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Roche’s lampalizumab halts geographic atrophy – European Biotechnology

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A publication in Science Translational Medicine shows that Roche has a rising star in the 15 million patient market of age-related macular degeneration (AMD). In a Phase II trail US and German researchers showed efficacy in geographic atrophy, an advanced stage of AMD, which has currently no treatment.

One week prior to the publication, Roche announced it has intitiated two Phase III trails (CHROMA and SPECTRI) enroling 936 patients with the advanced form of AMD that affects 5 million AMD patients and has currently no cure. Primary endpoint is slowing for disease progression at 12 months, secondary endpoint is visual acuity at 24 months. However, rumors say the FDA could accelerate patient access through granting breakthrough status to the treatment.

In a multi-center, randomized, 18 month Phase study that recruited 129 AMD patients ( MAHALO), lead author Brian Yaspan observed a 20% reduction in lesion area progression in patients receiving Roche/Genentechs antibody drug candidate lampalizumab at acceptable safety profile. Lampalizumab zeroes in on complement D, part of the innate immune defenses alternative complement pathway

Genome analysis of participants identified a patient subgroup with complement D variants who showed a 44% reduction in geographic atrophy area progression. The authors say targeting the alternative complement pathway has potential to be a viable treatment option for patients with secondary geographic atrophy.

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Roche's lampalizumab halts geographic atrophy - European Biotechnology

Bioengineering – University of California, San Diego

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[ graduate program | courses | faculty ]

STUDENT AFFAIRS 141 Powell-Focht Bioengineering Hall Warren College http://www.be.ucsd.edu

All courses, faculty listings, and curricular and degree requirements described herein are subject to change or deletion without notice. Updates may be found on the Academic Senate website: http://senate.ucsd.edu/catalog-copy/approved-updates/.

Bioengineering is an interdisciplinary major in which the principles and tools of traditional engineering fields, such as mechanical, materials, electrical, and chemical engineering, are applied to biomedical and biological problems. Engineering plays an increasingly important role in medicine in projects that range from basic research in physiology to advances in biotechnology and the improvement of health-care delivery. By its very nature, bioengineering is broad and requires a foundation in the engineering sciences as well as in physiology and other biological sciences.

The overall mission of the Department of Bioengineering is to improve health and quality of life by applying engineering principles to scientific discovery and technology innovation and to train future leaders in bioengineering through inspiring education and dedicated mentorship.

The educational objectives of the bioengineering program at UC San Diego are to produce graduates with a modern bioengineering education who will

At the undergraduate level, the department offers several four-year engineering majors, including a newly developed BS in Bioengineering: BioSystems. This major focuses on the interaction and integration of components in complex biological and engineering assemblages, and how the function and interactions of these components affect overall performance. The major draws on foundations of classical electrical and systems engineering, with biological applications at levels of the molecular and cellular to the physiological and whole organism, and provides an alternative to other bioengineering majors that emphasize mechanical, chemical, and computational approaches. The major prepares students for careers in the bioengineering industry, in research and development, and for further education in graduate, medical, and business schools.

One major leads to a BS in Bioengineering. This major prepares students for careers in the biomedical device industry and for further education in graduate school. Students completing the BS in Bioengineering have a broad preparation in traditional topics in engineering, allowing for a variety of career pathways. This program addresses the bioengineering topics of biomechanics, biotransport, bioinstrumentation, bioelectricity, biosystems, and biomaterials, and the complementary fields of systems and integrative physiology. Education in these areas allows application of bioengineering and other scientific principles to benefit human health by advancing methods for effective diagnosis and treatment of disease, e.g., through development of medical devices and technologies.

The department also offers a BS in Bioengineering: Biotechnology. This major prepares students for careers in the biotechnology industry and for further education in graduate school. The curriculum has a strong engineering foundation with emphasis on biochemical process applications. This program addresses the bioengineering topics of biochemistry, metabolism, kinetics, biotransport, biosystems, bioreactors, bioseparations, tissue engineering, and the complementary fields of cellular physiology. Education in these areas allows application of bioengineering and physicochemical principles to cellular and molecular biology, with the applications that benefit human health.

The department also offers a major leading to a BS in Bioengineering: Bioinformatics. Bioinformatics is the study of the structure and flow of information (genetic, metabolic, and regulatory) in living systems. The bioinformatics major emphasizes computation and model-based approaches to assembling, integrating, and interpreting biological information. This major has been developed by the Departments of Bioengineering, Chemistry and Biochemistry, Computer Science and Engineering, and the Division of Biological Sciences, and students may apply through any of these departments or the division. The major prepares students for careers in the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and biomedical software industries, and for further studies in graduate or medical school.

The programs and curricula of the Department of Bioengineering emphasize education in the fundamentals of engineering sciences that form the common basis of all engineering subspecialties. Education with this emphasis is intended to provide students with an interdisciplinary engineering foundation for a career in which engineering practice may expand rapidly. In addition, elements of bioengineering design are incorporated at every level in the curricula. This is accomplished by integration of laboratory experimentation, computer applications, and exposure to real bioengineering problems throughout the program. In the Bioengineering, Bioengineering: Biotechnology, and Bioengineering: BioSystems majors, students also work in teams on a senior design project to design a solution to a multidisciplinary bioengineering problem suggested by professionals in bioengineering industry, academia, or medicine.

The Engineering Accreditation Commission of the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (EAC/ABET) is an organization with a mission of serving the public through promotion and advancement of education in fields including engineering, and ABETs strategic plans include accreditation of educational programs and promotion of quality and innovation in education http://www.abet.org. At UC San Diego, Bioengineering, Bioengineering: Biotechnology, and Bioengineering: BioSystems have a relatively heavy emphasis on engineering, whereas Bioengineering: Bioinformatics has a relatively heavy emphasis on biological, chemical, and physical sciences. The Bioengineering and Bioengineering: Biotechnology programs are accredited by EAC/ABET, and ABET accreditation will be sought for the Bioengineering: BioSystems major. The Bioengineering: Bioinformatics program is not accredited by a Commission of ABET.

At the graduate level, specialized curricula lead to the MS, MEng (Master of Engineering), and PhD, as well as an integrated BS/MS. The department also offers a PhD in Bioinformatics. It is intended for students who have an interdisciplinary persuasion to work across computers, biology, medicine, and engineering. For further information on the degree, please e-mail bioinfo@ucsd.edu or go online to http://www.bioinformatics.ucsd.edu. The MEng is a terminal professional degree whereas the MS and PhD are research programs. (See section on masters degree programs.) The graduate programs are characterized by strong interdisciplinary relationships with the other engineering departments and Departments of Physics, Mathematics, Biology, Chemistry and Biochemistry, Medicine, and others, as well as with campus organizations such as the Institute of Engineering in Medicine, Institute for Mechanics and Materials, and the School of Medicine.

Specific course requirements for each of the majors are outlined in tables below. In addition to the required technical courses specifically indicated, a suggested scheduling of humanities and social science courses (HSS) is included in the curricula for students to use to meet college general-education requirements. To graduate, students must maintain an overall GPA of at least 2.0, and obtain at least a C grade in each course required for the major. All courses required for the major must be taken for a letter grade.

Deviations from the required programs of study must be approved by the Undergraduate Studies Committee prior to students taking alternative courses. In addition, students must obtain departmental approval of technical elective (TE) course selections prior to students taking the course. In the ABET-accredited programs, TE courses are restricted to those that meet ABET standards. Courses such as BENG 197 and 198 are encouraged, but do not count as upper-division technical electives. BENG 195, 196, and 199 can be used as technical electives under certain conditions. Policy information may be obtained from the Student Affairs Office.

Students with accelerated academic preparation at admission to the university may vary the scheduling of lower-division courses such as mathematics, physics, and chemistry, but must first consult the department. Most lower-division courses are offered more than once each year to permit students some flexibility in their program scheduling. However, most upper-division bioengineering courses are taught only once each year.

Deviations in the scheduling of upper-division bioengineering courses are strongly discouraged, as such changes usually lead to a delay in graduation.

The curricula shown in the tables below are consistent with the current scheduling of classes.

Minors are not offered in the Department of Bioengineering, and double major options are restricted. Students interested in double majors should consult the Student Affairs Office as early as possible.

For graduation, each student must satisfy general-education course requirements determined by the students college, as well as the major requirements determined by the department. The six colleges at UC San Diego require different general-education courses, and the number of such courses differs from one college to another. Each student should choose his or her college carefully, considering the special nature of the curriculum and the breadth of general education.

The bioengineering programs allow for humanities and social science (HSS) courses so that students can fulfill their college requirements. In the bioengineering ABET-accredited programs, students must develop a program that includes a total of at least forty units in the arts, humanities, and social sciences, not including subjects such as accounting, industrial management, finance, or personnel administration. It should be noted, however, that some colleges require more than the ten HSS courses indicated in the Bioengineering, Bioengineering: Biotechnology, Bioengineering: Bioinformatics, and Bioengineering: BioSystems curriculum tables. Accordingly, students in these colleges may take longer to graduate than the four years indicated in the schedule. Students must consult with their colleges to determine which HSS courses to take.

(ABET-Accredited Program)

1Chem 7L may be taken in any quarter within the first two years after completion of Chem 6B.

2BENG 1 may be taken in sophomore year.

3Ten HSS courses are listed here; individual college requirements may be higher.

4Recommended course, not required.

5Design elective (DE) courses must be selected from a two-quarter sequence, BENG 119AB, 126AB, 127AB, 128AB, 129AB, 139AB, 147AB, 148AB, 149AB, 169AB, 179AB.

6Math 20F and MAE 140 may be taken concurrently.

7Technical elective (TE) courses must be selected from a departmental approved list. Consult the Student Affairs Office.

(ABET-Accredited Program)

1Chem 7L may be taken concurrently with Chem 6C or in any quarter within the first two years after completion of Chem 6B.

2BENG 1 may be taken in sophomore year.

3Continuing students who have completed MAE 9 or 10 are NOT REQUIRED to take MAE 8 and future Transfer students who have completed a course equivalent to MAE 9 or 10 are exempted from completing MAE 8 until fall 2013.

4Ten HSS courses are listed here; individual college requirements may be higher.

5Recommended course, not required.

6Design elective (DE) courses must be selected from a two-quarter sequence, BENG 119AB, 126AB, 127AB, 128AB, 129AB, 139AB, 147AB, 148AB, 149AB, 169AB, 179AB.

7Technical elective (TE) courses must be selected from a departmental approved list. Consult the Student Affairs Office.

(ABET Accreditation to be sought.)

1Ten HSS courses are listed here; individual college requirements may be higher.

2Technical elective (TE) courses must be selected from a departmental approved list. Consult the Student Affairs Office.

3Design elective (DE) courses must be selected from a two-quarter sequence, BENG 119AB, 126AB, 127AB, 128AB, 129AB, 139AB, 147AB, 148AB, 149AB, 169AB, 179AB.

4Recommended course, not required.

(Not accredited by a Commission of ABET.)

1Students may take the slower paced version, CSE 8A-B, instead of CSE 11.

2Technical elective (TE) courses must be selected from a departmental approved list. Consult the Student Affairs Office.

3Ten HSS courses are listed here; individual college requirements may be higher.

4Design elective (DE) courses must be selected from a two-quarter sequence: BENG 119A-B, 126A-B, 127A-B, 128A-B, 129A-B, 139A-B, 147A-B, 148A-B, 149A-B, 169A-B, 179A-B.

Because of heavy student interest in the majors in the Department of Bioengineering and the limited resources available to accommodate this demand, maintenance of a high quality program makes it necessary to limit enrollments to the most qualified students.

Students admitted into a capped major who transfer out of the capped major may transfer back into it one time without meeting the full requirements for continuing student admission prior to the end of their sophomore year, provided they are in good academic standing.

Freshman students who have excelled in high school and have declared Bioengineering, Bioengineering: Biotechnology, Bioengineering: Bioinformatics, or Bioengineering: BioSystems on their UC San Diego application are eligible for direct admission into those majors.

The UC San Diego Office of Admissions and Relations with Schools will calculate an admissions target number and admit the appropriate number of incoming freshmen into each impacted major using the UC San Diego Holistic Review score as a ranking method. Students who meet the UC San Diego admission criteria will be admitted into their chosen capped major, starting with the student having the highest holistic review score, until the admission target number is reached. These students will be notified directly by the Office of Admissions and Relations with Schools whether they have been admitted into their chosen capped major.

Freshman students who applied but were not admitted directly from high school into the capped Bioengineering, Bioengineering: Biotechnology, Bioengineering: Bioinformatics, or Bioengineering: BioSystems majors will be admitted into the major indicated as their second choice on the UC application (providing it is an open major).

Each fall quarter, a certain number (determined on an annual basis) of continuing sophomore students who apply will be selected to enter the capped Bioengineering, Bioengineering: Biotechnology, Bioengineering: Bioinformatics, or Bioengineering: BioSystems majors. Interested continuing students must not be past sophomore standing, as time to graduation would be delayed since departmental upper-division courses are currently offered only once a year.

Continuing students will be required to complete the following courses prior to applying, depending on their major of choice:

Bioengineering and Bioengineering: Biotechnology: BILD 1; Chem 6A-B; MAE 8; Math 20A-C; Physics 2A-B.

Bioengineering: Bioinformatics: BILD 1; Chem 6A-B; CSE 11 (or 8A-B); Math 20A-C; Phys 2A-B.

Bioengineering: BioSystems: ECE 35; Chem 6A-B; Math 20A-C, Phys 2A-B.

Students will receive e-mail instructions from the Bioengineering Student Affairs Office concerning completion of an online application at the beginning of fall quarter of their second year. Online applications must be submitted by Friday of the first week of instruction in fall quarter. Continuing students applications will be ranked according to the GPA obtained in the required courses only.

Applications to a capped major will be approved, starting with the student having the highest GPA in the required courses, until the predetermined target number is reached. The Bioengineering Student Affairs Office will notify students in a timely manner who are successful in transitioning into one of the capped majors to officially declare the appropriate major online via the Major/Minor link under Toolbox at http://tritonlink.ucsd.edu.

Continuing students who apply and are unable to transition into one of the capped majors will also be notified of their status in a timely manner by the Bioengineering Student Affairs Office.

General advice: Transfer students are advised to complete the following courses for their major before enrolling at UC San Diego. Preparing well for the major helps students move efficiently toward graduation.

The UC San Diego Office of Admissions and Relations with Schools will calculate an admissions target number and admit the appropriate number of incoming transfer students into each capped major, based on the community college GPA. Additionally, transfer students should have completed the following courses for admission equivalent to UC San Diego:

Bioengineering: Math 20A-B-C-D; Physics 2A-B and 2BL-CL; and Chemistry 6A-B

Bioengineering: Biotechnology: Math 20A-B-C-D; Physics 2A-B and 2CL; and Chemistry 6A-B

Bioengineering: Bioinformatics and Bioengineering: BioSystems: Math 20A-B-C-D; Physics 2A-B; and Chemistry 6A-B

Students who meet the UC San Diego admission criteria will be admitted into their chosen capped major, starting with the student having the highest community college GPA, until the admission target number is reached. (At least a 3.2 GPA in the community college transfer courses, and a 3.4 GPA in math, physics, and computer science courses, are likely to be needed to gain admission.) These students will be notified directly by the Office of Admissions and Relations with Schools whether they have been admitted into their chosen impacted major.

Transfer students who applied but were not admitted directly from community college into the capped Bioengineering, Bioengineering: Biotechnology, Bioengineering: Bioinformatics, or Bioengineering: BioSystems majors will be admitted into the major indicated as their second choice on the UC application (providing it is an open major).

Upon admission to a major, students are encouraged to seek advice from departmental staff in the Bioengineering Student Affairs Office, Room 141, Powell-Focht Bioengineering Hall, to plan a program of study. Students are expected to chart their progress within their major. As the department may make a small number of course and/or curricular changes every year, it is imperative that students check their e-mail for updates and consult a bioengineering undergraduate adviser on an annual basis.

To enroll in any courses required for a bioengineering major, a student must have completed prerequisite courses. (The department does not consider D or F grades as adequate preparation for subsequent material.) Where these prerequisite course work and other restrictions apply, the registrar will not enroll other students except by department approval. Students are advised that they may be dropped from course rosters if prerequisites have not been met.

Bioengineering courses are typically offered only once a year and therefore should be taken in the recommended sequence. If courses are taken out of sequence, it may not always be possible to enroll in courses as desired or needed for timely graduation. If this occurs, students should seek immediate departmental advice.

Programmatic advice may be obtained from the Student Affairs Office. In addition, technical advice may be obtained from a specific bioengineering faculty adviser assigned to each student upon admission to the major.

Exceptions to any program or course requirements are possible if approved by the Undergraduate Studies Committee before the courses in question are taken. Petitions may be obtained from the Bioengineering Student Affairs Office.

A capstone design course sequence is required for senior level students in the Bioengineering, Bioengineering: Biotechnology, and Bioengineering: BioSystems majors. The capstone design course sequence consists of a multiquarter upper-division sequence of courses that totals ten quarter-units and includes (1) a series of four one-unit courses on selection (BENG 187A), design (BENG 187B), implementation (BENG 187C), and presentation (BENG 187D) of design projects, with consideration of professional issues, and (2) a sequence of two three-unit laboratory design projects, offered in many of the primary areas of bioengineering, including biomechanics (BENG 119AB), systems bioengineering (BENG 127AB, 128AB, 129AB), nanoscale and molecular bioengineering (BENG 139AB), organ system bioengineering (BENG 147AB, 148AB, 149AB), tissue engineering and regenerative medicine (BENG 169AB), and bioinstrumentation (BENG 179AB). The design projects and presentations will be performed by student teams in the course sequence.

Under the guidance of a bioengineering faculty member, lower- and upper-division level bioengineering students have opportunities to participate in independent study and research.

Upper-division bioengineering students may take BENG 199, Independent Study for Undergraduates. Lower-division bioengineering students may enroll in BENG 99, which is similar to BENG 199 except that less background in the curriculum is needed. These courses are taken as electives on a P/NP basis. Under certain conditions, a BENG 199 course may be used to satisfy upper-division technical elective course requirements for the major. Students interested in this alternative must identify a faculty member with whom they wish to work and propose a two-quarter research or study topic for Bioengineering, Bioengineering: Biotechnology, and Bioengineering: BioSystems majors. Completion of two consecutive quarters of BENG 199 will satisfy both technical elective requirements in the Bioengineering, Bioengineering: Biotechnology, and Bioengineering: BioSystems majors. Bioengineering: Bioinformatics majors may satisfy up to two of the three technical elective requirements in those majors by completion of BENG 199 courses. After obtaining the faculty advisers concurrence on the topic and scope of the study, the student must submit a Special Studies form (each quarter) and a BENG 199 as Technical Elective Contract to the Undergraduate Studies Committee. These forms must be completed, approved, and processed prior to the beginning of the quarter in which the course is to be taken.

Students interested in participating in the instructional activities of the department may take BENG 195, Undergraduate Teaching as an elective on a P/NP basis. Policy in this regard may be obtained from the Student Affairs Office.

The Department of Bioengineering offers two industry-related programs: the Industrial Internship Program for undergraduates and the Graduate Industrial Training Program for graduate students. Both industrial programs are designed to complement the departments academic curriculum with practical industry experience. Students interested in these programs should contact the Bioengineering Student Affairs Office well in advance of the quarter in which they would like to start their internship.

The Industrial Internship Program is available to undergraduate students who have completed all lower-division course requirements. Academic credit under BENG 196, Bioengineering Industrial Internship, can be earned by spending ten weeks or more as interns in an industrial setting. The intern may be involved in a range of activities, including design, analysis, manufacturing, testing, regulatory affairs, etc., under the direction of a mentor in the workplace. At the completion of the internship experience, students are required to submit a brief report to the mentor and faculty adviser describing their activities. Up to four units of BENG 196 may be used towards technical elective credit.

The Graduate Industrial Training Program is designed for students in the Master of Engineering Degree Program. This program serves to significantly enhance the professional development of MEng students in preparation for leadership in the bioengineering industry. Students will complete an independent industrial bioengineering project in a company setting under the direction of an industrial and faculty adviser.

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Bioengineering - University of California, San Diego

Bioengineers create more durable, versatile wearable for diabetes … – Phys.Org

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June 23, 2017 Researchers at the University of Texas at Dallas have developed a wearable diagnostic biosensor that can detect three interconnected, diabetes-related compounds -- cortisol, glucose and interleukin-6 -- in perspired sweat for up to a week without loss of signal integrity. The team envisions that their wearable devices will contain a small transceiver to send data to an application installed on a cellphone. Credit: University of Texas at Dallas

Researchers at The University of Texas at Dallas are getting more out of the sweat they've put into their work on a wearable diagnostic tool that measures three diabetes-related compounds in microscopic amounts of perspiration.

"Type 2 diabetes affects so many people. If you have to manage and regulate this chronic problem, these markers are the levers that will help you do that," said Dr. Shalini Prasad, professor of bioengineering in the Erik Jonsson School of Engineering and Computer Science. "We believe we've created the first diagnostic wearable that can monitor these compounds for up to a week, which goes beyond the type of single use monitors that are on the market today."

In a study published recently in Scientific Reports, Prasad and lead author Dr. Rujute Munje, a recent bioengineering PhD graduate, describe their wearable diagnostic biosensor that can detect three interconnected compounds - cortisol, glucose and interleukin-6 - in perspired sweat for up to a week without loss of signal integrity.

"If a person has chronic stress, their cortisol levels increase, and their resulting insulin resistance will gradually drive their glucose levels out of the normal range," said Prasad, Cecil H. and Ida Green Professor in Systems Biology Science. "At that point, one could become pre-diabetic, which can progress to type 2 diabetes, and so on. If that happens, your body is under a state of inflammation, and this inflammatory marker, interleukin-6, will indicate that your organs are starting to be affected."

Last October, Prasad and her research team confirmed they could measure glucose and cortisol in sweat. Several significant advances since then have allowed them to create a more practical, versatile tool.

"We wanted to make a product more useful than something disposable after a single use," Prasad said. "It also has to require only your ambient sweat, not a huge amount. And it's not enough to detect just one thing. Measuring multiple molecules in a combinatorial manner and tracking them over time allows us to tell a story about your health."

One factor that facilitated their device's progress was the use of room temperature ionic liquid (RTIL), a gel that serves to stabilize the microenvironment at the skin-cell surface so that a week's worth of hourly readings can be taken without the performance degrading over time.

"This greatly influences the cost model for the deviceyou're buying four monitors per month instead of 30; you're looking at a year's supply of only about 50," Prasad said. "The RTIL also allows the detector to interface well with different skin typesthe texture and quality of pediatric skin versus geriatric skin have created difficulties in prior models. The RTIL's ionic characteristics make it somewhat like applying moisturizer to skin."

Prasad's team also determined that their biomarker measurements are reliable with a tiny amount of sweatjust 1 to 3 microliters, much less than the 25 to 50 previously believed necessary.

"We actually spent three years producing that evidence," Prasad said. "At those low volumes, the biomolecules expressed are meaningful. We can do these three measurements in a continuous manner with that little sweat."

Prasad envisions that her wearable devices will contain a small transceiver to send data to an application installed on a cellphone.

"With the app we're creating, you'll simply push a button to request information from the device," Prasad said. "If you measure levels every hour on the hour for a full week, that provides 168 hours' worth of data on your health as it changes."

That frequency of measurement could produce an unprecedented picture of how the body responds to dietary decisions, lifestyle activities and treatment.

"People can take more control and improve their own self-care," Prasad said. "A user could learn which unhealthy decisions are more forgiven by their body than others."

Prasad has emphasized "frugal innovation" throughout the development process, making sure the end product is accessible for as many people as possible.

"We've designed this product so that it can be manufactured using standard coating techniques. We made sure we used processes that will allow for mass production without adding cost," Prasad said. "Our cost of manufacturing will be comparable to what it currently takes to make single-use glucose test stripsas little as 10 to 15 cents. It needs to reach people beyond America and Europeand even within first-world nations, we see the link between diabetes and wealth. It can't simply be a small percentage of people who can afford this."

Prasad was motivated to address this specific problem in part by her own story.

"South Asians, like myself, are typically prone to diabetes and to cardiovascular disease," Prasad said. "If I can monitor on a day-to-day basis how my body is responding to intake, and as I age, if I can adjust my lifestyle to keep those readings where they need to be, then I can delay getting a disease, if not prevent it entirely."

For Prasad, the latest work is a fulfilling leap forward in what has already been a five-year process.

"We've been solving this problem since 2012, in three phases," Prasad said. "The initial concept for a system level integration of these sensors was done in collaboration with EnLiSense LLC, a startup focused on enabling lifestyle based sensors and devices. In the market, there's nothing that is a slap-on wearable that uses perspired sweat for diagnostics. And I think we are the closest. If we find the right partner, then within a 12-month window, we hope to license our technology and have our first products in the market."

Explore further: Bioengineers create sweat-based sensor to monitor glucose

More information: Rujuta D. Munje et al, A new paradigm in sweat based wearable diagnostics biosensors using Room Temperature Ionic Liquids (RTILs), Scientific Reports (2017). DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-02133-0

Like driving a car despite a glowing check-engine light, large buildings often chug along without maintenance being performed on the building controls designed to keep them running smoothly.

Google said Friday it would stop scanning the contents of Gmail users' inboxes for ad targeting, moving to end a practice that has fueled privacy concerns since the free email service was launched.

Researchers at The University of Texas at Dallas are getting more out of the sweat they've put into their work on a wearable diagnostic tool that measures three diabetes-related compounds in microscopic amounts of perspiration.

Microphones, from those in smartphones to hearing aids, are built specifically to hear the human voicehumans can't hear at levels higher than 20 kHz, and microphones max out at around 24 kHz, meaning that microphones only ...

Researchers at the College of Engineering at Carnegie Mellon University have developed a novel design approach for exoskeletons and prosthetic limbs that incorporates direct feedback from the human body. The findings were ...

In a proof-of-concept study, North Carolina State University engineers have designed a flexible thermoelectric energy harvester that has the potential to rival the effectiveness of existing power wearable electronic devices ...

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Bioengineers create more durable, versatile wearable for diabetes ... - Phys.Org

An academic career that would put many to shame – Khayelitsha biochemistry graduate off to the US – Times LIVE

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Lungelo Mandyoli has had a stutter since childhood but that hasnt prevented him from achieving a smooth academic career trajectory which has earned him a prestigious international scholarship.

Mandyoli has been selected as a Fulbright Scholarship fellow - the flagship foreign exchange programme for the US - to complete his PhD in biochemistry at the Texas A&M University in America.

The 25-year-old who works as a research assistant at the University of the Western Cape was raised in Khayelitsha Cape Town by his single father whose role as a caregiver and breadwinner supported him after his mother died when he was three years old.

Witnessing his fathers discipline and dedication led Mandyoli to believe he could achieve whatever he wanted to.

I wouldnt say I was an overachiever Mandyoli said.

Maybe I was above average but I always worked hard.

Mandyoli first graduated with a BSc degree in biotechnology from UWC in 2013 before going on to earn a Masters degree in biochemistry for which he earned the Metrohm Prize as the universitys top Masters student two years later.

Before choosing biochemistry the avid reader of African novels wanted to become a doctor.

My love for medicine changed when I got to understand that its impact can be more effective in applications that benefit many people such as drug discovery.

During his scholarship Mandloyi hopes to pursue doctoral studies in biochemistry and biophysics with a specialty in structural biology while focusing his research on targeting protein pathogens in TB and HIV.

We track proteins in TB that help TB to affect us easily and cause disease. We try to study it structurally and functionally and then from there on we try to target its host.

When he is not in the lab Mandyoli enjoys listening to news and football games with his father on their radio at home.

Its like any father and son relationship. It has its ups and downs but hes always been there for me when I need him.

-TimesLIVE

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An academic career that would put many to shame - Khayelitsha biochemistry graduate off to the US - Times LIVE

Royal Court’s Anatomy of a Suicide deserves a prize for most obtuse script of the year – Spectator.co.uk

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Anatomy of a Suicide looks at three generations of women in various phases of mental collapse. They line up on a stage that resembles a grey dungeon while sad events unfold around them. The first woman gets pregnant. The second takes heroin. The third argues with a lesbian about a fish. Their lives span several decades but their stories are presented simultaneously, and this tripartite method conceals the plain fact that the events dramatised are too flimsy to merit theatrical portrayal. A soap opera would baulk at such scenes: a druggie teenager bores a cameraman with a list of gloomy soundbites; a female wedding guest is partially seduced by a giggling gatecrasher; a patient in a hospital invites a nurse to eat some haddock.

Writer Alice Birch aims her characterisation at the chicklit crowd. All the females are sympathetic because theyre lost, miserable and a bit whiney. The males are uniformly horrible, aggressive, sentimental boors. With one exception: a black male character who seems so sweet and intelligent that he might be an honorary woman. Each change of scene involves a flash of lesbian titillation. The actresses are stripped to their bikinis by stage hands who pass them fresh costumes to climb into. Some scenes end with a massive CRUMP! and a surge of lights as if to remind us that a momentous art work is in progress. And the actors move to their new positions in super-slow motion, which gives a strong hint that This Play Deserves A Prize. It does, in a way, deserve a prize for the most obtuse script of the year.

The dialogue has been crafted as an act of sabotage. Rather than editing and refining normal conversation to give it tension, shape and direction, Ms Birch has retained all the banal and pointless detritus of everyday speech. This trick is perfectly easy to accomplish if you have copious quantities of stage time to fill and nothing significant to say. Both conditions are met here. One wonders why the actors agreed to participate in a show that demeans their artistry and sets out, quite deliberately, to discover how thoroughly an audience can be demoralised within a two-hour timescale. And although the production takes itself very seriously, it fails to extend the same courtesy to mental illness. Suicide is treated as one of those things that sort of, you know, kind of happens, like rheumatism or bad teeth. Of the three main characters, two kill themselves and the third seeks a surgeon who can cut out her ovaries for her, as if infertility were the pathway to happiness. Anyone with mental-health problems should avoid this play. It discusses various life-ending techniques and demonstrates one of them on stage. How odd of the Royal Court to create an ode to extinction and a hymn to self-slaughter. If Isis had an Arts Council, this would be among its proudest commissions.

Emma Rices subtle, clever and fabulously entertaining show, Tristan and Yseult, opens with a chorus of anoraked nerds identifying themselves as the love-spotters. They belong to The Club of the Unloved and the title is spelled out for us in vivid neon lights. Perhaps this is a sly dig at the Globes management, which is said to have lost patience with Ms Rices taste for modern dress, stage lights and electrical instruments played live. But why? This show is a triumphant blend of fun, jokes, pop tunes and satirical slapstick.

Only a couple of drawbacks. The story is short of detailed incident and the three lead actors are not the companys best strengths. Mike Shepherd is too solemn as King Mark. Yseult, played by Hannah Vassallo, relies too much on her giggly smile and Dominic Marshs Tristan is short of energy and grandeur. This leaves a vacuum which the minor players rush to fill. Kyle Lima (Frocin) is an exceptional clown with a wonderfully bendy physique. He may be slim and handsome (both are drawbacks for a physical comic), but he has a terrific way of parading his sexual charisma while parodying it at the same time. Kirsty Woodward, as Whitehands, shimmies around the stage in a Jackie-O outfit making sardonic comments on the action. Best of all is Niall Ashdown as Yseults cross-dressing maid, Brangian. His comic gift is matched by his absolute mastery of the crowd.

The building itself helps, of course. In some mysterious way the Globes atmosphere seems to combine the riotous air of a cup final with the warmth and intimacy of a pub gig. Emma Rice will be a hard act to follow. Her experiments with music, lighting and on-stage acrobatics have stopped the Globe from becoming a museum, or even a mausoleum, of Shakespeare. The snag is that we have only one Globe to play with. Lets build a replica, dedicate it to musical theatre, and put the newly elevated Dame Emma in charge.

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Royal Court's Anatomy of a Suicide deserves a prize for most obtuse script of the year - Spectator.co.uk

Georgia’s most important players of 2017: Anatomy of the star – DawgNation

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ATHENS, Ga. Aaron Davis, Tyrique McGhee and DeAngelo Gibbs are competing this year to man the position that got its name because ofBill Belichick.

At least thats how the story goes, as told a few years ago by Nick Saban, who in the 1990s was an up-and-coming assistant on Belichicksstaff with the Cleveland Browns. Back then, and for many to this day, the third cornerback spot is called the nickelback. But Belichick, the defensive genius, wanted to use it in a bit of a different way.

The nickelback would also have some linebacker duties. It would be a hybrid. So Belichick wanted to call it something else, and wanted a term that started with an S, because it was basically the Sam linebacker. (For the same reason, the Money position the cornerback in a dime started with an M, because it was akin to the Mike linebacker.)

Everything that Bill Belichick does has some purpose, Saban said during a press conference in 2012.

So at some point somebody came up with star, and through the years that hybrid spot gained that moniker, and was used earlier this decade at Georgia with Leonard Floyd and Josh Harvey-Clemons.

But the proliferation of up-tempo, spread-out offenses has gradually led to teams simply using it as a third cornerback, the original use of the position, just a better tackler, blitzer and cover guy in the middle of the field. The nickel defense is basically the base defense. But the use of the term star remains.

In his first year as Georgias coach, Kirby Smart imported Alabamas Maurice Smith to be the star, and he excelled. He also had one year of eligibility, and his backup Rico McGraw transferred. That left a gaping hole the only open starting position on Georgias defense.

In the old days of football, this one open spot wouldnt be that big a deal. In these days, it is.

New starting center Lamont Gaillard was No. 12.

Wide receiver (it appears) Mecole Hardman came in at No. 11.

No. 10 was defensive lineman Trent Thompson.

No. 9 was underappreciated safety Dominick Sanders.

No. 8 was the kicker, whoever it ends up being.

And now

Sophomore/Senior/Freshman

Star (nickelback)

WHY HES IMPORTANT: Georgia has everything else set on defense. It has a deep and talented defensive line. It has four established linebackers who are so good their backups could start on many SEC teams. Most of the secondary is set as well, from Dominick Sanders at free safety to cornerbacks Malkom Parrish and Deandre Baker. The only remaining questions are whether Davis will again start at safety or move down to the star. Davis, a fifth-year senior who has been a starter the past three years, brings experience wherever he goes. But if hes the star, will he be as consistent and effective as hes been at cornerback and safety? What if the coaches go with McGhee or Gibbs, either of whom would be a first-time starter?

FACTOID: McGhee was given the defensive Hugh Hendrix Award, of the player who most strains his potential. The winners on offense were receiver Terry Godwin and offensive lineman Pat Allen.

BEST CASE: Whoever gets the job keeps it the entire season, as Smith did, bringing stability to this lone open spot on defense. As for who wins it, Davis staying at safety would bring the most stability, because if he moves to star that essentially means two new starters.

WORST CASE: No one grabs the job during the preseason, the star becomes a revolving door, it has a domino effect on the rest of the secondary and the defense, and costs the Bulldogs big plays and big games.

FINAL WORD: Davis is the savvy veteran, McGhee is the young kid whos gotten his feet wet, and Gibbs is the high-upside rookie. It presents an interesting choice for Mel Tucker and Smart to make.

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Georgia's most important players of 2017: Anatomy of the star - DawgNation

Dr. Vincent Giampapa's Global Foundation for Human Aging Research Donates $50000 to The Sinclair Lab at Harvard … – PR Newswire (press release)

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MONTCLAIR, N.J., June 21, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --"The mission of the Sinclair Lab is exactly in line with the mission of our foundation," says Dr. Vincent Giampapa, founder of the Global Foundation for Human Aging Research, "and that's why we've donated $50,000 to its ongoing efforts." The Sinclair Lab website states it studies the processes that drive aging and age-related diseases, and works toward discovering methods for slowing down or reversing these processes. Work ranges from dissecting novel pathways and identifying target genes, to assessing small molecules that may slow the pace of aging and increase healthspan.

Dr. Giampapa met Harvard Medical School Department of Genetics faculty member and Sinclair Lab founder Dr. David Sinclair earlier this year and was impressed with his work on NMN a molecule that appears to protect against DNA degradation and positively impact aging in mice. According to the Harvard Gazette, human trials of NMN could begin this year.

"I believe the faculty at the Sinclair Lab is doing first rate work that will have major global impact, and that's why the foundation is supporting their mission," says Dr. Giampapa. "Shifting our health care system into a 'prevention and wellness' mode will require new technologies and treatments, and those treatments must go beyond symptom suppression. Dr. Sinclair's work with NMN is an example of this forward-thinking approach."

The major challenges facing health care systems in the future will be demographic in nature, which underscores the need for a paradigm shift on how medical professionals think about aging. According to the Pew Research Center, global population growth will slow significantly between now and 2050. Consequently, the share of people over age 65 will increase. Some regions will feel this more than others; East Asia, for instance, is already facing stiff challenges in how to care for its aging populations. For his part, Dr. Giampapa sees the Sinclair Lab's work as part of the solution to this slow-motion crisis.

Using Dr. Sinclair's "ICE Mice Model," which measures a compound's anti-aging effects even at the genetic level, Dr. Giampapa believes companies have a promising, accelerated way of testing natural compounds' potency and efficacy without having to wait a lifetime for human tests. Many natural compounds may have significant effects on slowing human aging, which makes this accelerated testing methodology critical.

"I look forward to witnessing new technologies help the world's aging population experience a better quality of life, lower health care costs, and reduced dependence on prescription drugs," concludes Dr. Giampapa.

About the Global Foundation for Human Aging ResearchThe Global Foundation for Human Aging Research is a nonprofit organization working to support the front lines of medical research and development related to the biology of human aging with the goal of improving healthspan for aging populations worldwide. It contributes funds to other non-profit institutions, universities, and companies that are working in line with its mission. It was founded by renowned anti-aging medicine pioneer Dr.Vincent Giampapa, M.D., F.A.C.S.

Contact:Laura Martinez 862-333-4180163990@email4pr.com

Related Linkshttp://www.globalhumanaging.org

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Dr. Vincent Giampapa's Global Foundation for Human Aging Research Donates $50000 to The Sinclair Lab at Harvard ... - PR Newswire (press release)

‘Grey’s Anatomy’: Kim Raver To Make A Return In Season 14 – Deadline

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EXCLUSIVE: An old Greys Anatomy favorite is coming back for a visit. Kim Raver, who was a series regular on the ABC medical drama in Seasons 6-8, is set to return to the show for a guest arc on the upcoming 14th season. She will reprise her role as Dr. Teddy Altman, the former head of Cardiothoracic Surgery at the Seattle Grace Mercy West Hospital.

Courtesy of Gersh

The last time we saw Teddy, she was dramatically fired from Seattle Grace by old friend and one-time crush Owen Hunt (Kevin McKidd) in the Season 8 finale, written by Greys Anatomy creator/executive producer Shonda Rhimes, so she would take her dream chief job at MEDCOM.

Irs a busy time for24alumna Raverwho also just signed on for a recurring role on the upcoming fifth season of Showtimes Ray Donovan where she also will be playing a surgeon.

Raver is repped by Gersh and Atlas Artists.

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'Grey's Anatomy': Kim Raver To Make A Return In Season 14 - Deadline

About last night: Anatomy of one of Phillies’ worst losses of 2017 – PhillyVoice.com

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About last night: Anatomy of one of Phillies' worst losses of 2017 - PhillyVoice.com

Tim Ferriss Reveals the Anti-Aging Secrets You Must Know – Men’s Health

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Tim Ferriss Reveals the Anti-Aging Secrets You Must Know
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arrow In Silicon Valley, you see a lot of people trying a lot of things to fight aging. I don't view decline as an inevitability. You can either do things to protect your body, or you can play the victim. The following recommendations are a reflection ...

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Tim Ferriss Reveals the Anti-Aging Secrets You Must Know - Men's Health

Longer Life Span with Genetic Mutation – Anti Aging News

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Posted on June 20, 2017, 6 a.m. in Longevity Genetic Research Genetics

According to a new study, a deletion in d3-GHR, a growth hormone receptor gene, is linked to an average of ten extra years of life among men.

Pinpointing specific genetic factors tied to longevity in human beings has been quite the challenge. A recent study shows that whether or not there has been a deletion of the growth hormone receptor genes exon 3 (d3-GHR) may play an important role.The research results were recently published this past Friday in the journalScience Advances.

Details About the Finding

About 840 individuals from long-lived populations were studied.The researchers found that males with the mutation deletions in d3-GHR tend to live an average of 10 years longer than those without the mutation. It is interesting to note this effect was limited to men. There was no difference noted in the women.

The deletion of d3-GHR still allows for the existence of a functional protein that boosts longevity. The study's co-author, Gil Atzmon, describes the finding as phenomenal. Atzmon is a geneticist at Albert Einstein's College of Medicine as well as the University of Haifa, located in Israel. Atzmon states the result is more accurate and globally translated as his colleagues observed the same pattern across nearly half a dozen different populations. They include those who participated in the Cardiovascular Health Study, those who participated in the French Long-Lived Study, the Old Order Amish and Ashkenazi Jews. The director of genome informatics with the Scripps Translational Science Institute, Ali Torkamani, commented that the results look convincing from his perspective.

What was of particular interest, is that Atzmon and his research team determined the men with two replicas of the d3-GHR deletion were an average of an inch taller than other men. This is the exact opposite of what the research team expected. They suspect the mutation alters the receptor's response to increases in growth hormone during instances such as pubertal growth spurts. They also suspect the mutation limits the responses to growth hormone as one passes into the adult years, spurring a slower division of cells and reducing the rate at which aging occurs.

Why the Results Matter

The research results raise the question of whether it is prudent to prescribe growth hormone to patients in an effort to restore or maintain a body that is more youthful. The study's co-author, Nir Barzilai, a geneticist with the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, has expressed concern that providing such treatments might actually be more likely to produce the opposite result of what was originally intended.

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Tim Ferriss Reveals the Anti-Aging Secrets You Must Know – Men's Health

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Tim Ferriss Reveals the Anti-Aging Secrets You Must Know
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The following recommendations are a reflection of the lessons, research, and real-life applications I've picked up from the smartest scientists, doctors, trainers, and anti-aging experts. But before I go on, remember that I'm not a doctor and don't ...

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Tim Ferriss Reveals the Anti-Aging Secrets You Must Know - Men's Health

Chemistry defines Spokane Indians early in the season – The Spokesman-Review

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UPDATED: Tue., June 20, 2017, 9:07 p.m.

Its still early in the season, but one trait the Spokane Indians are demonstrating is the power of chemistry. No, not the academic version of chemistry taught in high school or college, but something more like the intangible internal feeling that distinguishes a typical team from a family team.

This was seen throughout the Indians five-game season-opening home stand against Boise.

Its the kind of unique quality that brings a team together when its trailing late in a game. It comes together to use chemistry to make deficits shrink. They simply refuse to quit.

Spokane manager Matt Hagen said the teams belief in itself has been one of the things that has really stood out in the first week.

We really do have a good team chemistry, especially for the first series of the year, Hagen said.

And thats something he said will be helpful later in the summer.

At some point this season, well be getting some players in from the draft and my hope is that those guys can jump right into what we have going on already and that theyll feel right at home, he said.

Aside from the physical challenges related to the daily grind of a baseball schedule, this level of baseball can be tough from a players perspective because many of these players are not only young, but inexperienced in the rigors of professional baseball. Ten of the Indians are 20 years old or younger, giving Spokane one of the youngest teams in the Northwest League.

And none are from here. Some arent even from the United States. With players from Nevada to Nicaragua, theyre a long way from home and spending all of their days with people theyve basically just met.

Spokane infielder Kole Enright, from Florida, said thats part of what has made the team closer.

I love the guys we have from Venezuela, the Dominican Republic and from Nicaragua, he said. Were a team. Thats part of what you sign up for when youre coming into a diverse sport like baseball.

Its a closeness that was even seen during the teams opening-night game. Down 4-0 entering the sixth inning, the Indians battled and fought to tie the game in the seventh at 4-4.

After the game, several players said they knew theyd come back, even though the Indians eventually lost 5-4. They talked about bonding during earlier games in the Arizona League.

It was evident again in Sundays doubleheader.

In the first game, the Indians lost 3-1. The following game, the Spokane offense exploded for seven runs in the first inning en route to a 10-0 win.

After the game, Indians catcher Isaias Quiroz said, Were a big, energetic team. Were always on each others backs, helping each other out. Doesnt matter if were down by 10 or up by 10, were always going to have each others back. We wont let each other ever quit.

That never-say-die attitude surfaced again in Mondays final game of the series against Boise.

Heading into the seventh inning, the Indians trailed 4-1. A few hits later, the Indians tied it up and then added an eighth-inning Yohel Pozo home run.

That is when the teams character was tested again. After a leadoff single to open the ninth, Boise clubbed a potential heartbreaking ninth-inning two-run home run to put the Hawks up 6-5.

How did the Indians approach the bottom of the ninth?

With a single. Then a game-tying triple. That was followed by a single to complete the ninth-inning walk-off win over Boise, 7-6.

The players piled on each other.

Cole Ragans, starting pitcher and the Texas Rangers eighth-ranked prospect, said this group of guys already feels like a team.

Thats what were made of, he said. This is what everyone should expect of us. Most of us have played with together in the AZL so we know what to expect from each other. We like each other and were gonna come out and play like that every game down to the last pitch.

Spokane catcher Clay Middleton agreed.

We just dont give up, he said as the team celebrated around him. This is a relentless group very, very relentless. This team is never out of the fight. We believe in each other.

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Chemistry defines Spokane Indians early in the season - The Spokesman-Review

Willie Geist: You could see Mika and Joe’s chemistry on-air – Page Six

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Willie Geist says the romantic relationship that developed between his MSNBC colleaguesJoe ScarboroughandMika Brzezinski who got together in 2016 and then engaged this May was a natural progression.

You had two single people, I think they always had a good relationship, they always had good chemistry, so I was not surprised by it. I was happy for them, Geist told Andy Cohen on Mondays episode of Watch What Happens Live.

When Cohen vivaciously added that the sexual chemistry was always crackling between them, Geist wholeheartedly agreed: And on the air! On the air you saw it.

Geist said the wedding is going to be a big fancy thing and that hed be there but didnt elaborate on the pairs plans.

Geist made an appearance on the May 4 edition of Morning Joe just hours after Page Six broke the news that the couple had gotten engaged and he was a little less direct about the impending nuptials. After one panelist offered up congratulations to the couple, Geist playfully added, Numbers have been up lately. Show is going well!

Scarborough, 54, popped the question toBrzezinski in Mayduring a romantic vacation to the south of France for her 50th birthday. Mika turned 50 and realized she wanted to move forward with her life and spend every minute with Joe, and not just at work, a source close to Brzezinski dished at the time.

Page Six exclusively revealed in June 2016 that the pair was involved in a hush-hush romance after Brzezinski and her husband of more than two decades divorced. This will be twice-divorced Scarboroughs third marriage.

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Willie Geist: You could see Mika and Joe's chemistry on-air - Page Six

Hyderabad researchers develop device to look into the anatomy of the eye – Times of India

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HYDERABAD: The Hyderabad-based premier ophthalmology hospital and research centre, LV Prasad Eye Institute, has developed a new gadget, Holo Eye Anatomy Module, that will help doctors see through the eye for better diagnosis of eye diseases.

The eye Institute in the past developed many innovative technologies in the areas of eye care delivery, biology of the eye, surgical techniques, eye banking and children's eye health among many others. The hospital conducts research under Srujana Center for Innovation. The latest in the field of ophthalmology is the Holo Eye Anatomy module for the cornea. This is a sophisticated device worn on head to help doctors see the human eye anatomy in 3D perspective.

"At LVPEI, our vision is to reconcile excellence with equity. As we incorporate more and more technological tools, we hope that our education and research efforts can be significantly enhanced both qualitatively and quantitatively," said Dr Gullapalli N Rao, founder and chair - L V Prasad Eye Institute.

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Hyderabad researchers develop device to look into the anatomy of the eye - Times of India

Dr. Vincent Giampapa’s Global Foundation for Human Aging Research Donates $50000 to The Sinclair Lab at Harvard … – PR Newswire (press release)

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MONTCLAIR, N.J., June 21, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --"The mission of the Sinclair Lab is exactly in line with the mission of our foundation," says Dr. Vincent Giampapa, founder of the Global Foundation for Human Aging Research, "and that's why we've donated $50,000 to its ongoing efforts." The Sinclair Lab website states it studies the processes that drive aging and age-related diseases, and works toward discovering methods for slowing down or reversing these processes. Work ranges from dissecting novel pathways and identifying target genes, to assessing small molecules that may slow the pace of aging and increase healthspan.

Dr. Giampapa met Harvard Medical School Department of Genetics faculty member and Sinclair Lab founder Dr. David Sinclair earlier this year and was impressed with his work on NMN a molecule that appears to protect against DNA degradation and positively impact aging in mice. According to the Harvard Gazette, human trials of NMN could begin this year.

"I believe the faculty at the Sinclair Lab is doing first rate work that will have major global impact, and that's why the foundation is supporting their mission," says Dr. Giampapa. "Shifting our health care system into a 'prevention and wellness' mode will require new technologies and treatments, and those treatments must go beyond symptom suppression. Dr. Sinclair's work with NMN is an example of this forward-thinking approach."

The major challenges facing health care systems in the future will be demographic in nature, which underscores the need for a paradigm shift on how medical professionals think about aging. According to the Pew Research Center, global population growth will slow significantly between now and 2050. Consequently, the share of people over age 65 will increase. Some regions will feel this more than others; East Asia, for instance, is already facing stiff challenges in how to care for its aging populations. For his part, Dr. Giampapa sees the Sinclair Lab's work as part of the solution to this slow-motion crisis.

Using Dr. Sinclair's "ICE Mice Model," which measures a compound's anti-aging effects even at the genetic level, Dr. Giampapa believes companies have a promising, accelerated way of testing natural compounds' potency and efficacy without having to wait a lifetime for human tests. Many natural compounds may have significant effects on slowing human aging, which makes this accelerated testing methodology critical.

"I look forward to witnessing new technologies help the world's aging population experience a better quality of life, lower health care costs, and reduced dependence on prescription drugs," concludes Dr. Giampapa.

About the Global Foundation for Human Aging ResearchThe Global Foundation for Human Aging Research is a nonprofit organization working to support the front lines of medical research and development related to the biology of human aging with the goal of improving healthspan for aging populations worldwide. It contributes funds to other non-profit institutions, universities, and companies that are working in line with its mission. It was founded by renowned anti-aging medicine pioneer Dr.Vincent Giampapa, M.D., F.A.C.S.

Contact:Laura Martinez 862-333-4180163990@email4pr.com

Related Linkshttp://www.globalhumanaging.org

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Dr. Vincent Giampapa's Global Foundation for Human Aging Research Donates $50000 to The Sinclair Lab at Harvard ... - PR Newswire (press release)

Longer Life Span with Genetic Mutation | Worldhealth.net Anti-Aging … – Anti Aging News

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Posted on June 20, 2017, 6 a.m. in Longevity Genetic Research Genetics

According to a new study, a deletion in d3-GHR, a growth hormone receptor gene, is linked to an average of ten extra years of life among men.

Pinpointing specific genetic factors tied to longevity in human beings has been quite the challenge. A recent study shows that whether or not there has been a deletion of the growth hormone receptor genes exon 3 (d3-GHR) may play an important role.The research results were recently published this past Friday in the journalScience Advances.

Details About the Finding

About 840 individuals from long-lived populations were studied.The researchers found that males with the mutation deletions in d3-GHR tend to live an average of 10 years longer than those without the mutation. It is interesting to note this effect was limited to men. There was no difference noted in the women.

The deletion of d3-GHR still allows for the existence of a functional protein that boosts longevity. The study's co-author, Gil Atzmon, describes the finding as phenomenal. Atzmon is a geneticist at Albert Einstein's College of Medicine as well as the University of Haifa, located in Israel. Atzmon states the result is more accurate and globally translated as his colleagues observed the same pattern across nearly half a dozen different populations. They include those who participated in the Cardiovascular Health Study, those who participated in the French Long-Lived Study, the Old Order Amish and Ashkenazi Jews. The director of genome informatics with the Scripps Translational Science Institute, Ali Torkamani, commented that the results look convincing from his perspective.

What was of particular interest, is that Atzmon and his research team determined the men with two replicas of the d3-GHR deletion were an average of an inch taller than other men. This is the exact opposite of what the research team expected. They suspect the mutation alters the receptor's response to increases in growth hormone during instances such as pubertal growth spurts. They also suspect the mutation limits the responses to growth hormone as one passes into the adult years, spurring a slower division of cells and reducing the rate at which aging occurs.

Why the Results Matter

The research results raise the question of whether it is prudent to prescribe growth hormone to patients in an effort to restore or maintain a body that is more youthful. The study's co-author, Nir Barzilai, a geneticist with the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, has expressed concern that providing such treatments might actually be more likely to produce the opposite result of what was originally intended.

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Longer Life Span with Genetic Mutation | Worldhealth.net Anti-Aging ... - Anti Aging News

World's oldest super fruit delivers super anti-aging protection – Personal Liberty Digest

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Goji berries are fairly new to the Western world, but theyve actually been around for more than 2,000 years. Legend claims they were favored by monks who lived high in the Himalayan mountains. Steeped in water, these miraculous berries were reputed to help in meditation and deliver health, energy, vitality and longevity to those who consumed them. Who doesnt want that?

The Chinese called them wolfberry fruit, and used them for their medicinal properties since around 200 B.C. Their benefits are detailed in the oldest known book on Chinese medicine, which records the medicinal knowledge and practices of the mythical Chinese emperor, Shen Nong.

The myriad of reputed attributes of goji berries have persisted through the centuries and withstood the scrutiny of science. We now know that goji berries which boast plenty of fiber, an abundance of antioxidants and more than 20 different vitamins and minerals can naturally treat all sorts of health concerns.

Goji berries are loaded with antioxidants, whose claim to fame is their ability to neutralize free radicals those un-neighborly molecules that, missing an ion, attack nearby molecules to steal one.

Of course, that leaves a robbed molecule with an uneven number of ions, turning it into another free radical and launching a frenzied, destructive chain reaction of molecule attacks.

Because free radical damage is a major cause of aging and disease, antioxidants are essential for good health and longevity. The goji berry is rich in health-promoting, antioxidant carotenoids: beta-carotene, lycopene, beta-cryptoxanthin, zeaxanthin and lutein.

The ORAC (Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity) table measures the antioxidant value of fruits and vegetables. The ORAC shows one ounce of goji berry juice has 10 times more free-radical destroying ability than most other fruits and vegetables. Comparatively, goji berries outstrip oranges for vitamin C, carrots for beta carotene and steak for iron. They have four times more potassium than bananas, and theyre loaded with vitamin C and zinc, both powerful health protectors.

The goji berrys ORAC score puts it in the same class as other superhero, super fruits such as Acai berries, Hawaiian Noni and Mangosteen.

Goji berries contain 18 amino acids, 21 trace minerals (zinc, iron, calcium selenium and phosphorus) and five unsaturated fatty acids (including linoleic and alpha-linolenic acids).

The antioxidants found in goji berries may protect you not only against free radicals but also against oxidative stress and inflammation (the damage free radicals cause). The vitamin C content of goji berries not only helps the common cold but helps wrinkled and sagging skin, cholesterol, blood flow, blood sugar plus, heart, cell and eye health.

Carotenoids convert to vitamin A, which boosts your immune system, eye health and helps build strong bones and teeth.

By preventing damage from UV light exposure and free radicals, the antioxidants zeaxanthin and lutein protect against age-related blindness.

The power of goji berry juice can protect your skin from free radical damage caused by sun exposure. It even provides photoprotection for those who are vulnerable to developing diseases of the skin.

Combined with a healthy diet, goji berries provide a natural approach to blood sugar by helping insulin. For people with blood sugar concerns, dried goji berries provide a preferable snack alternative to high-sugar processed foods.

Goji berries also improve liver and kidney detoxification, energy levels and fertility.

Want more? This super fruit can help support weight loss, boost energy levels, increase your resistance to fatigue, improve focus, strengthen your immune system and enhance sleep quality.

The next time you want a snack, pass on the potato chips and give your body a bonanza of health benefits by choosing dried goji berries. Or get your antioxidant boost every day by taking a high-quality supplement like Peak ResV+ Superfruits. It contains, not only Goji berry but Resveratrol, Acai, Hawaiian Noni, Mangosteen and six other super fruit, superheroes.

Sources: Axe, J. Goji Berry Benefits: Antioxidant & Anti-Inflammatory Superfruit. Dr.Axe.com. draxe.com/ goji-berry-benefits.

Benefits of Goji Berries: The Chinese Longevity Fruit. Antioxidants-for-Health-and-Longevity. antioxidants-for-health-and-longevity.com/benefits-of-goji-berries.html.

Chinese Wolfberry Benefits & Doses. SFGate. healthyeating.sfgate.com/chinese-wolfberry-benefits-doses-8671.html.

Rupavate, S. 15 ways Vitamin C keeps you healthy and fit! The Health Site. thehealthsite.com/fitness/health-benefits-of-vitamin-c-sh214/. Aug. 3, 2015

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Will patients’ lifestyles become more important to precision medicine than gene sequencing? – Genetic Literacy Project

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While much of the excitement surrounding precision medicine focuses on using genomics to tailor personalized treatment plans, speakers at the Precision Medicine Summit said theres more to it.

We cannot achieve precision medicine without having everyone be a participant and benefit and understand, said India Barnard-Hook, director of strategy and associate director of precision medicine at University of California, San Francisco. Precision medicine is about much more than genomics.

Social determinants of health, for instance, typically occur outside the healthcare system and have a significant impact on both health and individual outcomes.

You have to know a lot more than the clinical phenotype, said Linda Chin, chief innovation officer for health affairs at The University of Texas Health System.If you understand all the other factors that contribute to diseases, those can alter the course of the disease and ultimately prevent it.

Penn Medicine associate vice president of health technology and academic computing Brian Wells even made the bold prediction that genetic sequencing may become less relevant as cancer treatments become increasingly sophisticated.

If we discover one immunotherapy that applies to all cancers, we really dont need to sequence your genome anymore, Wells said. Were at a tipping point and sequencing could become less important.

The GLP aggregated and excerpted this blog/article to reflect the diversity of news, opinion, and analysis. Read full, original post:With precision medicine, social determinants could be more insightful than genetics

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Will patients' lifestyles become more important to precision medicine than gene sequencing? - Genetic Literacy Project

GE and the Mayo Clinic back software to bring cancer-fighting gene therapies to market – TechCrunch

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GE and the Mayo Clinic back software to bring cancer-fighting gene therapies to market
TechCrunch
So GE (through its GE Ventures arm), the Mayo Clinic (through Mayo Clinic Ventures) and the venture investment firm DFJ have invested $13.75 million to back Vineti a software platform that the companies are billing as a solution to gene therapy's ...
GE Ventures, Mayo Clinic Ventures and DFJ Invest $13.75M in First Software Platform to Accelerate Cancer Cure ...GlobeNewswire (press release)

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