This story appeared in the June 2020 issue as "Out of His Mind."Subscribeto Discover magazine for more stories like this.

It isnt every day that writer Philip Ball is asked to contribute to scientific experiments typically, hes reporting on them instead. But in 2015, scientists from a London-based project called Created Out of Mind asked Ball and a few other creatives if theyd participate in their work and then reflect on the experience. He agreed.

Ball first gave a sample, made up of cells from his skin, which was reprogrammed into stem cells that were subsequently grown into a brain organoid or, as the research team called it, a miniature brain in a dish. These futuristic-sounding specimens arent literal brains, and they dont look it, either. The round, cream-colored clusters of neurons simply resemble little blobs. Theyre not conscious. But they can be studied to better understand brain development such as where and when certain proteins misfold, which can signal whether a person will develop dementia.

This stained microscope image shows cells growing in a cross-section of a brain organoid, with neurons visible in red. (Credit: Chris Lovejoy and Selina Wray)

The researchers then asked Ball to reflect on his experience through writing. What started as a few blogs for Created Out of Mind eventually bloomed into a book, How to Grow a Human. Here, Ball recounts his time spent with his mini brain, and how the process gave him new insight into the future of lab-grown life.

Id pop into the lab from time to time and see how things were going. At one point, I stopped by and one of the researchers told me that the organoids werent looking great for some reason, they werent growing as they thought they might. We werent sure quite how they were going to turn out, and in the end many of them died before they could fully form.

Philip Ball (Credit: Richard Houghton)

But one day, out of the blue, one of the project leaders dropped me an email with photos and said, Look, heres your mini brain. And there it was ... I wish there was some drama to it, but the researchers were pretty casual about it because they grow these things all the time. And I wish I could say that I remember thinking, Oh my God, this is my second brain, but I think I was more relieved than anything that it actually grew into an organoid. The fact that they actually got one that had these really clear, discernible structures in it was pretty remarkable. If anything, I felt a little bit proud of myself that we actually created something in the end.

For me, one of the really interesting things I gleaned from the project was that the stuff we are made from is incredibly versatile. The technology of transforming cells from virtually any other tissue in the body is relatively new, and its leading to all sorts of directions in medicine and research. I was fascinated to see firsthand what extraordinary things cells even mature, adult cells are capable of.

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What It's Like to Grow a 'Mini-Brain' From Your Own Cells - Discover Magazine

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DUBLIN--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The "Cell Therapy - Technologies, Markets and Companies" report from Jain PharmaBiotech has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

The cell-based markets was analyzed for 2018, and projected to 2028. The markets are analyzed according to therapeutic categories, technologies and geographical areas. The largest expansion will be in diseases of the central nervous system, cancer and cardiovascular disorders. Skin and soft tissue repair as well as diabetes mellitus will be other major markets.

The number of companies involved in cell therapy has increased remarkably during the past few years. More than 500 companies have been identified to be involved in cell therapy and 309 of these are profiled in part II of the report along with tabulation of 302 alliances. Of these companies, 170 are involved in stem cells.

Profiles of 72 academic institutions in the US involved in cell therapy are also included in part II along with their commercial collaborations. The text is supplemented with 67 Tables and 25 Figures. The bibliography contains 1,200 selected references, which are cited in the text.

This report contains information on the following:

The report describes and evaluates cell therapy technologies and methods, which have already started to play an important role in the practice of medicine. Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation is replacing the old fashioned bone marrow transplants. Role of cells in drug discovery is also described. Cell therapy is bound to become a part of medical practice.

Stem cells are discussed in detail in one chapter. Some light is thrown on the current controversy of embryonic sources of stem cells and comparison with adult sources. Other sources of stem cells such as the placenta, cord blood and fat removed by liposuction are also discussed. Stem cells can also be genetically modified prior to transplantation.

Cell therapy technologies overlap with those of gene therapy, cancer vaccines, drug delivery, tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. Pharmaceutical applications of stem cells including those in drug discovery are also described. Various types of cells used, methods of preparation and culture, encapsulation and genetic engineering of cells are discussed. Sources of cells, both human and animal (xenotransplantation) are discussed. Methods of delivery of cell therapy range from injections to surgical implantation using special devices.

Cell therapy has applications in a large number of disorders. The most important are diseases of the nervous system and cancer which are the topics for separate chapters. Other applications include cardiac disorders (myocardial infarction and heart failure), diabetes mellitus, diseases of bones and joints, genetic disorders, and wounds of the skin and soft tissues.

Regulatory and ethical issues involving cell therapy are important and are discussed. Current political debate on the use of stem cells from embryonic sources (hESCs) is also presented. Safety is an essential consideration of any new therapy and regulations for cell therapy are those for biological preparations.

Key Topics Covered

Part I: Technologies, Ethics & Regulations

Executive Summary

1. Introduction to Cell Therapy

2. Cell Therapy Technologies

3. Stem Cells

4. Clinical Applications of Cell Therapy

5. Cell Therapy for Cardiovascular Disorders

6. Cell Therapy for Cancer

7. Cell Therapy for Neurological Disorders

8. Ethical, Legal and Political Aspects of Cell therapy

9. Safety and Regulatory Aspects of Cell Therapy

Part II: Markets, Companies & Academic Institutions

10. Markets and Future Prospects for Cell Therapy

11. Companies Involved in Cell Therapy

12. Academic Institutions

13. References

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/7h12ne

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The Cell Therapy Industry to 2028: Global Market & Technology Analysis, Company Profiles of 309 Players (170 Involved in Stem Cells) -...

Skin Stem Cells Comments Off on The Cell Therapy Industry to 2028: Global Market & Technology Analysis, Company Profiles of 309 Players (170 Involved in Stem Cells) -… | May 14th, 2020

Dr Shikha Sharma

Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is an unforgettable word in 2020. World health organization has declared COVID-19 as pandemic and according to the Worldometer site, it has affected 212 countries and territories and has caused approximately 2.8 lakhs deaths so far. According to the various published scientific evidences COVID-19 is an infectious disease caused by new coronavirus that can lead to lung dysfunction. There are 7 coronaviruses that are known to cause disease in humans and among these 3 can cause the severe respiratory infection. These are severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV) identified in 2002 in China, Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) identified in 2012 in Saudi Arabia and severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus2 (SARS-CoV2) commonly called COVID-19 identified in late 2019 in Wuhan, China. SARS-CoV, MERS-CoV and COVID-19 are closely related but COVID-19 spread more quickly than the other two. Over 8000 people from 29 different countries were affected with SARS-CoV epidemic during 2002-2004 while 40.78 lakhs people are affected with COVID-19 so far. In most cases, immune response (bodys defence system) triggered by the COVID-19 infection is sufficient to combat its pathogenesis leads to the recovery of patient. However, in some cases, COVID-19 infection causes highly inflammatory form of lung cells death and injury as the most dangerous phase of its pathogenesis which leads to the overproduction of inflammatory cytokines by bodys own immune cells creating cytokine storm that results in damage to the lung tissues causing pneumonia, acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and sepsis. In Pneumonia and ARDS air sac of lungs fill with fluid or pus. These complications lead to severe condition such as shortness of breath that require treatment with oxygen and ventilator. Therefore controlling inflammatory response is utmost important to prevent coronavirus lethality rate and for the longer life of a patient. Currently no specific treatment is available for COVID-19 infection but several vaccines, drugs and stem cells testing in various countries has generated hope to combat its pathogenesis. Recent breakthrough has demonstrated mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) as cell medicine therapy to reduce COVID-19 infection.What are MSCsMSCs are multipotent adult stem cells that are capable of differentiating into various cell types such as fat cells, bone cells, liver cells, pancreatic cells, brain cells, heart cells and skin cells thus can participate in the repair and regeneration of various tissues and organs of the body. Inside the body, upon injury, MSCs migrate to the injured site and participate in the regeneration and repair of the organ either by differentiation or by paracrine secretion or both. In addition MSCs possess immunomodulatory and anti-inflammatory properties that contributes to its cell medicinal properties. MSCs can be isolated from various tissues such as bone marrow, peripheral blood, body fat, muscle, placenta, umbilical cord, umbilical cord blood, teeth and hair follicles and can be expanded ex vivo and used for transplantation for treating disease and disorders after genetic stability test.How MSCs reduce COVID-19pathogenesisAs reported by various research groups that upon intravenous injection or through mist inhalation the significant population of MSCs migrate to the lung and secrete various immunomodulatory and anti-inflammatory factors to cure lung dysfunction by normalizing immune response altered by COVID-19 and stimulate lung repair. Moreover MSCs are resistant to COVID-19 infection and can be used for autologous and allogenic transplantation.Clinical trial with MSCs for COVID-19There are several clinical trials registered with MSCs for the treatment of COVID-19 from various countries such as China, USA, UK, Germany, UAE, Jordan and Iran and some reports have been published. Approximately 100 patients have been treated with MSCs therapy from moderate to critical conditions within 10-15 days of transplantation. A first case treated with MSCs showed the recovery of 65 year old critical ill patient in Baoshan Peoples Hospital, Longling County, China. Initially the patient was treated with antiviral therapy and immunomodulator thymosin alpha1 but hasnt shown any recovery. Later after 10 days patient was diagnosed with severe pneumonia, acute respiratory distress syndrome, multiorgan injury, type2 diabetes, moderate anaemia, electrolyte disturbance, immunosuppression, acute gastrointestinal bleeding and other symptom was shifted to ICU and on ventilator. They showed that after three MSCs injections along with thymosin alpha1 lead to the recovery of patient from COVID-19 infection. FDA has approved 24 patient clinical trial in USA to test safety and efficacy of MSCs from umbilical cord to prevent COVID-19 infection. Recently, in USA three critically ill patients in ICU and on ventilator recovered from COVID-19 infection with MSCs treatment. An Israeli pharmaceutical company Pluristem therapeutics have tested MSCs therapy on 7 critically ill patient and found positive results. More recently, UAE also reported the treatment of 73 COVID-19 infected patients with stem cells. They have developed the technology to isolate the stem cells from patient blood, activate them and reintroduce them by mist inhalation. These reports are indicative that MSCs hold the potential to treat the COVID-19 infection by preventing bodys own defense system from overreacting and normalise its response to fight against COVID-19 infection. Many companies from different countries are seeking approval to begin clinical trial with stem cells against COVID-19 infection.Why are we lagging behind when we have stem cell companies/labs/facility in our country? We also produce GMP grade stem cells for transplantation. China tested the stem cell therapy on first patient when all other therapies failed and stem cells was one of option left to save the life of the patient. In India also so many deaths are happening due to COVID-19 we can also check if stem cells can reduce the mortality rate. Moreover as per some reports MSCs dont stay inside the body for more than 1-3 months and they eventually die and dont result in teratoma formation. Our government along with doctors and scientist can also formulate committee on stem cells and begin such initiative to test MSCs for the treatment of COVID-19 infection. Nevertheless, MSCs has joined the army along with the other possible interventions to prevent the COVID-19 illness.(The author is (PhD and Postdoc in Stem Cells)feedbackexcelsior@gmail.com

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Stem cells therapy A prospective treatment against coronavirus? - Daily Excelsior

Skin Stem Cells Comments Off on Stem cells therapy A prospective treatment against coronavirus? – Daily Excelsior | May 14th, 2020

As a skin-care brand, Augustinus Bader prides itself on releasing products not out of frivolity or trying to up its bottom line, but out of necessity. As Charles Rosier, cofounder and CEO of Augustinus Bader, puts it: "We want to only add product when we feel we are relevant," he tells Allure via phone from Paris, France, where he is currently self-isolating. "Our latest initiative was a reaction to something that we felt was needed by the consumer by everyone."

The brand's newest offering, The Hand Treatment, is meant to be just that. As it stands, given the current COVID-19 situation, we are all washing our hands (or should be) much more than we might otherwise normally do so. However, as you've also likely experienced dry skin and flaking cuticles, just as is the case with everywhere else on the body, overwashing the skin on our hands can bring on a host of issues all their own. Even if you forgo washing for an alcohol-based hand sanitizer, the effects can be just as profound if not more so.

"We are seeing more and more hand dermatitis," explains New York City-based board-certified dermatologist Dhaval Bhanusali, who is not affiliated with Augustinus Bader. "By overwashing, we strip the good oils from our skin and leave it dry and susceptible to breakdown."

Our skin's moisture barrier is responsible for keeping the good things in (like hydration and natural oils) and the bad things out (like allergens and bacteria). When the lipid barrier on the hands (or anywhere on the body) becomes too dried out, it can literally start to break down and lose functionality. Simply put, in order for our skin to function and remain healthy, its barrier must be intact. However, we're not saying that you should stop washing your hands just that it's equally important to replenish hydration after doing so.

That's where Augustinus Bader's new Hand Treatment comes into play. It's formulated with a blend of ultra-nourishing ingredients, including vitamin E, glycerin, and shea butter, as well as honey and white peony extract both of which also have natural antibacterial properties. However, as with all Bader products, the key ingredient is something called TFC8, which stands for its proprietary Trigger Factor Complex-8.

For those unfamiliar with the brand, TFC8 is not one singular ingredient but rather, a proprietary blend of "natural amino acids, high-grade vitamins, and synthesized molecules naturally found in skin," cosmetic chemist Ginger King (who is not affiliated with the brand) previously told Allure. In a nutshell, TFC8 provides an ideal environment in which our skin's stem cells can naturally regenerate it acts as a sort of guide, helping to set the skin's inherent repair system back on track.

"The TCF8 technology focuses on intrinsic repair processes based in intrinsic repair cells, which we call stem cells," Bader explains. "We wanted to develop a hand cream with our technology, which helps to protect and care for the skin."

The results of using TFC8 topically, according to Augustinus Bader himself, a German stem-cell scientist, and his many devotees (our own editor in chief among them), read like a laundry list of skin-care goals: Increased hydration, a strengthened skin barrier, faded fine lines, and dark spots. The proprietary ingredient is, of course, also formulated into the brand's other offerings: two creams for the face, one for the body, and most recently, a makeup primer collaboration with Victoria Beckham Beauty.

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Augustinus Bader Launches The Hand Treatment in Response to COVID-19 Pandemic Exclusive Details - Allure

Skin Stem Cells Comments Off on Augustinus Bader Launches The Hand Treatment in Response to COVID-19 Pandemic Exclusive Details – Allure | May 13th, 2020

CRANFORD, N.J., May 13, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Citius Pharmaceuticals, Inc. ("Citius" or the "Company") (Nasdaq: CTXR), a specialty pharmaceutical company focused on developing and commercializing critical care drug products, today announced that data on NoveCite MSCs will be presented this week at the American Society of Gene and Cell therapy (ASGCT) annual meeting. NC-MSCs are made by Novellus, Inc. ("Novellus"), a Cambridge-based biotechnology company, using its patented mRNA-based cell-reprogramming process. Earlier this year, Citius signed an exclusive option agreement to in-license NC-MSCs for acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), including in COVID-19 patients, from Novellus.

The data to be presented show that NC-MSCs secrete higher levels of anti-inflammatory proteins compared to MSCs derived from bone marrow. From the abstract: "Comparative secretome analysis showed overexpression of multiple neuroprotective and anti-inflammatory factors, including CXCL1, VEGF-A, and CXCL5." In addition, NC-MSCs showed therapeutic benefit in an experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) mouse model, delaying disease progression and improving the clinical score compared to the control group, while bone marrow-derived MSCs showed no difference from the control.

"We are pleased to present these data at the annual meeting of the ASGCT," said Matt Angel, PhD, co-founder and Chief Science Officer at Novellus. "While conventional MSCs have shown promise in the treatment of inflammatory lung disease, protein secretion and manufacturability remain challenges for these approaches. The data that will be presented this week show that iPSC-derived MSCs secrete higher levels of anti-inflammatory proteins, and exhibit greater expansion potential than bone marrow-derived MSCs. We believe that these properties make iPSC-derived MSCs especially well-suited for an allogeneic cell therapy for ARDS."

"Last month Citius signed an exclusive option agreement with Novellus for worldwide development and commercial rights related to the use of these uniquely derived MSCs for the treatment of ARDS. The pre-clinical data that is being presented at the ASGCT annual meeting adds to our confidence in the higher potency of these MSCs, which we expect will result in better outcomes for patients with COVID-19 and ARDS," stated Myron Holubiak, CEO of Citius Pharmaceuticals. "We intend to study these cells in the clinic later this year to determine safety, efficacy, and the optimal dose of these cells in moderate to severe ARDS patients with COVID-19."

Citius has submitted a pre-IND meeting request and supporting briefing documents to the Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research ("CBER") of the FDA under the Coronavirus Treatment Acceleration Program (CTAP) for use of these MSCs for patients with Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS) due to SARS-CoV-2 disease.

Presentation Information:Title:Mesenchymal Stem Cells (MSCs) Generated Using mRNA Reprogramming Show Enhanced Growth Potential, Secretome, and Therapeutic Efficacy in a Demyelinating Disease ModelPresenter:Harris, Jasmine, Novellus, Inc.Date and Time: Wednesday, May 13 | 5:30 PM - 6:30 PM

About Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS)ARDS is a type of respiratory failure characterized by rapid onset of widespread inflammation in the lungs. ARDS is a rapidly progressive disease that occurs in critically ill patients most notably now in those diagnosed with COVID-19. ARDS affects approximately 200,000 patients per year in the U.S., exclusive of the current COVID-19 pandemic, and has a 30% to 50% mortality rate. ARDS is sometimes initially diagnosed as pneumonia or pulmonary edema (fluid in the lungs from heart disease). Symptoms of ARDS include shortness of breath, rapid breathing and heart rate, chest pain (particularly while inhaling), and bluish skin coloration. Among those who survive ARDS, a decreased quality of life is relatively common.

About Coronavirus Treatment Acceleration Program (CTAP)In response to the pandemic, the FDA has created an emergency program called the Coronavirus Treatment Acceleration Program (CTAP) to accelerate the development of treatments for COVID-19. By redeploying staff, the FDA is responding to COVID-19-related requests and reviewing protocols within 24 hours of receipt. The FDA said CTAP "uses every available method to move new treatments to patients as quickly as possible, while at the same time finding out whether they are helpful or harmful." In practice, that means developers of potential treatments for COVID-19 will benefit from an unusually faster track at the FDA to shorten wait times at multiple steps of the process.

About Citius Pharmaceuticals, Inc.Citius is a late-stage specialty pharmaceutical company dedicated to the development and commercialization of critical care products, with a focus on anti-infectives and cancer care. For more information, please visit http://www.citiuspharma.com.

About Novellus, Inc.Novellus is a pre-clinical stage biotechnology company developing engineered cellular medicines using its non-immunogenic mRNA, nucleic-acid delivery, gene editing, and cell reprogramming technologies. Novellus is privately held and is headquartered in Cambridge, MA. For more information, please visit http://www.novellus-inc.com.

Safe HarborThis press release may contain "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Such statements are made based on our expectations and beliefs concerning future events impacting Citius. You can identify these statements by the fact that they use words such as "will," "anticipate," "estimate," "expect," "should," and "may" and other words and terms of similar meaning or use of future dates. Forward-looking statements are based on management's current expectations and are subject to risks and uncertainties that could negatively affect our business, operating results, financial condition, and stock price. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those currently anticipated are: the risk of successfully negotiating a license agreement with Novellus within the option period; our need for substantial additional funds; the ability to access the FDA's CTAP program for the MARCO trial; the estimated markets for our product candidates, including those for ARDS, and the acceptance thereof by any market; risks associated with conducting trials for our product candidates, including those expected to be required for any treatment for ARDS and our Phase III trial for Mino-Lok; risks relating to the results of research and development activities; risks associated with developing our product candidates, including any licensed from Novellus, including that preclinical results may not be predictive of clinical results and our ability to file an IND for such candidates; uncertainties relating to preclinical and clinical testing; the early stage of products under development; risks related to our growth strategy; our ability to obtain, perform under, and maintain financing and strategic agreements and relationships; our ability to identify, acquire, close, and integrate product candidates and companies successfully and on a timely basis; our ability to attract, integrate, and retain key personnel; government regulation; patent and intellectual property matters; competition; as well as other risks described in our SEC filings. We expressly disclaim any obligation or undertaking to release publicly any updates or revisions to any forward-looking statements contained herein to reflect any change in our expectations or any changes in events, conditions, or circumstances on which any such statement is based, except as required by law.

Contact:Andrew ScottVice President, Corporate Development(O) 908-967-6677 x105 [emailprotected]

SOURCE Citius Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

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Citius Announces Data on NoveCite Mesenchymal Stem Cells (NC-MSCs) to be Presented at the American Society of Gene and Cell Therapy (ASGCT) Annual...

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XconomyBoston

Few drugs exist that treat amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, a progressive disease that kills the nerve cells that allow patients to initiate and control muscle movement.

QurAlis, a Cambridge, MA-based startup, has an ambitious plan to develop a number of precision therapies for the disease based on forms of the condition identified by genetic mutation or a biomarker that CEO Kasper Roet (pictured) hopes to could one day, in combination, help most ALS patients.

Now the company has raised $42 million from investors in the US, Europe, and Japanmoney that will fund a move from the LabCentral incubator in Kendall Square to its own office, more than double the companys headcount by years end, and get at least one of its programs into human testing sometime next year.

The company is leveraging stem cell research from company co-founders Kevin Eggan and Clifford Woolf, Harvard University professors whoby harvesting normal skin cells from ALS patients and turning them into cells such as the motor neurons that damages as the disease progresseshave created models with the same DNA and gene mutations as those patients in an effort to identify new therapeutics for known ALS genes.

Mutations in more than 25 human genes have been implicated in ALS, the company says, and its strategy is to systematically investigate treatments targeting specific disease-causing mechanisms in patient subgroups. Some of those genes are also believed to cause frontotemporal dementia, a common cause of dementia that QurAlis also plans to treat.

One program QurAlis is advancing is intended for patients whose neurons are damaged and killed by the overactivation of certain receptors for glutamate, a key neurotransmitter, in a process known as excitotoxicity.

The company is also working on a treatment intended to return the autophagy process, through which cells recycle unwanted or damage components, to normal functioning. To do so, QurAlis is looking to target the enzyme TBK1, which plays a key role.

Roet, in an interview, said the company views its strategy as analogous to that pursued by Bostons Vertex Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: VRTX), which has developed multiple drugs for forms of cystic fibrosis (CF) caused by certain mutations, and late last year received approval for a combination of those drugs for about 90 percent of all CF patients.

We have identified ALS as a disease that we think we understand now, at least for specific subgroups of patients, he said. We understand what is driving the disease and we are able to develop very specific therapies for those patients.

Eggan, Woolf, Roet, and Jonathan Fleming launched QurAlis just over two years ago with seed funding from investors including MP Healthcare Venture Management, the investment arm of Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma; the investment arm of Amgen (NASDAQ: AMGN); and Alexandria Venture Investments. Mitsubishi Tanabe markets edaravone (Radicava), one of four FDA-approved treatments for ALS. The FDAs 2017 nod for the drug made it the only ALS therapy OKd in the past 20 years.

The Cambridge, MA-based company said the new capital, a Series A financing round, brings the total it has raised to $50.5 million. The investment was led by LS Polaris Innovation Fund, Mission BioCapital, Dutch firm Inkef Capital, and the Dementia Discovery Fund. New investors including Droia Ventures, which operates from Luxembourg and Belgium, Mitsui Global Investment, and Dolby Family Ventures also participated, as did earlier investors including Amgen, MP Healthcare, and Sanford Biosciences.

As part of the deal, LS Polariss Amy Schulman, Inkef Capitals Roel Bulthuis, Dementia Discovery Funds Jonathan Behr, and Droia Ventures Luc Dochez join Mission BioCapitals Johannes Fruehauf on the QurAlis board.

Earlier this year some of the same investors, including Amgen and Dolby Family Ventures, backed a Series A financing for EnClear Therapies, a spinout of QurAlis. That company raised $10 million to advance the development of a dialysis-like medical device designed to filter out harmful proteins in the cerebral spinal fluid of patients with neurodegenerative diseases.

Sarah de Crescenzo is an Xconomy editor based in San Diego. You can reach her at sdecrescenzo@xconomy.com.

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QurAlis Hauls In $42M to Move New ALS Therapies Into Human Testing - Xconomy

Skin Stem Cells Comments Off on QurAlis Hauls In $42M to Move New ALS Therapies Into Human Testing – Xconomy | May 13th, 2020

Novadip Biosciences Reports Positive Interim Analysis of Phase I/II Bone Non-Union Study with NVD003

Mont-Saint Guibert, Belgium, 13 May, 2020: Novadip Biosciences (Novadip or the Company), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company leveraging its proprietary tissue regeneration technology platform, today announces positive data from the interim analysis of its Phase I/IIa clinical trial for autologous NVD-003 in adults with non-healing fracture of the lower limb.

NVD-003 is a novel autologous cell-based osteogenic (bone healing/[bone forming]) product that has been generated from Novadips proprietary 3M tissue regeneration platform. This platform is aimed at healing damaged tissues by restoring their natural physiology and consists of a 3-dimensional, scaffold-free extracellular matrix (ECM), utilizing differentiated adipose-derived stem cells (ASCs) to restore the physiology of natural healing. NVD003 presents as a scaffold-free 3D implant to fill critical-size bone defects where healing is compromised.

This phase I/II study is investigating in five European centers the potential of NVD-003 to promote bone union in nine adults with a non-healing fracture of the lower limb. There was 100% manufacturing success for NVD-003 and grafting surgery was completed successfully in all patients without deviating from standard medical practice. To date, with a median of 12 months post-treatment, no NVD003 related safety signal has been reported. Further exploratory analysis performed on data from the first five patients to complete a six month follow up showed a strong positive trend in radiological healing with confirmed bone formation for all patients and radiologically confirmed union for three of the patients.

Prof. Gunnar Anderson (MD, PhD), Professor and Chairman Emeritus of the Department of Orthopedic Surgery at Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois and Chairman of the Scientific Advisory Board commented: The early results of this study are remarkable both clinically and for the patients and we look forward to replicating these in a larger group in the future. It is hugely encouraging that we may potentially have a future solution for these patients with unmet needs.

Dr. Denis Dufrane (MD, PhD), Chief Executive Officer, Chief Scientific Officer commented: We are encouraged by the data from this interim analysis, which demonstrates the potential of our tissue regeneration 3M3 platform to restore natural healing processes in patients with reputedly difficult to treat bone defects. We look forward to further progressing NVD-003s clinical program in bone non-union and in patients with other similar conditions with no effective treatment option and hope to provide full study results in 2025.

NVD-003 is also in clinical stage for congenital pseudarthrosis of the tibia (CPT), a rare and disabling pediatric condition with very limited treatment options and has demonstrated clinical proof-of-concept in case studies.

Novadips tissue regeneration platform drives several new classes of product candidates with an initial focus on autologous cell therapies for critical size tissue reconstruction. Allogeneic therapeutics are in development for prevalent and complex tissue defects for bone and skin tissue and exosomes/miRNA-based therapeutics are being developed for immediate (off-the-shelf) clinical use.

- End -

Notes to editors

Novadip Biosciences

Novadip Biosciences is a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company leveraging its unique 3D tissue regeneration technology platform to generate multiple product candidates to address hard and soft tissue reconstruction for patients who have limited or no treatment options. The companys proprietary 3M3 platform is a 3-dimensional, extracellular matrix that utilizes adipose-derived stem cells to deliver highly-specific growth factors and miRNAs to mimic the physiology of natural healing and creates a range of products that address specific challenges in tissue regeneration. Novadips initial focus is on critical size bone reconstruction. The company is also applying its 3M3 platform to develop truly novel off-the-shelf/allogeneic therapies to address more prevalent tissue defects and miRNA/exosome products for broader indications. For more information, visit http://www.novadip.com .

For further information, please contact:

Novadip Biosciences

Denis Dufrane

Chief Executive Officer, Chief Scientific Officer

+32 (10) 779 220

info@novadip.com

For media enquiries:

Consilium Strategic Communications

Chris Gardner, Matthew Neal, Angela Gray

+44 (0) 20 3709 5700

novadip@consilium-comms.com

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Novadip Biosciences Reports Positive Interim Analysis of Phase I/II Bone Non-Union Study with NVD003 - Yahoo Finance UK

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Carlos R. Bachier, MD

Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapies quickly burst into the spotlight of hematology-oncology disease management because of their potential to illicit deep and durable responses from patients whose disease is relapsed or refractory to multiple previous lines of therapy. Relevant professional meetings and oncology publications exploded with research and news about CAR T cells, and this cellular therapy strategy is now being explored across hematologic and solid malignancies.

CAR T cells are a scientific revolution, Tania Jain, MBBS, assistant professor of oncology at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland, said in an interview with Targeted Therapies in Oncology (TTO). They have brought about a paradigm shift in terms of how were treating patients.

The 2 currently FDA-approved CAR T-cell therapies, axicabtagene ciloleucel (Yescarta) and tisagenlecleucel (Kymriah), are both indicated for the treatment of adult patients with relapsed or refractory large B-cell lymphoma; additionally, tisagenlecleucel is approved for patients up to 25 years with relapsed or refractory B-cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL).1-3 With a second wave of approvals likely on the horizon for therapies such as lisocabtagene maraleucel (liso-cel) and idecabtagene vicleucel (bb2121), CAR T is gaining traction and will likely play an increasingly prominent role in the future treatment paradigm in oncology.

CAR T-cell therapy administration is largely limited to the inpatient setting at both academic institutions and large accredited cancer centers, making such treatments unavailable to most patients. Other challenges with this type of therapy include its potential to cause serious toxicities resulting in organ damage and death.4

David G. Maloney, MD, PhD

Due to the promising efficacy of these agents, investigators have been working toward viable solutions to bring CAR T-cell therapies to more patients by alleviating difficulties associated with therapy delivery and patient care.

CAR T-cell therapies, both those currently approved and the many being explored in late-phase clinical trials, are produced from autologous T cells obtained from the patient receiving therapy. This personalization has led to tremendous success, yet it is a large part of why CAR T-cell therapy use remains limited to a select group of patients.

Time is an important consideration for patients who have experienced multiple relapses and may be too weakened by numerous lines of prior therapy to wait several weeks for the CAR T-cell manufacturing process. The effects of previous treatments or the disease itself can also present challenges, as manypatients are rendered lymphopenic and may be unable to produce enough T cells for harvesting. Roadblocks may remain for patients who are not limited by these factors; manufacturing success and effectiveness of the CAR T-cell product can be negatively influenced by disease-related dysfunctions of patients T cells.4

A new option, off-the-shelf CAR T-cell products, may help solve these problems. These premade products are manufactured using allogeneic donor cells (instead of autologous cells from the patient), and they present immediate advantages to clinicians, such as immediate availability, opportunity for product standardization, and decreased cost.5

The advantages [include] being able to access the cellular therapy in real time, as opposed to autologous products that havetobe manufactured,Craig S. Sauter, MD, clinical director of the Adult Bone Marrow Transplant Service at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York, New York, explained in an interview withTTO. This is particularly important for patients who are not responding to therapy, which is a current requirement for treatment with CAR T cells, he added.

Findings from a phase I trial (NCT01430390) in patients with relapsed or refractory B-cell malignancies showed that patients with non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) experienced durable responses with an Epstein-Barr virusspecific cytotoxic lymphocyte CAR product derived from cells harvested from third-party donors (rather than from their more precisely matched stem cell donors). All 4 patients with NHL and a single patient with chronic lymphocytic leukemia, who were treated with third-party cells, remained disease free and alive at the time of analysis, with a median follow-up of over 2 years.6

The advantages [of this type of therapy are] that it eliminates the need for apheresis [and] shipping cellular products back and forth. [Instead, clinicians] have a pharmaceutical product on the shelf for access, Sauter, who was an author on the trial, said. Another notable product being investigated in clinical trials is UCART19, an allogeneic engineered anti CD19CAR T-cell product, which is being evaluated in the phase I CALM trial in adult patients with relapsed or refractory B-cell ALL (NCT02746952) and in the phase I PALL trial of pediatric patients with relapsed or refractory CD19-positive B-cell ALL (NCT02808442). Other off-the-shelf agents are described in theTABLE.5

Issues with inpatient CAR T-cell therapy administrationinclude high demands on health care resources and strain on patients and their families. Moving treatment to the outpatient setting has the potential to reduce this strain; however,clinicians taking over care of patients receiving CAR T-cell therapy must be prepared with the proper resources to identify and manage adverse events associated with therapy.

One of the most notable risks to patients receiving CAR T-cell therapy is cytokine release syndrome (CRS), a systemic inflammatory response that is characterized by increased serum levels of inflammatory cytokines, fever, hypotension, hypoxia, and organ dysfunction.4 [CAR T] can also lead to neurological events and can cause confusion and, in some patients, seizures,Carlos R. Bachier, MD, Director of Cellular Research at Sarah Cannon Cancer Center in Nashville, Tennessee, explained in an interview with TTO.

Regardless of the infusion setting, patients require close monitoring in the hours and days following therapy administration. A review byLucrecia Yez, PhD, MS, and colleagues stated that key criteria for treating patients in the outpatient setting include an educated caregiver and necessary infrastructure allowing for outpatient visits plus adequate emergency and intensive care unit (ICU) access. Patients followed as outpatients must be given twice-daily temperature checks for a minimum of 14 days following treatment and preferably extending up to 3 to 4 weeks following infusion. Anysigns of back pain, skin rash, dizziness, chills, shortness of breath, chest pain, tachycardia, or neurological events that may indicate neurotoxicity or signs of CRS must be reported immediately so treatment can begin as quickly as possible.7

Because of the risk of CRS and neurotoxicity, both FDA-approved agents are restricted under the Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy, an FDA-mandated program that builds in caution for use of agents with serious safety concerns.8,9 Therefore, 2 doses of tocilizumab (Actemra), an interleukin (IL)-6 receptor antagonistthat was approved in 2017 for management of CRS associated with CAR T-cell therapy,1,4 should be on hand for each patient before the infusion of CAR T cells. Steroids have also demonstrated efficacy against CRS, but concernssurrounding CAR T-cell suppression with these agents have established them as a second-line choice after tociluzumab.9

Immune effector cellassociated neurotoxicity syndrome (ICANS) is a group of neurologic symptoms associated with treatments such as CAR T-cell therapy. Predisposing factors include younger age, higher tumor burden, high levels of pretreatment inflammation, and history of early or high-grade CRS. Treatments for complications of ICANS vary. Some centers may prescribe prophylactic antiepileptic medications, such as levetiracetam, to prevent seizures in patients with grade 2 or higher neurologic events. AntiIL-6 therapy can be considered in patients with concurrent CRS, but corticosteroids are the preferred regimen in those with neurotoxicity alone.9

In February of this year, the investigational CAR T-cell product liso-cel was granted priority review by the FDA for the treatment of adult patients with relapsed or refractory large B-cell lymphoma who had undergone at least 2 prior therapies.10 Investigators believe that liso-cel therapy may have a place in a broad range of patients and in the outpatient setting.11

It turns out liso-cel has a low incidence of [CRS and ICANS], and they occurred relatively late compared with other products, said Bachier. Because of this low incidence, the strategy was to deliver liso-cel in an outpatient setting.

The feasibility of liso-cel administration on an outpatient basiswas evaluatedby Bachier and colleagues, and the results were presented at the 2020 Transplantation & Cellular Therapy Meetings of the American Society for Transplantation and Cellular Therapy and the Center for International Blood & Marrow Transplant Research, held February 19 to 23, 2020, in Orlando, Florida.12

The authors analyzed data from 3 clinical trials of liso-cel, with a focus on the subset of participants who were treated as outpatients. The included trials were the phase I TRANSCEND-NHL-001 (NCT02631044) and phase II OUTREACH (NCT03744676) trials in patientswhohadundergone at least 2 lines of prior treatment, as well as the PILOT study (NCT03483103), which examined liso-cel as second-line therapy in patients who were ineligible for autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplant because of age, organ function, or ECOG performance score. All 3 studies allowed outpatienttreatment, with some patients receiving their therapy in the nonuniversity setting.

This clinical trial included sites that were not a part of a university but had experience treating patients for stem cell transplant, Bachier said. Some of these sites that participated were notyour traditional university centers that had traditionally been involved in the development of these therapies.

Much caution was required in order to maximize patient safety and treatment efficacy. The approach of doing CAR T-cell therapy, in general, in the outpatient setting requires a robust clinical ability of the centers, said coauthor David G. Maloney, MD, PhD, medical director of Cellular Immunotherapy at the Immunotherapy Integrated Research Center of Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle, Washington, in an interview. We were able to get people safely to the hospital, and it was rare that you would have to do escalation of care when people were admitted. Most of the time, patients could bemanagedand wereout of the ICU, withrare exceptions. But again, you still have to have the wherewithal to get patients to the ICU pot entially for aggressive care if needed.

Results of the analysis of outpatient data from the 3 trials showed that rates of toxicity and response were similar to those previously reported for the entire patient cohort (both inpatients and outpatients) of the TRANSCEND-NHL-001 trial.

Based on these results, the indication is that you can deliver [liso-cel] in the outpatient setting and the outcomes are good compared with those treated in the inpatient setting, said Bachier. Aside from that, it also showed that liso-cel could be safely administered outside of university programs and in more community-based programs, most of them being aligned [with] or part of stem cell and bone marrow transplant programs.

When planning or setting up a CAR T-cell therapy outpatient program, investigators anticipate possible barriers to successfultreatment. The greatest barrier, according to Bachier, is access to physicians and staff who are knowledgeable and trained to manage toxicities related to CART-cell therapy. These therapies still should not, in my opinion, be delivered [by clinicians in] community centers that do not have the expertise to deliver the therapies safely, he said.

Maloney added that centers should be required to have the ability to triage patients 24/7 and allow for patients to be directly admitted to the hospital if needed. In the case of the analysis of outpatient data from the 3 liso-cel trials however, he said, We found that around 30% to 40% of patients did not actually ever require hospitalization, whichis quite interesting. Most of the 60% to 70% of patients who were hospitalized were admitted for fever, he added.

In addition, sites must gain accreditation and approval, Jain pointed out.

Every center that intends to do CAR T-cell therapy is first approved by each of the companies [that manufacturethese agents], Jain said. The centers also have to be approved by FACT [Foundation for the Accreditation of Cellular Therapy], which is the same organization that approves centers for allogeneic stem cell transplant. These are some of the largest things that a center needs to go through, which takes care of things like developing standard practices and other guidelines to make sure that these [therapies] are used safely and appropriately.

As investigators and oncologists explore the feasibility of moving CAR T-cell therapy into more settings, 2 questions arise: What settings have on this therapy?

What type of training and skills do clinicians need? Like other clinicians, Sauter has concerns about new allogeneic cellular therapies,andhe hopes future research will focus on mitigating these challenges. The concern would be that these are not autologous products and there is the risk of rejection from the host immune system, he said. Strategies to circumnavigate that risk are at the forefront of investigationin off-the-shelf CAR T cells.

The research is not stopping with CAR T-cell therapy,though. Were seeing a lot of new molecules coming in that will be challenging the roles of CAR T cells, [such as] specific antibodies, which may even work in cases of CAR T-cell failure, Maloney said. We are still learning how to make those more effective and safer.

References:

1. FDA approves tisagenlecleucel for B-cell ALL and tocilizumab for cytokine releasesyndrome.FDAwebsite.PublishedAugust30,2017.AccessedApril14, 2020. bit.ly/2RC4eQ8

2. FDA approves axicabtagene ciloleucel for large B-cell lymphoma. FDA website. Published October 18, 2017. Accessed April 14, 2020. bit.ly/2yYIQOp

3. FDA approves tisagenlecleucel for adults with relapsed or refractory large B-cell lymphoma. FDA website. Published May 1, 2018. Accessed April 14, 2020. bit.ly/34zPoi8

4. Rafiq S, Hackett CS, Brentjens RJ. Engineering strategies to overcome the current roadblocks in CAR T cell therapy. Nat Rev Clin Oncol. 2020;17(3):147167. doi: 10.1038/s41571-019-0297-y

5. DepilS,DuchateauP,GruppSA,MuftiG,PoirotL.Off-the-shelfallogeneic CAR T cells: development and challenges. Nat Rev Drug Discov. 2020;19(3):185199. doi: 10.1038/s41573-019-0051-2

6. Curran KJ, Sauter CS, Kernan CS, et al. Durable remission following off-theshelf chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cells in patients with relapse/refractory (R/R) B-cell malignancies. Presented at: 2020 Transplantation & Cellular Therapy Meetings; February 19-23, 2020; Orlando, FL. Abstract 120. bit.ly/2ufDYCu

7. Yez L, Snchez-Escamilla M, Perales MA. CAR T cell toxicity: current managementandfuturedirections. Hemasphere.2019;3(2):e186.doi:10.1097/ HS9.0000000000000186

8. Risk evaluation and mitigation strategies | REMS. FDA website. Updated August 8, 2019. Accessed April 14, 2020. bit.ly/2ykhLVt

9. JainT,BarM,KansagraAJ,etal.UseofchimericantigenreceptorTcell therapy in clinical practice for relapsed/refractory aggressive B cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma: an expert panel opinion from the American Society for Transplantation and Cellular Therapy. Biol Blood Marrow Transplant. 2019;25(12):2305-2321. doi: 10.1016/j.bbmt.2019.08.015

10. U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) accepts for Priority Review Bristol-Myers Squibbs Biologics License Application (BLA) for lisocabtagene maraleucel (liso-cel) for adult patients with relapsed or refractory large B-cell lymphoma. News release. Bristol-Myers Squibb; February 12, 2020. Accessed April 15, 2020. bit.ly/37ruQbs

11. Helwick C. Strong activity shown for lisocabtagene maraleucel CAR T-cell therapy in aggressive large B-cell lymphoma. ASCO Post website. Published February 25, 2020. Accessed April 15, 2020. bit.ly/3eoD0pT

12. Bachier CR, Palomba ML, Abramson JA, et al. Outpatient treatment with lisocabtagene maraleucel (liso-cel) in 3 ongoing clinical studies in relapsed/refractory (R/R) large B cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL), including second-line transplant noneligible (TNE) patients: TRANSCEND NHL 001, OUTREACH, and PILOT. Presented at: 2020 Transplantation & Cellular Therapy Meetings; February 19-23, Orlando, FL. Abstract 29. bit.ly/37I7DC9

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Protocol Management, Off-the-Shelf Therapies Help Bring CAR T Into More Settings - Targeted Oncology

Skin Stem Cells Comments Off on Protocol Management, Off-the-Shelf Therapies Help Bring CAR T Into More Settings – Targeted Oncology | May 13th, 2020

Families stuck at home during lockdown are being warned about a common but dangerous garden weed which can leave children - and adults - with burns and blisters.

Giant Hogweed has been dubbed Britain's most dangerous plant because of the horrific burns it inflicts on anyone who touches it - especially children - its set to thrive in the weeks ahead thanks to recent weather conditions.

The plant grows wild as well as in gardens and is becoming common the in the UK, but when it comes into contact with skin it causes a painful blistering rash.

The recent warm weather and plenty of rain after a mild winter has created the perfect conditions for this hazardous plant to thrive.

The hogweed looks relatively attractive and is part of the carrot family, but contains toxic chemicals.

Giant hogweed, or Heracleum mantegazzianum, is a weed which has dangerous effects on human health.

Growing up to five metres tall, its sap contains toxic chemicals which react with light when in contact with human skin, causing blistering within 48 hours.

Effectively it prevents the skin from protecting itself from sunlight, which can lead to very bad sunburn and scarring.

It's actually pretty and looks a bit like cow parsley. It's got green stem spotted with dark red which varies from 38 cm in diameter. Each dark red spot on the stem surrounds a hair, and large, coarse white hairs occur at the base of the leaf stalk.

It produces white flowers clustered in an umbrella-shaped head that is up to 80 cm in diameter across its flat top.

Colette Jones, Chairwoman of Friends of Close Park where Giant Hogweed was spotted, told The Bolton News : "Children are drawn to them because they grow so tall. They break them off to use them as sticks not realising how dangerous they are."

Exposure can result in blisters, long-lasting scars, and - if it comes in contact with eyes - blindness.

The blisters will form within 48 hours - scars can last for years.

It can also cause cause long-term sunlight sensitivity in people who touch it.

Black or purplish scars may be left on your skin for years after.

Medical professionals say you should cover the affected area, and wash it with soap and water.

The blisters heal very slowly and can develop into phytophotodermatitis, a type of skin rash which flares up in sunlight.

If you feel unwell or have a severe reaction you are advised to see a doctor.

Giant hogweed was among the foreign plants introduced to Britain in the 19th century as an ornamental plant, but it's now widespread throughout the British Isles.

It's invasive, which means that it chokes off other plants and can reduce wildlife in an area.

The plant is native to the Caucasus region and Central Asia.

The Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 made it illegal to plant or cause giant hogweed to grow in the wild.

It is found in most of the UK, along footpaths and riverbanks though it also grows in places like parks, cemeteries and wasteland.

The sap of giant hogweed has chemicals which are toxic to humans and cause photosensitivity. The sap is phototoxic and can cause phytophotodermatitis.

When they touch skin, they effectively remove any protection against the sunlight causing severe skin inflammations.

Children have been hospitalised and suffered third-degree burns to their skin before.

The severe reaction to the plant is caused by the presence of linear derivates of furanocomarin in the plant's leaves, seeds, flowers, stems and roots.

The chemicals enter the cells' nucleus forming bonds with DNA and cause cells to die.

The RHS advises caution when removing the plant - cover arms and legs, and ideally wear a face mask when working on it.

Cut plant debris, contaminated clothing and tools are potentially hazardous too.

Wash any skin that comes in contact with the plant immediately.

The Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 made it illegal to plant or cause giant hogweed to grow in the wild. Giant hogweed clearances are carried out to remove the plant.

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Warning over common garden weed that causes horrific burns - Cambridgeshire Live

Skin Stem Cells Comments Off on Warning over common garden weed that causes horrific burns – Cambridgeshire Live | May 13th, 2020

Washington D.C: Already known for their shape-shifting abilities, stem cells can now add "death-defying" to their list of remarkable qualities, suggests a novel study.

The new study shows how stem cells, which can contribute to creating many parts of the body, not just one organ or body part, are able to postpone their own death in order to respond to an injury that needs their attention.

The study was done in planarians, which are tiny worms used as model organisms to study regeneration because of their ability to recover from any injury using stem cells.

"Planarian stem cells, even when challenged and under a lot of duress, will still respond to an injury by delaying death," said Divya Shiroor, first author and a graduate student in Dr Carolyn Adler's lab, in the College of Veterinary Medicine.

This could have important implications for cancer research and therapies, particularly when examining chemotherapy and surgery options for patients.

"By understanding how injury prompts planarian stem cells to withstand radiation. We hope to identify genes that, if shared with mammals, could perhaps help hone existing therapies," Shiroor said.

Planarians are commonly used in basic research because of their similarities to humans. Like humans, planarians have stem cells, similar organs and similar genes, but are much more adept at responding to injury, thanks to their higher volume of stem cells and lack of a developed immune system, which in humans complicates the healing process.

"This really simplifies the process of understanding the effects of both injury and radiation on stem cells, and allows us to study it directly without being hampered by parallel processes integral to wound healing, such as inflammation, that get simultaneously triggered in mammals," Shiroor said.

By uncovering the mechanisms that govern stem cells after wounding in a system like planarians, researchers could also apply this knowledge when engineering stem cells to respond similarly in the human body.

Labs have many ways to understand how planarians use stem cells to successfully recover and regenerate, but the Adler lab's combination of radiation and injury to identify a novel stem cell response is unique. The researchers plan on digging deeper to understand how the stressed stem cells know that there is an injury and what role other cells may play in their response.

"We have identified a key gene that is required for stem cell persistence after radiation and injury. and we plan on using this as a stepping stone for further exploration," Shiroor said.

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Researchers discover stem cells' 'death-defying' quality that aids healing - ETHealthworld.com

Skin Stem Cells Comments Off on Researchers discover stem cells’ ‘death-defying’ quality that aids healing – ETHealthworld.com | May 12th, 2020

A decade ago, scientists won the nobel prize for connecting the dots between telomeres and aging. Telomeres are the protective caps on the ends of the strands of DNA called chromosomes. Telomeres shorten every time a cell divides. When they become very short, they trigger cell crisis and cell death.

Since this discovery was made, researchers have found new insights into telomeres and their connection to wrinkled skin, as well as how their length might be extended.

Scientists have uncovered new information on telomeres that could help combat the effects of inflammation and aging. Researchers from the University of Pittsburg recently discovered how oxidative stress plays a critical in the link between telomeres and cancer. I dont want to blind you with science (telomeres are a complex area), but every breakthrough into telomeres will ultimately equal a breakthrough in understanding how we age and how we can keep cells including our skin cells healthy.

Telomeres are composed of repeated sequences of DNA. The results from this study suggest that the mechanism by which oxidative stress accelerates telomere shortening is by damaging the DNA precursor molecules, not the telomere itself. This will have a big impact on appreciating how to manage oxidative stress to prevent aging and diseases such as cancer.

At Stanford University School of Medicine, scientists claim they can now lengthen teleomeres. Skin cells with telomeres lengthened by the procedure were able to divide up to 40 more times than untreated cells (source).

However, longer teleomeres is not necessarily associated with a longer life (source). Indeed, those naysayers say that good diet and an exercise regimen will do that. Yet, it does seem that preventing further shortening of the telomeres could be beneficial, especially for aging skin. Telomeres are likened to the tips of shoelaces that stop them unraveling and so you really want to be thinking about how to stabilize your telomeres. Happily, advances in skin care can help you out. There are three approaches to consider: special ingredients that target telomeres, ingredients that prevent oxidative damage (known, of course, as antioxidants) and stem cells.

Target your telomeres

One very interesting ingredient is called astragalus, and although it is rare, we do have a couple of Truth In Aging finds with it. But first, what is it and how does it work? In 2008, a UCLA AIDS Institute study found that a chemical they called TAT2 from the astragalus root, which is frequently used in Chinese herbal therapy, can prevent or slow the progressive shortening of telomeres. It can be found in Prana Reishi Mushroom Shield ($42 in the shop) and ExPrtise Effective Anti-Aging Face Serum ($120 in the shop).

Another ingredient to look for is treprenone, also marketed under the name of Renovage. Its promise is to stabilize telomeres, so at the very least they won't shorten. Maintaining telomere length extends the Hayflick Limit (the rate at which cells turn over before conking out completely) by one third. Youll find treprenone (Renovage) in Your Best Face Correct ($150 in the shop) Your Best Face Boost ($65 in the shop.

Amp up with antioxidants

The research is clear: Preventing oxidative damage is the job of an antioxidant. Free radicals are charged chemical particles of oxygen that enter into destructive chemical bonds with organic substances such as proteins, as explained by Gerald Imber, MD. Antioxidants limit the production of free radicals and therefore help prevent oxidative stress. There are many sources in plants, and vitamins are also antioxidants.

There are 33 antioxidants in Skin 2 Skin Aging Intervention Cream ($73 in the shop), including the universal antioxidant alpha lipoic acid. The powerful antioxidants in Your Best Face Rescue ($145 in the shop) include spin trap, an advanced form of vitamin C and EGCG. Bee venom has some 18 active compounds include antioxidants, peptides with powerful anti-inflammatory actions, and enzymes. It is the key ingredient in LaCrme Beaut Luxurious Bee Venom Rich Face Treatment Cream ($202 in the shop).

Look for plant stem cells

Plant stem cells never age. British scientists found that plant stem cells were much more sensitive to DNA damage than other cells. Once they sense damage, they trigger death of these cells before it spreads and causes more. In addition, they have the ability to stimulate cell renewal and replace specific cells in need of repair.

Ao Skincare Raw Nourish AM Treatment ($65 in the shop) has the powerful antioxidant astaxanthin and plant stem cells.

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New Study Suggests the Consequences of Oxidative Stress on Telomeres - Truth In Aging

Skin Stem Cells Comments Off on New Study Suggests the Consequences of Oxidative Stress on Telomeres – Truth In Aging | May 12th, 2020

The healthcare industry has been focusing on excessive research and development in the last couple of decades to ensure that the need to address issues related to the availability of drugs and treatments for certain chronic diseases is effectively met. Healthcare researchers and scientists at the Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine of the Hong Kong University have successfully demonstrated the utilization of human induced pluripotent stem cells or hiPSCs from the skin cells of the patient for testing therapeutic drugs.

The success of this research suggests that scientists have crossed one more hurdle towards using stem cells in precision medicine for the treatment of patients suffering from sporadic hereditary diseases. iPSCs are the new generation approach towards the prevention and treatment of diseases that takes into account patients on an individual basis considering their genetic makeup, lifestyle, and environment. Along with the capacity to transform into different body cell types and same genetic composition of the donors, hiPSCs have surfaced as a promising cell source to screen and test drugs.

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In the present research, hiPSC was synthesized from patients suffering from a rare form of hereditary cardiomyopathy owing to the mutations in Lamin A/C related cardiomyopathy in their distinct families. The affected individuals suffer from sudden death, stroke, and heart failure at a very young age. As on date, there is no exact treatment available for this condition.

This team in Hong Kong tested a drug named PTC124 to suppress specific genetic mutations in other genetic diseases into the iPSC transformed heart muscle cells. While this technology is being considered as a breakthrough in clinical stem cell research, the team at Hong Kong University is collaborating with drug companies regarding its clinical application.

The unique properties of iPS cells provides extensive potential to several biopharmaceutical applications. iPSCs are also used in toxicology testing, high throughput, disease modeling, and target identification. This type of stem cell has the potential to transform drug discovery by offering physiologically relevant cells for tool discovery, compound identification, and target validation.

A new report by Persistence Market Research (PMR) states that the globalinduced pluripotent stem or iPS cell marketis expected to witness a strongCAGR of 7.0%from 2018 to 2026. In 2017, the market was worthUS$ 1,254.0 Mnand is expected to reachUS$ 2,299.5 Mnby the end of the forecast period in 2026.

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Customization to be the Key Focus of Market Players

Due to the evolving needs of the research community, the demand for specialized cell lines have increased to a certain point where most vendors offering these products cannot depend solely on sales from catalog products. The quality of the products and lead time can determine the choices while requesting custom solutions at the same time. Companies usually focus on establishing a strong distribution network for enabling products to reach customers from the manufacturing units in a short time period.

Entry of Multiple Small Players to be Witnessed in the Coming Years

Several leading players have their presence in the global market; however, many specialized products and services are provided by small and regional vendors. By targeting their marketing strategies towards research institutes and small biotechnology companies, these new players have swiftly established their presence in the market.

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PMR Sales Revenue in the Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells Market to Witness Growth at Robust CAGR 7% During 2026 - Cole of Duty

Skin Stem Cells Comments Off on PMR Sales Revenue in the Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells Market to Witness Growth at Robust CAGR 7% During 2026 – Cole of Duty | May 11th, 2020

Megan Dunn takes a long look at the art in the Auckland Hospital collection and finds out that yes, there is art, even in intensive care but the price of seeing it is everything.

I got the pamphlet in the mail back in January. It says after someone close to you dies it is natural to:

The day the pamphlet arrived I splayed it open and looked at the photo inside: a network of hands holding other hands. Cropped close. Just linked hands held in support of one another. Beneath the photo: we grieve as deeply as we love.

I am unable to return to normal services.

Painting from collection donated by the Art Komiti of Aucklands Paremoremo Prison

I had noticed art in waiting rooms before, not art with a capital A, not the kind of art that an art writer such as myself would bother to write about, because art like so much else in our society has its hierarchy. Contemporary art is a high-stakes game; who you write about is as important as what you say. Who cares about the art in the waiting room? Lets abbreviate: who cares?

Me. Ive had cause to think about it because last year Mums cancer returned from outer space. Shed been in remission for 17 years, which might be a national record for multiple myeloma, a cancer of the blood. Ive never really understood what her cancer is, just that she beat it first time round, and, last July, the cancer cell count was up. Then she started chemo.

Im not coping, Im just not coping, Mum called after the first round, in tears.

Have you eaten anything?

No. I dont feel like eating.

It was the dex. The specialist, a blonde in a miniskirt and long black boots, said, Thatll be the dex. Short for dexamethasone, a steroid. Another bitter pill to swallow. At that point Mum had to take up to 10 pills a day. I looked at the specialist. I was angry. Mums not coping. I had flown to Auckland to join Mum for her next haematology appointment.

But what art could I prescribe? Optimism matters, but art isnt always soothing or kind.

Im lucky I have a chance of getting better, Mum said. True. Her prognosis was good.

We went upstairs for her second round of chemo. The nurse in blue gown, gloves and a shower cap wheeled it around in a mauve container, hooked it on a drip, and inserted the port into Mums vein.

Other patients stretched out on beds like La-Z-Boys, skin drained. They too were waiting, but looked like they didnt have a chance of getting better.

I stared into the little office next to Mums chair. Harried papers on the desk; a PC lit up like a bright face, ready to supply details, cheer, whatever counts most. On the wall, an original painting of a phutukawa tree. I call it original but the concept wasnt. The sea peeked out of the background, the sky bluer than the sea. The oils had been used with little mixing, but I didnt mind that painting of the beach in summer rudely lit up by the phutukawa tree, the needles burst open in the leaves, red as fireworks.

The nurses are very nice here, Mum said.

Niceness counts like stem cells it has a tally.

That was quick, I said.

It really doesnt take long.

I wondered how long the painting took the artist. Guessing from the paint application, not long, but longer than it takes a dose of chemo to run into your veins.

I wanted to ask the nurse: who bought that painting? Who is the artist? Who put that there? But I was too shy. Why stop this real raw moment, for an intellectual aside, a detour into the art we look at it when were waiting to get better or to see how much worse it can get?

The painting of the phutukawa tree in summer yields its bouquet. Just be.

***

Mum and I got lost en route to blood work. The hospital has an art collection in its corridors that must be maintained by someone, however irregularly. We passed a Claudia Pond Eyley print black lines of plants, bright colours, a Pacific infusion abandoned along a corridor. A trio of photographs of flowers. Where are we? Is it this the way? They need to give better directions. Then, in a gangway, a pair of large, textured, brown abstracts, neither good nor bad, just out of time, like photos of your parents when they were young, in the fashions of the day. Those sideburns. What chops! Mums perm. Dads flares. A big Pat Hanly painting called Vacation was by the escalator. I meant to come back, retrace my steps, and find all this art again. And I did come back, but by then everything had changed.

I dont want to write what comes next, because I dont want the wait to be over. Waiting is a comfort in its own sad way. Just wait and see.

The sea. Waves lap in and out. I see it whenever I attend my doctors surgery above Courtenay Place. Piha is by the Korean-born photographer Jae Hoon Lee. Its moved around the surgery over the years. Now its in the waiting room above a line of plastic chairs. Whoever bought it must have thought it was soothing and anaesthetic, a balm for a worried soul like mine.

What do you want to see when you go for a smear test, or hold a baby that wont go the fuck to sleep, or wait with your partner for test results, a prognosis, a new vaccine?

I thought Ill wait to write about the art at the doctors surgery or the hospital. Or the dentist, though I have not been to the dentist in ages, no cash, so Ill wait. How much art is in your life? How many fillings? Do you have art at home? If so, what? Where did you get it? At what price?

In the waiting room, I dont blame you if you dont want to look at something difficult and ugly or think about something hard. If youre just after a good view, Arent we all?

At my doctors surgery Pihahangs near a plastic container for pamphlets, ruffled in waves.

For every problem there is a pamphlet.

The pamphlet that arrived in the mail in January is titled Department of Critical Care Medicine Bereavement Follow-up Service.

Piha in situ at Courtenay Medical, Wellington

The waiting room isnt just literal, but it is literal too. I know because the last time I was there I got a hot chocolate from the machine. Warm, syrupy. No art, just a TV on the wall.

At the haematology department, I watched a dad sitting with his young daughter on his lap. Her mind looked far away. She waited with the patience of one who has waited before. Then her mum appeared in a turban. I looked at this young mother, I had no idea what cancer of the blood she had, but I really hoped she had a chance of getting better.

Two in 100 people die, Mum said. Back in December she was waiting for her stem-cell transplant. She would be in hospital for two to three weeks. The transplant would take her immunity to zero that was where the risk of infection crept in but then the white cells would ingraft and her count would go back up. Shed signed the forms, accepting the 2% chance she would die. If theres not a bed on Thursday, it will be next week.

I wondered: Will there be any art in her room? And if so, what will it say?

The phutukawa painting in the office of the haematology department says shush shush, that lulling noise of waves from the beach. Dont worry, relax. Its OK. Look at the view. But the Jae Hoon Lee photograph in my doctors surgery says to me your hurt is timeless, the sea will exist whether we do or not, release your grip, whatever happens next will be surgically safe, emotions are never still, time is an inlet, the sea runs in and out.

***

I always knew that waiting was part of the problem. What if you wait too long? Then you cant get around to what you were going to say because you are:

***

Outside Ward 82, ICU (acute surgery). On the intercom, the number one has been buzzed off, pushed too many times. All other numbers present and correct. My mother is in bed 17, I tell the intercom, after Ive pressed the number one that isnt there and waited. Then I walked through vaguely yellow corridors lined with three framed prints, each composition a rectangle yellow, blue, orange lined with holes down the middle. They reminded me of paeans to the common household sponge. I stop at the hand-gel pump and sanitised. The art at the hospital is sanitised too but Im beyond caring. Too much caring and you move though it and pass out on the other side somewhere in the vicinity of bed 17.

At the end of the corridor past the hand gel, the Chen family have donated a small square print, red with black scribble, in honour of the ICU team. I clocked the gold engraved plaque, their appreciation registered on the wall. The painting not unlike the size of a fire alarm, but there is no glass to break open, the call has already been raised.

I got the call from the registrar on December 22 to say that Mums stem-cell plant was not going as expected and she had been admitted to ICU.

Ive been thinking about what I will do when I get better, Mum said, the night I arrived. She sat propped up in bed, on oxygen. Her face flushed, swollen, but superficially OK.

I sat next to her bed. Oh yes, what do you think?

Im going to come to your book launch.

I smiled. My book of personal essays about art and life, already way behind schedule.

What else? I asked.

I might meet someone new. I might travel.

Where would you like to go? I asked.

She paused. Maybe Africa, she said. I could go on a safari.

I nodded. Mum found it hard to walk up the small pronounced hill to our house in Wellington, sweated easily, mopped her forehead. Then shed wait, slightly panting, for her breath to right itself again, restart.

That night, I slept in the hospital. They say you can stay in my room at the Motutapu Ward, Mum said. There was no art in her room, but a wall-to-ceiling poster of a forest, kauri trees, dense, shady, green.

In the morning I got buzzed back into ICU. Mums arms and legs, twitched, calling out; face red, body puffed up; trying to unpick the PICC line from her arm, in among the beeping and the rising heart monitor, the oxygen exhaling. She doesnt recognise me, is raving to the charge nurse, who held her hand and looked at me and explained, Im just going some gentle reorientation work.

I must have seemed stunned.

Do you want to speak outside the room? the charge nurse asked.

I nodded. In the room next door to bed 17, I wailed, What is happening? Oh, what is happening? The charge nurse held me in place and comforted me, when there was no comfort to give.

Next the intensivist arrived in her blue scrubs, removed her surgical mask, wiped her hands with gel, introduced herself as Kylie. She wanted a family meeting.

The whnau room: the painting was donated by the Art Komiti of Aucklands Paremoremo Prison

The whnau room at ICU contains another Claudia Pond Eyley print on one wall and a multi-panel painting of a New Zealand landscape on the other. The mountains, a lake, smooth and even and still. A perennial view of nature, so calm, so undisturbing to see. I cant blame the hospital for containing so many paintings of the view sky, sand, sea, soothing, stretching, somehow infinite. A vista of comfort, comprehended.

I sat down on one side of the big meeting table, Kylie on the other. What is your understanding of your mothers condition? she asked. I rattled off the facts while an accompanying nurse took notes.

Mum had come in for a stem-cell transplant. She had caught pneumonia at a point in the process when she had no natural immunity. She had developed delirium. Her pre-existing heart condition had been set off: arterial fibrillation. She needed oxygen support to breathe.

This is what the 2% of risk looks like? I asked.

Yes. Kylie explained that they couldnt provide sedatives like morphine as that would risk compromising Mums breathing further. They could put Mum on a ventilator if she deteriorated but that would not be a good sign and would come with an extra level of risk. What helped patients with delirium was familiar voices.

I asked her, Are you holding anything back?

Just that this is very life threatening. Her eyes, an expression, I can now only call grave.

Well, it seemed apt. I liked Kylie. The intensivist understood how much intensity was required.

The job title intensivist seemed funny to me because in high school I was always told I was too intense. We have to find a happy medium, a teenage girlfriend once told me. So I got into art because it seemed like a place where intensity went and didnt have to turn down a notch. But art isnt the only place for intensity. At the intensive care unit (acute) on the eighth floor of Auckland Hospital the intensivists are also at work.

All day the nurse at bed 17 and I spooned jelly or orange juice into her mouth, helped her not frantically unpick her PICC line, I just want to go for a walk! No, no dear, you cant get up. Mum, you just need to rest. Rest. A familiar voice on replay. Youll feel so much better if you rest.

In the night I noticed the print of a lone bugle boy down some New Orleans alley, presumably playing jazz. No plaque. Who bought it? What family? Who was lost?

In ICU the beeping was persistent, insistent. The constant sound of inhaling, exhaling. Poke your tongue out. Ahhhh. Good girl.

Were concerned about the delirium. In ICU, delirium can be intensified, especially in older people, by the strange sounds, lights, faces.

I forgot the ducks! I keep meaning to mention the duck painting, a watercolour, a good one too, of some ducks paddling around their pond, giving no quacks in ICU. The duck pond was donated by another family, with a brass plaque. I should have jotted down the name.

The eyeball is so moveable, up and over, it can even see things that arent there. Mum said her family prayer, over and over, eyes roving. We consecrate to Thee, O Jesus of Love My aunt clutched her hands and said the prayer with her.

One night in ICU I passed a large rectangular collage of brightly coloured red and pink buttons like some budget Damien Hirst pill painting. Never passed it again. Beep, beep.

Her oxygen levels are saturating nicely.

How much?

Fifty-five percent, then down to 48%.

Dont obsess about the blood count.

Look at the patient. Look at the face.

The face her not her.

My daughter in the car on the way to the hospital singing: Pop bang crack goes the Christmas cracker, pop bang, crack goes the Christmas cracker, we will pull it off POP.

Eyes popped, snapped.

Shes been restless.

You need to sleep.

Sleep.

I stop and start, keep typing the next line, then deleting it. I dont want to get to the end of this. I dont want to remember all the family meetings in the whnau room waiting. I dont want to chart the order of those disordered days.

What was I going to say about art?

***

I spent the first weekend after Mums stem-cell transplant in her room at the Motutapu Ward. Motutapu means sacred or sanctuary. Shed just had the big dose of chemo and was quiet, but not yet unwell. My aunt was going to join her on Monday Mums 69th birthday for what would be the worst week of the process. I sat on the bed, Mum on the La-Z-Boy. We said not a whole lot.

At one point, I think I can manage a walk.

We passed the two nurses stations. En route I pointed out the art. We stopped by a faded print of sunflowers, beneath glass, but the artist was no Van Gogh. The first time Id passed the sunflowers, I hadnt rated them at all. But that was before Id read that they were by Chris Corlett, a 17-year-old who died of acute lymphoblastic leukaemia 20 years ago. Sunflowers of Hope does look like it was painted by a teenage boy. Theres something gnarly about them. Large and abundant. Full of life. Except for the leaves Chris paid special attention to the leaves stippled with decay, a bit heavy metal.

Sunflowers of Hope, Chris Cortlett, Auckland Hospital, 2019.

We stood reading the accompanying framed text about the foundation Chris had started to build up a database of 100,000 bone-marrow donors.

Courage, charisma, strength of character, sincerity whatever it is that makes some people inspirational and very special, Chris Corlett had it.

Another Claudia Pond Eyley print near the kitchen and on the door a sign that read: Dont use if youre come from a red room. I was confused by it when Id made Mum a cup of tea earlier and had to ask the nurse, Is this a red room? (Mums room was not a red room.)

I felt the light weight of Mums hand on my arm as we looped around to reception. I showed her my favourite painting, tucked in a corner. Its colours were so bold that from the corner of my eye I first suspected Matisse. Then was embarrassed when I realised the artist is Harriet, aged six, who donated Flowers for the Leukaemia Ward in memory of her father, Ned.

Harriet may not be Matisse but for a six-year-old her vase of flowers is a masterpiece of colour and compression.

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Art in the waiting room - The Spinoff

Skin Stem Cells Comments Off on Art in the waiting room – The Spinoff | May 10th, 2020

World Thalassemia Day is an annual observance day that occurs on May 8th. It is a world-wide campaign to raise awareness about thalassemia and its symptoms. This is done to help the patients living with this genetic disorder. World Thalassemia Day commemorates thalassemia victims and also aims at making thalassemia patients aware about the significance of medical consultation before marriage. This global observance day also tries to debunk myths and misconceptions surrounding the disease. The theme of World Thalassemia Day 2020 is Begin thalassemia prevention from young age, blood test before marriage will make the future generation safe. On this day, here we tell you all about the disease. Also Read - World Thalassemia Day 2019: How to Deal With Thalassemia

It is a genetic blood disorder that significantly reduces your haemoglobin count. Notably, haemoglobin is a protein molecule present in red blood cells. This protein helps RBCs in carrying oxygen and circulating it in the entire body. Also Read - World Thalassemia Day: Risk Factors, Types And Prevention Tips

The signs and symptoms of thalassemia depend on the type of thalassemia you have and its severity. Some common symptoms include fatigue, slow growth, weakness, abdominal swelling, pale skin, dark urine facial bone deformities etc. Usually, either a newborn shows thalassemia symptoms at the time of birth itself or develops it in the first two years of life. Also Read - World Thalassemia Day 2017: Importance of Blood donation and how it helps people with this fatal disease

Thalassemia occurs when the DNA of your body cells responsible for making haemoglobin, undergo mutation. This mutated DNA is passed on to the next generation.

A simple blood test can confirm the disease. Usually, if an expecting mother is known to be suffering from thalassemia, doctors perform a certain tests to find out if the fetus has also inherited the diseases and if yes, what is the severity of the genetic disease. To do that, chorionic villus sampling (testing a tiny sample of placenta) and amniocentesis (examining sample of fluid surrounding foetus) are performed.

In case, you have inherited a minimum number of mutated genes and suffering from mild thalassemia, you do not require treatment. However, in severe case, you may have to go through frequent blood transfusion, chelation therapy, or stem cell transplant.

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World Thalassemia Day 2020: Causes, Symptoms, Diagnosis And Treatment of The Disease - India.com

Skin Stem Cells Comments Off on World Thalassemia Day 2020: Causes, Symptoms, Diagnosis And Treatment of The Disease – India.com | May 9th, 2020

Youve probably seen those before-and-after quarantine memes, the ones featuring faces or more specifically, lips that have undergone a drastic change in shape in the absence of access to an aesthetician. Exaggerated they might be, but it is true that lockdown has left an injectable-shaped hole in some of our lives, and whether youre into them or not, our newly facial-free (and less-than-active) lifestyles are wreaking a certain amount of havoc on our skin anyway. For those who have regular in-clinic treatments, lockdown can mean that lines start to show, full lips diminish, cheeks depress and sunken eye sockets and dark circles re-appear, says aesthetic doctor Dr Sophie Shotter, who has temporarily shuttered her clinic and returned to the NHS frontline to join the fight against Covid-19. And, while the issue might seem trivial in light of everything else going on in the world, it is possible to harness the power of intelligent skincare to help mimic the effects of filler and Botox in lieu of the real thing. Dr Shotter shares her tips here.

Filler is routinely administered to add volume to the skin, usually in the face, says Shotter, who explains that its made from hyaluronic acid, a molecule we should all be utilising in our skincare routines to help soften fine lines. One of the best serums for the job is SkinCeuticals HA Intensifier, which boosts hyaluronic acid levels in the skin, making it look and feel firm, plump and hydrated. Alternatively, try LOrals Revitalift Filler Hyaluronic Acid for a more affordable option.

To smooth skin, Shotter also recommends BioEffect EGF Serum, which boosts skin thickness and collagen levels in the skin, meaning fewer wrinkles and a healthy glow. And finally, look to SkinBetter Science AlphaRet Overnight Cream to reap the benefits of prescription strength vitamin A (otherwise known as retinol): Retinol is the ultimate age management molecule that increases collagen levels, she says.

If youve had Botox before, you will know that its a toxin injected where there are dynamic lines to relax them and remove creases within the skin, says Shotter. There are products that mimic its effects: Meder Skincare Myo-Fix Concentrate, is full of muscle-relaxing peptides that work to block the nerve communicating with the muscle. Although it might sound daunting, its totally safe to use, and Shotter recommends regular and sustained use for the best results. Another great product to use if you usually have Botox administered superficially to regulate oil production is Institut Esthederms Pure System Pore Refiner Concentrate it is silicone based so refines their appearance beautifully.

Used religiously, there are products that can help to lift and plump the lips, although, like all of the products listed here, they wont have effects on a par with the treatment itself. One of the best to try is Fillerinas Lip Volume Grade 3, which contains six different hyaluronic acid molecules of varying weights and sizes, to deeply hydrate lips and give a fuller effect with continual use. Shotter also recommends a brilliant lip balm. Medik8s Mutiny Squalane Lip Balm helps to nourish and heal the lips, drawing moisture to the area to give them a plumper, more hydrated look, she says, adding that its important to use SPF to protect them from collagen-depleting UV rays. Protecting the health of the lips will help them stay plump and full.

Filler is often strategically placed to fill the hollows under the eyes, to refresh and hydrate and to lift dark circles, says Shotter. A (plant-based) stem cell serum, like Dr Levy Intense Stem Cell Eye Booster Concentrate, will boost the thickness of the delicate under eye skin, plus it also contains retinol and antioxidants to smooth fine lines and brighten the area. MGC Dermas CBD Stem Cells and Peptides Eye Cream is a brilliant option too, thanks to firming peptides, hyaluronic acid and calming CBD.

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11 Skincare Products To Try Now Injectables Are Off The Cards - British Vogue

Skin Stem Cells Comments Off on 11 Skincare Products To Try Now Injectables Are Off The Cards – British Vogue | May 7th, 2020

Tabrecta (capmatinib) will treat patients with metastatic non-small cell lung cancer that has a mutation leading to MET exon 14 skipping. The drug is the first targeted option for patients with lung cancer and this type of mutation.

Tabrecta is the first therapy approved by the FDA specifically to treat NSCLC with mutations that lead to epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), which is MET exon 14 skipping.

Tabrecta is approved for patients who are new to treatment and also those who have received previous therapies, regardless of prior treatment type.

Along with the drug approval, the FDA gave the green light to a companion diagnostic, the FoundationOne CDx assay, which can identify these mutations in patients.

In epithelialmesenchymal transition(EMT), the cells that line an organ lose their polarity and ability to adhere to other cells, giving them the ability to invade tissues and organs. MET exon 14 skipping means that a segment of RNA that should prompt the production of a specific protein stops sending those messages.

The spread of cancer consists of a sequential series of events and MET exon 14 skipping is recognized as a critical event in this process, the FDA stated in a press release about the approval. Mutations leading to MET exon 14 skipping are found in 3% to 4% of patients with lung cancer, the agency stated.

Lung cancer is increasingly being divided into multiple subsets of molecularly defined populations with drugs being developed to target these specific groups, said Dr. Richard Pazdur, director of the FDAs Oncology Center of Excellence and acting director of the Office of Oncologic Diseases in the FDAs Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, in the release.

Taken orally, Tabrecta works by blocking a key protein that drives metastatic NSCLC in these patients. The FDA approved it based on the results of a clinical trial involving patients with NSCLC who had mutations leading to MET exon 14 skipping; their tumors did not express the proteins EGFR or ALK.

The evaluated study population included 28 patients who had never undergone treatment for NSCLC and 69 previously treated patients. The overall response rate (ORR; the percentage of participants who experienced a prespecified amount of tumor shrinkage) for the 28 participants was 68%, with 4% having a complete response and 64% having a partial response.

The ORR for the 69 participants was 41%, with all having a partial response. Of the responding participants who had never undergone treatment for NSCLC, 47% had a duration of response lasting 12 months or longer compared with 32.1% of the responding participants who had been previously treated.

Common side effects for patients taking Tabrecta included swelling of the legs, nausea, fatigue, vomiting, shortness of breath and decreased appetite.

Tabrecta may cause serious side effects including scarring or inflammation of the lungs. It may also cause damage to liver cells or harm a developing fetus or newborn baby. Patients may be more sensitive to sunlight when they take Tabrecta and should take precautions to cover their skin and use sunscreen.

Tabrecta was approved under theFDAs accelerated approval, breakthrough designation and priority review programs, which provide for a quicker review of drugs that treat serious or life-threatening diseases and represent a meaningful advantage over existing treatments.

Continued approval for this indication may be contingent upon verification of these results in confirmatory clinical trials.

Check back for what you need to know regarding this approval.

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FDA Approves Tabrecta, the First Targeted Drug for Patients with Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer and MET exon 14 - Curetoday.com

Skin Stem Cells Comments Off on FDA Approves Tabrecta, the First Targeted Drug for Patients with Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer and MET exon 14 – Curetoday.com | May 7th, 2020

Verditek PLC (LON:VDTK), the cleantech play, tumbled 11% to 2.85p after it announced a share subscription to raise 1mln.

The company issued 40mln shares at 2.5p a pop.

The newly-issued shares represent about 14% of the company's enlarged issued share capital.

KRM22 PLC (LON:KRM) plunged 44% to 23.5p after it said it is continuing talks about potential fundraising.

The risk management software specialist put out a statement on Thursday afternoon in response to a fall in its share price.

Discussions with shareholders and certain other investors regarding an equity fundraising or potential alternative financing are continuing, the London-based company said.

Anglo African Oil & Gas PLC (LON:AAOG) shares were up 21% at 0.85p, much to the mystification of the companys management.

The shares started the week at 0.22p and closed last night at 0.7p, prompting the company to issue a statement that essentially said: dont ask me, guv.

On 1 May the company completed the sale of Anglo African Oil & Gas Congo to Zenith Energy Limited on the terms set out in the announcement of 17 April 2020.

AA PLC (LON:AA. shares rallied 13% to 29.8p as its financial results highlighted a resilient, cash generative business, albeit the financials cover the pre-coronavirus period.

The roaside recovery firm's revenue for the twelve months ended 31 January 2020 amounted to 995mln, up 2%, while operating profit increased 17% to 257mln.

Profit before tax rose by 102% to 107mln, with earnings per share at 14.1p from 6.9p in the preceding year.

Crimson Tide PLC (LON:TIDE), the software company, rose 21% to 2.6p after it reported a sharp rise in pre-tax profits for 2019.

The company behind the Mpro5 mobile workforce management app saw profit before tax soar to 352,000 from 69,000 in 2018.

The company said the profit increase was achieved despite a strategy of significant increase in sales and marketing expenditure.

Filta Group Holdings PLC (LON:FLTA) soared 76% to 126p in early trade on Thursday after it launched a new sanitising service to help businesses prevent the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19).

The provider of fryer management and other services to commercial kitchens has launched FiltaShield, which is an anti-viral product developed for use in restaurants, bars, shops and offices (those that are still open) as well as healthcare facilities.

The solution is applied to a surface by spraying or fogging, leaving behind a mono-molecular layer that bonds to the surface and protects surfaces for up to 30 days.

Not just for kitchens, perfect for any public space. Hit me up for the deets #ROC. #FiltaShield #Sanitize #StopTheSpread https://t.co/0KCiqrwV2i

Best of the Best PLC (LON:BOTB) rose 18% to 512.5p as it raised full-year revenue and profit guidance.

The competitions runners switch to an online model it used to waylay travellers at airports to try to persuade them to enter a competition to win a car (tricky as a car would have been hard to fit in the suitcase) looks to have paid off.

The company said the second half of its fiscal year, which runs to the end of April, was particularly strong.

88 Energy Ltd (LON:88E) (ASX:88E) said it has reached an agreement with XCD Energy Ltds (LON:ASX:XCD) board for a unanimously recommended merger. The prior unsolicited takeover bid had achieved backing of about 18.5% of XCDs shareholders, and the recommended merger comes with improved terms. In the all-paper deal, 88 Energy will issue 2.4 new 88 Energy shares and 0.7 for every listed share option held -up from 1.67 per share and 0.5 per option. XCDs board now recommend that its shareholders accept the offer, in the absence of any superior proposals. They will hold around 20% of the enlarged company as a result of the transaction.

C4X Discovery Holdings PLC (LON:C4XD), the AIM-listed drug discovery company, has announced plans to raise at least 1mln by placing shares at 15p a throw. C4X shares closed at 15.25p yesterday. The net proceeds from the placing will be used to further strengthen the companys balance sheet as its partnering and strategic collaborations progressand will boost working capital during the progression of its pipeline portfolio.

MaxCyte Inc (LON:MXCT) has signed a clinical and commercial agreement with a US life sciences group for its cutting edge gene-editing technology. Caribou Biosciences will use MaxCytes flow electroporation systems and the companys ExPERT platform in its allogeneic t-cell therapy programmes. MaxCyte will receive undisclosed development and approval milestones as well as sales-based payments and other licensing fees. This important agreement represents another key expansion for MaxCyte, emphasising the value of our technology platform to companies developing pioneering gene-editing and cell therapies, MaxCytes chief executive, Doug Doerfler said in a statement.

Panther Metals PLC (LON:PALM) has announced the commencement of a three-week field exploration programme from this weekend on the gold-focused Big Bear property in Ontario, Canada. The main market-listed company, which is focused on mineral exploration in Canada and Australia, said the three-week work sampling and mapping programme, which will build its understanding of possible drill and trench targets is commencing on May 10. It noted that the work will target both orogenic gold and volcanogenic massive sulphide (VMS) style mineralisation.

ReNeuron Group PLC (LON:RENE) said new positive data relating to its CTX cell therapy candidate have been published in the peer-reviewed scientific journal Stem Cells. The developer of cell-based therapeutics said the data was included in a paper entitled "Implantation of the clinical-grade human neural stem cell line, CTX0E03, rescues the behavioural and pathological deficits in the quinolinic acid-lesioned rodent model of Huntington's disease". It said the new data show for the first time that ReNeuron's CTX human neural stem cell line can rescue deficits associated with an accepted animal model of Huntington's disease, a progressive genetic brain disorder.

NQ Minerals PLC (LON:NQMI) has unveiled a new resource statement for the Beaconsfield gold mine in Tasmania. Total resources rise to 1.454mln tonnes at a grade of 10.3 grams per tonnes (g/t), for 483,000 ounces gold. There are 354,000 ounces in measured and inferred resources, 485,000 tonnes at 11.4 g/t in measured for 177,000 ounces and 492,000 tonnes at 11.2 g/t in indicated for 177,000 ounces. A further 477,000 tonnes at 8.4 g/t remain in the inferred resource category, and, the company told investors that significant additional gold potential is still to be assessed.

Next Fifteen Communications Group PLC (LON:NFC) has announced that Penny will become the new chair of its board with effect from February 1, 2021, replacing Richard Eyre who will complete nine years as its chairman on May 11, 2020. Ladkin-Brand, who has chaired the Next 15 Audit Committee since 2017, also becomes the companys Senior Independent Director with immediate effect. The group said its board has asked Eyre to continue in the post to the end of the current financial year, and, consequently, he will seek re-election at the AGM and be available to support a smooth transition. Ladkin-Brand is currently chief financial officer at Future PLC (LON:FUTR), the FTSE 250 global multi-platform media company, and she will be moving into a new role of chief strategy officer on June 1, 2020, and will step down from the groups board.

Frontier IP Group PLC (LON:FIPP) said its portfolio firm Exscientia has entered into a collaboration with US research centre SRI International to expedite the discovery of molecules for a high-value oncology target. The IP investor said the agreement will see the two firms implement a new approach to drug discovery using SRIs automated synthetic-chemistry system with Exscientia's Centaur Chemist system. Frontier IP owns a 2.3% stake in Exscientia.

Eden ResearchPLC (LON:EDEN) said it is poised to capitalise on new product and market opportunities in 2020 as it predicted more sales for its Cedroz product. Posting its results for the year endedDecember 31, 2019, the biopesticide specialist said it expected to build on the sales achieved in the territories where it received approvals during 2019 and early 2020, including sales for Cedroz in Spain, Italy, France, Belgium, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom where the applications for registrations have now been outstanding from the early part of 2019. The firm also said it expected US regulators to approve Cedroz and its Mevalone product during 2020, although the pace of approvals hasbeen slowed by the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

Premier African Minerals Ltd (LON:PREM) has agreed to acquirea further 7% interest in the Otjozondu manganese mining project in Namibia. The transaction sees Premier buy a 7% interest in MN Holdings Limited, the projects owner, for US$700,000 paid in new shares. It will increase Premier Africans stake in MN to 19%. This further proposed increase in our holding in MNH is based on the same valuation formula applied to our initial acquisition, George Roach, Premier African's chief executive said in a statement released after the market close on Wednesday.

Amryt Pharma PLC (LON:AMYT) has taken another important step towards the global launch of its phase III treatment for the rare skin condition epidermolysis bullosa (EB) by announcing its brand name. AP101 will be launched commercially as FILSUVEZ. This, alongside our recent completion of recruitment into the EASE study, represents further progress as we endeavour to develop a therapy for patients with EB, a rare and distressing genetic skin disorder affecting young children and adults for which there is currently no approved treatment," Amryt chief executive, Dr Joe Wiley said in a statement.

Anglo African Oil & Gas PLC (LON:AAOG) said it has noted the recent rise in its share price and confirms that it knows of no reason for this movement. As announced on May 1, 2020, the company has completed the sale of Anglo African Oil & Gas Congo S.A.U to Zenith Energy Limited on the terms set out in the announcement of April 17, 2020.

Silence Therapeutics PLC (LON:SLN), a leader in the discovery, development and delivery of novel RNA therapeutics for the treatment of serious diseases, said its annual general meeting will be held on June 9, 2020, at 10.00am at Herons Ghyll, Tilford Road, Tilford, Surrey GU10 2DD. It added that to comply with the UK Government's Stay at Home measures, shareholders will not be allowed to attend the meeting in person and are strongly encouraged to, therefore, submit their votes, in respect of all matters of business, via proxy as early as possible. If the situation changes then shareholders will be notified via the company's website at https://www.silence-therapeutics.com and via RNS announcement.

Woodbois Limited (LON:WBI),the African focused forestry and timber trading company, has announced that following the release of the audited results for the year ended December 31, 2019, on April 30, the company has made their latest corporate presentation available from the investor centre of the company's website.

Base Resources Limited (LON:BSE) (ASX:BSE), the African mineral sands producer, has announced that the latest investor update presentation is now available from the companys website - http://www.baseresources.com.au - and a pre-recorded webcast of that presentation can be viewed at https://edge.media-server.com/mmc/p/6av8h2ew

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Anglo African Oil & Gas mystified by sharp share price hike - Proactive Investors UK

Skin Stem Cells Comments Off on Anglo African Oil & Gas mystified by sharp share price hike – Proactive Investors UK | May 7th, 2020

Marky Jaquez, 19, has recessive dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa, a condition found in fewer than one in one million newborns. (Picture: Melissa Jaquez/Metro.co.uk)

A teenager whose rare skin disorder means that even the slightest touch leaves him in extreme pain has defied doctors predictions to live to adulthood. Marky Jaquez, from Wichita, Kansas, cannot hug his parents, wear clothes or even walk because any friction causes layers of skin to peel away from his body.

Wheelchair-bound, Marky, 19, has never been able to walk because the ground would shred his feet like a cheese grater and must be covered head-to-toe in bandages to protect his fragile skin from tearing. He has recessive dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa, a condition found in an estimated one in one million newborns that often leads to life-threatening skin infections and even cancer.

The illness is caused by a faulty gene, passed onto children by parents. Tragically, Markys brother Carlos was born with it too, and died aged just 14. Doctors warned Markys parents he was unlikely to live beyond the age of 11, but he defied that grim prediction and will celebrate his 20th birthday later this year.

His mom, Melissa Jaquez, 40, said: Marky only has one layer of skin and because of his genetic makeup, the skin has no way of anchoring itself the body. Any form of touch or friction means his skins just tears away.

Its world shattering to think I will lose both of my boys to this and I dont want to think about what life will be like afterwards. I feel like my purpose in life is to give Mary the best life I can for the time that I have him.

I am not able to hug my son because any friction just causes his skin to come away and tear right off. It causes him excruciating pain and I feel so much guilt, but theres nothing I can do to help him.

But despite all of this he is a very happy and joyful boy and he amazes me every single day. Hes an inspiration and proves to everyone that you can keep going with whatever youre going through, no matter how bad it is.

Marky is the youngest of three brothers born to healthcare worker, Melissa. Eldest son Michael is 24, with Carlos dying of heart failure caused by the skin condition in 2015. Marky and Carlos, who would be 21 this year, were both born with the same condition after inheriting a faulty gene from their parents.

Melissa said doctors suspect both she and the boys father carry the faulty gene that causes the genetic mutation. Although both are unaffected themselves, they have an estimated 25% chance of having a child born with recessive dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa. Melissa has since split up with Marky and Carlos father neither of whom knew they carried the faulty gene until Carlos was born, she said.

Melissa said she became aware of the risks involved with having a child after Carlos was born, but claims she was told by a clinician that the chance of her having a second child with the same condition would be less than 1%.

Melissa said: I lost Carlos to the condition because his heart just gave up. His body was in a constant battle to repair his wounds and that took its toll eventually.

His condition was much more progressive than Markys. He got real bad, real quick and by the end could not even breathe on his own.

My pregnancy with Marky was unplanned, but when I got pregnant I was told the chance of me having another baby with the same condition is 1%. They said having two children with it is unheard of.

Marky was born with the most severe type of epidermolysis bullosa meaning he was delivered without skin on his hands, feet and chest because because of the friction of childbirth.

Ever since Marky was little, Melissa, who is now married to Marcos, 30, has had to spend up to three hours a day covering his skin in protective bandages and cleaning open wounds to prevent infection.

She has said every day of motherhood so far has felt like a battle and admits she has struggled to have a normal mother and son relationship with Marky, because of his condition.

Every day is such a massive challenge for us. I struggle with the grief of knowing that when I walk into my sons room in a morning, we cant have fun. I dont get to do the normal things that a mom and a son does.

Instead when I go into his room I know I have to cause him pain and spend two hours doing his bandages. That does give me a lot of anxiety and guilt.

Taking his bandages off does cause excruciating pain. We have to soak his skin every day to soothe his wounds and give him pain medication. Its incredibly upsetting for me.

Whilst there is no cure for epidermolysis bullosa and Marky is highly likely to sadly one day lose his life to the condition, Melissa is hopefully he will survive for several more years.

He has been selected to take part in experimental treatment to create genetically modified skin stem cells that can slow down the effects of the progressive disease. The family plan to travel to Stamford Hospital, Connecticut, later this year to undergo the treatment.

Melissa and Marcos work opposite shifts and have a carer who comes to help look after Marky for three hours each day. Melissa has paid tribute to her amazing son, who she believes can go on to live for many happy years, despite the predictions of doctors.

She said: The treatment at Stamford could add several years to his life. It will reduce the pain and make it easier for his body to cope.

We have tried for that treatment for years, so were thrilled.

Marky has always been an incredibly happy boy and he has just got on with it, without ever moaning or saying why me. Ive had messages from people all over the world to say Marky has inspired them.

Hes an amazing human being and he makes me so proud.

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Terminally-ill teen with agonizingly-sensitive skin defies doctors to live to 19 - Metro.co.uk

Skin Stem Cells Comments Off on Terminally-ill teen with agonizingly-sensitive skin defies doctors to live to 19 – Metro.co.uk | May 5th, 2020

Too lazy to wear make-up while working from home? You're not alone - according to Bloomberg, a recent survey found about 90 per cent of women working remotely during the coronavirus pandemic are going barefaced.

Even celebrities who rarely show themselves without a face full of make-up have joined the fray.

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in return for this pic of me literally first thing in the morning, please donate to the intensive care support at https://platform.nationalfundingscheme.org/COVID.ICS?charity=COVID.ICS#.XoNf4y9lCfA thanks so much

A post shared by Helen Mirren (@helenmirren) on Mar 31, 2020 at 8:30am PDT

A-listers including Katy Perry, Julia Roberts, Julianne Moore, Salma Hayek, Halle Berry, Helen Mirren and Jessica Alba have all posted make-up-free selfies while stuck at home.

This does not bode well for beauty companies - data from market research firm NPD Group show total beauty sales in the United States declined 58 per cent year on year in the week ending March 28. It can be beneficial, though, if women begin to put their skincare needs first.

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Pre-quarantine ?? mid-quarantine ???? Hope your stay-at-home plans tonight include joining me for a beautiful and breezy episode of #AmericanIdol, taped in heavenly Hawaii back in January and February ?

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"Now that I am home more, I have no excuse to not be good to my skin. New habits include home facials and face rolling. I have also been using my Foreo face massager weekly and I've been thinking about adding in an LED face mask," says Los Angeles-based entrepreneur Tracy Fong.

Fong is not the only one spending more time on her skin. Beauty retailers such as Joyce Beauty may have noted a decline in lipstick sales, but customers are now stocking up on skincare items such as beauty tools and sheet masks.

"I've added steps to my usual, more basic routine and am trying new things," says fashion executive Jane Tong. "I'm enjoying the little bit of 'me time' that I didn't have pre-quarantine. My skin has definitely improved, but I think it can be attributed to giving it more attention, plus more sleep and a slower-paced lifestyle overall."

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My incredible friends @beloveapparel are donating $7 from every I Choose Love purchase to @together.rising who are helping children and families facing hunger due to mass school closures. Let’s help each other and small businesses! #ichooselove #beloveapparel #togetherrising

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While staying at home has given women more time to pamper themselves, working from home can bring new skincare concerns. Being stuck indoors all day means that the skin is exposed to a range of new pollutants.

"We all know how damaging the sun's rays can be - but there are many other light wavelengths that we need to be careful of, including blue light. Wherever you live in the world, indoor pollution can be as bad as outdoor pollution. Additional factors such as mould, heating, air conditioning or poor ventilation can stress out the skin," says Nigma Talib, a Los Angeles-based naturopathic doctor and trained medical aesthetician who counts celebrities such as Gwyneth Paltrow and Penelope Cruz among her clients.

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I am grateful to my @theshalanyc teachers @mskleigh @barbaraverrochi @ashes76 for offering so many of us an online community during this difficult time. Those classes are something to look forward to everyday. ?? ???? Support small businesses - after my class I ordered a few things from @ondabeautynyc while wearing my cozy @suziekondi track suit. Love to u female entrepreneurs ?

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For this reason, Talib advocates that women simplify their routines and focus on high-quality products that help counteract environmental aggressors.

At the top of her list is a resurfacing cleanser, which contains exfoliating agents such as glycolic acid and salicylic acid, to help remove dead skin cells which can build up daily.

A nourishing moisturiser packed with ingredients such as collagen and hyaluronic acid can protect against moisture loss and oxidative stress, which occurs when there is an imbalance between free radicals (unstable molecules with the potential to damage cells) and antioxidants in your body.

Don't forget to apply sunscreen, either. "Layer it on top of a serum loaded with plant stem cells. Sunscreen alone won't prevent light damage to the skin, and the addition of plant stem cells makes your sunscreen 10 times more effective," she says.

Forgoing make-up entirely is not necessarily a good thing. Instead, Talib suggests women pare down their routine and choose products that are multipurpose. Invest in "clean" brands free of toxic chemicals and ingredients, and stick to brands that your skin is already familiar with.

"If it's good quality, make-up can sometimes act as a protective barrier to the skin. I like to suggest a no-make-up look that is simple and free from fussy techniques such as contouring." she says.

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Proudly wearing my @Bella_Freud jumper in support of the #ChangeAGirlsLife campaign in partnership with with Prince Charles’ @PrincesTrust ? Proceeds from all onlines sales throughout March from Bella’s #SheSaid collection will be donated to the The Prince’s Trust to support young women and girls. Bella’s inspiration behind the shirt is that “When a woman speaks it’s good to listen” ??

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"Start with a BB cream or tinted moisturiser with SPF that isn't heavy. Go for a natural colour on your lips - either a simple liner or lip gloss - and a coat of mascara to accentuate your eyes.

"Let your natural beauty shine. You might even come out of quarantine more confident in your skin."

For the latest updates on the coronavirus, visithere.

This article was first published in South China Morning Post.

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Make-up out, skincare in when working from home. Just ask the stars - AsiaOne

Skin Stem Cells Comments Off on Make-up out, skincare in when working from home. Just ask the stars – AsiaOne | May 5th, 2020

A team of doctors and researchers at the Abu Dhabi Stem Cell Center (ADSCC) administered the treatment in the UAE to 73 COVID-19 patients, who were all successfully treated and cured, without any immediate side effects, according to a statement by the United Arab Emirates (UAE) health ministry from 1 May.

The process involved a minimally invasive method where the patients stem cells are extracted, activated and turned into fine mist to be inhaled into the lungs. This was done in addition to the conventional treatment and is expected to work by supporting the established protocol of management of symptoms.

The ministry said in the statement, It is hypothesised to have its therapeutic effect by regenerating lung cells and modulating the immune response to keep it from overreacting to the COVID-19 infection and causing further damage to healthy cells.

The treatment has successfully undergone the initial phase of clinical trials, demonstrating its safety, and further trials for its efficiency are ongoing; expected to be completed in a couple of weeks.

Dr Fatima al-Kaabi, head of haematology and oncology at the Sheikh Khalifa Medical City in the UAE, told CNBC, Its very early to say at this stage. If all went well, this could reach the market in three months, she added.

Going further back, a pilot study in China on seven COVID-19 patients found that intravenous infusions of donor mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) - multipotent stem cells - improved patient outcomes and helped all of them recover. An Israeli pharmaceutical company, Pluristem Therapeutics, also tested stem cells in seven critical hospitalized patients and found positive results.

Additionally, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved MSC use in extremely sick COVID-19 patients under expanded access compassionate use on 5 April according to a report in The Scientist, even though the experts seemed divided on the logic on which the investigative treatment may have worked.

A hospital in New York tried the therapy as an experiment on 12 patients, 10 of whom were able to come off ventilators, reports CBS news. The Australian regenerative medicine company Mesoblast has also announced a 300-person trial for its stem cell therapy remestemcel-L (which was used in the New York trial) to determine whether it will work on patients suffering with severe lung inflammation.

Currently, there are over 20 active stem cell trials for COVID-19, most focusing on the use of MSCs.

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Stem Cell Treatment for COVID-19; Doctors Divided on Its Scope - The Quint

Skin Stem Cells Comments Off on Stem Cell Treatment for COVID-19; Doctors Divided on Its Scope – The Quint | May 5th, 2020