HIV-infected patients, with some patients on leronlimab monotherapy remaining virally suppressed for more than five years. CytoDyn is also conducting a Phase 2 trial to evaluate leronlimab for the prevention of GvHD and a Phase 1b/2 clinical trial with leronlimab in metastatic triple-negative breast cancer. More information is atwww.cytodyn.com.

Forward-Looking StatementsThis press releasecontains certain forward-looking statements that involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions that are difficult to predict. Words and expressions reflecting optimism, satisfaction or disappointment with current prospects, as well as words such as believes, hopes, intends, estimates, expects, projects, plans, anticipates and variations thereof, or the use of future tense, identify forward-looking statements, but their absence does not mean that a statement is not forward-looking. The Companys forward-looking statements are not guarantees of performance, and actual results could vary materially from those contained in or expressed by such statements due to risks and uncertainties including: (i)the sufficiency of the Companys cash position, (ii)the Companys ability to raise additional capital to fund its operations, (iii) the Companys ability to meet its debt obligations, if any, (iv)the Companys ability to enter into partnership or licensing arrangements with third parties, (v)the Companys ability to identify patients to enroll in its clinical trials in a timely fashion, (vi)the Companys ability to achieve approval of a marketable product, (vii)the design, implementation and conduct of the Companys clinical trials, (viii)the results of the Companys clinical trials, including the possibility of unfavorable clinical trial results, (ix)the market for, and marketability of, any product that is approved, (x)the existence or development of vaccines, drugs, or other treatments that are viewed by medical professionals or patients as superior to the Companys products, (xi)regulatory initiatives, compliance with governmental regulations and the regulatory approval process, (xii)general economic and business conditions, (xiii)changes in foreign, political, and social conditions, and (xiv)various other matters, many of which are beyond the Companys control. The Company urges investors to consider specifically the various risk factors identified in its most recent Form10-K, and any risk factors or cautionary statements included in any subsequent Form10-Q or Form8-K, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Except as required by law, the Company does not undertake any responsibility to update any forward-looking statements to take into account events or circumstances that occur after the date of this press release.

CYTODYN CONTACTSInvestors: Dave Gentry, CEORedChip CompaniesOffice: 1.800.RED.CHIP (733.2447)Cell: 407.491.4498dave@redchip.com

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CytoDyn Files Modified IND and Protocol for Phase 2 Clinical Trial for Treatment of Patients with Coronavirus with Leronlimab (PRO 140) and Advises...

Heartbreaking coronavirus reality as isolated mum’s daughter waves at her from street – Mirror Online

A mum has laid bare the devastating reality of coronavirus by sharing a picture of her young daughter waving at her from the street as she self-isolates.

Dr Laura Noonan has a rare blood disease and needs a type of chemotherapy and stem cell treatment unavailable in Ireland.

TheGP, who travels to Russia every three to four months, is now in a Dublin hospital and fears the coronavirus could kill her.

Dr Noonan, who had just left out of an Intensive Care Unit for her prior health difficulties, said: Im back to the normal ward now, but I dont feel safe at all here.

I think Ill be be exposed to coronavirus through staff even [though there are] no visitors allowed.

I wanted to share with you what I think is the most powerful and impactful image I have seen that represents lockdown Ireland through the eyes of a child."

Mrs Noonan, who said she misses her daughter terribly, added to the Irish Mirror : "Thats my little girl [Freya] and mother waving up to me in isolation on the second floor of the hospital from the footpath below."

The patient, who has been travelling to Russia since January 2018, continued: "She is only seven. We cant see each other because of Covid-19 visiting restrictions.

Mrs Noonan said: "Thisis the face and bravery of one child in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic.

This is possibly one of the saddest photos I have ever taken.

My mother and Freya, two of the strongest women I know, standing outside the hospital waving up at me, talking on the phone and even trying to take a family selfie from a two-storey height difference.

This is not the first time we have had visits through the glass of a hospital window.

We grew very accustomed to that but it was very different that time.

There was a defined period it would last for and I knew when my numbers picked up enough I would be reunited with them albeit with each of us gowned and masked.

This is so different. This time there is no defined period."

Thousands of patients in Irish hospitals by the visiting bans that have been imposed since the coronavirus outbreak.

And Dr Noonan added: "My family have been called to say their goodbyes a few times.

"My brother and sister-in-law had to take an emergency visa to get out to me when I was really sick abroad.

Two weekends ago my husband [Archie] thought I wasnt going to wake from the coma and I did.

I was almost angry at first as I thought I was only living to die another day and I had already put up with so much I couldnt face anymore, but perspective changed over the next few days and Im ready to fight for my daughter again.

"But coronavirus has me terrified again."

Ironically, Mrs Noonan was on a flight from Russia to Ireland on February 2 when officials in hazmat suits removed a suspected coronavirus victim from the plane.

She said: We were all given a leaflet stating that we had possibly been exposed and a list of symptoms to watch out for over the following days.

It also advised we go straight to our onward destinations with as little contact with other people as possible and wait to hear from a doctor the next day.

A public health doctor and some paramedics came onto the plane and distributed contact forms for us to fill in.

It was about two hours after we landed before we got that much info.

But we all knew what the possible problem was within 10 minutes of landing as a paramedic in a hazmat suit removed a Chinese passenger from the plane."

That passenger subsequently tested negative for coronavirus, but if Mrs Noonan does contract the virus it could potentially be fatal for her.

Mrs Noonan said she has no idea when she will see her family.

She added: "I don't know how long I will be looking at my family through a pane of glass or on a video call of some type.

"Im lucky Im able to have my phone and use it.

"Many times, even during this admission, I didnt have my phone as I was too sick to manage it.

"I am always in isolation in hospital due to my lack of a functioning immune system from the chemo and other medications.

"But I could see my close family once they strictly adhere to the hygiene rules and wear masks, gloves and aprons/gowns as directed.

This time I cant see anyone.

Nobody [is allowed] in or out of the hospital without security clearance.

This time it was sprung on us with no real warning. I was told along the grapevine on Friday that no more visitors were allowed.

That was it. There was no time to gather up stuff to bring in to me.

Simple things like toiletries and clean pyjamas and family have since dropped things to the reception, which have been passed on after being sanitised, but its very hard to know they are in the building and I still cant see them even for a minute."

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Heartbreaking coronavirus reality as isolated mum's daughter waves at her from street - Mirror Online