Here’s How to Maximize Your Healthy Years in Retirement. Eat Right and Exercise. – Barron’s

The key to a long, happy retirement is not just having a flush portfolio or moving to a low-tax state with 300-plus days of sunshine. Its having the good health to enjoy your golden years.

And thats more than clich. Edward Jones surveyed 11,000 adults and found that 69% wanted to live to age 100. However, some didnt want such longevity if they were in terrible health (32%), if they became a burden on their families (29%), if they had serious cognitive loss (20%), and if they no longer had purpose in life (14%).

Many people assume that their chances of a long, healthy life is largely out of their hands, controlled by the genes they inherited. Its not that simple.

While scientists previously believed that genetics accounted for roughly 25% of lifespan, new research has put that number under 10%. Genetics still matters. Whether or not you dodge a particular affliction may be determined by your genes. And for extremely long-lived peoplethose who live beyond perhaps age 105genes are still thought to pay a huge role.

Newsletter Sign-up

Barrons brings retirement planning and advice to you in a weekly wrap-up of our articles about preparing for life after work.

For most of us, however, whether we get 75 or 85 or 95 healthy years is affected more by lifestyle choices than by genes. Getting regular exercise and enough sleep, eating nutritious, healthy foods, staying resilient and connected with other humansthese are the habits that produce continuing good health, long lifespans and enjoyable, productive retirements. They will also lower your healthcare costs and reduce your odds of developing dementiatwo of the biggest worries for retirees.

Genetics are the gun and lifestyle pulls the trigger, says Dr. David Fein, medical director of the Princeton Longevity Center in New Jersey.

Barrons recently talked to longevity experts, geriatric doctors, and read the latest research to come up with some concrete steps for improving your odds of a long, healthy life. Some of it is age-old advice. But research has also upended some of the conventional wisdom in recent years. For example, doctors used to think that moderate alcohol consumption was good for you; new research shows otherwise.

Here are six things you can do to improve your chances for having the good health to enjoy your retirement.

Exercise isnt a particularly efficient way of losing weight. But it is great at just about everything else when it comes to improving your health.

Want to lower your blood pressure or your blood sugar levels? Want to sleep better? Want to improve your brain function and memory? Want to lift your spirits? All these things are important for our health, and over recent years, theres been much research showing how exercise helps in all.

Exercise doesnt necessarily mean going to the gym. Brisk daily walks around the neighborhood will give you similar benefits. Nor does exercise all have to be done in one continuous session. Little five- or 10-minute bursts of activity throughout the day could be even better for you than a single session.

Its very hard to make up for 47 hours of being sedentary with one hour of intensive exercise, says Dr. Fein. Chairs kill more people than anything else.

Especially as you get older, be sure to include resistance training or other weight-bearing exercises to strengthen your bones and retain muscle mass. Biking or swimming are great for your cardiovascular system but they wont protect you from osteoporosis. If youre not lifting weights, try a few minutes of jumping ropes to build stronger bones.

Can there be too much of a good thing when it comes to exercise? Some research has found that extreme exercise actually hurts your health. An in-depth study in 2018 found otherwise. It studied 122,000 patients and measured their fitness not on how much they said they exercised, but how they performed on a treadmill test. It found the extremely fit had the lowest mortality levels.

But the debate over how much exercise is too much is beside the point. The big difference in health isnt between those in good shape and those in extremely good shape. Its between those who exercise and those who dont.

All sorts of good things happen as you sleep. Cells renew themselves. Your body produces hormones, which helps restore the body and reset many of its functions. Not getting enough sleep hurts your immune function. Scientists have found that people who dont sleep enough are more likely to eventually develop dementia.

How much sleep is enough sleep? The rough rule is between six to eight hours a night for adults. But different people may have different patterns and still get enough sleep. Some people may wake up in the middle of the night, be up for an hour or two, and go back to sleep for a few more hours. Others may take a nap in the middle of the day.

What is the best pattern for you? We dont know, says Daniel Belsky, an assistant professor of epidemiology at Columbia Universitys Mailman School of Public Health, who says there hasnt been much high-quality research on the subject. What pattern is optimal for a person may depend on the life they lead.

Dr. Belsky says there has been good research on shift workers who work at night while others are sleeping, and they pay a health priceparticularly if their sleep times keep changing.

Other Americans have trouble sleeping, no matter what time it is. If that applies to you, doctors advise you to improve your sleep hygiene. Go to bed at the same time each night. Make sure your bedroom is dark and at a comfortable temperature. And dont keep checking your smartphone throughout the night.

For years, many doctors advised their patients that moderate drinking, particularly red wine, was good for them. After all, research had shown that moderate drinkers lived longer than both heavy drinkers and nondrinkers.

But new research has changed the conventional wisdom on the subject.

It finds the reason moderate drinkers had better health wasnt the alcohol; it is believed to stem from favorable lifestyle, socioeconomic, and behavioral factors.

Drinking increases your risks for heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes and certain cancers. The risks appear minimal for light drinkers but increase with higher drinking levels.

Bottom line: Nobody should start drinking because they think its good for their health, says geriatrician Alicia Ines Arbaje, an associate professor at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Alcohol is directly toxic to the body. There is no amount that is beneficial.

Obesity is tied to a multitude of illnesses, including higher rates of diabetes, heart disease and many cancers. Obese people have been hit harder by the Covid-19 pandemic.

But it doesnt necessarily follow that going on a strict diet to shave off some pounds is good for you. Losing weight isnt that hard. But keeping weight off is quite hard, and yo-yoing up and down doesnt do your body any good.

Whats more, all fat isnt created equal. The subcutaneous fat that sits on our hips may be unsightly, but it doesnt appear to have big effects on our health. The nasty stuff is the visceral fat that surrounds our organs. It changes the hormones produced by the body, and is linked to diabetes, heart disease, certain cancers and Alzheimers disease.

The only way of knowing for sure how much visceral fat you have is some sort of body scan, which is expensive and not recommended by most health experts for the general population.

People with bigger waists or apple-shaped bodies tend to have more visceral fat. But even there it gets tricky since different ethnic groups, notably people of Asian heritage, have a tendency to carry more visceral fat.

Morgan Levine is an assistant professor at the Yale School of Medicine who studies aging and wrote the book True Age. Instead of focusing on your weight, she says people should exercise regularly and eat a healthy diet. The good news is that exercise does reduce visceral fat.

Weight is such a bad proxy or measure for what is contributing to health, Dr. Levine says. Its so much more complex than how heavy you are.

Further complicating things, while weight loss may be desirable for the general population, it often isnt for seniors because it can cause loss of muscle and can contribute to osteoporosis. Geriatrician Deborah Kado, who has done extensive research on bone health and is co-director of the Stanford Longevity Center in California, doesnt usually advise her older patients to lose weight.

I tell them its insurance if you go into the hospital, she says. There is a lot of data that indicates that weight loss, whether intentional or unintentional, has been associated with adverse health outcomes rather than health benefits.

Nutrition is one of the trickier areas to research. Its hard to know exactly what research subjects actually eat. And it can take years for health effects to emerge. Nonetheless, scientists are seeing eating patterns that contribute to longevity.

A study found that even 60-year-olds could add an average eight or nine years to their lives by abandoning a Western diet. The biggest gains came from eating more legumes, whole grains and nuts, and eating less red meat and processed meat. Eating more fish was also a plus. The effects of eggs, poultry and oil were less clear. If it sounds a lot like the Mediterranean diet, it is. But its emphasis on vegetables, legumes and whole grains also bears similarities to how people eat in other parts of the world known for longevity.

Americans eat too much protein, says Yales Dr. Levine. She says protein contributes to overly high levels of the human growth hormone, which is linked to certain cancers and appears to increase aging.

But once again, the recommendation changes when it comes to seniors. Older people dont process protein as well, and need more of it in their diet to maintain muscle mass, research has found.

Live long enough, and bad things are likely to happen to you or the people around you. How you deal with them is key. People who have a positive mind-set on things they cant control tend to have much better outcomes, says Dr. Kado, the Stanford geriatrician. She says it is almost the most important factor in how her patients fare.

People are social creatures. And we tend to be more resilient when we have strong social connections. This can come through our family, our friends, our church, or even our retirement community. There has been research showing that maintaining social connections is good for brain health. So go for a walk with a friend and eat an apple afterward.

When it comes to longevity, these are all steps in the right direction. Saving for that longer life, and retirement, is another story.

Write to retirement@barrons.com

Visit link:
Here's How to Maximize Your Healthy Years in Retirement. Eat Right and Exercise. - Barron's

American Family Care Franchise Development Is Offering a Guided, Supported, Urgent Care Franchise Opportunity in the US – Digital Journal

USA American Family Care Franchise Development is offering an urgent care franchising opportunity in the US. Their franchise opportunity provides a proven franchise model, streamlined medical processes, healthcare office operations, franchise operations support, a built-in support network, and pre-existing leadership in urgent care clinics. Franchisees require a $6,000-10,000 lease, utility, and security deposit, a minimum of $412,500 in construction, and a maximum of $10,000 in site selection through third-party real estate experts. The companys franchisees can provide services in urgent care, primary care, and occupational medicine. American Family Care Franchise Development streamlined medical processes to help franchisees set up their clinics easily by helping them navigate through federal aid state laws and regulations. The office operations and built-in support network use technologies and systems designed to simplify the process of medical billing and record-keeping. They provide support in administrative, operations, and management processes, among others to ensure their franchisees can offer on-demand services to their patients.

American Family Care Franchise Development LLC has a team of professionals in different fields that support franchisees through the establishment of their clinics. They have a long-standing brand in the provision of urgent care and a comprehensive range of medical services to over two million patients each year within their 225+ urgent care clinics. They combine business and organizational skills with a commitment to serving their community and building long-lasting relationships. The company representative had this to say about their franchise opportunity, Weve been in business since 1982, and our longevity is a reflection of the hard work we put into supporting franchisees and staying on top of industry changes. American Family Care aims to provide people with the best possible healthcare this is our goal. Every one of our franchises offers urgent care, primary care, and occupational medicine, so franchisees can leverage multiple revenue streams.

The support provided by American Family Care Franchise Development to its franchisees provides new businesses with the knowledge, skills, and guidance needed when setting up a new venture. The company helps franchisees save money and time by providing support for all legal requirements to set up their clinic. Franchisees also benefit from an existing positive company reputation in the healthcare industry. The company facilitates earnings from multiple niches for its franchisees by allowing them to provide urgent care, primary care, and occupational medicine simultaneously. Their staff is keen on helping franchisees thrive in urgent care and provide support in multiple dimensions like operations, administration, and management, among others.

American Family Care Franchise Development provides other services like consultations. Interested clients can discuss with the company staff different franchise opportunities before investing.

American Family Care Franchise Development is located at 3700 Cahaba Beach Rd, Birmingham, Alabama, 35242, US. For consultation and booking, contact their staff by calling 205-552-0562. Visit the company website for more information on their guided and supported urgent care franchise opportunity.

Media Contact

Company NameAmerican Family Care Franchise DevelopmentContact NamePaige RobinsonPhone205-552-0562Address3700 Cahaba Beach RdCityBirminghamStateAlabamaPostal Code35242CountryUnited StatesWebsitehttps://afcfranchising.com/

Link:
American Family Care Franchise Development Is Offering a Guided, Supported, Urgent Care Franchise Opportunity in the US - Digital Journal

AAVIATE: Gene therapy via suprachoroidal drug delivery may lower treatment burden for patients with AMD – Modern Retina

Emily Kaiser [EK]: Hello, welcome. I'm Emily Kaiser, editor of Modern Retina. I'm sitting down with Dr. Rahul Khurana to discuss the Aaviate study. Dr. Khurana, can you tell us a little bit about the Aaviate data presented at the Angiogenesis meeting?

Rahul Khurana, MD [RK]: For sure, Emily.

Aaviate is a really exciting clinical trial that I've been involved with and at Angiogenesis this year, we presented the updated data on the first two cohorts. And so to give everyone kind of a background, obviously, gene therapy is a very exciting area of interest right now.

We know there's a lot of unmet needs in our treatments of macular degeneration. You know, these treatments often are very effective, but they require a lot of treatments. And there's a high burden with our current set of treatments out there, and gene therapy offers the potential for a one-time treatment to give us long-term, anti-VEGF suppression and really a long-term answer to this kind of chronic disease.

And so Aaviate is along with many gene therapy programs, or studies, that are looking to kind of tackle this. And the thing which is interesting about Aaviate is that most of gene therapy has really looked at it the traditional approaches. Either theyve gone intravitreal, which is something we're very used to because we do these injections, or done a subretinal gene therapy delivery, which requires surgery, which is much more invasive. And Aaviate utilizes a suprachoroidal approach.

And the benefit of this is that we get good drug delivery of inhibiting anti-VEGF gene therapy, but by delivering it in the office. And one of the benefits of suprachoroidal delivery over intravitreal delivery is that in intravitreal, there is a potential for a lot of exposure of the medicine to not just the back of the eye, but also the front of the eye. And we've seen in some early gene therapy programs, a lot of complications involving inflammation and hypotony.

In a suprachoroidal approach, you can get a very high concentration to the retina with very low concentration to the anterior segment.

EK: That's really interesting. Has anything developed since the presentation?

RK: the study has been ongoing. So what I presented at Angiogenesis was the first two cohorts in the sense that those patients had been fully enrolled, and we had up to date up to six months. So that was really exciting. And we'll kind of delve into some of the details there. But there's still cohorts three, four, and five, which are now fully enrolled. So since that time, we've now fully enrolled those patients. And we're basically waiting to hear back on updates, or we were waiting to hear back those results. And we need to once they're fully enrolled, we need to have the subsequent time to see how these patients do.

EK: And what are the next steps?

RK: Part of the next steps for gene therapy is really to finish up the clinical study. The patients are all enrolled, which is wonderful. Now we want to see how they did in these higher enrolling cohorts. So one thing that we haven't talked about is what were the results that we actually found from the first two cohorts? And so as I mentioned before, Aaviate takes patients who have been previously treated so these patients who were in the study were basically patients who needed to get multiple injections.

On average, they average nearly nine injections in the previous year, which is about an injection every five weeks. And we took those patients who basically needed regular anti-VEGF therapy, and we basically offered them a super coronal injection of RGX-314, which involves a novel Aaviate vector, which encodes for an anti VEGF monoclonal antibody fragment, which is transduced, or basically transvexed, the patient's own retinal cells to produce anti-VEGF protein to effectively give you long term suppression.

And the data showed that in the first two cohorts where this was done, not only was the treatment quite safe, there was a very low rate of inflammation and no serious adverse events. But more impressively, that the number of treatments had gone down dramatically. The patients in the study were able to maintain their visual acuity, which was wonderful to see. But more importantly, the number of injections went down significantly.

As I told you, before, most of these patients needed about an injection every five weeks, and in the study, the number of injections went down nearly 70 to 79% than they had before receiving the gene therapy, they were able to maintain the visual acuity, maintain the retinal anatomy, and the number of patients who didn't even need injections was nearly 30% in the first cohort, and nearly 40% in the second cohort. And that was quite exciting because this truly was kind of delivering on the promise of a once-and-done therapy. But as I said before, we really need the long-term data to kind of see how this translates and also we need to see how higher doses if we can get better efficacy and also maintain a very good safety profile.

EK: Wow. So what does this mean for clinicians and for patients?

RK: I think it offers a really exciting hope for both our patients and physicians. As we mentioned before, we have a lot of treatment options for anti-VEGF therapy and they do work very well. The problem is that they require a lot of treatments and there's a high treatment burden, and this is challenging for patients because not all patients can come back in there's a high rate of lost to followup, non-compliance, and non-adherence to the treatment regimens. And we've seen in Phase 3 clinical studies, especially in follow up in real world practice that when patients are not getting regular treatments, they lose vision. And that's why we've it's been hard to replicate the excellent results we've seen in the Phase 3 studies in real world practice. And the hope is that if one of these gene therapy treatments can work, we can offer a really one-and-done or a much more sustainable treatment therapy for our patients, which ultimately lead to better compliance and better visual outcomes.

EK: Fantastic. Well, thank you so much for the update.

RK: My pleasure. Thanks for having me.

Note: This transcript has been lightly edited for clarity.

See the original post here:

AAVIATE: Gene therapy via suprachoroidal drug delivery may lower treatment burden for patients with AMD - Modern Retina

TC BioPharm CEO, Bryan Kobel to Speak at the "Innovating Cell and Gene Therapy Quality Control Conference 2022" – PR Newswire

During the fireside chat, moderated by Caroline Peachey, Editor of the European Pharmaceutical Review, Kobel will focus on TC BioPharm's journey as a CGT startup, the challenges the Company has faced, and the impact of quality control on its development. Kobel will also offer advice to other cell and gene therapy manufacturers and discuss the industry landscape.

The "Innovating Cell and Gene Therapy Quality Control Conference 2022" will take place virtually on July 13, 2022. For more information, visit the conference's website.

TC BioPharm manufactures young, active gamma-delta T cells exogenously using donor blood, expanding the gamma delta t-cell population into the billions and infusing these healthy donor cells into cancer patients. The Company's allogeneic unmodified gamma-delta T cell product, OmnImmune has shown positive results from its Phase 1a/2b human study evaluating its safety and tolerability. OmnImmune targets the potential treatment of relapse/refractory Acute Myeloid Leukemia ("AML"). Additionally, the FDA granted orphan drug status for OmnImmune after reviewing the trial results. TC BioPharm also received MHRA and Research Ethics Committee approvals to initiate Phase 2b/3 gamma-delta T cell therapy clinical trials of OmnImmune.

About TC BioPharm (Holdings) PLC

TC BioPharm is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery, development and commercialization of gamma-delta T cell therapies for the treatment of cancer and viral infections with human efficacy data in acute myeloid leukemia. Gamma-delta T cells are naturally occurring immune cells that embody properties of both the innate and adaptive immune systems and can intrinsically differentiate between healthy and diseased tissue. TC BioPharm uses an allogeneic approach in both unmodified and CAR modified gamma delta t-cells to effectively identify, target and eradicate both liquid and solid tumors in cancer.

TC BioPharm is the leader in developing gamma-delta T cell therapies, and the first company to conduct phase II/pivotal clinical studies in oncology. The Company is conducting two investigator-initiated clinical trials for its unmodified gamma-delta T cell product line - Phase 2b/3 pivotal trial for OmnImmune in treatment of acute myeloid leukemia and Phase I trial for ImmuniStim in treatment of Covid patients using the Company's proprietary allogenic CryoTC technology to provide frozen product to clinics worldwide. TC BioPharm also maintains a robust pipeline for future indications in solid tumors and other aggressive viral infections as well as a significant IP/patent portfolio in the use of CARs with gamma delta t-cells and owns our manufacturing facility to maintain cost and product quality controls.

Forward Looking Statements

This press release may contain statements of a forward-looking nature relating to future events. These forward-looking statements are subject to the inherent uncertainties in predicting future results and conditions. These statements reflect our current beliefs, and a number of important factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in this press release. We undertake no obligation to revise or update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. The reference to the website of TC BioPharm has been provided as a convenience, and the information contained on such website is not incorporated by reference into this press release.

SOURCE TC BioPharm

See more here:

TC BioPharm CEO, Bryan Kobel to Speak at the "Innovating Cell and Gene Therapy Quality Control Conference 2022" - PR Newswire

Why Shares of Bluebird Bio, CRISPR Therapeutics, and Editas Medicine Soared This Week – The Motley Fool

What happened

The downtrodden biotech space has kicked off the second half of 2022 with a boom. Hard-hit gene-editing and gene therapy companies in particular have started the back half of the year on the right foot. Underscoring this point, Bluebird Bio (BLUE 3.59%) stock has already risen by 17% over the holiday-shortened week as of Thursday's closing bell, according to data provided by S&P Global Market Intelligence.

What's more, shares of CRISPR Therapeutics (CRSP 0.77%) have gained 22.6% over the same period, and fellow gene editor Editas Medicine (EDIT 0.33%) also saw its equity rise in price by a healthy 20.7% this week. By contrast, Bluebird and Editas shares both fell by over 50% over the first six months of 2022, while CRISPR's stock price stumbled by a noteworthy 20% during the first half of the year.

Image Source: Getty Images.

What's behind this sudden trend reversal? The most likely explanation is simply short-sellers covering their positions (buying back their borrowed shares). In keeping with this theme, Bluebird, Editas, and CRISPR all saw a sharp rise in their short interest during the first six months of 2022. Short-sellers piled into these three names earlier this year due to the fact that they are all cash flow negative, which is a tough spot to be in during a persistent bear market and an era of rising interest rates. Bluebird, in fact, is staring down a serious cash crunch at the moment.

Short-sellers, for their part, are probably backing away at this stage for no other reason than to play it safe in the event that big pharma starts to go bargain shopping.

Why might big pharma target beaten-down gene-editing and gene therapy companies in the second half of the year? The key reason is that these high-value fields are starting to move beyond the research stage of their life cycle and into the realm of commercially available therapies.

Speaking to this point, Bluebird's gene therapies for beta thalassemia and cerebral adrenoleukodystrophy appear to be on their way toward a formal approval from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) following a pair of positive advisory committee votes last month. What's more, CRISPR is also expected to file for regulatory approval for its Vertex Pharmaceuticalspartnered blood disorder candidate, exa-cel, later this year.

Are any of these three biotech stocks still worth buying? CRISPR is arguably the most attractive bargain among the three. The company's ex-vivo gene-editing platform has posted stellar trial results so far, and Vertex could very well decide to buy its partner as a result.

Bluebird, on the other hand, is a tough call. The company ought to have a compelling buyout case if the FDA does grant it a pair of approvals soon. The bad news is that the biotech's balance sheet may force a sale at a heavily discounted price (relative to the commercial potential of its lead assets).

Finally, Editas might simply get lost in the mix when everything is said and done. There are several gene-editing companies vying for the spot of top dog, and Editas' clinical pipeline lags in several key areas at the moment. Time will tell.

George Budwell has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends CRISPR Therapeutics, Editas Medicine, and Vertex Pharmaceuticals. The Motley Fool recommends Bluebird Bio. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

View post:

Why Shares of Bluebird Bio, CRISPR Therapeutics, and Editas Medicine Soared This Week - The Motley Fool

Gene Therapy Market is Expected to Grow Revenue up to USD 20 Billion by 2028 Know More with Infinium Global Research – Digital Journal

The Gene Therapy Market Research Report Study. Covers global and regional markets with an in-depth analysis of the overall market growth prospects. It also sheds light on the comprehensive competitive landscape of the global market with a forecast period of 2022 to 2028. The Gene Therapy Market Research Report. Further provides a dashboard overview of the key players covering successful marketing strategies, market contribution, and recent developments in historical and current contexts, along with the forecast period 2022 to 2028. The global gene therapy market was valued at USD 5.6 Billion in 2022 and is expected to reach USD 20 Billion in 2028, with a CAGR of about 24% during the forecast period.

Get a Sample Copy of the Report: https://www.infiniumglobalresearch.com/reports/sample-request/40133

The Significant Therapeutic Potential Offered by Gene Therapy is Boosting the Growth of this Market

Innovation in gene therapy for rare & cardiovascular disease treatment is growing and increasing awareness regarding the ability of gene therapy to cure diseases drives the growth of the gene therapy market. Further, several benefits such as the ability to replace defective cells help in eliminating diseases and the significant therapeutic potential offered by gene therapy is boosting the growth of this market. The rising occurrence of cancer and increasing government support for gene therapy in cancer treatment can further fuel the demand for the gene therapy market. Gene therapy has substantial potential to eradicate and counter several genetic illnesses and frequent life-threatening disorders, such as AIDS, cancer, Parkinsons disease, heart diseases, age-related disorders, and cystic fibrosis.

Moreover, the upsurge in the number of gene therapy treatment centers in developed countries and the increasing adoption of gene therapy for Oncological disorders have expected to create lucrative growth opportunities for this market. On the contrary, the high cost associated with gene therapies and the potential to give rise to other disorders is likely to restrain the growth of the gene therapy market. However, the High cost of therapy treatment will restrain the market growth during the forecast period.

This report focuses on Gene Therapy Market Status, Future Forecast, Growth Opportunities, Key Market, and Key Players. The Gene Therapy Market Report. Studies various parameters, such as raw materials, cost and technology, and consumer preferences. It also provides important market credentials such as history, various spreads, and trends, and an overview of the trade, regional markets, trade, and market competitors. It covers capital, revenue, and pricing analysis by business, along with other sections such as plans, support areas, products offered by major manufacturers, alliances, and acquisitions. Headquarters delivery.

To understand how the Impact of Covid-19 is covered in this Report:

The complete profile of the company is mentioned. And it includes capacity, production, price, revenue, cost, gross margin, sales volume, revenue, consumption, growth rate, import, export, supply, future strategies, and the technological developments that they are making the report. Historical market data Gene Therapy and forecast data from 2022 to 2028.

Major players are included in the Gene Therapy market report. They are Novartis AG, Gilead Sciences, Inc., Spark Therapeutics, Inc., Amgen Inc., Biogen Inc., Pfizer Inc., Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Sanofi SA., Abeona Therapeutics, Inc., and Merck & Co., Inc.

Need Assistance? Send an [emailprotected] https://www.infiniumglobalresearch.com/reports/enquiry/40133

Market segmentation Gene Therapy by type (suicide gene, cancer gene, tumor suppressor gene, cytokine gene therapy, antigen gene therapy), application (neurological, cardiovascular, genetic, infectious, oncological disorders), vector type (non-viral, viral vectors)

Geographically, this report is segmented into Several Key Regions, With Sales, Revenue, Market Share, and Growth Rate of Gene Therapy in Those Regions, from 2022 to 2028

=> North America (US, Canada, and Mexico)

=> Europe (Germany, UK, France, Italy, Russia, Turkey, etc.)

=> Asia Pacific (China, Japan, Korea, India, Australia, Indonesia, Thailand, Philippines, Malaysia, and Vietnam)

=> South America (Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, etc.)

=> The Middle East and Africa (Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Nigeria, and South Africa)

-Market Landscape: Here, the Gene Therapy Market opposition is based on value, revenue, trade, and organization-specific pie slices, market rates, cut-throat situation landscape, and market rates. Patterns, integrations, developments, acquisitions, and, in general, most recent top organizations It is part of the industry.

-Manufacturers Profiles: Here, they are considered to be the driving force for the Gene Therapy Market. It is dictated by regions marketed, major products, net margin, revenue, cost, and generation.

-Market Status and Outlook by Region: In this segment, the report studies the market size by region, net advantage, exchanges, revenue, generation, overall industry share, CAGR, and region. Here, is the Gene Therapy Market. It is studied in depth according to regions and countries such as North America, Europe, China, India, Japan, and MEA.

-Market Outlook Production Side In this report, the authors have focused on the creation and estimates regarding creation by type, key manufacturer indicators, and estimates regarding creation and creation.

-Results and Conclusions of the Research: It is one of the last parts of the report where the researchers findings and the conclusion of the exploratory study are presented.

Enquire Here Get Customization & Check Discount for Report @ https://www.infiniumglobalresearch.com/reports/customization/40133

Key Stakeholders

Raw Material Suppliers

Distributors/Traders/Wholesalers/Suppliers

Regulatory Agencies, including Government Agencies and NGOs

Research and Development (R&D) Trade Agencies

Imports and Exports, Government Agencies, Research Agencies, and Companies Consultants

Trade associations and industry groups.

End-use industries

The Study Objectives of this Report are:

To analyze the Gene Therapy Industrys status, future forecast, growth opportunity, key market, and key players.

Present the development of the Supply of Gene Therapy Market products. In the United States, Europe, and China.

Strategically profile key players and comprehensively analyze their development plans and strategies.

To define, describe and forecast the market by product type, market, and key regions.

Table of Content

Chapter 1 Preface

1.1. Report Description

1.2. Research Methods

1.3. Research Approaches

Chapter 2 Executive Summary

2.1. Gene Therapy Market Highlights

2.2. Gene Therapy Market Projection

2.3. Gene Therapy Market Regional Highlights

Chapter 3 Global Gene Therapy Market Overview

3.1. Introduction

3.2. Market Dynamics

3.2.1. Drivers

3.2.2. Restraints

3.2.3. Opportunities

3.3. Analysis of COVID-19 impact on the Gene Therapy Market

3.4. Porters Five Forces Analysis

3.5. IGR-Growth Matrix Analysis

3.6. Value Chain Analysis of Gene Therapy Market

Chapter 4 Gene Therapy Market Macro Indicator Analysis

Chapter 5 Global Gene Therapy Market by Type

5.1. Suicide Gene Therapy

5.2. Cancer Gene Therapy

5.3. Tumor Suppressor Gene Therapy

5.4. Cytokine Gene Therapy

5.5. Antigen Gene Therapy

Chapter 6 Global Gene Therapy Market by Application

6.1. Neurological Diseases

6.2. Cardiovascular Diseases

6.3. Genetic Diseases

6.4. Infectious Diseases

6.5. Oncological Disorders

Chapter 7 Global Gene Therapy Market by Vector Type

7.1. Non-viral Vectors

7.2. Viral Vectors

Chapter 8 Global Gene Therapy Market by Region 2022-2028

8.1. North America

8.2. Europe

8.3. Asia-Pacific

8.4. RoW

Chapter 9 Company Profiles and Competitive Landscape

9.1. Competitive Landscape in the Global Gene Therapy Market

9.2. Companies Profiles

9.2.1. Novartis AG

9.2.2. Gilead Sciences, Inc.

9.2.3. Spark Therapeutics, Inc.

9.2.4. Amgen Inc.

9.2.5. Biogen Inc.

9.2.6. Pfizer Inc.

9.2.7. Regeneron Pharmaceuticals

9.2.8. Sanofi SA.

9.2.9. Abeona Therapeutics, Inc.

9.2.10. Merck & Co., Inc

Reasons to Buy this Report:

=> Comprehensive analysis of global as well as regional markets of the gene therapy.

=> Complete coverage of all the product types and applications segments to analyze the trends, developments, and forecast of market size up to 2028.

=> Comprehensive analysis of the companies operating in this market. The company profile includes an analysis of the product portfolio, revenue, SWOT analysis, and the latest developments of the company.

=> Infinium Global Research- Growth Matrix presents an analysis of the product segments and geographies that market players should focus on to invest, consolidate, expand and/or diversify.

Contact Us:

If you have any queries about this report or if you would like further information, please contact us:

Name: Kishor Devchake

E-mail: [emailprotected]

Phone: +918421989712

Read the rest here:

Gene Therapy Market is Expected to Grow Revenue up to USD 20 Billion by 2028 Know More with Infinium Global Research - Digital Journal

Infertility is a medical condition and there are several ways to treat infertility – Longevity LIVE

Infertility is a medical condition affecting a growing number of couples worldwide. The good news is that in many cases it can be successfully treated. In this #WellnessWednesday session Gisle Wertheim Aymes discussed infertility with specialistDr. Tebogo Deo.

Dr. Deo is a Reproductive Medicine Sub-specialist, and Fertility Gynaecologist. She trained at the University of Cape Town in South Africa and the University of Warwick in the United Kingdom. She also holds a B.Sc. from Rhodes University and MBCHB from MEDUNSA. Dr. Deo is currently completing her MA in Pastoral Studies.

Infertility is a medical condition that requires an accurate diagnosis and the right treatment. Its defined as failure to establish a clinical pregnancy after 12 months of regular, unprotected sexual intercourse; or due to an impairment of a persons capacity to reproduce, either as an individual or with his/her partner.2 If the woman is older than 35, she and her partner should seek an evaluation if they have not been able to conceive after six months.3

Its estimated that globally, infertility affects 812 % of women who are 2044 years of age.1 Physiological causes in men account for 2030 % of cases of infertility and physiological causes in women for 2035 %, 2540 % of cases are due to issues in both partners. In 1020 % of cases, no cause was found.1

Infertility does not mean you cant fall pregnant or have a baby. Rather, you require medical assistance to do so, as infertility is a medical condition that can be treated.

In recent years, the number of couples seeking treatment for infertility has dramatically increased. This is due to many factors including the postponement of childbearing in women. It is a medical fact that a womans fertility begins to decline in her 20s and significantly deteriorates after age 35. The chance of conception for a woman older than 43 is very low. As increasing numbers of women postpone starting families until after 35, many require reproductive assistance.

Dr. Deo stressed, Its not necessarily just a mans issue or a womans issue, it is a couple issue. We need both of them together to understand this.

All of the steps during ovulation and fertilization need to happen correctly in order to get pregnant. Dr. Deo says that sometimes, issues that cause infertility in couples are present at birth, and sometimes they develop later in life. This can affect one or both partners.

Causes of male infertility may include abnormal sperm production or function. It can also be a result of problems with the delivery of sperm and overexposure to certain environmental factors. These include cigarette smoking, anabolic steroid use, marijuana, alcohol, and certain medications. Cancer can also impact fertility.3

Causes of female infertility may include ovulation disorders. Uterine or cervical abnormalities, fallopian tube damage or blockage and endometriosis. In addition, early menopause, pelvic adhesions (bands of scar tissue from pelvic infection, appendicitis, endometriosis, abdominal or pelvic surgery) can also cause infertility. Cancer is a factor.3

Tubes may be blocked as a result of diseases like TB, chlamydia and endometriosis .Fibroids can also be a cause, particularly those close to the tubes. They may cause infertility.

Dr.Deo explained that carrying excess weight can also influence the condition. And yes, if you are more than 40, you may find that your ovarian reserve, meaning the number of eggs that you have, are diminished. And as a result of that, you may not be able to fall pregnant. Men who are overweight may not be able to produce a lot of sperm. This is due to their male hormone being converted into the female hormone by the fat cells. Thats why they develop man boobs and this usually results in poor sperm production.

The long-term inability to conceive a child can evoke real feelings of loss and devastation in both partners. Infertility often creates one of the most distressing life crises a couple will experience together. Coping with the multitude of medical decisions and the uncertainties that infertility brings can create emotional upheaval for most couples.

We work with counsellors, like social workers, as well as psychologists. This is very stressful, and I think maybe thats one of the reasons why Im also doing my pastoral studies, because it can be spiritually draining. Wehave to have a holistic approach to the partners. We are very upfront with the information, especially the financial toll that it can take on the person and the emotional toll.

Fortunately, newer and more successful techniques for infertility treatment are developed continuously. Many people delay fertility treatment because they fear the costs associated with in vitro fertilisation (IVF). IVF is where sperm and egg are placed together in a lab until they form an embryo which is then implanted into your uterus.

However, there are a number of treatment options other than IVF that can improve the chance of conceiving. A specialist will recommend the treatment based on the cause of your fertility issues, your age, and your preferences. Some women may have to have surgery to fix a uterine condition, such as endometriosis, fibroids, or blocked fallopian tubes.

Dr. Tebogo Deo

Theres only one way to know for certain what the exact cause of a couples fertility challenges is, and that is an initial consultation with a fertility specialist. With advances in medical science infertility can be addressed. Couples must empower themselves with knowledge about the options that are available. Importantly, they should continue with their journey towards parenthood.

The video interview contains the full dialogue of this interview, and you can watch it below.

Read more from the original source:
Infertility is a medical condition and there are several ways to treat infertility - Longevity LIVE

PROMISING STEM CELL THERAPY IN THE MANAGEMENT OF HIV & AIDS | BTT – Dove Medical Press

Introduction

Stem cells are highly specialized cell types with an impressive ability to self-renew, able to transform into one or even more specific cell types that play a significant role in the regulation and tissue healing process.17 To self-renew, a stem divides into two identical daughter stem cells and a progenitor cell and the embryonic and adult cells contain stem cells.1,2,8

Curing patients with serious medical conditions has been the focus of all disciplines of medical research for many years. Stem cell treatment has evolved into a highly exciting and progressed field of scientific research. Major advances have recently been introduced in fundamental and translational stem-cell-based treatment studies. As stem cell research progressed, many therapeutic options were investigated. The development of therapeutic procedures has sparked a great deal of interest.1,9 Humanity has known for many years that it is possible to regenerate lost tissue. Recently, the regenerative medicine research has taken hold, defying the tremendous scientific advances in the molecular biology sciences only. Technological advances provide limitless opportunities for transformational and potentially restorative therapies for many of humanitys most illnesses. A variety of human organs have successfully yielded stem cells. Besides this, the cell therapy is rapidly bringing good advancements in the healthcare system, intending to restore and possibly replace injured tissue, as well as organs, and ultimately restore the functional capacity of the body.2,10,11

The stem cells can be obtained from various sources of Adult (Adult body tissues), Embryonic (Embryos), Mesenchyma (Connective tissue or stroma), and Induced pluripotent stem [ips] cells (Skin cells or tissue-specific cells).3,68,1215

Due to various stem cells cellular characteristics, the therapeutic clinical possibilities of stem-cell-based treatment are considered promising. These cells can regrow and restore various types of body tissues, for this reason, they are recognized as precursor cells to all kinds of cells.15 The following are the distinguishing features: 1. Self-renewal- Divide without distinction to generate an infinite supply, 2. Multi-potency- One mature cell may distinguish more than one, 3. Pluripotency- Create all sorts of cells except for embryonic membrane cells, 4. Toti- potency- Produce various sorts of cells, including embryonic stem cells.1,2,6,7,16

Stem cells are essential human cells that really can self-renew and make a distinction into particular mature cell types.3,6 The different types of stem cells are embryonic, induced pluripotent, and adult kind of cell types. They all share the important feature of self-renewal, and the ability to discern themselves. It should be mentioned that, the stem cells are not homogeneous, but instead appear in a progressive order. Totipotent stem cells are the most basic and immature stem cells. The above cells can form a complete embryo and also extra-embryonic tissue. This one-of-a-kind efficiency is only present for a short period, starting with ovum development and completing whenever the embryo achieves the 4 to 8 cell phases. Having followed that, cells that divide until they approach the blastocyst, about which point they end up losing their totipotency and acquire a pluripotent character trait, at which cells can only distinguish through each embryonic germ stack. After a few divisions, the pluripotency character trait starts to fade and the distinguishing ability has become more lineage constrained, where its cells are becoming multipotent, indicating they could only transform into the cells connected to a cell or tissue of origin.10 Many researchers believe that adult stem cells should be used in stem cell therapies.6,17

The stem cells can be transformed into a wide range of specialized functional cell types.3,18 In response to injury or maturation, those same stem cells can propagate in massive quantities.19 Adult, embryonic, and induced pluripotent stem cells are examples of stem cell-based therapies.14,15,1921 The stem cells, due to their capability to distinguish the specific cell types requisite for a diseased tissue regeneration, can provide an effective solution, while tissue and organ transplantation are considered necessary.10 The sophistication of stem cell-based treatment interventions, on the other hand, probably leads researchers to seek stable, credible, and readily available stem cell sources capable of converting into numerous lineages. As an outcome, it is critical to exercise caution when selecting the type of stem cells to be used in therapeutic trials.12,14,22

Only with the explosive growth of basic stem cell research in recent years, the comparatively recent study sector of Translational Research had also grown exponentially, starting to build on major research knowledge and insight to advance new therapies. Once the necessary regulatory clearances have been obtained, the clinical translation process can start. Translational research is important because it acts as a filtration system, ensuring that only safe and effective therapeutic approaches start making it to the clinic.23 Recent research illustrating, the successful application of stem cell transplantation to patient populations suggests that, such restorative approaches have been used to address a wide variety of complicated ailments of future concerns.19,24

Currently, clinical trials are available for a variety of stem cell-based treatments based on adult stem cells. To date, the WHO International Clinical Experiments Registration process has recorded more than 3000 experiments involved based on adult stem cells. Furthermore, preliminary trials involving novel and intriguing pluripotent stem cell therapies have been registered. These studies findings will assist the ability to comprehend and the timeframes required to obtain effective treatments and it will contribute to a better knowledge of the different disorders or abnormalities.10

The role of stem cells in modern medicine is vital, both for their widespread application in basic research and for the opportunities they provide for developing new therapeutic strategies in clinical practice.6,16 In recent times, the number of studies involving stem cells has expanded tremendously. Globally, thousands of studies claiming to use stem cells in experimental therapies have now been in the investigation field. This may give the impression that such treatments have already been shown to be extremely effective in the context of healthcare. Despite some promising results, the vast majority of stem cell-based therapeutic applications are still in the experimental stage itself.6,25

The stem cells are a valuable resource for understanding organogenesis as well as the bodys continual regenerative capacity. These cells have brought up enormous anticipations among doctors, investigators, patients, and the public at large because of their ability to distinguish into a variety of cell types.25 These cells are necessary for living beings for a variety of reasons and can play a distinguishable role. Several stem cells can play all cell types roles, and when stimulated effectively, they can also repair damaged tissue. This capability has the potential to save lives as well as treat human injuries and tissue destruction. Moreover, different kinds of stem cells could be used for several purposes, including tissue formation, cell deficiency therapeutic interventions, and stem cell donation or retrieval.3,6,26

New research demonstrating that the successful application of stem cell treatments to patients has expressed hope that such regenerative strategies might very well one day is being used to address a wide variety of problematic ailments. Furthermore, clinical trials incorporating stem cell-based therapeutics have advanced at an alarming rate in recent years. Some of these studies had a significant impact on a wide range of medical conditions.10 As a regenerative medicine strategy, cell-based treatment is widely regarded as the most fascinating field of study in advanced science and medicine. Such technological innovation paves the way for an infinite number of transformational and potentially curable solutions to some of humanitys most pressing survival issues. Moreover, it is gradually becoming the next major concern in medical services.11

Modern data, which shows that the successful stem cell transplantation in beneficiaries has raised hopes on the certain rejuvenating approaches, will one day be used to treat many different types of challenging chronic conditions.24 Preliminary data from highly innovative investigations have documented that the prospective advancement of stem cells provides a wide range of life-threatening ailments that have so far eluded current medical therapy.2,10,11 Furthermore, clinical trials involving stem cell-based therapies have advanced at an unprecedented rate. Many of these studies had a significant impact on various disorders.19 Despite the increasing significance of articles concerning viable stem cell-based treatments, the vast majority of clinical experiments have still yet to receive full authorization for stem cell treatments confirmation.11,12,27

Even though the first case of AIDS were noted nearly 27 years ago, and the etiologic agent was noticed 25 years ago, still for the effective control of the AIDS pandemic continues to remain elusive.28 The HIV epidemic started in 1981 when a new virus syndrome defined by a weakened immune system was revealed in human populations across the globe. AIDS showed up to have a substantial reduction in CD4+ cell counts and also elevated B-cell multiplication.15,2831

The agent that causes AIDS, later named HIV, is a retroviral disease with a genomic structural system made up of 2 identical single-stranded RNA particles.3234 According to the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, with over 1.1 million Americans are presently infected with the virus.31 Compromised immune processes in HIV and AIDS, as well as partial immune restoration, barriers are confirmed for HIV disease eradication. Innovative developmental strategies are essential to maximizing virus protection and enabling the host immune response to eliminate the virus.35

The progression of HIV infection in humans is divided into the following stages of acute infection, chronic infection, and AIDS.15,36 During the acute infection phase, the circulation has a high viral replication, is extremely infectious, that may or may not demonstrate flu-like clinical signs. In the chronic stage, the viral load is lesser than in the acute stage, and individuals are still infectious but may be symptomless. The patient has come to the end stage of AIDS whenever the CD4+ cell count begins to fall below 200 cells/mm or even when opportunistic infections are advanced.15,36

There are currently two types of HIV isolated HIV-1 and HIV-2.15,37,38 However, HIV-1 is the most common cause of AIDS throughout the world, while HIV-2 is only found in a few areas of an African country. Although both virions can cause AIDS, HIV-2 infection is much more likely to occur in central nervous system disorder.15 Besides this, HIV-2 seems to be less infectious than HIV-1, and HIV-2 infection induces AIDS to develop more slowly. Even though both HIV-1 and HIV-2 have a comparable genetic structure comprised of group-specific antigen, polymerase, and envelope genes, their genome organizational structures are differed.15,3739

HIV infiltrates immune cell types, CD4+ T cell types, and monocytes, resulting in a drop in T-cell counts below a critical level and the failure of cell-mediated immune function.15,40 The glycoprotein (gp120) observed in the virion envelope comes into contact with the CD4 particle with high affinity, allowing HIV to infect T cells. By interacting with their co-receptors, CXCR4 and CCR5, the virus infiltrates T cells and monocytes. The retrovirus uses reverse transcriptase to convert its RNA into DNA after attaching it to and entering the host cell. These newly replicated DNA copies then exit the host cell and infect other cells.15,40,41

HIV-1 is a retrovirus and belongs to a subset of retroviruses known as lentiviruses.38,42 Infection is the most common global health concern around the world.15 It has destroyed the millions of peoples health and continues to wreak havoc on the individual health of millions more. The pandemic of HIV-1 is the most devastating plague in the history of humans, as well as a significant challenge in the areas of medicine, public health, and biological science of research activities.34,43 Antiretroviral therapy is the only treatment that is commonly used. This is not a curative treatment; it must be used for the rest of ones life.15 Although antiretroviral therapy has reduced significantly HIV intensity and transmission, the virus has not been eradicated, and its continued presence can lead to additional health issues.44

Infection with the human immunodeficiency virus necessitates entry into target cells, such as through adhesion of the viral envelope to CD4 receptor sites.43 Cellular antiviral responses fail to eliminate the virus, resulting in a gradual depletion of CD4+ T cells and, finally, a severely compromised immune functioning system. Unfortunately, there is no cure for the virus that destroys immunity.4447 In advanced HIV infection, memory T-cell depletion primarily affects cellular and adaptive immune responses, with a minor impact on innate immune responses.48 Globally, 37.7 million people were living with HIV in 2020, and with 1.5 million individuals are infected with the virus.49 The advancement of stem cell therapy and the conduct of implemented clinical trials have revealed that stem cell treatment has high hopes for a range of medical conditions and implementations.15

Stem cell treatment has shown impressive outcomes in HIV management and has the potential to have significant implications for HIV treatment and prevention in the future. In HIV patients, stem cell therapy helps to suppress the viral load even while enabling antiretroviral regimens to be tapered. Interestingly, this practice led to a significant improvement in procedure outcomes soon after starting antiretroviral treatment.15 Stem cell transplantation can alleviate a wide variety of diseases that are currently incurable. They could also be used to create a novel anti-infection therapy strategic plan and to enhance the treatment of immunologic conditions such as HIV infection. HIV wreaks havoc on immune system cells.30,50

The virus infects and replicates within T-helper cells (T-cells), which are white immune system cells. T-cells are also referred to as CD4 cells. HIV weakens a persons immune system over time by pulverizing more CD4 cells and multiplying itself. More pertinently, if the individual has been unable to obtain anti-retroviral medicine, he will progressively fail to control the infectious disease and illnesses.3,15,42

Despite 36 years of scientific research, investigators are still trying to cure human HIV and its potential problem, AIDS.3,5153 HIV continues to face unconquerable dangers to human survival. This virus has developed the potential to avoid anti-retroviral therapy and tends to result in victim death.52 Investigators are still looking for effective and all-encompassing treatment for HIV and its complexity, AIDS.54 This massive amount of data revealed potential AIDS treatment targets.55 Thousands of research projects have yielded a great deal of information on the elusive AIDS life cycle to date.5456 These massive amounts of data supplied possible targets for AIDS treatment.33,55,56 In HIV-infected patients, using stem cell therapy can augment the process of keeping the viral load stagnant by permitting antiretroviral regimens to be tapered.15

Overall, stem cell-based strategies for HIV and AIDS treatment have recently emerged and have become a key area of research. Ideally, effective stem cell-based therapeutic approaches might have several benefits.30 Clinical studies encompassing stem cell therapy have shown substantial therapeutic effects in the treatment of various autoimmune, degenerative, and genetic problems.15,25 Substantial progress has been developed in the treatment of HIV infection using stem cell-based techniques.30

Successfully treated, clinical studies have shown that total tissue recovery is feasible.15,57 In the early 1980s, the first stem cell transplants were accomplished on HIV-positive patients who were unsure of their viral disease. Following the above preliminary aspects, many HIV-positive patients with concurrent malignant tumours or other hematologic disorders underwent allogeneic stem cell transplantation around the world.42 After ART became a common treatment option for patients,58,59 the procedures prognosis improved dramatically. In addition, a retrospective study of 111 HIV+ transplant patients demonstrated a mildly lower overall survivorship performance in comparison to an HIV-uninfected comparison group.60

Earlier, the primary problem for people living with HIV and AIDS was immunodeficiency caused by a loss of productive T-cells. Some clinicians intended to replenish lost lymphocytes through adoptive cell transplants in the initial days before efficacious antiretroviral therapy options were available. Immunologically, it is relatively simple in an isogeneic condition, as illustrated on HIV-positive individuals with just a correlating identical twin who received T-lymphocytes and stem cell transfusions to rebuild the weak immune status of the patient.60 Cell therapy transfusion may be used to remove resting virion genomes from CD4+ immune cells and macrophages mostly through genome-editing or cytotoxic anti-viral cells.15,60 Cell technology and stem cell biological reprogramming developments have made a significant contribution to novel strategies that may give confidence to HIV healing process.3 However, human embryonic stem cells can be distinguished into significant HIV target cells, according to several research findings.30,61,62

Initially, stem cell transplantation was believed to influence the clinical significance of HIV infection, but viral regulation was not accomplished in the discipline. Moreover, improvements in stem cell transplants utilizing synthetic or natural resistant cell resources, in combination with novel genetic manipulative tactics or the advancement of cytotoxic anti-HIV effector cells, have significantly accelerated this sector of HIV cell management.60 Multiple techniques are being introduced to overcome HIV, either through protecting cells from infectious disease or by continuing to increase immune responses to the viral infection.30 The various methods are as follows: Bone marrow stem cells Therapies, Autologous stem cell transplantations, Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, Genetical modifications of Hematopoietic stem cells (HSCT), HSCT and HAART therapeutic approach, Human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cell transplantation, Mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (MSCs) applications, CCR5 Delta32/Delta32 Stem-Cell Transplantation, CRISPR and stem cell applications, Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells applications.

According to the findings, circulating replicative HIV remains the most significant threat to effective AIDS therapy. As a result, a method for conferring resistance to circulating HIV particles is required. The effective viral burden in the human body would be significantly reduced if it were possible to defeat reproducing HIV particles.43,44 For the treatment of AIDS, a restorative approach that relies on bone marrow stem cells has been suggested.52 The proposed treatment method captures and eventually destroys circulating HIVs using receptor-integrated red blood cells. Red blood cell membranes can be equipped with the CD4 receptor and the C-C chemokine receptor type 5 and C-X-C chemokine receptor type 4 co-receptors, which will selectively bind circulating HIV particles.15,30,32,33,43,44,46,6365

The term autologous pertains to blood-forming stem cells obtained from the patient for use as a source of fresh blood cells followed by high-dose chemotherapeutic agents.66 Lymphoma is still the biggest cause of mortality in HIV patients. Autologous stem cell recovery or transplantation with high-dose treatments has long been supported as a treatment for certain types of cancer in HIV-negative patients, including leukaemia and lymphoma. Individuals over the age of 65, as well as those with health problems such as HIV, were excluded from initial transfusion experiments. Moreover, the treatment regimen mortality of transplantation has also been reduced significantly due to its use of peripheral blood stem cells rather than bone marrow and the use of newer marginal conditioning therapeutic strategies. HIV-infected clients may be able to utilize enough stem cells for an autologous transplant advancement in HIV management. High-dose Autologous stem cell transplant (ASCT) treatments are better than conventional treatment in people with relapsed non-Hodgkin lymphoma, according to randomized trial evidence. Similarly, studies on HIV-negative people with Hodgkin Lymphoma have shown that ASCT would provide patients with repetitive illness with long-term progression-free survival.66,67 Even so, the clinical trial on Allogeneic Hematopoietic Cell Transplant for HIV Patients with Hematologic Malignancies report was explained as, the cell-associated HIV DNA and inducible infectious virus were not detectable in the blood of patients who attained complete chimerism.68

The study on long-term multilineage engraftment of autologous genome-edited hematopoietic stem cells in nonhuman primates report findings was Genome editing in hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs) is a potential innovative approach for the treatment of numerous human disorders. This report shows that genome-edited HSPCs engraft and contribute to multilineage repopulation following autologous transplantation in a clinically relevant large animal model, which is an important step toward developing stem cell-based genome-editing therapeutics for HIV and possibly other illnesses.69

Research on comprehensive virologic and immune interpretation in an HIV-infected participant again just after allogeneic transfusion and analytical interruption of antiretroviral treatment findings are the instance of HIV-1 cure having followed allogeneic stem cell transplantation (allo-SCT), resulting allo-SCTs in HIV-1 positive participants have failed to cure the disease. It describes adjustments in the HIV reservoir in a single chronically HIV-infected client who had undergone allo-SCT for acute lymphoblastic leukaemia treatment and was obtaining suppressive antiretroviral treatment.

To estimate the size of the HIV-1 reservoir and describe viral phylogenetic and phenotypic modifications in immune cells, the investigators just used leukapheresis to obtain peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from a 55-year-old man with chronic HIV infection prior and after allo-SCT. Once HIV-1 was found to be unrecognizable by numerous tests, including the PCR measurement techniques both of overall and fully integrated HIV-1 DNA, recompilation virus precise measurement by significant cell input quantifiable viral outgrowth assay, and in situ hybridization of intestine tissue, the client accepted to an analytic treatment interruption (ATI) with recurrent clinical observing on day 784 post-transplantation. He continued to remain aviremic off ART until ATI day 288, once a reduced virus rebound of 60 HIV-1 copies/mL resulted, which expanded to 1640 HIV-1 copies/mL five days later, urging ART reinitiation. Rebounding serum HIV-1 action sequences were phylogenetically distinguishable from pro-viral HIV-1 DNA discovered in circulating PBMCs before transplantation. It was indicated that allo-SCT tends to result in significant reductions in the magnitude of the HIV-1 reservoir and a >9-month ART-free cessation from HIV-1 multiplication.34

The Impact of HIV Infection on Transplant Outcomes after Autologous Peripheral Blood Stem Cell Transplantation: A Retrospective Study of Japanese Registry Data reported as ASCT is a successful treatment option for HIV-positive patients with non-Hodgkin lymphoma and multiple myeloma (MM). HIV infection was associated with an increased risk of overall mortality and relapse after ASCT for NHL in a study population.70

The procedure of delivering hematopoietic stem cells mostly through intravenous infusion to restore normal haematopoiesis or treat cancer is known as hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.71 There has recently been a rise in the desire to develop strategies for treating HIV/AIDS diseases employing human hematopoietic stem cells,30 along with this Hutter and Zaia were evaluated the background of Haematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) in HIV-infected individuals.42

Attempts to use HSCT as a technique for immunologic restoration in AIDS patients or as a therapeutic intervention for malignant tumours were initially insufficient. Regretfully, in the absence of sufficient ART, HSCT seemed to have no impact on the evolution of HIV infection, and the majority of the patients ended up dead of rapidly deteriorating immunosuppression or reoccurring lymphoma or leukaemia. A specific instance report described how an un-associated, matched donor supplied allogeneic HSCT to a patient with refractory lymphoma. The virus was unrecognizable by isolating or PCR of peripheral blood mononuclear cells commencing on day 32 after transplantation. Although HIV-1 was unrecognizable by cultural environment or PCR of several tissues examined at mortem, the patient died of recurring lymphoma on day 47. Another client who obtained both allogeneic HSCT and zidovudine had similar results, with HIV-1 becoming unnoticeable in the blood by PCR analysis. In some other particular instances, a 25-year-old woman with AIDS who obtained an allogeneic HSCT from a corresponding, unfamiliar donor after controlling with busulfan and cyclophosphamide and ART with zidovudine and IFN-2 regimen continued to live for 10 months before falling victim to adult respiratory distress. However, PCR testing of autopsy tissues revealed that they were HIV-1 negative.72

Recent research discovered significant progress towards the clinical application of stem cell-based HIV therapeutic interventions, principally illustrating the opportunity to effectively undertake a large-scale phase two HSC-based gene therapy experiment. In this investigation, the research team used autologous adult HSCs that had been transduced to a retroviral vector that usually contains a tat-vpr-specific anti-HIV ribozyme to develop cells that were less vulnerable to productive infection,73 whereas vector-containing cells have been discovered for extended periods (more than 100 weeks in most people) and CD4+ T cell gets counted were significantly high within anti-HIV ribozyme treating people group compared with the placebo group, the impacts on viral loads were minimal. The studys success, even so, is based on the realization that a stem cell-based strategy like this is being used as a more conventional and efficacious therapeutic approach.30 Some other latest clinical studies used a multi-pronged RNA-based strategic plan which included a CCR5-targeted ribozyme, an shRNA targeting tat/rev transcripts, and a TAR segment decoy.74

These crucial research findings are explained on lentiviral-based gene therapy vectors that can genetically manipulate both dividing and non-dividing HSCs and are less likely to cause cellular changes than murine retro-viral-based vectors. Long-term engraftment and multipotential haematopoiesis have been demonstrated in vector-containing and expressing cells, according to the researchers. Whereas the antiviral effectiveness was not reviewed, the results demonstrate the strategys protection, which helps to expand well for the possibility of a lentiviral-based approach in the upcoming years.30

A further approach, with a different emphasis, has been started up in the hopes of trying to direct immune function to target specific HIV to overcome barriers to attempting to clear the virus from the patient's body. These strategies use gene treatment innovations on peripheral blood cells to biologically modify cells so that they assert a receptor or chimeric particle that enables them to especially target a specific viral antigen,75 deception of HIV-infected peoples peripheral blood T cells raises issues to be addressed, such as the effects of ongoing HIV infection and ex vivo modification on the capabilities and lifetime of peripheral blood cells. Further to that, the above genetically manipulated cells would demonstrate their endogenous T cell receptors, and the representation of the newly introduced receptor could outcome in cross-receptor pairing, resulting in self-reactive T cells. Most of these deficiencies could be countered by enabling specific developmental strategies to take place that can start generating huge numbers of HIV-specific cells in a renewable, consistent way that can restore defective natural immune activity against HIV.30

One strategy being recognized is the application of B cells obtained from HSCs to demonstrate anti-HIV neutralizing specific antibodies. While animal studies have shown that neutralizing antibodies could protect against infection, and extensively neutralizing antibodies have been noticed in some HIV-infected persons, safety from a single engineered antibody might be exceptional.76,77 Realizing antibody binding and virus neutralization may assist in the development of chimeric receptors or single-chain therapeutic antibodies with recognition domains for other techniques that identify cellular immunity against HIV-infected cells.78,79 Thereby, genetically modifying HSCs to generate B cells that produce neutralizing anti-HIV specific antibodies, or engineering HSCs to enable multipotential haematopoiesis of cells that express a chimeric cellular receptor usually contains an antibody recognition domain, indicate one arm of an HSC-based engineered immunity process.30

A further technique of using HSCs that were genetically altered with molecularly cloned T-cell receptors or chimeric molecules particular to HIV to yield antigen-specific T cells. The basic difference in this strategy is that the cells produced from HSCs after standard advancement in the bone marrow and thymus are made subject to normal central tolerance modalities and are antigen-specific naive cells, and therefore do not have the ex-vivo manipulation and impaired functioning or exhaustion problems that other external cell modification methods would have. In this context, the latest actual evidence research using a molecularly cloned T cell receptor particular to an HIV-1 Gag epitope in the aspect of HLA-A*0201 revealed that HSC altered in this ability can progress into fully functioning, mature HIV specialized CD8+ T cells in human thymic tissue that conveys the acceptable constrained HLA-A*0201 particles.80 This explores the possibility of genetically engineering HSCs with a molecularly cloned receptor and signifies a step toward a better understanding and application of initiated T cell responses, which would probably result in the eradication of HIV infection from the body, similar to the natural immune function of other virus infections and pathogenic organisms.30

In an allogeneic transplantation, donor stem cells replace the patients cells.66 Allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) has appeared as one of the most potent treatment possibilities for many people who suffer from hemopoietic system carcinomas and non-malignant ailments.81 Both HIV-cured people have received HSCT utilizing CCR5 132 donor cells.82,83 This implies that HIV eradication necessitates a decrease in the viral reservoir through the myeloablative procedures,8486 Having followed that, immune rebuilding with HIV-resistant cells was carried out to prevent re-infection.45 The possibility of adoptive transfer of ex vivo-grown, virus-specific T-cells to prevent and control infectious diseases (eg, Cytomegalovirus and EBV) in immunocompromised patients helps to make adoptive T-cell treatment a feasible strategy to inhibit HIV rebound having followed HSCT.81,87,88

The Engineered Zinc Finger Protein Targeting 2LTR Inhibits HIV Integration in Hematopoietic Stem and Progenitor Cell-Derived Macrophages: In Vitro Study, the researchers investigated the efficacy and safety of 2LTRZFP in human CD34+ HSPCs. Researchers used a lentiviral vector to transduce 2LTRZFP with the mCherry tag (2LTRZFPmCherry) into human CD34+ HSPCs. The study findings suggest that the anti-HIV-1 integrase scaffold is an enticing antiviral molecule that could be utilised in human CD34+ HSPC-based gene therapy for AIDS patients.89

The fundamental element of HIV management is stem cell genetic modification, which involves genetically enhanced patient-derived stem cells to overcome HIV infection. In this sector, numerous experimental studies, in vitro as well as in vivo examinations, and positive outcomes for AIDS patients have been conducted.65,74 Genetic engineering for HIV-infected individuals can provide a once-only intervention that minimizes viral load, restores the immune system, and minimizes the accumulated toxicities concerned with highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART).73 HSCs can be genetically altered, permitting for the addition of exogenous components to the progeny that protects them from direct infectious disease and/or enables them to target a specific antigen. Besides that, HSC-based strategies can enhance multilineage hemopoietic advancement by re-establishing several arms of the immune function. Eventually, as HSCs can be produced autologously, immunologic tolerance is typically high, enabling effective engraftment and subsequent distinction into the fully functioning mature hematopoietic cells.30

The utilization of human HSCs to rebuild the immune function in HIV disease is one application that tries to preserve newly formed cells from HIV infection, while another attempts to develop immune cells that attack HIV infected cells. While each initiative has many different aspects at the moment, they represent huge attention to HIV/AIDS therapies that, most likely when integrated with the other therapeutic approaches, would result in the body trying to overcome the obstacles needed for the virus to be effectively cleaned up.30

While HSC transplantation technique and processes are not accurately novel, as they are commonly and effectively used to address a wide variety of haematological diseases and malignant neoplasms,90 trying to combine them with a gene therapeutic strategy represents a unique and possibly potent therapeutic approach for HIV and AIDS-related ailments. As the results of HIV-infected patients who obtained autologous HSCT continued to improve, there was growing interest in genetically altered stem cells that were tolerant to HIV disease. Multiple logistical challenges have impeded the advancement of genetically modified hematopoietic stem cells as a conceivable therapeutic option for HIV/AIDS.72,73

UCLAs Eli and Edythe Broad Center for Restorative Medicine and Stem Cell Studies is one bit closer to constructing an instrument to arm the bodys immune system to attack and defeat HIV. Dr. Kitchen et al are the first ones to disclose the use of a chimeric antigen receptor (CAR), a genetically manipulated molecule, in blood-forming stem cells. In the experiment, the research team introduced a CAR gene into blood-forming stem cells, which were then moved into HIV-infected mice that had been genetically programmed. The scientists found that CAR-carrying blood stem cells efficiently transformed into fully functioning T cells that have the ability to kill HIV-infected cells in mice. The outcome was an 80-to-95 percentage reduction in HIV levels, suggesting that stem-cell-based genetic engineering with a CAR might be a viable and effective approach for treating HIV infection among humans. The CAR initiative, according to Dr. Kitchen, is much more able to adapt and ultimately more efficient, which can conceivably be used by others. If any further experiment showcases keep promising, the scientists expect that a practice based on their strategy will be accessible for clinical development within the next 510 years.91

HSCT and HAART therapeutic approaches in treating HIV/AIDS as the emergence of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) in the 1990s improved survival rates of HIV infection, leading to a major dramatic drop in the occurrence of AIDS and AIDS-related mortalities. As an outcome, there is much less involvement with using HSCT as a therapy for HIV infection.28,33,43,67,86

A randomized clinical trial of human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cell transplant among HIV/AIDS immunological non responders investigation, the researchers examined the clinical efficacy of transfusion of human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells (hUC-MSC) for immunological non-responder clients with long-term HIV disease who have an unmet medical need in the aspect of effective antiretroviral therapy. From May 2013 to March 2016, 72 HIV-infected participants were admitted in this stage of the randomized, double-blind, multi-center, placebo-controlled dose-determination investigation. They were either given a high dose of hUC-MSC of 1.5106/kg body weight as well as small doses of hUC-MSC of 0.5106/kg body weight, or a placebo application. During the 96-week follow-up experiment, interventional and immunological character traits were analysed. They found that hUC-MSC therapy was both safe and efficacious among humans. There was a significant rise in CD4+ T counts after 48 weeks of treatment in both the high-dose (P 0.001) and low-dose (P 0.001) groups, but no changes in the comparison group.92

One interesting invention made by a team of UC Davis investigators is the recognition of a particular form of stem cell that can minimize the quantity of the virus that tends to cause AIDS, thus dramatically increasing the bodys antiviral immune activity. Mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (MSCs) furnish an incredible opportunity for a creative and innovative, multi-pronged HIV cure strategic plan by augmenting prevailing HIV potential treatments. Even while no antivirals have been used, MSCs have been able to increase the hosts antiviral responses. MSC therapeutic approaches require specialized delivery systems and good cell quality regulation. The studys findings lay the proper scientific foundation for future research into MSC in the ongoing treatment of HIV and other contagious diseases in the clinical organization.35

Infection with HIV-1 necessitates the existence of both specific receptors and a chemokine receptor, particularly chemokine receptor 5 (CCR5).46 Resistance to HIV-1 infection is attained by homozygozygozity for a 32-bp removal in the CCR5 allele.93 In this investigation, stem cells were transplanted in a patient with severe myeloid leukaemia and HIV-1 infection from a donor who was homozygous to Chemokine receptor 5 delta 32. The client seemed to have no viral relapses after 20 months of transplantation and attempting to stop antiretroviral medicine. This finding highlights the essential role that CCR5 tries to play in HIV-1 infection maintenance.86

In comparison, additional HIV-1-infected people who have received allogeneic stem cell transplants with cells from CCR5 truly wild donors did not have long-term relapses from HIV-1 rebound, with 2 of these patients trying to report viral reoccurrence 12 as well as 32 weeks after analytic treatment interruption, respectively. Among these 2 patients, allogeneic stem cell transplantation probably reduced but did not eliminate latently HIV-infected cells, enabling persistent viral reservoirs to activate viral rebound. This viewpoint may not rule out the potential that allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation might result in a much more comprehensive or near-complete elimination of viral reservoirs, enabling long-term drug-free relapse of HIV-1 infection in some contexts.84 As just one report demonstrated a decade earlier, a curative treatment for HIV-1 remained elusive. The Berlin Patient has undergone 2 allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantations to cure his acute myeloid leukaemia utilizing a potential donor with a homozygous genetic mutation in HIV coreceptor CCR5 (CCR532/32).15,34,46,64,65,72,82,84,86,9496 Other similar studies with CCR5 receptor targets are as follows: Automated production of CCR5-negative CD4+-T cells in a GMP compatible, clinical scale for treatment of HIV-positive patients,97 Mechanistic Models Predict Efficacy of CCR5-Deficient Stem Cell Transplants in HIV Patient Populations,98 Conditional suicidal gene with CCR5 knockout.99

Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats CRISPR/Cas9 is a promising gene editing approach that can edit genes for gain-of-function or loss-of-function mutations in order to address genetic abnormalities. Despite the fact that other gene editing techniques exist, CRISPR/Cas9 is the most reliable and efficient proven method for gene rectification.100103

Genome engineering employing CRISPR/Cas has proven to be a strong method for quickly and accurately changing specific genomic sequences. The rise of innovative haematopoiesis research tools to examine the complexity of hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) biology has been fuelled by considerable advancements in CRISPR technology over the last five years. High-throughput CRISPR screenings using many new flavours of Cas and sequential and/or functional outcomes, in specific, have become more effective and practical.104,105

The power of the CRISPR/Cas system is that it can specifically and efficiently target sequences in the genome with just a single synthetic guide RNA (sgRNA) and a single protein. Cas9 is directed to the specific DNA sequence by the sgRNA, which causes double stranded breaks and activates the cells DNA repair processes. Non-homologous end joining can cause insertiondeletion (indel) substitutions at the target location, whereas homology-directed repair can use a template DNA to insert new genetic material.104,106

The possibility for CRISPR/Cas9 to be used in the hematopoietic system was emphasised as pretty shortly after it was initiated as a new genome editing method.106,107 The efficiency with which CRISPR-mediated alteration can be used to evaluate hematopoietic stem/progenitor and mature cell function via transplantation. As a result, hematopoietic research has significantly advanced with the implementation of these technologies. Whilst single-gene CRISPR/Cas9 programming is a significant tool for testing gene function in primary hematopoietic cells, high-throughput screenings potentially offer CRISPR/Cas9 an even greater advantage in hematopoietic research.104

While understanding human haematological disorders requires the ability to mimic diseases, the ultimate goal is to transfer this innovation into therapies. Despite significant advancements in CRISPR technology, there are still barriers to overcome before CRISPR/Cas9 can be used effectively and safely in humans. CRISPR has also been used to target CCR5 in CD34+ HSPCs in an effort to make immune cells resistant to HIV infection, as CCR5 is an important coreceptor for HIV infection.104

CRISPR is a modern genome editing technique that could be used to treat immunological illnesses including HIV. The utilization of CRISPR in stem cells for HIV-related investigation, on the other end, was ineffective, and much of the experiment was done in vivo. The new research idea is about increasing CRISPR-editing efficiencies in stem cell transplantation for HIV treatment, as well as its future perspective. The possible genes that enhance HIV resistance and stem cell engraftment should be explored more in the future studies. To strengthen HIV therapy or resistance, double knockout and knock-in approaches must be used to build a positive engraftment. In the future, CRISPR/SaCas9 and Ribonucleoprotein (RNP) administration should be explored in the further investigations.108 As well as some different title studies were explained the effectiveness of the CRISPR gene editing technology on the management of HIV/AIDS including: CRISPR view of hematopoietic stem cells: Moving innovative bioengineering into the clinic,104 CRISPR-Edited Stem Cells in a Patient with HIV and Acute Lymphocytic Leukaemia,109 Sequential LASER ART and CRISPR Treatments Eliminate HIV-1 in a Subset of Infected Humanized Mice,110 Extinction of all infectious HIV in cell culture by the CRISPR-Cas12a system with only a single crRNA,111 HIV-specific humoral immune responses by CRISPR/Cas9-edited B cells,112 CRISPR-Cas9 Mediated Exonic Disruption for HIV-1 Elimination,113 RNA-directed gene editing specifically eradicates latent and prevents new HIV-1 infection,114 CRISPR/Cas9 Ablation of Integrated HIV-1 Accumulates Pro viral DNA Circles with Reformed Long Terminal Repeats,115 CRISPR-Cas9-mediated gene disruption of HIV-1 co-receptors confers broad resistance to infection in human T cells and humanized mice,116 Inhibition of HIV-1 infection of primary CD4+ T-cells by gene editing of CCR5 using adenovirus-delivered CRISPR/Cas9,117 Transient CRISPR-Cas Treatment Can Prevent Reactivation of HIV-1 Replication in a Latently Infected T-Cell Line,118 CCR5 Gene Disruption via Lentiviral Vectors Expressing Cas9 and Single Guided RNA Renders Cells Resistant to HIV-1 Infection,119 CRISPR/Cas9-Mediated CCR5 Ablation in Human Hematopoietic Stem/Progenitor Cells Confers HIV-1 Resistance In Vivo.109

Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) have significantly advanced the field of regenerative medicine by allowing the generation of patient-specific pluripotent stem cells from adult individuals. The progress of iPSCs for HIV treatment has the potential to generate a continuous supply of therapeutic cells for transplantation into HIV-infected patients. The title of the study is reported on Generation of HIV-1 Resistant and Functional Macrophages from Hematopoietic Stem Cellderived Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells. In this investigation, researchers used human hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) to produce anti-HIV gene expressing iPSCs for HIV gene therapy. HSCs were dedifferentiated into constantly growing iPSC lines using 4 reprogramming factors and a combination anti-HIV lentiviral vector comprising a CCR5 shRNA and a human/rhesus chimeric TRIM5 gene. After directing the anti-HIV iPSCs toward the hematopoietic lineage, a large number of colony-forming CD133+ HSCs were acquired. These cells were distinguished further into functional end-stage macrophages with a normal phenotypic profile. Upon viral challenge, the anti-HIV iPSC-derived macrophages displayed good protection against HIV-1 infection. Researchers have clearly shown how iPSCs can establish into HIV-1 resistant immune cells and explain their prospective use in HIV gene and cellular therapies.120

Some other similar titles of the studies reported on the effectiveness of IPSCs on HIV/AIDS managements are as follows: Generation of HIV-Resistant Macrophages from IPSCs by Using Transcriptional Gene Silencing and Promoter-Targeted RNA,121 Generation of HIV-1-infected patients gene-edited induced pluripotent stem cells using feeder-free culture conditions,122 A High-Throughput Method as a Diagnostic Tool for HIV Detection in Patient-Specific Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells Generated by Different Reprogramming Methods,123 Genetically edited CD34+ cells derived from human iPS cells in vivo but not in vitro engraft and differentiate into HIV-resistant cells,124 Engineered induced-pluripotent stem cell-derived monocyte extracellular vesicles alter inflammation in HIV humanized mice,125 Sustainable Antiviral Efficacy of Rejuvenated HIV-Specific Cytotoxic T Lymphocytes Generated from Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells.126

Recently, one HIV patient appeared to be virus-free after having undergone a stem-cell transfusion in which their WBCs were changed with HIV-resistant variations.84 Timothy Ray Brown also noted as the Berlin patient, who is still virus-free, was the first individual to undertake stem-cell transplantation a decade earlier. The most recent patient, like Brown, had a type of leukaemia that was vulnerable to chemo treatments. They required a bone marrow transplantation, which involved removing their blood cells and replacing them with stem cells from a donor cell.5,31,34,41,127130 Rather than simply choosing a suitable donor, Ravindra Gupta et al chose one who already had 2 copies of a mutant within the CCR5 gene,128,131 which provides resistance to HIV infection.3

Additionally, this gene encodes for a specific receptor of white blood cells that are assisted in the bodys immunological responses. The transplant, according to Guptas team, completely replaced the clients White cells with HIV-resistant forms.41,83 Cells in the patients blood disrupted expressing the CCR5 receptor, making it unfeasible for the clients form of HIV to infect the above cells again. The scientists determined that the virus had been cleared from the patients blood after the transplantation. Besides that, after 16 months, the client has withdrawn antiretroviral treatment. The infection was not detected in the most recent follow-up, which occurred 18 months after the treatment was discontinued. Adam, also known as the London patient, was the second person to be cured of HIV as a result of a stem cell transfusion. This discovery is an important step forward in HIV research because it may aid in the detection of potential future therapeutic interventions. It must be noted, but even so, that this is not an extensively used HIV treatment. For HIV-infected patients, antiretroviral drugs have been the foremost therapeutic option.3,31,41,94,129,130 It also encourages many investigators and clinicians to look at the use of stem cells in the treatment of a wide range of serious medical conditions. The reprogramming abilities of stem cells, as well as their accessibility, have created a window of opportunity in medical research. The clinical utility of stem cells is forecast to expand rapidly in the coming years.

On Feb 15, 2022, scientific researchers confirmed that a woman had become the 3rd person in history to be successfully treated for HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, after just receiving a stem-cell transfusion that has used cells from cord blood. Within those transplant recipients, adult hematopoietic stem cells have been used; these are stem cells that eventually develop into all blood cell types, which include white blood cells, these are a vital component of the immune framework. Even so, the woman who had fairly recently been completely cured of HIV infection had a more unique experience than that of the 2 men who were actually cured before her.132

The clients physician, Dr. JingMei Hsu of Weill Cornell Medicine in New York, informed them that, she had been discharged from the hospital just 17 days after her procedure was performed, even with no indications of graft vs host ailment. The woman was HIV-positive but also had acute myeloid leukaemia, a blood cancer of the bone marrow that affects blood-forming cells. She had likely received cord blood as a successful treatment for both her cancer and HIV once her doctors decided on a potential donor well with HIV-blocking gene mutation. Cord blood comprises a high accumulation of hematopoietic stem cells; the blood is obtained during a childs birth and donated by the parents.132

The patients donor was partly nearly matched, and she received stem cells from a close family member to enhance her immune function after the transfusion. The procedure was performed on the woman in August of 2017. She chose to discontinue taking antiretroviral drugs, the standardized HIV intervention, 37 months upon her transfusion. After more than 14 months, there is no evidence of the viral infection or antibodies against it in her blood. Umbilical cord blood, in reality, is much more commonly accessible and simpler to try to match to beneficiaries than bone marrow. Perhaps, some research suggests that the method could be more available to HIV patients than bone marrow transplantation. Nearly 38 million people worldwide are infected with HIV. The potential for using partly matched umbilical cord blood transplantation increases the chances of choosing appropriate suitable donors for these clients considerably.132

It is really exciting to see the earlier terminally ill diseases of being effectively treated. In recent times, there has been a surge of focus on stem cell research.3 Stem cell therapy advancements in inpatient care are receiving a growing amount of attention.20 HIV/AIDS has been and remains a significant health concern around the world. Effective control of the HIV pandemic will necessitate a thorough understanding of the viruss transmission.32

Despite concerns about full compliance and adverse reactions, HAART has demonstrated to be able to succeed and is a sign specifically targeted form of treatment against HIV advancement. As illustrated by the first case of HIV infection relapse attained by bone marrow transplant, anti-HIV HPSC-based stem cell treatment and genotype technology have established a possible future upcoming technique to try to combat HIV/AIDS.

Investigators have conducted experiments with engineering distinct anti-HIV genetic traits trying to target different phases of HIV infection utilizing advanced scientific modalities. In numerous in vivo and in vitro animal studies, HSPCs and successive mature cells were secured from HIV infection by trying to target genetic factors in the infection. Anti-HIV gene engineering of HSPCs is safe and efficacious.15

The number of stem-cell-based research trials has risen in recent years. Thousands of studies claiming to use stem cells in experimental therapies have been registered worldwide. Despite some promising results, the majority of clinical stem cell technologies are still in their early life. These achievements have drawn attention to the possibility of the potential and advancement of various promising stem cell treatments currently in development.11

HIV remains a major danger to humanity. This virus has developed the ability to evade antiretroviral medication, resulting in the death of individuals. Scientists are constantly looking for a treatment for HIV/AIDS that is both effective and efficient.52 The 1st treatments in HIV+ clients were conducted in the early 1980s, even though they were cognizant of their viral disease. Following these early cases, allogeneic SCT was used to treat HIV+ patients with associated cancer or other haematological disorders all over the world. Stem cell transplantation developments have also stimulated the improvement of innovative HIV therapeutic approaches, especially for large goals like eradication and relapse.60

Numerous stem cell therapy progressions have been recognized with autologous and allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, as well as umbilical cord blood mesenchymal stem cell transplant in AIDS immunologic non-responders. Whereas this sector continues to advance and distinguishing directives for these cells become much more effective, totipotent stem cells such as hESC and the recently reported induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC) could be very useful for genetic engineering methods to counter hematopoietic abnormalities such as HIV disease.133135

Immunocompromised people are at a higher risk of catching life-threatening diseases. The perseverance of latently infected cells, which is formed by viral genome inclusion into host cell chromosomes, is a significant challenge in HIV-1 elimination. Stem cell therapy is producing impressive patient outcomes, illustrating not only the broad relevance of these strategies but also the huge potential of cell and gene treatment using adult stem cells and somatic derivative products of pluripotent stem cells (PSCs).

Stem cells have enormous regeneration capacity, and a plethora of interesting therapeutic uses are on the frontier. This is a highly interdisciplinary scientific field. Evolutionary biologists, biological technicians, mechanical engineers, and others that have evolved novel concepts and decided to bring them to medical applications are required to make important contributions. Further to that, recent advancements in several different research areas may contribute to stem cell application forms that are novel. Several hurdles must be conquered, however, in the advancement of stem cells. On the other hand, this discipline appears to be a promising and rapidly expanding research area.

Stem cell-based approaches to HIV treatment resemble an innovative approach to trying to rebuild the ravaged bodys immune system with the utmost goal of eliminating the virus from the body. We will probably see effective experiments from the next new generation of stem cell-based strategies shortly, which will start serving as a base for the further development and use of these techniques in a range of treatment application areas for other chronic diseases.

My immense pleasure was mentioned to family members and friends, who supported and encouraged me in every activity.

There was no funding for this work.

The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest in relation to this work.

1. Zakrzewski W, Dobrzyski M, Szymonowicz M, Rybak Z. Stem cells: past, present, and future. Stem Cell Res Ther. 2019;10:68. doi:10.1186/s13287-019-1165-5

2. Nadig RR. Stem cell therapy hype or hope? A review. J Conserv Dent JCD. 2009;12:131138. doi:10.4103/0972-0707.58329

3. Tasnim KN, Adrita SH, Hossain S, Akash SZ, Sharker S. The prospect of stem cells for HIV and cancer treatment: a review. Pharm Biomed Res. 2020;6:1726.

4. Weissman IL. Translating stem and progenitor cell biology to the clinic: barriers and opportunities. Science. 2000;287:14421446. doi:10.1126/science.287.5457.1442

5. Pernet O, Yadav SS, An DS. Stem cellbased therapies for HIV/AIDS. Adv Drug Deliv Rev. 2016;103:187201. doi:10.1016/j.addr.2016.04.027

6. Kolios G, Moodley Y. Introduction to stem cells and regenerative medicine. Respir Int Rev Thorac Dis. 2013;85:310.

7. Ebrahimi A, Ahmadi H, Ghasrodashti ZP, et al. Therapeutic effects of stem cells in different body systems, a novel method that is yet to gain trust: a comprehensive review. Bosn J Basic Med Sci. 2021;21:672701. doi:10.17305/bjbms.2021.5508

8. Introduction stem cells. Available from: https://www.dpz.eu/en/platforms/degenerative-diseases/research/introduction-stem-cells.html. Accessed December 19, 2021.

9. Hu J, Chen X, Fu S. Stem cell therapy for thalassemia: present and future. Chin J Tissue Eng Res. 2018;22:3431.

10. Aly RM. Current state of stem cell-based therapies: an overview. Stem Cell Investig. 2020;7:8. doi:10.21037/sci-2020-001

11. Chari S, Nguyen A, Saxe J. Stem cells in the clinic. Cell Stem Cell. 2018;22:781782. doi:10.1016/j.stem.2018.05.017

12. De Luca M, Aiuti A, Cossu G, Parmar M, Pellegrini G, Robey PG. Advances in stem cell research and therapeutic development. Nat Cell Biol. 2019;21:801811. doi:10.1038/s41556-019-0344-z

13. Hipp J, Atala A. Sources of stem cells for regenerative medicine. Stem Cell Rev. 2008;4:311. doi:10.1007/s12015-008-9010-8

14. Bobba S, Di Girolamo N, Munsie M, et al. The current state of stem cell therapy for ocular disease. Exp Eye Res. 2018;177:6575. doi:10.1016/j.exer.2018.07.019

15. Khalid K, Padda J, Fernando RW, et al. Stem cell therapy and its significance in HIV infection. Cureus. 2021;13. doi: 10.1038/d41586-019-00798-3

16. Gq D, Morrell CN, Tarango C. Stem cells: roadmap to the clinic. J Clin Invest. 2010;121:120. doi:10.1172/JCI39828

17. Prentice DA. Adult Stem Cells. Circ Res. 2019;124:837839. doi:10.1161/CIRCRESAHA.118.313664

18. McKee C, Chaudhry GR. Advances and challenges in stem cell culture. Colloids Surf B Biointerfaces. 2017;159:6277. doi:10.1016/j.colsurfb.2017.07.051

19. Prez Lpez S, Otero Hernndez J. Advances in stem cell therapy. In: Lpez-Larrea C, Lpez-Vzquez A, Surez-lvarez B, editors. Stem Cell Transplantation. New York, NY: Springer US; 2012:290313.

20. Zhang F-Q, Jiang J-L, Zhang J-T, Niu H, X-Q F, Zeng -L-L. Current status and future prospects of stem cell therapy in Alzheimers disease. Neural Regen Res. 2020;15:242250. doi:10.4103/1673-5374.265544

21. Hu L, Zhao B, Wang S. Stem-cell therapy advances in China. Hum Gene Ther. 2018;29:188196. doi:10.1089/hum.2017.224

22. Tadlock D Stem cell basics introduction; 19.

23. Poulos J. The limited application of stem cells in medicine: a review. Stem Cell Res Ther. 2018;9:1. doi:10.1186/s13287-017-0735-7

24. Madl CM, Heilshorn SC, Blau HM. Bioengineering strategies to accelerate stem cell therapeutics. Nature. 2018;557:335342. doi:10.1038/s41586-018-0089-z

Follow this link:

PROMISING STEM CELL THERAPY IN THE MANAGEMENT OF HIV & AIDS | BTT - Dove Medical Press

Sio Gene Therapies Inc. (NASDAQ:SIOX) Short Interest Up 33.4% in June – Defense World

Sio Gene Therapies Inc. (NASDAQ:SIOX Get Rating) was the recipient of a significant increase in short interest in the month of June. As of June 15th, there was short interest totalling 239,800 shares, an increase of 33.4% from the May 31st total of 179,800 shares. Approximately 0.5% of the companys shares are short sold. Based on an average daily volume of 825,400 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 0.3 days.

A number of large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Suvretta Capital Management LLC increased its position in Sio Gene Therapies by 7.7% during the fourth quarter. Suvretta Capital Management LLC now owns 5,914,000 shares of the companys stock worth $7,629,000 after acquiring an additional 425,000 shares during the period. Privium Fund Management UK Ltd acquired a new stake in Sio Gene Therapies during the fourth quarter worth about $2,367,000. Clearline Capital LP grew its stake in Sio Gene Therapies by 79.7% during the first quarter. Clearline Capital LP now owns 392,691 shares of the companys stock worth $263,000 after buying an additional 174,185 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Marshall Wace LLP acquired a new stake in Sio Gene Therapies during the third quarter worth about $103,000.

NASDAQ SIOX opened at $0.37 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $26.92 million and a P/E ratio of -0.43. The firms fifty day moving average price is $0.34 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $0.69. Sio Gene Therapies has a 1 year low of $0.23 and a 1 year high of $2.74.

Sio Gene Therapies Company Profile (Get Rating)

Sio Gene Therapies, Inc, a clinical-stage company, focuses on developing gene therapies to radically transform the lives of patients with neurodegenerative diseases. The company develops AXO-Lenti-PD, in vivo lentiviral gene therapy, which is in Phase II clinical trials for the treatment of Parkinson's disease; AXO-AAV-GM1, an investigational gene therapy , which is in Phase I/II clinical trials for the treatment of GM1 gangliosidosis; and AXO-AAV-GM2, an investigational gene therapy, which is in Phase I/II clinical trials for the treatment of GM2 gangliosidosis.

See Also

Receive News & Ratings for Sio Gene Therapies Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Sio Gene Therapies and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.

See the original post:

Sio Gene Therapies Inc. (NASDAQ:SIOX) Short Interest Up 33.4% in June - Defense World

Adverum Biotechnologies Presents Research Pipeline Data Supporting Utility of its Proprietary Platform and AAV.7m8 Capsid in Ocular Gene Therapy -…

REDWOOD CITY, Calif., May 19, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Adverum Biotechnologies, Inc. ( ADVM), a clinical-stage gene therapy company targeting unmet medical needs in ocular and rare diseases, today will announce new research pipeline data supporting the utility of its proprietary adeno-associated virus (AAV) vector platform in ocular gene therapy. These new data will be featured in oral presentations during the American Society of Gene and Cell Therapy (ASGCT) 2022 Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C. and virtually.

Adverum is an industry leader in the development of adeno-associated virus ocular gene therapy, including cassette engineering and vectorizing therapeutic proteins, and we are pleased to have multiple presentations highlighting our platform at ASGCT. As we continue to prepare for the initiation of a Phase 2 trial of ADVM-022 for wet AMD in the third quarter of 2022, we are also advancing other research programs toward the clinic and expanding our pipeline in ocular gene therapy by building on the potential of a single in-office intravitreal injection with our proprietary AAV.7m8 capsid, said Brigit Riley, Ph.D., chief scientific officer at Adverum Biotechnologies. We are excited to present non-clinical data on ADVM-062 (AAV.7m8-L-opsin) for blue cone monochromacy, which received Orphan Drug Designation by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in January 2022, and continue to advance this program toward an investigational new drug application submission. Adverum continues the technical advances of our in-house adeno-associated virus manufacturing processes. Finally, we are maturing a portfolio of proprietary vectors with specific ocular cell tropism and are excited to showcase our innovative work on LSV1, a novel capsid for ocular gene therapy.

ADVM-062 for Blue Cone Monochromacy (BCM) Data Highlights

LSV1 Data Highlights

About Blue Cone Monochromacy

BCM is an X-linked recessive hereditary condition caused by the absence of function in the L and the M opsin genes and can manifest in loss of visual acuity, photosensitivity, myopia and infantile nystagmus that can persist into adulthood. Consequently, individuals with BCM have visual impairments to important aspects of daily living such as facial recognition, learning, reading, and daylight vision. Currently, BCM affects approximately 1 to 9 in 100,000 males, worldwide and there is no cure for BCM.

About ADVM-062 Gene Therapy

ADVM-062 (AAV.7m8-L-opsin) is a novel gene therapy product candidate being developed to deliver a functional copy of the OPN1LW gene to the foveal cones of patients suffering from blue cone monochromacy (BCM) via a single IVT injection. ADVM-062 utilizes Adverums propriety vector capsid, AAV.7m8. In January 2022, the FDA granted Orphan Drug Designation to ADVM-062.

About Adverum Biotechnologies

Adverum Biotechnologies ( ADVM) is a clinical-stage gene therapy company targeting unmet medical needs in serious ocular and rare diseases. Adverum is evaluating its novel gene therapy candidate, ADVM-022, as a one-time, intravitreal injection for the treatment of patients with neovascular or wet age-related macular degeneration. For more information, please visit http://www.adverum.com.

Forward-looking Statements

Statements contained in this press release regarding events or results that may occur in the future are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in such forward-looking statements as a result of various risks and uncertainties, including risks inherent to, without limitation: Adverums novel technology, which makes it difficult to predict the timing of commencement and completion of clinical trials; regulatory uncertainties; the results of early clinical trials not always being predictive of future clinical trials and results; and the potential for future complications or side effects in connection with use of ADVM-022. Additional risks and uncertainties facing Adverum are set forth under the caption Risk Factors and elsewhere in Adverums Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filings and reports, including Adverums Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2022 filed with the SEC on May 12, 2022. All forward-looking statements contained in this press release speak only as of the date on which they were made. Adverum undertakes no obligation to update such statements to reflect events that occur or circumstances that exist after the date on which they were made.

Inquiries

Anand ReddiVice President, Head of Corporate Strategy and External Affairs & EngagementAdverum Biotechnologies, Inc.T: 650-649-1358

Investors

Laurence WattsGilmartin GroupT: 619-916-7620E: [emailprotected]

Media

Megan TalonAssociate Director, Corporate CommunicationsAdverum Biotechnologies, Inc.T: 650-649-1006E: [emailprotected]

View post:

Adverum Biotechnologies Presents Research Pipeline Data Supporting Utility of its Proprietary Platform and AAV.7m8 Capsid in Ocular Gene Therapy -...

Impact of the covid-19 pandemic on medical school applicants – The BMJ

The covid-19 pandemic has not discouraged applications to medical school. Viktorija Kaminskaite and Anna Harvey Bluemel investigate how much has changed in the application process since the start of the pandemic, and how students are adapting

Since 2010 the numbers of medical school places have risen by 31% (British Medical Association), with a corresponding increase in applications for those places. The Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) reported that medical applications increased by around 20% in 2020.1 Continuing disruptions to education are likely to have a lingering effect on applications in years to comeUCAS also reported a 47% increase in reapplications to medicine in 2021, suggesting that more students than in previous years were unable to secure a place during their first round of applications.2 Prospective candidates have been forced to adapt to new application processes and navigate increased uncertainty. Alongside the problems facing all potential medical candidates, the covid-19 pandemic has threatened to widen already existing inequalities in admissions, particularly the gap in recruitment of students from lower socioeconomic backgrounds.3

Medical work experience is often considered vital for prospective applicants to gain an understanding of a career in medicine, and to provide experiences that can form the basis of applications. When lockdowns were announced in March 2020, non-essential staff were pulled from clinical areas, cancelling planned work experience. As in many other areas, medical students

Read the rest here:
Impact of the covid-19 pandemic on medical school applicants - The BMJ

‘I want to leave my mark on the world’: 13-year-old girl gets accepted into medical school – 12news.com KPNX

Alena Analeigh made history by becoming the youngest black person to get accepted into medical school.

TEMPE, Ariz. At 13 years old, Alena Analeigh is making history as the youngest Black person to ever get accepted into a medical school in the United States.

In just one year, Alena has already finished two and a half years of college by taking a full course load at Arizona State University and Oakwood University.

I really want to leave my mark on the world. And lead a group of girls that know what they can do, Alena said.

12 News talked with Alena last year when she got accepted to ASUs engineering program at only 12 years old with dreams of one day working for NASA.

But another passion took over shortly after: biology.

It actually took one class in engineering, for me to say this is kind of not where I wanted to go, she said.I think viral immunology really came from my passion for volunteering and going out there engaging with the world."

She was inspired by a trip to Jordan and The Brown STEM Girl foundation.

What I want from healthcare, is to really show these underrepresented communities that we can help that we can find cures for these viruses, Alena said.

If everything goes as planned Alena will be 18 when she becomes a doctor.

I want to inspire the girls. I want them to see that there are no limits, she said.

Alena will attend the University of Alabama at Birmingham Heersink School of Medicine.

Up to Speed

Catch up on the latest news and stories on the 12 News YouTube channel. Subscribe today.

Originally posted here:
'I want to leave my mark on the world': 13-year-old girl gets accepted into medical school - 12news.com KPNX

The Arkadelphian : Henderson to partner with NY medical school, two-year campuses – Magnoliareporter

LITTLE ROCK Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson expressed his full confidence, support, and excitement in the future of Henderson State University in a joint news conference Thursday with Henderson chancellor Chuck Ambrose.

Praising the leadership that has worked hard to right the ship to put Henderson State on a good path, Hutchinson said that Ambrose has made tough decisions. He has my support in the decisions hes made. The most important reason for his confidence, Hutchinson said, is Hendersons singular focus on student success and on making college education more affordable, to make it more successful, and to make it more engaged going through the lower grades all the way up to grad school.

Asserting that Henderson will meet the 21st-century workforce needs, Ambrose said that through new partnerships with Arkansas State University, other two-year campuses, and New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine, Henderson will create pathways to high-demand jobs and meeting the needs of our communities.

Based in New York, NYIT-COM is an accredited private medical school with a degree-granting campus in Jonesboro. It is one of the largest medical schools in the U.S.

According to Ambrose, Henderson is involved in creating an I-30 learning community from Saline County to Arkadelphia, including K-12 partners, Arkansas State University-Three Rivers, Saline County Career and Technical Campus, and Henderson.

We will look a little different than higher education around the state, Ambrose said, and thats okay.

CLICK HERE to read more of this article at The Arkadelphian.

View post:
The Arkadelphian : Henderson to partner with NY medical school, two-year campuses - Magnoliareporter

Its incredibly far-reaching: medical students on the Roe reversal – The Guardian US

Fourth-year medical student Mackenzie Bennett was on a conference call when news broke that Roe v Wade had been overturned. The topic was telehealth and medication abortion.

We stopped the meeting, we just had to log off and sit in those feelings for a minute. It was honestly really devastating, says Bennett, who is pursuing dual medical and public health degrees specializing in OB-GYN at Emory School of Medicine in Atlanta.

In coming weeks, Georgia will probably ban most abortions after six weeks. For students like Bennett pursuing their medical education in states poised to ban abortion services, the ruling impacts not just the training they will receive, it leaves them grappling with the personal, moral and practical challenges of a common (and sometimes, life-saving) healthcare procedure becoming criminalized. Clinical training opportunities for providing abortions are already limited in the US typically, students who want that training have to seek it out. In the wake of Roes overturning, those opportunities will become even more limited, forcing some students to travel out of state to seek out full-spectrum training, potentially prompting an exodus of medical students from the states banning abortion services.

The medical institutions they attend are left wondering how their OB-GYN programs will be able to give students the required clinical training to maintain their accreditation. That clinical experience involves observation of, and hands-on training in, uterine evacuation procedures, including medication abortion, first-trimester aspiration abortion, and dilation and evacuation (D&E) procedures used not just for induced abortions, but also for miscarriage management and other aspects of reproductive healthcare.

If we cant show that were providing enough of an experience for them to gain competency in that area, then that threatens the accreditation of any program thats meeting that challenge, says Dr Carrie Cwiak, an Emory professor of obstetrics and gynecology, and director of the medical schools family planning division. Thats what were potentially concerned about.

Some of Bennetts classmates have raised concerns about the what-ifs: what happens if an ectopic pregnancy rolls into the emergency department? What does this mean for cancer treatment? It has implications for everyones practice and everyones personal life, says Bennett, who is a member of Medical Students for Choice. I think people are realizing that this impacts them no matter what specialty theyre pursuing. Its incredibly far-reaching.

Medical students are weighing implications of Roes reversal on both professional and personal levels. As someone who has a uterus and can get pregnant, this will affect me personally, says Laura Rush, a second-year student at a different medical school in Georgia (the school did not want students giving its name). But also as future physicians, potentially OBs, who want to treat our patients with empathy and using evidence-based medicine, it feels like its disregarding a lot of that.

Sachi Shastri, a second-year student at the same school, is considering a career in either OB-GYN or psychiatry. She says that the news, while not a surprise, was still shocking as is the sense that her future career could be in jeopardy. I dont think I let myself believe that this future was so close and so present.

She says peers at her school who previously never expressed opinions about abortions are now speaking up. Rush adds that in the wake of the supreme court ruling, there was an increase in signups for her campuss chapter of Medical Students for Choice.

There is only one accrediting body for OB-GYN residency training in the US, The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME). In response to the supreme court decision, ACGME is proposing possible changes to its rules for OB-GYN programs: in states where laws prevent students from receiving clinical experience, programs will have to provide students access to training in a state that does. (Students with religious or moral objections can opt out.) While some medical students OB-track or otherwise seek out elective travel rotations already as a way to broaden their experience, Cwiak points out that abortion bans could make these travel rotations mandatory a financial and logistical burden for some students.

Cwiak says when it comes to abortion education lectures wont change, and educators might increasingly incorporate simulations with models. In medical education, we need to ensure that people have direct observation of the care we provide, and participation in that care, under supervision, says Cwiak. Especially when youre talking about procedures: you have to develop a skill, and confidence in that skill, and make sure youve done enough cases to learn that skill adequately.

To learn those skills, some students are limiting their residency options to states where abortion is legally protected. I think thats a large undertone of the conversations Im having with other medical students, especially ones that are in their last year like me, as were applying for residency, Bennett says. This has a major impact on where you can get trained, and what kind of training you can get. And, by extension, where medical trainees choose to eventually practice.

Others are concerned that the training they have already lined up in restricted states will no longer be available to them. Ive got a rotation lined up in reproductive health [in Georgia] where I would get that training on doing medical abortions, and Im worried that I wont be able to get the training I want, says Ben Haseen, a medical student at Atlantas Morehouse School of Medicine. Haseen adds that, as a transgender man, access to reproductive care is a personal issue, not just a professional one. Its a big deal for me, because medical access is my biggest passion, he says.

With the restrictive laws, you likely will see a behavioral change, that people will make decisions about where they choose to train, where they choose to practice, depending on the legislative landscape [in that state], explains Cwiak. If states and their legislations are interfering with your ability to practice safe, effective, ethical healthcare, like abortion care, you could understand that people would be reticent about training and practicing there.

Its an ethical dilemma for some trainees: leave their state to seek out the training they want, or stay and try to train and practice within the legislative confines of their state. Im very conflicted because I do not want to leave the south, says Haseen. I love being in the south because I love the patients here. Im at this crossroads where I could get training up north and then come back, but I also dont want to leave my patients here and abandon them.

With over half the countrys states likely to ban or severely restrict abortion, students and educators alike are also concerned that an exodus of providers from these states, will further compound healthcare disparities and worsen existing public health crises. (Data show that states with abortion restrictions have higher maternal mortality rates. In Georgia, half of the states counties lack a single OB-GYN provider, and maternal mortality rates are among the worst in the country.)

The people who live in these states still deserve an excellent quality of care and excellent doctors with world-class training, just like everywhere else in the country, says Bennett. But if people feel like they cant get a full education here, theyre not going to want to come here, and that just makes everything worse down the line.

See the article here:
Its incredibly far-reaching: medical students on the Roe reversal - The Guardian US

Autographs of Moonlight Graham of ‘Field of Dreams’ fame are discovered at Baltimore medical school he attended – The Killeen Daily Herald

BALTIMORE In the stuffy fourth-floor attic of a historic Baltimore academic building, amid discarded furniture and dusty filing cabinets, Larry Pitrof discovered treasure.

The trove isnt worth millions. But its a fascinating relic and a historic bridge between fact, lore and baseball.

Archibald Moonlight Graham played two innings of right field in a major league baseball game in 1905 and had zero at-bats. That was the extent of his big league career, a forgettable footnote in baseball history.

Then, years after his death, author W.P. Kinsella included Graham in his 1982 novel Shoeless Joe, which became the inspiration for the 1989 film Field of Dreams. The film that immortalized the phrase, If you build it, he will come, and which is beloved by American fathers and sons, launched Graham into folk hero status.

But Graham is no tall tale. He spent most of his life as a doctor and attended the University of Maryland School of Medicine in Baltimore in the early 1900s.

Pitrof is the medical school alumni associations executive director. Hes also a baseball fanatic whos long been intrigued by Graham.

Every few months, for one reason or another, hes visited the fourth floor of the schools Gray Hall, a 182-year-old building less than three blocks from Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Each time, hed pass a few cabinets, and each time, for 28 years, hed half-pause and half-wonder if anything from Grahams past was inside.

After Major League Baseball played its first Field of Dreams game on Aug. 12 next to the filming location in Iowa, Pitrof on a hunch there might be some trace of Graham decided to peek in the cabinets. There, within a stack of documents dating from 1812 to 1916, he found a dozen letters between the schools dean and one Archie Graham, one of baseball historys most unassuming legends.

There was that tingling feeling, Pitrof said.

The Graham documents span 1903 to 1905, the years Graham attended medical school in Baltimore while continuing his baseball career in the summers. They include Grahams matriculation cards and correspondence with the school.

Writing from Scranton, Pennsylvania where he played in the minor leagues after his MLB appearance with the New York Giants Graham noted he was enclosing $30, which he owed to the institution. In one letter, he sought a recommendation. In another, he asked whether there was any chance for me to get into Bay View in a training position, likely referencing the current Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center east of the city.

Before this discovery, there were only a handful as few as five or six known Graham signatures. In the letters, Pitrof found four more.

Graham went on to become an adored doctor, as depicted in the movie. He also made essential contributions to medical research. It was his 1945 study that prompted pediatricians to begin regularly monitoring blood pressure in children.

Theres a bounce in Pitrofs step and a thrill in his voice when he discusses Graham, who some categorize as a cult figure.

No, Pitrof protests. He was a role model.

Everybody had that chance that got away

Jonathan Algard created an eBay account in 2000 in pursuit of a historic needle in a haystack.

A baseball autograph collector who works in a foundry in Pennsylvania, Algard had the remote goal of landing a Graham signature. He took a meticulous approach, purchasing yearbooks from a high school in Chisholm, Minnesota, where Graham lived as an adult. He hoped Graham, a school physician, might have signed one for a student.

Dozens of yearbooks and 17 years into his search, Algard found it: a 1943 yearbook Graham signed for a graduate before the young man headed to World War II.

Algard, 52, has been collecting autographs since he was 5 years old, and his collection numbers in the thousands. He estimates he has six Hank Aaron autographs. But hes never gone to the lengths he did for a Graham autograph.

The character itself in the movie, I dont know, I think everybody can relate to, in a way, he said, trying to explain his and others fascination with Graham. Everybody had that chance that got away.

Its unknown why Grahams moniker was Moonlight. His medical school yearbook notes he enjoyed midnight walks and its also been suggested its because he moonlighted as a doctor. But articles at the time dubbed him Deerfoot for his supreme speed and Dr. Graham, because of his medical background. He was an exceptional minor league player and a fan favorite.

And yet, he had only the solitary MLB appearance 117 years ago last week stepping into the on-deck circle once, but never batting. He later served as a doctor for more than half a century, until his death at 88.

Field of Dreams, a reflection on the relationship between a father and son, stars Kevin Costner as an Iowa farmer who plows over his corn to build a diamond for ghosts of baseballs past. Graham is depicted both as a young ballplayer and, later in life, as a cherished pediatrician. When Costners character calls it a tragedy that Graham never realized his dream of batting in the big leagues, the fictionalized Graham replied: Son, if Id only gotten to be a doctor for five minutes, now that would have been a tragedy.

The movie takes artistic liberties, such as portraying Graham as living his whole life in Chisholm, making no mention of his origins in North Carolina nor of him attending medical school in Baltimore.

But, as in the movie, Grahams legacy is celebrated in real life. The high school in Chisholm awarded a scholarship in his honor for 20 years after the films release. The baseball field in the town is named for him, as is a festival held each August.

Grahams pioneering research into blood pressure in children was seminal, Pitrof says. And after the doctor died in 1965, a U.S. representative from Minnesota inserted his obituary which called Graham a champion of the oppressed for his generosity to children into the Congressional Record.

They did not embellish this mans character, Pitrof said of the movie.

Four signatures with a niche value

Letters between Graham and the University of Maryland School of Medicines dean sat in the cabinet, likely for decades. Despite not being preserved until recently, they remain in good condition. They are easy to read and detail practical matters: Graham sending a certification from a former school (the University of North Carolina), Graham requesting an academic catalog for a friend, and the dean writing that he is very glad to see that you have done so well academically.

Its a real glimpse into his life, said Tara Wink, the schools historical collections librarian and archivist.

One letter is signed, Your friend, Archie W. Graham, while another has a squeezed-in A.W. Graham. Two matriculation cards are signed Archibald Wright Graham.

A 1963 check signed by Graham sold for $3,000 in 2008, but signatures from the most germane period in a historical figures life are more valuable, making it possible the recently discovered letters are worth more. Still, their value is, like Grahams story itself, niche.

You could credibly make the argument that the signatures are a few thousands of dollars, and you could certainly make the argument that theyre tens of thousands of dollars, said David Hunt, president of Hunt Auctions in Exton, Pennsylvania, which specializes in vintage sports memorabilia.

A modern-day Moonlight

Mark Hamilton reacts to news of the discovery the way many others do: Thats so cool.

Like Graham, Hamilton had a brief major league career, and like Graham, he became a doctor. Hamilton is a Baltimore native who attended Friends School before moving away at age 12. He played for the St. Louis Cardinals in 2011 and hoped to return to the big leagues, but an injury sidelined him in 2013.

When major league opportunities dwindled, he heeded some advice from his father: Baseball is a young mans game. You can be a doctor forever. Around the age of 30, he, like Graham, retired from baseball and pursued medicine full time. He graduated from medical school in 2020 and is an interventional radiology resident at Northwell Health in New York City.

During his brief MLB career, he notched 12 hits.

I definitely didnt expect my final major league bat to be my final major league bat, he said last week. I thought Id probably get called back up.

In the film, Graham retires from baseball after his major league appearance. In reality, he played three more years in the minors, likely hoping for another shot at the big leagues.

His movie self expresses a sentiment similar to that of Hamilton: Back then, I thought, Well, there will be other days. I didnt realize that was the only day.

This is history

Pitrof said the letters will likely stay in an archive at the schools Historical Collections Department; the storied system boasts one of the oldest medical schools in the country, as well as the worlds first dental school.

But he said if other organizations the Baseball Hall of Fame or the Smithsonian Institution, for example sought to display the correspondence, the alumni association would consider such a request.

This is history, Pitrof said. This is a big deal that this was uncovered, and its bigger than us.

If the correspondence is exhibited, its likely to attract visitors. People will come.

If they ever put them on display, said Algard, who still flips through his Graham-signed yearbook on occasion. I will probably go see them.

2022 Baltimore Sun. Visit baltimoresun.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

See the rest here:
Autographs of Moonlight Graham of 'Field of Dreams' fame are discovered at Baltimore medical school he attended - The Killeen Daily Herald

Gerry Escovitz, retired vice dean and professor at the Medical College of Pennsylvania and charter school board member, has died at 85 – The…

Gerry Escovitz, 85, of Ardmore, retired vice dean and professor of medicine at the Medical College of Pennsylvania, expert and international consultant on medical education, and former chair of the board of directors at Freire Charter School, died Sunday, May 29, of a cardiac event at his home.

Celebrated by his colleagues at Freire in 2020 for his consultation, strength, counsel, insight, and curiosity, Dr. Escovitz, they said, challenged students everywhere to become critical thinkers, doers, knowers, visionaries, inventors, and leaders ready to build the future.

Dedicated to education and inspired by young people, he served on the board of directors at the Philadelphia high school beginning in 2001, was vice chair, treasurer, chair of the education committee, and then, from 2014 to 2020, chair of the board. He had such passion for the school, said his wife, Francyn. He believed in the youth of tomorrow and today.

Dr. Escovitz helped Freire establish a permanent school on Chestnut Street, earn national attention for accelerating student growth, and add a middle school on Market Street, a tech school on Broad Street, and a second high school in Wilmington. He was inquisitive, involved, thoughtful, and very funny, Kelly Davenport, chief executive officer and network founder at Freire Schools, said in a tribute. But, most of all, he really loved our kids.

Dr. Escovitz helped 2,500 students graduate during his two decades of leadership at Freire. At their June board meeting, the directors said he always believed in the right for every student to have the best, top-notch college prep education regardless of race, background, zip code, or experience. Gerry, you will guide us, and our commitment is to honor you now after you have honored students all these years.

Before his time at Freire, Dr. Escovitz championed medical education and research for nearly three decades as a doctor, professor, and administrator at the Medical College of Pennsylvania, now the Drexel University College of Medicine, and as senior vice president and chief operating officer for the Allegheny Health Education and Research Foundation.

He published papers on continuing medical education, health-care accountability systems, and other medical topics, and directed domestic and international medical education projects with the American College of Physicians, the Association of American Medical Colleges, and the Society of Medical College Directors of Continuing Medical Education.

Certified in internal medicine and gastroenterology, he began his career in Philadelphia in 1969 as assistant professor and deputy director of the regional medical program at Jefferson Medical College, now the Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University. He earned grants, served on medical committees, commissions, councils, and boards across the country and in Israel, and was a Rockefeller Foundation scholar in residence in Bellagio, Italy, in 1991.

Born June 26, 1936, in Boston, Dr. Escovitz graduated from Boston Latin School, still the oldest existing school in the United States. He earned a bachelors degree at Harvard College in 1958 and a medical degree from the State University of New York Downstate in Brooklyn in 1962. He worked for the U.S. Public Health Service in the 1960s and went on to serve with several organizations, including as president in 1983 of the Society of Medical College Directors of Continuing Medical Education.

He married Ellen Strober, and they had daughters Karen and Lisa. After a divorce, he married Francyn Elion Sacks in 1998 and welcomed her two sons and two grandchildren into the family. I always said I hit the jackpot, his wife said.

Dr. Escovitz was a lifelong Red Sox fan, played tennis and golf, liked classical music, and became a choral singer in his 60s. He was witty, humorous, and optimistic, maintained many long-term friendships, and was interested in history and politics.

He was a Renaissance man, his wife said. He would help anyone. He cared about others. He was a special person.

In addition to his wife, former wife, and daughters, Dr. Escovitz is survived by three grandchildren, a brother, and other relatives.

Services were June 1.

Donations in his name may be made to the Dr. Gerald Escovitz memorial fund at Freire Charter School, Freire Foundation, PO Box 59028, Philadelphia, Pa. 19102.

Read this article:
Gerry Escovitz, retired vice dean and professor at the Medical College of Pennsylvania and charter school board member, has died at 85 - The...

To spur diversity in sports medicine, NFL teams will host med students from HBCUs – WFYI

The National Football League is launching a program to invite medical students from historically Black colleges and universities to work with NFL teams medical staffs this season. The goal is to help diversify the pipeline of Black doctors who are interested in careers in sports medicine.

As part of their coursework, third- and fourth-year medical students do one-month clinical rotations focused on different specialties, often within the teaching hospitals affiliated with each medical school. The NFL Diversity in Sports Medicine Pipeline Initiative will allow students interested in sports medicine to do a rotation at an NFL club, working alongside physicians caring for professional athletes.

What we're really looking to do is to have the students understand all of the elements to go into the care of the NFL athlete, and also connect with mentors and advisors who they can stay in touch with as their careers develop, said Dr. Allen Sills, a neurosurgeon and the NFLs chief medical officer.

The program will accept 16 medical students interested in either primary care sports medicine or orthopedic surgery from four HBCUs: Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science, Howard University College of Medicine, Morehouse School of Medicine and Meharry Medical College.

Students will be placed with one of eight participating NFL clubs: Atlanta Falcons, Cincinnati Bengals, Los Angeles Chargers, Los Angeles Rams, New York Giants, San Francisco 49ers, Tennessee Titans and Washington Commanders.

Participants will learn how to provide care to players "both in practice situations, game day situations, in the training room, possibly in physicians offices, and even in surgery as well, Sills said. So it's a comprehensive overview of the sports medicine team of a professional team.

Nearly 86 percent of the members of the National Football League Physicians Society identify as White, and only 5 percent identify as Black, according to an NFL press release citing internal surveys.

Sills said the NFL has a long way to go to increase diversity among its medical staff. But the problem of lack of diversity in U.S. medicine is even broader.

According to a study in the New England Journal of Medicine, less than 12 percent of U.S. physicians identify as either Hispanic or Black, but census data shows these groups make up 18 percent and 13 percent of the U.S. population, respectively. Parts of sports medicine fall under orthopedic surgery, which is among the least diverse specialties in medicine, with only 3.4 percent of medical school faculty identifying as Black, according to one study.

We need to be very intentional about that. And we need to work on this pipeline of people who are choosing these careers, and making sure that we assist them, Sills said.

According to a statement from the NFL, the program will recruit medical students from additional academic institutions in future years, and expand to include placements at more NFL clubs across the U.S. in 2023.

The program will also work toward widening the sports medicine pipeline for other people of color and women in the seasons ahead [and] broaden to disciplines beyond primary care sports medicine and orthopedic surgery.

Disciplines that may be added in future years include: physicians assistants, certified athletic trainers, physical therapists, occupational therapists, nutritionists and behavioral health clinicians.

This story comes from a reporting collaboration that includes the Indianapolis Recorder and Side Effects Public Media, a public health news initiative based at WFYI. Contact Farah at fyousry@wfyi.org. Follow on Twitter: @Farah_Yousrym.

Read the original:
To spur diversity in sports medicine, NFL teams will host med students from HBCUs - WFYI

Bowdoin College Expands Need-Blind Admissions Policy to Include International Students – Bowdoin College

This step is one of many that the College has taken over the past decade to remove barriers for students, and it makes Bowdoin one of just seven institutions nationally with comprehensive need-blind aid policies for all students, regardless of citizenship.

Ensuring access to a Bowdoin education is central to our mission. This commitment to need-blind admission for our international applicants is another important part of a remarkable program of access and affordability that only a few other colleges and universities are able to provide, said Bowdoin College President Clayton Rose.

Bowdoin has long been a leader in eliminating barriers for students, including adopting the countrys first test-optional admissions policy in 1969.

As it seeks to be accessible to all students, regardless of their financial circumstances, the College currently provides students with financial aid awards that meet their full calculated need and has done so without loans since 2008.

Now Bowdoin joins Harvard University, Princeton University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Yale University, Dartmouth College, and Amherst College in including all students, regardless of citizenship, under its need-blind admissions policy.

It is critical that a great liberal arts education like Bowdoins be accessible to students from all economic backgrounds and all citizenships, said Claudia Marroquin, senior vice president and dean of admissions and student aid.

This latest policy makes Bowdoins message clearwe welcome the worlds most talented students, regardless of background, and we are doing all we can to support students from admission to graduation, Marroquin said.

Our highest priority is making a Bowdoin education affordable for everyone.

Excerpt from:
Bowdoin College Expands Need-Blind Admissions Policy to Include International Students - Bowdoin College

Bills address the physician workforce shortage, especially on the neighbor islands | University of Hawaii System News – University of Hawaii

Gov. David Ige with state lawmakers, UH and JABSOM leadership, and leadership from affiliated health partners.

Gov. David Ige signed two bills to help combat the states increasing physician shortage and support the University of Hawaii at Mnoa John A. Burns School of Medicines (JABSOM) mission to retain more of its graduates to practice medicine in Hawaii. Ige signed Senate Bill 2657 and Senate Bill 2597 into law on July 7 at JABSOM.

The Hawaii Physician Workforce Assessment Project Report indicates that Hawaii is in need of at least 750 doctors, with the greatest statewide shortage being in primary care specialties. The proportional need is greatest on the neighbor islands, with both Maui and Hawaii County experiencing a physician shortage of 40%.

In addition to the bills introduced by the legislature, Ige identified the physician shortage as a priority at the start of the 2022 legislative session by including funding to expand JABSOMs residency program in his proposed budget.

My administration is committed to supporting the development and expansion of high-quality educational and training sites, especially on the neighbor islands where we face the greatest challenge, said Gov. Ige. Mahalo to our lawmakers for also making this a priority and to JABSOM and our local medical partners for their dedication to ensure our local residents can access the healthcare they need now and in the future.

Senate Bill 2657 funds JABSOMs expansion of medical residency and medical student training opportunities on the neighbor islands, and with the U.S. Veteran Affairs (VA) Pacific Islands Healthcare System sites across the statespecifically in areas where healthcare is most needed. The VA is a valuable partner in JABSOMs academic programs. Internal medicine, family medicine, psychiatry, geriatrics and addiction medicine residents or fellows have part of their curriculum based at VA sites.

Currently, some medical students complete pre-clinical rotations for up to three months on the neighbor islands of Hawaii Island, Lanai, and starting this academic year, Kauai. Third-year students participate in a longitudinal clerkship program where groups of students train in the same location for a five-month long rotation in rural communities. Third year students presently train at several locations on Hawaii Island, Maui and Kauai.

Data show that more than 80% of physicians who graduate from both JABSOM and its residency programs tend to stay in Hawaii to practicethat is one of the highest retention rates in the country, said JABSOM Dean Jerris Hedges.We know that physicians who train in rural areas on our neighbor islands are also more likely to put down roots and nurture the communities that theyre in. We look forward to expanding our medical training opportunities to these underserved areas and to stay true to JABSOMs vision of ALOHA: Attain Lasting Optimal Health for All.

More than 80% of physicians who graduate from both JABSOM and its residency programs tend to stay in Hawaii to practiceJerris Hedges, JABSOM Dean

To alleviate the shortage of physicians in the state, more than 225 physicians participate in JABSOMs Accreditation Council of Graduate Medical Education (ACGME)-accredited residency and fellowship programs. Kaiser Permanente Hawaii also has a primary care internal medicine residency program and the Hilo Medical Center is the sponsor of the Hawaii Island Family Medicine Residency Program. With the exception of the Hilo-based program, the remainder of these civilian residency programs are on Oahu, with some having clinical rotations on the neighbor islands. The neighbor island rotationsthrough the VA clinics or in partnership with other neighbor island physicians and health systemsgives residents and fellows the opportunity to train and eventually practice in rural areas.

Residency Programs, as the employer of the JABSOM residents and most fellows, is committed to our rural and at-risk communities by training our future physician workforce, said Natalie Talamoa, executive director of Hawaii Residency Programs. We are excited that the State of Hawaii shares our goal and look forward to working together on this initiative to invest in our neighbor island communities that have been hardest hit by the physician shortage. This funding will increase access to training opportunities for our residents and fellows, and provide them exposure and understanding of our most vulnerable populations so that they want to return to serve these communities.

The VAs ability to expand Graduate Medical Education can help reduce the effects of a forecasted physician shortage here in the Pacific Islands, especially in Hawaii, thanks to the partnership we have with the John A. Burns School of Medicine, said Adam Robinson, Jr., director of the Veteran Affairs Pacific Islands Health Care System. We take pride in providing the largest education and training enterprise for health professionals in the nation, but we cant do it without the relationships we share with our valued academic affiliate residency sponsors.

Senate Bill 2597 allows for more loans to be given in the Hawaii State Loan Repayment Program, which helps graduates of JABSOM and other health professions reduce their educational debt in exchange for remaining in Hawaii to practice. Loan repayment programs are a critical part of addressing the health professional workforce shortage, and Hawaiis program has proven to be highly successful.

According to JABSOMs Hawaii and Pacific Basin Area Health Education Center Director Kelley Withy, 83& of loan repayers have remained in Hawaii to practice, and 70% have remained at the site where they performed their service. Currently, there are 25 active providers in the program with another seven waiting for funding. We are very thankful to the legislature for the matching funds so that we can provide more opportunities to those interested in caring for communities where there is a dire shortage of healthcare providers.

Health care professionals who have benefited from the loan repayment program serve on all islands and in the communities of Waimea, Kihei, Waianae, Hilo and Wailuku; at Federally Qualified Health Centers in Kalihi-Palama and Kokua Kalihi Valley; and in public institutional settings at the federal detention center in Honolulu, the Halawa correctional facility and the Maui County correctional center. Health care professionals who are eligible to participate in the program include physicians, nurse practitioners, psychologists, social workers and many others.

Those present at the bill signing ceremony included state lawmakers Rep. Gregg Takayama, Rep. Ryan Yamane, Sen. Jarrett Keohokalole, UH President David Lassner, JABSOM Hedges, JABSOM Associate Dean for Academic Affairs Lee Buenconsejo-Lum, JABSOM Associate Dean for Administration and Finance Nancy Foster, as well as leadership from affiliated hospitals, the Hawaii Residency Programs, Inc., the VA Pacific Islands Health Care System, and leaders from several of JABSOMs clinical departments and the Office of Medical Education that oversees the MD Program curriculum.

Read more from the original source:
Bills address the physician workforce shortage, especially on the neighbor islands | University of Hawaii System News - University of Hawaii

Passion for rural healthcare earns med student national honors | University of Hawaii System News – University of Hawaii

Thorne receives the 2022 Excellence in Public Health Award from Lieutenant Commander Toya Kelley, U.S. Public Health Services

Tyler Thorne grew up in the Hmkua district on Hawaii Island, and though he appreciated its beauty and small town charm, he also experienced the reality of living in a rural community with severe disparities in healthcare. Disparities he witnessed firsthand watching his mother battle cancer.

That experience led Thorne to the University of Hawaii at Mnoa John A. Burns School of Medicine (JABSOM), where he is a fourth-year student with a commitment to improving healthcare to rural areas. That commitment has not gone unrecognized as Thorne has been chosen to receive the prestigious 2022 Excellence in Public Health Award from the U.S. Public Health Service (USPHS). The national award is presented annually to medical students who are public health champions advancing the mission to protect, promote and advance the health and safety of our nation and who are helping to address public health issues in their community.

(My mother) had a delayed diagnosis due to the lack of providers and had to fly to another island for her treatment, said Thorne. I believe that my medical education is a great opportunity and responsibility to serve and promote change in my communitythese are all opportunities I could not have gotten at any other medical school.

Thornes work to address issues related to rural healthcare include an internship working with the Palau Ministry of Health and Public Health Department to investigate the use of telemedicine and provide suggestions for improvements, which were ultimately implemented.

As an active member of JABSOMs Rural Health Community Group (RHCG), he has taught fourth-graders about the dangers of tobacco and vaping ands led a series of healthcare career days to high school students throughout Hawaii Island, Lnai and Molokai. This work inspired him to organize a healthcare career program at his alma mater, Honokaa High School, to expose the students to medicine and other jobs in healthcare.

Pursuing a Certificate of Distinction in Rural Health at JABSOM, Thorne has engaged in activism for bills impacting healthcare in rural communities. He spent a significant amount of his medical school training on rural islands and training in Federally Qualified Health Centers. From these experiences he co-authored a publication focused on the effectiveness of the RHCG in promoting medical students interest in serving rural communities.

In addition, Thorne co-authored a journal article and a book chapter on the shortcomings of medical education in presenting racially diverse dermatological pathologies in textbooks. He recognized that the lack of diverse representation hurt patients due to skin concerns that were difficult to recognize due to the providers unfamiliarity with common pathologies on dark skin. This prompted Thorne to lead a group of students in the construction of the online database, The Color of Skin, composed of images of skin conditions in racially diverse populations to be used as a learning resource and reference for UH students and physicians.

Currently, Thorne is doing a year of research at the University of Utah, focusing on orthopedic trauma as well as the genetic and cellular aspects of fracture healing. He will graduate from JABSOM in May 2023. His long term goals include returning home to provide orthopedic care for adults and children on Hawaii Island while continuing research to improve clinical outcomes for surgeries.

Thorne joins an exclusive list of only five JABSOM students to have received the USPHS award, including Jester Galiza (2021), Kalei Hosaka (2020), Elisabeth Young (2018) and Brandyn Dunn (2014).

Read more on the JABSOM website.

See original here:
Passion for rural healthcare earns med student national honors | University of Hawaii System News - University of Hawaii