Applying Artificial Intelligence in the Fight Against The Coronavirus – HIT Consultant

Dr. Ulrik Kristensen, Senior Market Analyst at Signify Research

Drug discovery is a notoriously long, complex and expensive process requiring the concerted efforts of the worlds brightest minds. The complexity in understanding human physiology and molecular mechanisms is increasing with every new research paper published and for every new compound tested. As the world is facing a new challenge in trying to both adapt to and defend itself against the coronavirus, artificial intelligence is offering new hope that a cure might be developed faster than ever before.

In this article, we will present some of the technologies being developed and applied in todays drug discovery process, working side-by-side with scientists tracking new findings, and assisting in the creation of new compounds and potential vaccines. In addition, we will examine how the industry is applying AI in the fight against the coronavirus.

Start-ups focusing on the use of artificial intelligence in drug development and clinical trials have seen significant investment in recent years, and vendors focusing specifically on drug design and discovery received the majority of the total $5.2B funding observed between 2012 and 2019

Information EnginesInformation Engines are fundamental machines behind applications in both drug discovery and clinical trials, serving as the basic information aggregator and synthesizer layer, on which the other applications can draw their insights, conclusions and prescriptive functions. The information available to scientists today is increasing exponentially, so the purpose of information engines being developed today is to help scientists update and aggregate all this information and pull out the data most likely to be relevant for a specific study.

The types of information going into these engines vary broadly. An advanced information engine integrates information from multiple sources such as scientific research publications, medical records, doctors journals, biomedical information such as known drug targets, ligand information and disease-specific information, historical clinical trial data, patent information from molecules currently being investigated at global pharma companies, proprietary enterprise data from internal research studies at the individual pharma client, genomic sequencing data, radiology imaging data, cohort data and even other real-world evidence such as society and environmental data.

In a recentanalyst insight, we discussed how these information engines are being applied in clinical trials to enhance success rates and reduce associated trial costs. When it comes to the upstream processes relating to drug discovery, their purpose is to synthesize and analyze these vast amounts of information to help the scientist understand disease mechanisms and select the most promising targets, drug candidates or biomarkers; or as we will see in the next section, to assist the drug design application in creating the molecular designs or optimize a compound with desired properties. Information is typically presented via a knowledge graph that visualizes the relationships between diseases, genes, drugs and other data points, which the researcher then uses for target identification, biomarker discovery or other research areas.

Drug DesignAI-based drug design applications are involved directly with the molecular structure of the drugs. They draw data and insights from information engines to help generate novel drug candidates, to validate or optimize drug candidates, or to repurpose existing drugs for new therapeutic areas.

For target identification, machine learning is used to predict potential disease targets, and an AI triage then typically orders targets based on chemical opportunity, safety and druggability and presents them ranked with most promising targets. This information is then fed into the drug design application which optimizes the compounds with desired properties before they are selected for synthesis. Experimental data from the selected compounds can then be fed back into the model to generate additional data for optimization.

For drug repurposing, existing drugs approved for specific therapeutic areas are compared against possible similar pathways and targets in alternative diseases, which creates an opportunity for additional revenue from already developed pharmaceuticals. It also gives potential relief for rare disease areas where developing a new compound wouldnt be profitable. Additionally, keeping repurposing in mind during the development of a new drug as opposed to having a disease-specific mindset, may result in more profitable multi-purpose pharmaceuticals entering the market in the coming years.

Recent substantial investment in AI for drug development has meant the start-ups have had the manpower and resources to develop their technologies. Compared to AI in medical imaging the total investment has been more than four-fold, even though the number of funded start-ups is equivalent between the two industries. This makes the average deal size for AI in drug development 3.5 times bigger than in medical imaging. The funding has been spent on significantly expanding and building capacity, as the total number of employees across these AI start-ups is now close to 10,000 globally.

A strong focus for start-up vendors is to create tight partnerships with the pharma industry. For many still in the early product development stages, this gives them the ability to test and optimize their solutions and to create proof-of-concept as a basis for additional deals.

For the more established start-ups, partnerships with the pharmaceutical industry turn the initial investments into revenue in the form of subscription or consulting charges, and potential milestone payments for new drug candidates, preparing the company for further investments, IPO, acquisition or continued success as a separate company. Pharmaceutical companies with high numbers of publicly announced AI partnerships include AstraZeneca, GSK, Sanofi, Merck, Janssen, and Pfizer, but many more are actively pursuing such opportunities today.

Many AI start-ups are therefore in the phase where they have a solution ready and are either looking for further partnerships or would like to showcase their solution and capabilities. The COVID-19 pandemic has, therefore, come as an important test for many of these vendors, where they can demonstrate the value of their technologies and hopefully help the world get through this crisis faster.

Understanding the protein structures on the coronavirus capsule can form the basis of a drug or vaccine. Google Deepmind have been using their artificial intelligence engine to quickly predict the structure of six proteins linked to the coronavirus, and although they have not been experimentally verified, they may still contribute to the research ultimately leading to therapeutics.

Hong Kong-based Insilico Medicine took the next step in finding possible treatments, using their AI algorithms to design new molecules that could potentially limit the viruss ability to replicate. Using existing data on the similar virus which caused the SARS outbreak in 2003, they published structures of six new molecules that could potentially treat COVID-19. Also, Germany-based Innoplexus has used its drug discovery information engine to design a novel molecule candidate with a high binding affinity to a target protein on the coronavirus while maintaining drug-likeness criteria such as bioavailability, absorption, toxicity, etc. Other AI players following similar strategies to identify new targets and molecules include Pepticom, Micar Innovation, Acellera, MAbSilico, InveniAI and Iktos, and further initiatives are announced daily.

It is important to remember that even if AI helps researchers identify targets and design new molecules faster, clinical testing and regulatory approval will still take about a year. So, while waiting for a vaccine or a new drug to be developed, other teams are looking at existing drugs on the market that could be repurposed to treat COVID-19. BenevolentAI used their machine learning-based information engine to search for already approved drugs that could block the infection process. After analyzing chemical properties, medical data and scientific literature they identified Baricitinib, typically used to treat moderate and severe rheumatoid arthritis, as a potential candidate to treat COVID-19. The theory is that the drug would prevent the virus from entering the cells by inhibiting endocytosis, and thereby in combination with antiviral drugs reduce viral infectivity and replication and prevent the inflammatory response which causes some of the COVID-19 symptoms.

But although a lot is happening in the industry right now and there are many suggestions as to what might work as a therapy for COVID-19, both from existing drugs already on the market and from new molecules being designed by the AI drug developers, the scientific and medical community, as well as regulators, will not neglect the scientific method. Suggestions and new ideas are essential for progress, but so is rigor in testing and validation of hypotheses. A systematic approach, fuelled by accelerated findings using AI and bright minds in collaboration, will lead to a better outcome.

About Dr. Ulrik Kristensen

Dr. Ulrik Kristensen is a Senior Market Analyst atSignify Research, an independent supplier of market intelligence and consultancy to the global healthcare technology industry. Ulrik is part of the Healthcare IT team and leads the research covering Drug Development, Oncology, and Genomics. Ulrik holds an MSc in Molecular Biology from Aarhus University and a Ph.D. from the University of Strasbourg.

See the original post:

Applying Artificial Intelligence in the Fight Against The Coronavirus - HIT Consultant

COVID-19 breakthrough: researchers from U of T and McMaster successfully isolate virus – Varsity

Scientists at Sunnybrook Hospital, the University of Toronto, and McMaster University successfully isolated and cultured SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes the COVID-19 disease, from two patients, accelerating progress toward a COVID-19 vaccine.

The discovery was announced on March 12, and comes almost three months after the outbreak of COVID-19, which started as an epidemic in Wuhan, China in December 2019. One day earlier, on March 11, the World Health Organization (WHO) had declared the virus spread across the globe to be a pandemic.

Research teams from all across the world have started accepting grants to work on developing a potential vaccine. Even though COVID-19 shares genomic and structural similarities with severe acute respiratory syndrome better known as SARS another strain of coronavirus that was identified and previously researched in 2003, the WHO has said that it would take at least 18 months to develop a vaccine.

Dr. Rob Kozak, a clinical microbiologist at U of T and at Sunnybrook Hospital, told Sunnybrook News that researchers from these world-class institutions came together in a grassroots way to successfully isolate the virus in just a few short weeks.

Lab-grown copies of the virus will help researchers around the world enhance their understanding of the virus biology and evolution in order to develop better treatments and a potential vaccine.

One of the primary uses of the isolated virus will be as a control group to see whether the tests currently being used by health care providers are performing as expected, according to Dr. Samira Mubareka, an infectious diseases physician and microbiologist whos at U of T and Sunnybrook.

Researchers can also use the isolated virus to measure the effectiveness of the vaccines and drugs that are currently in development.

As Kozak explained to U of T News, From a bigger picture standpoint, having a virus isolate that can be shared with other labs to perform other experiments to better understand the virus and how to stop it is critical.

Karen Mossman, a professor of pathology and molecular medicine at McMaster University, told The Globe and Mail that she and her colleagues would be using the isolated virus to understand how COVID-19 counteracts the human immune response.

As of time of publication, the virus has infected more than 662,000 people in over 177 countries and regions, and caused more than 30,800 deaths. While there is more work to be done, there is cause for hope, as the isolation of SARS-CoV-2 could eventually help quell the outbreak and save many lives worldwide.

Now that we have isolated the SARS-CoV-2 virus, we can share this with other researchers and continue this teamwork, said Dr. Arinjay Banerjee, Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada postdoctoral fellow at McMaster University, to Sunnybrook News, emphasizing that this collaboration will continue.

The more viruses that are made available in this way, the more we can learn, collaborate and share, he added.

Tags: coronavirus, COVID-19

Read the rest here:

COVID-19 breakthrough: researchers from U of T and McMaster successfully isolate virus - Varsity

Pandemic science – The News International

Pandemic science

Recently Mr Abdullah Hussain Haroon, former ambassador of Pakistan to the United Nations, came forward with a video recording in which he states that the Covid-19 pandemic is not a natural epidemic but that it was invented in a laboratory as a part of a heinous conspiracy involving Israel, USA and Europe to stop the fast economic development of China.

According to Mr Haroon, a US-based company obtained a patent (No US2006257952) in 2006 of the virus from the US government. However, this information is incorrect as a Google search shows that it has nothing to do with coronavirus but that it was granted to Roche and relates to breast cancer. Similarly according to Mr Haroon, the patent for a vaccine for coronavirus (No EP3172319B1) was applied for in Europe in 2014; and the patent was granted in November 2019. An examination of the patent shows that it is for a vaccine for coronavirus that infects birds and causes symptoms found in bird influenza. It is not for humans.

According to other conspiracy theories, these strains of the coronavirus were accidentally released from US or Chinese laboratories where bioweapons programmes were underway. However, this is mostly conjecture, and there is no solid proof that any of the claims are correct. We may never know the truth.

But conspiracy theories aside, what does science say? The present scientific evidence points to the fact that the virus arose from certain bats in China that contain viruses very similar in structure to that found in Covid-19. One particular bat virus (code named RaTG13), or another virus very similar to it, was most probably the origin. It managed to make two tiny genetic tweaks to its structure that made it so lethal. The first tweak involved allowing it to bind to certain receptors (ACE2) that are present in human cells and that are particularly abundant in human lung cells. This binding is tight, almost perfect, 10 times stronger than what the earlier known SARS virus cells could do.

The second feature that the virus developed was to have a large number of protrusions on its surface that act as tiny harpoons and are able to penetrate into the human lung or other cells when they receive the right signals. The ability of the virus to jump from animals to humans coupled with these two tiny genetic changes has transformed it into a huge global threat to human survival, and it is feared that millions may die before the present storm is over.

In Pakistan we have been so far very lucky that we are not as badly affected as the US and many countries in Europe. The Ministry of Science and Technology has formed a task force to fight against the coronavirus under my chairmanship. The task force has undertaken a number of important initiatives including the procurement and processing for the approval of designs for the manufacture of ventilators needed in hospitals by coronavirus patients. Actual testing and large-scale manufacture could take months which will be too late. Another important initiative is the undertaking of clinical trials at the University of Health Sciences, Lahore and Karachi on some known drugs and anti-viral compounds to determine their efficacy and safety.

A third important project undertaken is the determination of the structure of the strain of coronavirus found in Pakistan. This is being done at the Jamilur Rahman Center for Genomics Research which is an integral part of the Dr Panjwani Center for Molecular Medicine and Drug Research, at the International Center for Chemical and Biological Sciences at University of Karachi. It has been found that the virus has undergone mutations at nine points in its structure as compared to the virus in Wuhan. The implications of these changes are being studied.

The task force is also actively working on the expansion of hospital facilities for coronavirus tests from patients. In this connection, the capacity for daily tests at the Indus Hospital Karachi has already been increased from 800 tests per day to 2400 tests per day through a loan of equipment and technicians installed in the Panjwani Center for Molecular Medicine.

It is vitally important that Pakistan should urgently increase the capacity to carry out 100,000 tests per day. Hundreds of testing facilities should be set up in every neighbourhood of every city with testing done through kits free of charge. We also need to aggressively isolate infected persons and their contacts if we are to contain this menace.

The present testing facilities in the country are pathetic. It is important that the research centers in universities presently under lockdown across Pakistan are immediately allowed to reopen and continue the fight against this deadly virus.

The writer is the former chairman of the HEC, and president of the Network of Academies of Science of OICCountries (NASIC).

Email: [emailprotected]

Recently Mr Abdullah Hussain Haroon, former ambassador of Pakistan to the United Nations, came forward with a video recording in which he states that the Covid-19 pandemic is not a natural epidemic but that it was invented in a laboratory as a part of a heinous conspiracy involving Israel, USA and Europe to stop the fast economic development of China.

According to Mr Haroon, a US-based company obtained a patent (No US2006257952) in 2006 of the virus from the US government. However, this information is incorrect as a Google search shows that it has nothing to do with coronavirus but that it was granted to Roche and relates to breast cancer. Similarly according to Mr Haroon, the patent for a vaccine for coronavirus (No EP3172319B1) was applied for in Europe in 2014; and the patent was granted in November 2019. An examination of the patent shows that it is for a vaccine for coronavirus that infects birds and causes symptoms found in bird influenza. It is not for humans.

According to other conspiracy theories, these strains of the coronavirus were accidentally released from US or Chinese laboratories where bioweapons programmes were underway. However, this is mostly conjecture, and there is no solid proof that any of the claims are correct. We may never know the truth.

But conspiracy theories aside, what does science say? The present scientific evidence points to the fact that the virus arose from certain bats in China that contain viruses very similar in structure to that found in Covid-19. One particular bat virus (code named RaTG13), or another virus very similar to it, was most probably the origin. It managed to make two tiny genetic tweaks to its structure that made it so lethal. The first tweak involved allowing it to bind to certain receptors (ACE2) that are present in human cells and that are particularly abundant in human lung cells. This binding is tight, almost perfect, 10 times stronger than what the earlier known SARS virus cells could do.

The second feature that the virus developed was to have a large number of protrusions on its surface that act as tiny harpoons and are able to penetrate into the human lung or other cells when they receive the right signals. The ability of the virus to jump from animals to humans coupled with these two tiny genetic changes has transformed it into a huge global threat to human survival, and it is feared that millions may die before the present storm is over.

In Pakistan we have been so far very lucky that we are not as badly affected as the US and many countries in Europe. The Ministry of Science and Technology has formed a task force to fight against the coronavirus under my chairmanship. The task force has undertaken a number of important initiatives including the procurement and processing for the approval of designs for the manufacture of ventilators needed in hospitals by coronavirus patients. Actual testing and large-scale manufacture could take months which will be too late. Another important initiative is the undertaking of clinical trials at the University of Health Sciences, Lahore and Karachi on some known drugs and anti-viral compounds to determine their efficacy and safety.

A third important project undertaken is the determination of the structure of the strain of coronavirus found in Pakistan. This is being done at the Jamilur Rahman Center for Genomics Research which is an integral part of the Dr Panjwani Center for Molecular Medicine and Drug Research, at the International Center for Chemical and Biological Sciences at University of Karachi. It has been found that the virus has undergone mutations at nine points in its structure as compared to the virus in Wuhan. The implications of these changes are being studied.

The task force is also actively working on the expansion of hospital facilities for coronavirus tests from patients. In this connection, the capacity for daily tests at the Indus Hospital Karachi has already been increased from 800 tests per day to 2400 tests per day through a loan of equipment and technicians installed in the Panjwani Center for Molecular Medicine.

It is vitally important that Pakistan should urgently increase the capacity to carry out 100,000 tests per day. Hundreds of testing facilities should be set up in every neighbourhood of every city with testing done through kits free of charge. We also need to aggressively isolate infected persons and their contacts if we are to contain this menace.

The present testing facilities in the country are pathetic. It is important that the research centers in universities presently under lockdown across Pakistan are immediately allowed to reopen and continue the fight against this deadly virus.

The writer is the former chairman of the HEC, and president of the Network of Academies of Science of OICCountries (NASIC).

Email: [emailprotected]

Follow this link:

Pandemic science - The News International

This is how my team isolated the new coronavirus to fight the global pandemic – ThePrint

Text Size:A- A+

As most people rush to distance themselves from COVID-19, Canadian researchers have been waiting eagerly to get our (gloved) hands on the hated virus.

We want to learn everything we can about how it works, how it changes and how it interacts with the human immune system, so we can test drugs that may treat it, develop vaccines and diagnostics and prevent future pandemics.

This is what researchers live to do. Much of our everyday work is incremental. Its important and it moves the field forward, but to have a chance to contribute to fighting a pandemic is especially inspiring and exciting.

Viruses are fascinating. They are inert microscopic entities that can either hide out, innocuous and undetected, or wreak pandemic havoc.

They are simultaneously complex and simplistic, which is what makes them so interesting especially new, emerging viruses with unique characteristics. Researching viruses teaches us not only about the viruses we study, but also about our own immune systems.

The emergence of a new coronavirus in a market in Wuhan, China, in December 2019 set in motion the pandemic we are now witnessing in 160 countries around the world. In just three months, the virus has infected more than 360,000 people and killed more than 16,000.

The outbreak sent researchers around the world racing to isolate laboratory specimens of the virus that causes COVID-19. The virus was later named severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, or SARS-CoV-2.

In countries that experienced earlier outbreaks, including China, Australia, Germany and the United States, researchers were able to isolate the virus and develop their own inventories of SARS-CoV-2, but logistical and legal barriers prevented them from readily sharing their materials with researchers beyond their borders.

What Canadian researchers needed to join the fight in earnest was a domestic supply of clean copies of the virus preferably from multiple Canadian COVID-19 cases. Even in a pandemic, developing such a supply is not as easy as it might sound, and multiple teams in Canada set out to isolate and develop pure cultures of the virus, not knowing which would be successful, or when.

Ultimately two teams in Canada would isolate the virus for study: one at the University of Saskatchewan and one that featured researchers from McMaster University, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre and the University of Toronto.

Arinjay Banerjee, a postdoctoral research fellow at McMaster who typically works in my virology lab, volunteered his special expertise. We were proud to have him share his talent with the team in Toronto, where he set to work with physicians and researchers Samira Mubareka, Lily Yip, Patryk Aftanas and Rob Kozak.

For Banerjee, it was like a batter being called to the plate with the score tied in the bottom of the ninth. He had come to work at McMaster because of its Institute for Infectious Disease Research and its Immunology Research Centre, and because the university maintains a research colony of bats.

Banerjees PhD work at the University of Saskatchewan, and now at McMaster, has focused on bats and how their viruses, including coronaviruses, interact with bat and human antiviral responses. Over the past few years, studies have shown that bat coronaviruses have the capacity to infect human cells. Multiple researchers had predicted a coronavirus that would evolve and jump into humans.

Also read:Modis India isnt Maos China. Silly forecasts assume well let corona kill millions of us

Isolating a virus requires collecting specimens from patients and culturing, or growing, any viruses that occur in the samples. These viruses are obligate intracellular parasites, which means that they can only replicate and multiply in cells. To isolate a particular virus, researchers need to provide it with an opportunity to infect live mammalian cells, in tiny flasks or on tissue culture plates.

Viruses adapt to their hosts and evolve to survive and replicate efficiently within their particular environment. When a new virus such as SARS-CoV-2 emerges, it isnt obvious what particular environment that virus has adapted to, so it can be hard to grow it successfully in the lab.

We can use tricks to draw out a virus. Sometimes the tricks work and sometimes they dont. In this case, the researchers tried a method Banerjee and the team had previously used while working on the coronavirus that causes Middle Eastern Respiratory Syndrome: culturing the virus on immunodeficient cells that would allow the virus to multiply unchecked. It worked.

Since specimens from patients are also likely to contain other viruses, it is critical to determine if a virus growing in the culture is really the target coronavirus. Researchers confirm the source of infection by extracting genetic material from the virus in culture and sequencing its genome.

They compare the sequence to known coronavirus sequences to identify it precisely. Once a culture is confirmed, researchers can make copies to share with colleagues.

All this work must be done in secure, high-containment laboratories that mitigate the risk of accidental virus release into the environment and also protect scientists from accidental exposure. The more versions of a virus that can be isolated, the better. Having multiple virus isolates allows us to monitor how the virus is evolving in humans as the pandemic progresses. It also allows researchers to test the efficacy of vaccines and drugs against multiple mutations of the virus.

Transmission electron microscopic image of an isolate from the first U.S. case of COVID-19. The spherical viral particles, colourized blue, contain cross-sections through the viral genome, seen as black dots. (U.S. CDC)

Both the Saskatchewan and Ontario teams are now able to make and share research samples with other Canadian scientists, enabling important work to proceed, using a robust domestic supply that reflects the evolving virus in its most relevant mutations.

That in turn gives Canadian researchers a fighting chance to deliver a meaningful blow to COVID-19 while there is still time. Im glad our colleagues at other Canadian institutions will also have versions of the virus to use in their research.

There is still so much work for all of us to do.

Karen Mossman, Professor of Pathology and Molecular Medicine and Acting Vice President, Research, McMaster University

This article is republished from The Conversation.

Also read:Lesson from Black Death: Coronavirus will transform economic life for longer than we expect

ThePrint is now on Telegram. For the best reports & opinion on politics, governance and more, subscribe to ThePrint on Telegram.

Subscribe to our YouTube channel.

Original post:

This is how my team isolated the new coronavirus to fight the global pandemic - ThePrint

Molecular Medicine (MolMed) | Duke School of Medicine

This interdepartmental study program is designed to provide third year medical students with an in-depth basic science or translational research experience in oncological sciences, regenerative medicine, the nutritional and metabolic mechanisms of chronic disease or the molecular basis of disease. Faculty members in this study track come from numerous departments, including Medicine, Biochemistry, Cell Biology, Immunology, Pathology, and Pharmacology and Cancer Biology.

Students who elect this study program undertake a research project in a laboratory under the guidance of a faculty preceptor and participate in appropriate seminar series. In addition, with the permission of their mentor and study program director, students may take course work each term to complement their research interests. Due to the wide range of research opportunities available, course work is individually tailored to the interests of the student by the faculty preceptor. There are five(5) discreet sub tracks to accommodate the diversity of interest in Molecular Medicine

Director: David Hsu, M.D., Ph.D.

See the rest here:

Molecular Medicine (MolMed) | Duke School of Medicine

Section of Molecular Medicine | Wake Forest School of Medicine

The Section of Molecular Medicine focuses on performing cutting-edge research in cellular and molecular mechanisms of human disease and supports graduate and postgraduate level educational programs within the Department of Internal Medicine.

A major goal of the section is to serve as a nidus for translational research by providing an environment where clinical and basic science faculty interact to make new discoveries and to educate future scientists.

The section consists of 24 primary faculty members and two emeritus faculty members who use cellular and molecular approaches to gain a better understanding of the basic mechanisms underlying acute and chronic human conditions, including sepsis, arthritis, atherosclerosis, diabetes, obesity, fatty liver, and cancer.

Molecular Medicine faculty collaborate on forward (disease/phenotype -> molecule) and reverse (molecule mutation/deletion -> disease phenotype) translational research to bidirectionally link new molecule discovery to disease pathogenesis using state-of-the-art omics (transcription, epigenetics, proteomics, metabolomics, lipidomics) and gene editing/deletion/overexpression technologies.

The Molecular Medicine Section is the academic home for the Molecular Medicine and Translational Science (MMTS) graduate program, one of the largest biomedical sciences graduate programs at Wake Forest University. MMTS offers PhD and MS training for BS, MD and DVM students. The section also provides laboratory research training and education in translational research for medical students, residents and postdoctoral fellows, including subspecialty fellows in the Department of Internal Medicine. A seminar series and journal club are held weekly as part of the training program in MMTS.

We invite you to explore our department and contact us with any questions you may have.

Read the original:

Section of Molecular Medicine | Wake Forest School of Medicine

Unlocking the Secrets of Brown Fat – Michigan Medicine

In recent years, brown fat has garnered attention as the so-called good fat that can protect against obesity and its associated health risks, like cardiovascular disease and diabetes. Two separate major studies, one led by Liangyou Rui, Ph.D. and one by Ling Qi, Ph.D., both with the department of molecular & integrative physiology, help explain brown fats properties.

Located in small pockets throughout the body, most mammals use brown fat (and its closely related cousin beige fat) to stay warm. In mice and humans, if you have more brown or beige fat, you are more protected from metabolic disease, says Rui, the Louis G. D'Alecy Collegiate Professor of physiology at U-M Medical School, whose lab studies the molecular and physiological mechanisms of obesity, diabetes and fatty liver disease. In a new study published in Nature Communications, Rui, first author Lin Jiang, Ph.D., and their colleagues reveal a pathway by which the hormone leptin contributes to weight loss.

Leptin regulates body weight by controlling appetite and energy expenditure, but exactly how has been a mystery. What is known, says Rui, is that leptin activates brown and beige fat. The new study elucidates a molecular accelerator of leptin action in the brain called Sh2b1. His team has found that Sh2b1 in the hypothalamus, an important brain region controlling body temperature and hunger among other functions, promotes the stimulation of the sympathetic nervous system. The sympathetic nervous system sends signals to brown and beige fat to activate it, thus maintaining body weight and metabolism.

The team demonstrated this proof-of-principle by creating two mouse models. Mice that lacked the Sh2b1 gene in the leptin receptor neurons had an incredibly reduced sympathetic drive to the brown and beige fat and reduced capability to promote energy expenditure, says Rui. This reduced the ability of brown fat to be metabolized into heat, lowering the mices core body temperature. Whats more, the mice also developed obesity, insulin resistance and a fatty liver. In contrast, mice with extra expression of Sh2b1 in their brains were protected from obesity.

Like Podcasts? Add the Michigan Medicine News Breakto your Alexa-enabled device orsubscribe for updates oniTunes,Google PlayandStitcher.

No one knew that Sh2b1 in the brain controls the sympathetic nervous system or was required for leptin to activate brown fat to increase energy expenditure, notes Rui. As for how this finding could be applied to humans, he says the hope is to eventually find a way to increase expression of Sh2b1 or its ability to enhance leptin signaling and fat burning.

Other U-M authors contributing to this paper include: Haoran Su, Xiaoyin Wu, Hong Shen, Min-Hyun Kim, Yuan Li, Martin G. Myers Jr, and Chung Owyang.

Brown fat gets its color from high amounts of iron-containing mitochondria, unlike the standard white fat linked to obesity. A team led by Qi, a professor of molecular & integrative physiology and internal medicine at U-M Medical School has been studying how mitochondria, the power plant of the cell, and another cellular structure called the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), which is involved in the production of proteins and lipids, interact inside brown fat cells.

In particular, theyve studied the role of a protein complex involved in a process called ER-associated protein degradation, or ERAD. Simply put, ERAD is the process of removing and destroying misfolded proteins, like taking out the trash out of the ER.

Everyone thought that ERAD was just part of the general cellular response when cells are undergoing ER stress, says Qi. Weve shown over the past six years that it plays a fundamental role in health and disease.

In a new study, published in Science, Qi along with first authors Zhangsen Zhou, Ph.D., Mauricio Torres, Ph.D., and their colleagues demonstrate how an ERAD protein complex affects the proper function of mitochondria.

Typically, the ER and mitochondria have ongoing interaction at touch points called mitochondria-associated membranes. These points of contact mark areas for mitochondria to divide for the production of new mitochondria and for the exchange of other molecules such as lipids and calcium. The ER forms tubules that surround the mitochondria to get them ready for division.

Using state of the art 3D imaging, the researchers discovered what happens to mitochondria in brown fat that are missing part of an ERAD protein complex, called Sel1L-Hrd1, when exposed to cold.

When you delete this complex in brown adipocytes, the mitochondria become elongated and enlarged, says Qi. The 3D image enabled them to view a previously unrecognized interaction between the mitochondria and the ER, with the mitochondria wrapping in a U-shape around the ER tubules.

MORE FROM THE LAB: Subscribe to our weekly newsletter

When the mice were placed in a cold environment, the ends of the outer membrane of the mitochondria folded back on itself, eventually fusing and completely enveloping the ER tubules. The result, says Qi, are abnormally large, misshapen, dysfunctional mitochondria.

We showed that these mitochondria dont function normally and the mice become cold sensitive, their body temperature dropping very quickly, says Qi. In other words, without this ERAD protein complex, the brown fat is not being used to generate heat. Under a microscope, this dysfunctional brown fat had larger droplets of lipids than brown fat from mice with the protein complex intact.

This is highly unexpected. The results here fundamentally change our understanding of ER-mitochondrial communication and further demonstrate the importance of an ER degradation complex in cell biology.

This paper also includes contributions from the following U-M authors: Christopher Halbrook, Franoise Van den Bergh, Rachel B. Reinert, Siwen Wang, Yingying Luo, Allen H. Hunter, Thomas H. Sanderson, Aaron Taylor, Costas A. Lyssiotis, Jun Wu and Daniel A. Beard.

Papers cited:

Leptin receptor-expressing neuron Sh2b1 supports sympathetic nervous system and protects against obesity and metabolic disease, Nature Communications, DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-15328-3

Endoplasmic reticulumassociated degradation regulates mitochondrial dynamics in brown adipocytes, Science, DOI: 10.1126/science.aay2494

Originally posted here:

Unlocking the Secrets of Brown Fat - Michigan Medicine

What Does Our Body Temperature Say About Our Health? – The New York Times

Such a substantial change in average temperature over a fairly short period of history could have other, unforeseeable impacts. Parsonnet points out that there are more microbial organisms in us than there are human cells, which creates a complex ecosystem. And like a human-size version of climate change, were seeing probably a change in our ecosystem thats associated with this drop in temperature. Yet were only beginning to understand all the ways temperature influences that ecosystem to help determine how we function.

Our body temperature is controlled by the hypothalamus, which acts as a thermostat, keeping the temperature of vital organs fairly constant. (Its this core temperature that a thermometer approximates.) Temperature sensors in nerve endings, which produce the sensation of being hot or cold, prompt the hypothalamus to initiate adjustments like shivering to warm up or sweating to cool down. At any given time, your skin might be 10 degrees cooler or warmer than your core. And that difference and thus how much energy the body has to expend to keep the core stable seems to affect how the immune system functions. For instance, in 2013 Elizabeth Repasky of the Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center and co-authors reported in P.N.A.S. that raising the room temperature improved the ability of laboratory mice to fight off cancer after they got it. Repasky and others are also experimenting with heating tumor cells to kill them or make them more susceptible to chemotherapy. Already, certain abdominal cancers are treated with hot chemotherapy, in which the drug is heated to 103 degrees, which has been shown to increase how much of it is absorbed by cancer cells. Separately, the heat from a fever may help fight infection, because, as Mark Dewhirst, an emeritus professor of radiation oncology at the Duke University School of Medicine, puts it, a lot of bacteria and other pathogens dont fare well at elevated temperatures.

Scientists struggle, though, to explain how a cooler average body temperature has been associated with longevity. A lower metabolic rate, and thus a lower temperature, has been linked to a longer life span in experimental settings with reduced calorie intake, when the body slows to conserve energy. But Bruno Conti, a professor of molecular medicine at the Scripps Research Institute, and colleagues have also found that mice genetically engineered to have a body temperature a half-degree lower than average lived longer than ordinary mice, even if they ate as much as they wanted. What other effects this has on an organism is unknown. For instance, he says, a brain at a lower temperature might not function as well.

At the same time, other bodily systems might benefit from being cooler. H. Craig Heller, a biology professor at Stanford, and colleagues have shown that muscle fatigue is caused by heat, which they believe triggers a temperature-sensitive enzyme that acts as a safety valve, stopping the production of chemicals that power muscle contractions in order to prevent the tissue from burning up. When Heller cools muscle during physical activity using special gloves that chill blood as it moves through the hands, the muscle just keeps on going, he says. Ive had freshmen doing more than 800 push-ups.

Read the original here:

What Does Our Body Temperature Say About Our Health? - The New York Times

We are running out of money, don’t have jobs: Several Indians stuck in Ireland seek to return home – Mumbai Mirror

With Ireland imposing a lockdown in a bid to stem the spread of the coronavirus, hundreds of Indian nationals stuck in the country are seeking to return home.

Ireland has put restrictions to slow down the rate of admission to intensive care units as the number of positive cases increased over 2200 with 22 deaths.

The coronavirus has brought life to a near standstill in almost every part of the world. The virus, which has originated in central China's Hubei Province has claimed more than 20,000 lives so far and continues to adversely affect more than 150 countries globally.

Like Sukanya, several other Indian nationals in Dublin and other parts of Ireland are running out of money to help themselves as they are not eligible for any compensation from the Irish government. Most of them are staying in the country on a job-seeking visa.

Speaking to Mumbai Mirror Online, she says, "I had left my previous part-time job a while ago to look for a better one. I had interviews scheduled after a lot of effort and time, and finally, things were seeming hopeful. However, due to the current situation, all my interviews and recruitment got canceled. I am left unemployed."

"I am not eligible for any sort of compensation or payment from the Irish government. I can't find a job as no companies are recruiting anymore," she said, adding, "The rent and cost of living are very high here, and I am struggling to manage. I am afraid that I am going to exhaust all my savings."

No! This piece is not about social distancing, hand washing, wearing masks, etc. Not because these arent important. But because by now these have been drilled into you. The epidemic is closing in. What we saw on TV few weeks back, I now see being enacted in hospitals in Mumbai.

"I am running out of money to support myself. I don't have a job. I also have to pay rent. I have applied for a pandemic unemployment payment, but I have not heard anything from the government. My family is already worried. I can't even ask my father who is old to send me money," says Singh.

Singh says that the Modi-led government should have given them at least a week's time to return before suspending flight operations. "The Air India plane is bringing back Indians from other parts. I request the government to make arrangements for us. I am ready to get quarantined at my own expense. At least I will be home."

A woman with a scarf wrapped around her face as a precautionary measure against covid-19, walks along past a closed-down store in Dublin. Photo: Reuters

One of the major concerns for most of the students who are studying and doing a part-time job are paying rent as they have no work to support themselves in the lockdown.

Hariharan S, a resident from Navi Mumbai has recently completed his studies from Trinity College and has been doing a part-time job, but now he too is worried about making ends meet.

"Now, I am working part-time. But no one is hiring permanently in my sector (Pharmaceutical). I am struggling financially and emotionally. Paying rent is a major concern. If the rent is made affordable and if we get some financial support, it can help us."

Protecting lives and livelihoods, ensuring food security, enhancing testing and health infrastructure and readying to rev up the post-virus economy.

Some Indian nationals also say that they feel unsafe as the locals are not taking things seriously and the number of cases are increasing. They also claimed that no medical shops have sanitizers and masks are available at only a few shops.

Nirav Vichare, a resident of Mumbai who is in Dublin for his MBA Project Management says, "It doesn't feel safe right now than being at home in India. Several people have appealed to the Indian Embassy to arrange some flights to take us back. Whereas we are all worried and avoiding going out because people here are not taking anything seriously."

Vichare also appealed to Indians to stay at home and cooperate with the government to eradicate the virus.

Meanwhile, in a video message to the Indian community, Indian Ambassador Sandeep Kumar has said, "Covid-19 is an unprecedented crisis, which requires collective community action and exceptional civic responsibility. I appeal to all members to strictly adhere to the national policy guidelines which are for our security.

He also said that they have formed community support groups in partnership with key members representing diverse fields who have volunteered to assist the local community.

"We all have a part to play in rising to this challenge," he said in a tweet.

Originally posted here:

We are running out of money, don't have jobs: Several Indians stuck in Ireland seek to return home - Mumbai Mirror

Possible COVID-19 treatment: transfusion of antibodies from recovered patients’ blood – Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis

Visit the News Hub

Century-old idea applied to modern pandemic

A laboratory worker removes plasma from a vial of blood. Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and elsewhere are investigating whether transfusions of blood plasma from people who have recovered from COVID-19 can prevent or treat the disease. The approach was used with some success during the 1918 influenza pandemic.

With no drugs or vaccines yet approved for COVID-19 and the number of U.S. cases increasing by the thousands every day, doctors are looking to revive a century-old therapy for infectious diseases: transfusing antibodies from the blood of recovered patients into people who are seriously ill.

During the Spanish flu pandemic of 1918, doctors were faced with a deadly illness and no specific treatments. Recognizing that people who had recovered were immune to the infection, some doctors tried treating their patients with blood serum from recovered flu patients. In many cases it worked.

Giving serum from newly recovered patients is a stone-age approach, but historically it has worked, said Jeffrey P. Henderson, MD, PhD, an associate professor of medicine and of molecular microbiology at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. This is how we used to prevent and treat viral infections like measles, mumps, polio and influenza, but once vaccines were developed, the technique understandably fell out of favor and many people forgot about it. Until we have specific drugs and vaccines for COVID-19, this approach could save lives.

Henderson was reminded of the technique by Arturo Casadevall, MD, PhD, the chair of molecular microbiology and immunology at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore. Casadevall began championing the idea of using plasma from convalescing patients to treat COVID-19 in early March. Plasma and serum are both the clear fluid portion of blood, and both contain antibodies, but plasma also contains some other proteins lacking in serum.

Plasma transfusion was used experimentally to treat small numbers of people during the SARS outbreak of 2002 and 2003. SARS, which stands for severe acute respiratory syndrome, is caused by a coronavirus closely related to the one that causes COVID-19. In one study, SARS patients who received plasma transfusions recovered faster than those who did not.

Henderson, Casadevall and Michael Joyner, MD, a physiologist at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., quickly joined forces and leveraged the resources at their three institutions to test the approach. Their efforts resulted in an investigational new drug application to the Food and Drug Administration that was filed March 18. If the application is approved, they plan to move rapidly to a clinical trial.

This is something that can be done very quickly, much faster than drug development, because it basically involves donating and transfusing plasma, Henderson said. As soon as we have individuals who have recovered from COVID-19 walking around, we have potential donors, and we can use the blood bank system to obtain plasma and distribute it to the patients who need it.

The plan is to ask patients who recover from COVID-19 to donate their blood, from which plasma would be isolated. After screening for toxins and viruses, the plasma would be transfused into people ill with or at high risk of COVID-19. The procedure for isolating plasma is a long-established technology that can be performed using equipment normally found in blood-banking facilities, and receiving plasma from these donors is as safe as any other plasma transfusion, Henderson said.

The concept is simple, but the execution is more complicated. The scientists still need to determine how much antibody is in the blood of recovered patients, and how much antibody needs to be given to effectively treat or prevent COVID-19.Brenda Grossman, MD,a professor of pathology and immunology at Washington University School of Medicine and director of transfusion medicine at Barnes-Jewish Hospital, was brought on board to help navigate the complex regulations surrounding blood donations and transport of blood products across state lines.

The idea is catching fire.

Last week, it was the three of us on a conference call, Henderson said. This week, we had people from all over the country I dont even know how many. Everyones excited about this. If it works, it could provide a lifeline at this early stage of the pandemic.

Clinical teams ready; research for vaccines, drugs underway

Washington University School of Medicines 1,500 faculty physicians also are the medical staff of Barnes-Jewish and St. Louis Childrens hospitals. The School of Medicine is a leader in medical research, teaching and patient care, ranking among the top 10 medical schools in the nation by U.S. News & World Report. Through its affiliations with Barnes-Jewish and St. Louis Childrens hospitals, the School of Medicine is linked to BJC HealthCare.

See the original post here:

Possible COVID-19 treatment: transfusion of antibodies from recovered patients' blood - Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis

Tulane medical students coordinate donations of protective gear for hospitals – News from Tulane

From left: Nicholas Stephen Loupe of the Cajun Army volunteer disaster recovery group, Tulane medical student Sophie Foroushani, Dr. John Dwyer of Tulanes Infectious Diseases Section, and medical students Taylor Hopper and Andre Perez-Chaumont receive the Cajun Armys donation of personal protective equipment for healthcare workers in New Orleans. (Photo provided by Student Clinic Council)

In an effort to collect needed supplies for healthcare workers, students from Tulane School of Medicines student community clinics rallied together and overnight built a regional donation hub to collect personal protective equipment (PPE).

The School of Medicine is now accepting contributions of several types of PPE and supplies to be distributed at Tulane hospitals and clinics and other facilities. The school has already received several significant donations from outside the university.

The effort started when students who participate in Tulanes 22 student-run clinics worked with School of Medicine faculty to donate their extra PPE to hospitals.

We've been kind of spearheading this, but definitely it's a multidisciplinary effort, said AlexWoodbridge, a third-year medical student and president of the Student Clinic Council. We're working with Tulane administration, and admins at the different hospitals and then also providers within the community to get the supplies to healthcare facilities. Dean Lee Hamm, MD; Elma Ledoux, MD, associate dean for admissions and student affairs; John Dwyer, DO, assistant professor of medicine; and Sue Pollack, assistant dean for administration, worked with scores of Tulane medical students to staff the telephone lines and handle incoming inventory.

In two days of accepting donations, the group received thousands of items of protective cover wear. The Cajun Army sent a large shipment from Baton Rouge, including 950 protective coveralls, more than 1,400 hazmat suits and five boxes of surgical masks, as well as hand sanitizer, cleaning agents and industrial gloves.

One of the [Tulane] doctors reached out to the Cajun Army. [The army] is a group of volunteers who help support communities through natural disasters, so they went to their warehouses and looked for the things that we had been asking for cover gowns, masks, gloves, things like that and loaded up everything they could find, said Sophie Foroushani, another third-year medical student and the vice president of the Student Clinic Council.

Donations came from across campuses, including School of Science and Engineerings Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Howard-Tilton Memorial Library, Tulane University Special Collections, Newcomb Art Museum, Vorhoff Archives, Amistad Research Center and Middle American Research Institute.

School of Medicine continues to accept contributions of PPE to be used in local hospitals. Large or small quantities are greatly appreciated and can be dropped off at specified locations, but homemade items such as masks cannot be accepted at this time. Click here for more information on donating PPE.

Read more:

Tulane medical students coordinate donations of protective gear for hospitals - News from Tulane

New study: Molecular Cytogenetics Market size, share, industry analysis, growth and forecast 2025 – WhaTech Technology and Markets News

Global Molecular Cytogenetics Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report, By Product (Consumables, Software & Services, and Instruments), By Application (Cancer, Genetic Disorders, and Personalized Medicine), By Technique (Fluorescence in Situ Hybridization (FISH), Comparative Genomic Hybridization (CGH), and Others) and Forecast, 2019-2025

Theglobal molecular cytogenetics marketis estimated to grow at a CAGR of more than 6% during the forecast period. Increasing US FDA approvals for personalized medicines supporting the growth in genomics researches.

For instance, as per the Personalized Medicine Coalition, in 2018, 25 of the 59 new molecular entities (NMEs) FDA approved are personalized medicines, which is 42% of all new drug approvals. The Coalition classified 34% of NMEs as personalized medicines in 2017, 28% in 2015; 27% in 2016.

The US FDA is making efforts to facilitate access to genomic testing and integrating real-world evidence into its regulatory framework. As a result, the FDA, for the first time, authorized the marketing of cancer-related genetic tests and pharmacogenetics were allowed to sell directly to the consumers.

Get Sample Copy of Molecular Cytogenetics Market at: http://www.omrglobal.com/requestics-market

The major players in the global molecular cytogenetics market include including Abbott Laboratories, Inc., Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc., and Illumina, Inc., Bio-Rad Laboratories Inc., and F. Hoffman La-Roche AG.

This results in the development of personalized medicine as an emerging practice of medicine that utilizes the genetic profile of an individual which supports to make appropriate decisions regarding prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of the condition.

Gaining complete knowledge of a patient's genetic profile assists doctors to opt for the proper therapy or medication. In addition, it allows to administer drugs or therapy by utilizing the proper regimen or dose.

1000 Genomes Project is an effort that comprises genome sequencing of at least a thousand people from across the globe to develop the most comprehensive and medically relevant picture of human genetic variation.

A full report of Global Molecular Cytogenetics Market is available at: http://www.omrglobal.com/industrics-market

This initiative intends to make accessible genomic data easily from international research institutions. The major support for the project is offered by the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute in Hinxton, England, and the Beijing Genomics Institute, Shenzhen (BGI Shenzhen) in China.

This project shows a rising focus on genomic researches across the globe, which in turn, is supporting the development of personalized medicines, which thereby attributing to positive market growth. As a conventional technique, cytogenetic analysis is used to diagnose chromosome instability and may specify the presence of a genetic disorder or malignancy.

It is one of the first techniques used for precision medicine.

Cytogenetic analysis is significantly applied to offer crucial diagnostic, prognostic, and therapeutic information for the development of cancer precision medicine and research. A combination of molecular biology and cytogenetics methods created an opportunity in the field of oncology, as well as to develop precision medicine for cancer patients.

Currently, a combination of high-throughput technologies are used in clinical laboratories for identification of noncoding RNAs, deregulated cellular pathways, protein expression profiles, and mutation signatures, with effect in the prediction and early diagnosis of therapeutic response in cancer patients.

Molecular cytogenetics is a major addition to traditional cytogenetics, as it enables more accurate identification of clinically relevant genetic abnormalities. This is achieved with the monitoring of specific DNA sequences in the nuclei and chromosomes of cancer cells.

The FISH technique is being the most commonly used technique in molecular cytogenetics. It has major benefits in clinical practice owing to its ability to examine chromosomal alterations in nondividing cells, specifically directly in tissue sections and cytology preparations.

Further, increasing advances in molecular cytogenetics techniques are creating a remarkable growth opportunity for the adoption of molecular cytogenetics in precision medicine, which in turn, is expected to drive the global molecular cytogenetics market.

For more customized data, request for report customization @ http://www.omrglobal.com/report-ics-market

Molecular Cytogenetics Market Segmentation

By Product

By Application

By Technique

Molecular Cytogenetics Market Segment by Region

North America

Europe

Asia-Pacific

Rest of the World

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Original post:

New study: Molecular Cytogenetics Market size, share, industry analysis, growth and forecast 2025 - WhaTech Technology and Markets News

Could existing drugs help combat Covid-19? NZ experts weigh in – The Spinoff

An anti-malaria drug could be a possible treatment for Covid-19, alongside other existing medicines. Heres what the experts think.

Several pre-existing drugs are thought to hold potential in the treatment of virus Covid-19. While research is ongoing into new treatments and vaccines, if anything currently available is found to be effective it could be distributed to those affected much more quickly, due to existing stockpiles and having already been through human trials.

Below, the Science Media Centre has corralled to two experts from the University of Otago to assess how promising these treatments are, and a University of Auckland scientist provides insight into a clinical trial set to get under way in New Zealand.

Auckland City Hospital is one of a number of hospitals in New Zealand and Australia hoping to recruit patients into two clinical studies which will help to determine whether either an anti-malaria medicine or an anti-HIV medicine will help patients with Covid-19 to recover.

Patients admitted to hospital, either in a medical ward if their illness is not severe, or an intensive care department if their illness is severe, will be offered the opportunity to participate in the studies.

If patients or their family provide consent, they will be randomly allocated to treatment with hydroxychloroquine (an anti-malaria medicine), or with Kaletra (an anti-HIV medicine), or with a combination of both hydroxychloroquine and Kaletra, or with a placebo.

Neither the patients, nor their family, nor the medical team caring for the patients, will know which of the four possible treatments the patients are receiving. It is what is called a double-blind study, which allows the effects, potentially beneficial, or harmful, to be evaluated without any bias affecting the evaluation of the effect of each treatment on patients outcomes.

This clinical trial will help us understand whether these drugs are effective therapies for Covid-19.

It is very unlikely that patients who are not participating in these studies will be offered these medicines because their medical teams will not know, until this and other similar trials are completed, whether the medicines are helpful, harmful or have no discernible benefit or harm.

There are a fair number of cures for Covid-19 being mentioned in social media and by various public figures. This is normal human behaviour: people will try to do whatever they can to stay well and be able to care for their families and friends. However, there is very little data behind these claims.

There have been case reports from China and Italy of people in intensive care who have been treated with various antiviral and antibiotic medications, but no clear indication that any of these helped.

What is happening is that various antiviral medications are being tested rapidly in the severe cases. It will not take much time (or participants in the trials) to see if such a medication works or does not. Some will be shown to work, some will not. At that point the health system will be able to offer treatments for Covid-19 with confidence. The regulations and ethical approval for such trials are being facilitated by many governments.

At present, however, we have no data. There is no point in seeking this medication or that the medications we have available in New Zealand are for other conditions and are needed for those people. If and when we have treatments that work, we will have to consider how we source them which may include deliberately going off-patent and getting pharmaceutical companies in New Zealand to make them.

At present scientists are seeking direct-acting antiviral drugs that target coronavirus in the hope that these drugs might serve as a bridge until a vaccine is developed. Since both drug and vaccine development take such a long time, interest has arisen in already approved drugs that can be repurposed to target Covid-19. To date, these repurposed drugs fall into three main groups: polymerase inhibitors, protease inhibitors, and other.

Polymerase inhibitors include some of the most promising options, and the notable members of this group are remdesivir, galidesivir, and favipiravir. They work by blocking the enzyme that allows the virus to replicate its nucleic acid coding strand. If a virus cannot replicate its nucleic acid, it cannot replicate at all.

Remdesivir is approved for use in animals against diseases like FIP (Feline Infectious Peritonitis); its being evaluated in a small clinical trail in China and results are due next month. Favipiravir was developed in Japan and has shown early promising results, but nothing has been published in the peer reviewed literature yet. Galidesivir is a polymerase inhibitor that was partly developed in NZ and has activity against coronavirus-19. It is being considered now for further studies and is notable for its strong NZ connection.

Protease inhibitors are a major drug class in use against HIV. For HIV they work by blocking an enzyme that processes proteins that the virus needs for growth. During the Sars epidemic it was discovered that Kaletra (lopinavir/ritonavir), a common anti-HIV drug, seemed to help coronavirus-infected patients. Early data on its use for coronavirus infection suggests weak to no activity, but it was an early study with small patient numbers.

Another repurposed drug being studied is camostat mesylate. Like Kaletra it is a protease inhibitor but apart from that they are very different. Camostat meslyate inhibits a completely different protease that is used by coronavirus to mediate its uptake into cells. The good news that is that camostat is already used in people but for a non-infectious condition, chronic pancreatitis, but the cautionary note is that camostat has not yet been used in people for coronavirus treatment.

The final drug in this repurposed grouping is in the other category. It is called chloroquine. Chloroquine is an antimalarial drug, long in use, especially in travel medicine. It turns out that it inhibits SARS2-CoV replication in the test tube and it has garnered wide attention because of it. Physicians are keen to learn if this observation could be translated into success in living humans. A cautionary note is that chloroquine has been looked at before with other viruses and has not been found to be effective.

Although many of these compounds can, and are, being given now in an off-label fashion, the best way to use them is in a randomised controlled trial (RCT). Thats because RCTs allow us to learn quickly if a drug actually works or not. RCTs have been essential in other viral epidemics and pandemics, like HIV, to allow scientists to learn the most effective way of treating infections. RCT evaluation of these candidates would be the best way to sort their utility in treating Covid-19 infection.

The Spinoffs science content is made possible thanks to the support ofThe MacDiarmid Institute for Advanced Materials and Nanotechnology, a national institute devoted to scientific research.

The Bulletin is The Spinoffs acclaimed daily digest of New Zealands most important stories, delivered directly to your inbox each morning.

Go here to read the rest:

Could existing drugs help combat Covid-19? NZ experts weigh in - The Spinoff

More private labs approved for coronavirus testing: Here is full list – DNA India

The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) on Monday approved more private laboratories to conduct coronavirus test as the number of cases across the country crossed 600 on Wednesday.

It had earlier approved 12 private labs to test samples of suspected COVID-19 patients. With new private labs getting approved by the agency, the number of such facilities across the country has risen to 29.

The ICMR-approved private labs are present in Delhi (4), Gujarat (3), Haryana (3), Karnataka (2), Maharashtra (9), Tamil Nadu (3), Telangana (4) and West Bengal (1).

Here is the list of all private labs where coronavirus testing can be done:

Delhi

1. Lal Path Labs, Block -E, Sector 18, Rohini, Delhi

2. Dr Dangs Lab, C-2/1, Safadarjung Development Area, New Delhi

3. Laboratory Services, Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals, Sarita Vihar, New Delhi

4. Max Lab, Max Super Spciality Hospital, Saket, New-Delhi

Gujarat

1. Unipath Specialty laboratory limited, 102, Sanoma Plaza, Opposite Parimal Garden, Besides JMC House, Ellisbridge, Ahmedabad

2. Supratech Micropath Laboratory & Research Institute Pvt Ltd, Kedar, Ahmedabad

3. SN GeneLab Pvt Ltd, President Plaza A, Near Mahavir Hospital, Nanpura, Surat

Haryana

1. Strand Life Sciences, A-17, Sector 34, Gurugram

2. SRL Limited, GP26, Sector 18, Gurugram

3. Modern Diagnostic & Research Centre-Lab, 363-364/4, Jawahar Nagar. Gururgram

Karnataka

1. Neuberg Anand Reference Laboratory, Anand Tower, #54, Bowring Hospital Road, Bengaluru

2. Cancyte Technologies Pvt Ltd, Sri Shankara Research Centre, Bengaluru

Maharashtra

1. Thyrocare Technologies Limited, D37/1, TTC MIDC, Turbhe, Navi Mumbai

2. Suburban Diagnostics (India) Pvt. Ltd., 306, 307/T, 3rd Floor, Sunshine Bld., Andheri (W), Mumbai

3. Metropolis Healthcare Ltd, Unit No. 409-416, 4th Floor, Commercial Building-1, Kohinoor Mall, Mumbai

4. Sir H.N. Reliance Foundation Hospital and Research Centre, Molecular Medicine, Reliance Life Sciences Pvt. Ltd., R-282, TTC Industrial Area, Rabale, Navi Mumbai

5. SRL Limited, Prime Square Building, Plot No 1, Gaiwadi Industrial Estate, SV Road, Goregaon, Mumbai

6. A.G. Diagnostics Pvt Ltd, Nayantara Building, Pune

7. Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital Laboratory, Four Bungalows, Mumbai

8. InfeXn Laboratories Private Limited, A/131, Therelek Compound, Road No 23, Wagle Industrial Estate, Thane (W)

9. iGenetic Diagnostics Pvt Ltd, Krislon House, Andheri East, Mumbai

Tamil Nadu

1. Dept. of Clinical Virology, CMC, Vellore

2. Department of Laboratory Services, Apollo Hospitals Enterprise Ltd, Chennai

3. Neuberg Ehrlich Lab Pvt Ltd, 46-48 Masilamani Road, Balaji Nagar, Chennai

Telangana

1. Laboratory Services, Apollo Hospitals, 6th Floor, Health Street Building, Jubilee Hills, Hyderabad

2. Vijaya Diagnostic Centre Pvt Ltd, Street No 19, Himayath Nagar, Hyderabad

3. Vimta Labs Ltd, Plot No 142, Phase 2, IDA Cherlapally, Hyderabad

4. Apollo Health and Lifestyle Limited, Diagnostic Laboratory, Bowenpally, Secunderabad

West Bengal

1. Apollo Gleneagles Hospitals, 58 Canal Circular Road, Kolkata

The above private laboratories have received approval from the ICMR to conduct the coronavirus tests.

This comes as the government on Tuesday imposed nationwide complete lockdown to combat the spread of coronavirus.

On Wednesday, around 606 people across India have tested positive for coronavirus, 42 of whom have been cutred and discharged while 10 have died.

Read more:

More private labs approved for coronavirus testing: Here is full list - DNA India

CHAMPIGNON BRANDS APPOINTS DR. JOSEPH GABRIELE, ERNST & YOUNG 2018 HEALTH CARE ENTREPRENEUR OF THE YEAR AND DELIVRA INVENTOR TO SPECIAL ADVISORY…

VANCOUVER, British Columbia, March 25, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Champignon Brands Inc. (Champignon or the Company) (CSE: SHRM) (FWB: 496) (OTC: SHRMF), a health and wellness company specializing in the formulation of a suite of medicinal mushroom health products, as well as novel delivery platforms for the pharmaceutical and nutraceutical industries, continues to bolster its Special Advisory Committee via the appointment of qualified experts in the areas of formulation chemistry, transdermal delivery systems, psychotherapeutics, mycology and molecular pharmacology.

Champignon is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Joseph Gabriele, a molecular pharmacologist specializing in signal transduction within the central nervous system, to its Special Advisory Committee. Dr. Gabriele, PhD, specializes in the areas of molecular pharmacology, transdermal delivery and formulation chemistry with pharmaceutical, natural molecules. Dr. Gabriele will champion the Companys development and commercialization of rapid onset treatments capable of improving health outcomes. His background will assist the Company in expanding the scope of its advisory committee to include novel ketamine, anaesthetics and adaptogenic delivery platforms.

Champignons Special Advisory Committee will evaluate the potential positive effects its medicinal mushroom formulations could have on individuals suffering from indications such as depression and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), as well as substance and alcohol use disorders.

A visionary and relentless innovator, Dr. Gabriele led the development of a transdermal delivery platform, delivraTM that can be tailored to carry drugs across the skin and into the skin dermis, circulatory system or muscles. As a co-founder of Delivra Corp in 2007, Dr. Gabriele and his team developed a transdermal platform that can shuttle small biologics to large peptides across the skin layers in a targeted, specific manner. As an industrial partner with the National Research Council of Canada, Dr. Gabrieles group conducts research in analytical/molecular biology laboratories located in Quebec and Ontario, Canada.

Dr. Gabriele has received numerous awards throughout his educational career including a Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) studentship award in pharmacology, an NSERC Canada Graduate Scholarship, and an Ontario Mental Health Foundation Postdoctoral Fellowship. In 2007, he received the International Congress on Schizophrenia Research New Investigator Award, and in 2008 the Hamilton Health Sciences New Investigator Award. In 2018, Dr. Gabriele was bestowed the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year in Health Care. Dr. Gabriele has extensive experience in start-up companies that commercialize products for Medical Sciences and the Health Care Industry.

Dr. Gabrieles established research credentials, entrepreneurial nature and relentless pursuit of medical innovation represents the desired skill sets that Champignon needs as we accelerate our accession into the psychedelic medicine arena, commented Gareth Birdsall, CEO of Champignon Brands. The appointment of Dr. Gabriele equips us with both a celebrated medical researcher, as well as a seasoned CPG formulation specialist, which will allow for the continued development of our mushroom-infused health products, novel delivery systems and eventual drug discovery initiatives. Champignon Brands is set to emerge as an impact investment that may not only change peoples lives but may also revolutionize the face of medicine as we know it today.

About Champignon Brands Inc.

Champignon Brands Inc. (CSE: SHRM) is a research driven company specializing in the formulation of a suite of medicinal mushrooms health products, as well as novel ketamine, anaesthetics and adaptogenic delivery platforms for the nutritional, wellness and alternative medicine industries. Via its vertically integrated alternative medicine product range, Champignon is pursuing the development and commercialization of rapid onset treatments capable of improving health outcomes for indications such as depression and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), as well as substance and alcohol use disorders. Champignon continues to be inspired by sustainability, as its medicinal mushroom infused SKUs are organic, non-GMO and vegan certified. For more information, visit the companys website at: https://champignonbrands.com/.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

W. Gareth BirdsallCEO & DirectorT: +1 (778) 549-6714E:info@champignonbrands.com

FOR INVESTOR INQUIRIES:

Tyler TroupCircadian GroupE:SHRM@champignonbrands.com

FOR CHAMPIGNON BRANDS FRENCH INQUIRIES:

Remy ScalabriniMaricom Inc.E: rs@maricom.ca T: (888) 585-MARI

FOR CORPORATE COMMUNICATIONS:

NetworkWire (NW)New York, New Yorkwww.NetworkNewsWire.com+1 (212) 418-1217 OfficeEditor@NetworkWire.com

The CSE and Information Service Provider have not reviewed and does not accept responsibility for the accuracy or adequacy of this release.

Forward-looking Information Cautionary Statement

Except for statements of historic fact, this news release contains certain "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities law. Forward-looking information is frequently characterized by words such as "plan", "expect", "project", "intend", "believe", "anticipate", "estimate" and other similar words, or statements that certain events or conditions "may" or "will" occur. Forward-looking statements are based on the opinions and estimates at the date the statements are made, and are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those anticipated in the forward-looking statements including, but not limited to delays or uncertainties with regulatory approvals, including that of the CSE. There are uncertainties inherent in forward-looking information, including factors beyond the Companys control. There are no assurances that the business plans for Champignon Brands described in this news release will come into effect on the terms or time frame described herein. The Company undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking information if circumstances or management's estimates or opinions should change except as required by law. The reader is cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Additional information identifying risks and uncertainties that could affect financial results is contained in the Companys filings with Canadian securities regulators, which are available at http://www.sedar.com.

See the article here:

CHAMPIGNON BRANDS APPOINTS DR. JOSEPH GABRIELE, ERNST & YOUNG 2018 HEALTH CARE ENTREPRENEUR OF THE YEAR AND DELIVRA INVENTOR TO SPECIAL ADVISORY...

Cell>Point plans to expedite research program on 99mTc-EC-Amifostine and 177Lu-EC-Amifostine as a potentially effective theranostic technology for…

CENTENNIAL, Colo., March 24, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Cell>Point announced today its plans to move forward with its research program to clinically develop 99mTc-EC-Amifostine and 177Lu-EC-Amifostine to assess, treat and follow-up with confirmatory imaging for people who contract COVID-19. For example, EC-Amifostine is metabolized by alkaline phosphatase (ALP) to a thiol analog, followed by scavenging free-radicals and stabilizing DNA in combination with a radiotherapeutic such as 177Lu-EC-Amifostine, a beta emitter that is metabolized by ALP activity and may prove to be an excellent treatment for COVID-19. The initial focus of Cell>Point's research efforts have been with 99mTc-EC-Amifostine to differentiate the extent of tumor progression and the degree of viral infection involvement with tumor proliferation. We believe 99mTc-EC-Amifostine should provide imaging capability in patients who have contracted COVID-19, which can monitor therapeutic response and provide the choice for physicians to select the patient for ALP-directed therapy.

Because of the mode of action of the combination therapies, we believe that this treatment regiment will be an effective theranostic application for viral infection such as COVID-19. From data collect thus far, it's been noted that liver impairment has been reported in up to 60% of patients with SARS and has also been reported in patients infected with MERS-CoV. COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2) shares 82% genome sequence similarity to SARS-CoV and 50% genome sequence homology to MERS-CoV. ALP levels elevate in diseases affiliated with inflammation of the gallbladder, liver cancer, hepatitis, bone cancers and SARS virus infection. As a theranostic target, ALP on the surface membrane of neutrophil activity is useful detection for distinguishing viral infections or bacterial infections (Kubota M, et al. J Infect Chemother. 2006;12(6):387-90). In this therapeutic regiment, ALP is responsible in transforming Amifostine to an active thiol metabolite which scavenges free radicals in the lesions to protect major organs as focus treatment is provided to the targeted areas.

Story continues

Amifostine was originally developed by the Antiradiation Drug Development Program of the US Army Medical Research and Development Command as a radioprotective medicine. It has been shown to protect normal tissues including the esophagus, lung, kidney, liver, bone marrow, immune system, skin, colon, small bowel, salivary gland, oral mucosa, and testis against radiation damage and cytotoxic agents including alkylating and organoplatinum agents, anthracyclines, and taxane. It was the first biodefense drug from that program to be approved for clinical use as a free-radical scavenger in the protection of dose limiting normal tissues in patients against DNA damaging effects from reactive oxygen species.

ABOUT CELL>POINT, L.L.C.

Cell>Point is a biopharmaceutical company focused on the development of universal molecular imaging compounds and molecular therapeutics for the diagnosis, staging, treatment and treatment monitoring of cancer, cardiovascular disease, and a range of ischemic diseases. Cell>Point has exclusive licenses to five drug-development platforms, all from The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, a world leader in cancer research and care. Cell>Point has 59 patents issued for Oncardia, 14 patents pending, and is preparing to file additional patent applications based on improvements developed to further refine the active pharmaceutical ingredient and final kit formulation for commercialization. Information on Cell>Point's product candidates and licenses, recent press releases, and patents and patent filings can be obtained through its website at http://www.cellpointweb.com. The Company has offices in Centennial, Colorado and Houston, Texas.

View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/cellpoint-plans-to-expedite-research-program-on-99mtc-ec-amifostine-and-177lu-ec-amifostine-as-a-potentially-effective-theranostic-technology-for-covid-19-301029011.html

SOURCE CellPoint, L.L.C.

See the rest here:

Cell>Point plans to expedite research program on 99mTc-EC-Amifostine and 177Lu-EC-Amifostine as a potentially effective theranostic technology for...

Increase in Younger Bowel Cancer Cases Highest in Southern England – Medscape

The increased incidence of colorectal cancer (CRC) in younger adults is not simply a demographic shift but reflects potential biological changes in the disease as well as alterations in geographical distribution that need to be better understood, say UK researchers in a large population-based study.

Numerous recent studies from the US, as well as those in countries across Europe, Australia, New Zealand, and Canada, have shown that there has been an increase in CRC incidence in younger people in the past few decades.

As reported by Medscape Medical News, these studies suggest that, while the overall incidence of CRC may have stabilised, the incidence in adults aged under 50 years has risen sharply, at rates ranging from 1.5% to 8% per year.

Seeking to provide a more detailed picture of the shift, Adam Chambers, School of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Bristol, and colleagues looked at data on more than 56,000 UK adults aged 2049 years diagnosed with the disease between 1974 and 2015.

The new research, published online by the British Journal of Surgery, showed that, following an initial dip in incidence, rates increased initially in adults aged 2029 years, followed by those aged 3039 years, at rates of up to 6% per year.

While gender and socioeconomic status did not appear to have an impact on the change in incidence rates, there were notable geographic variations, with the largest increases in southern England, and distal tumours were found to be the biggest driver of new cases.

Mr Chambers commented in a news release: "Age has always been a major risk factor for bowel cancer, with the majority of cases being diagnosed in patients over 60 and therefore bowel cancer screening has focused on older age groups.

"However, this study shows that over the past 30 years, there has been an exponential increase in the incidence of bowel cancer among adults under 50."

Co-author David Messenger, a consultant colorectal surgeon at Bristol Royal Infirmary, added: "Future research needs to focus on understanding why this trend is occurring and how it might be reversed, potentially through the development of cost-effective testing strategies that detect tumours at an earlier stage or polyps before they become cancerous."

Mr Messenger told Medscape News UK that, while this is a population-based study and cannot demonstrate cause and effect, he believes that there are likely to be multiple factors underlying the trend that are "not necessarily the same" for different countries or regions.

He believes that "undoubtedly some of it is dietary related and some of it also obesity related" but, unlike in, say, lung cancer, it is "much more difficult to pick apart" the relationship between lifestyle factors and the development of CRC.

He said that, "based on when weve seen the rise in incidence, it is probably something to do with how our lifestyles have changed really from the mid-60s onwards" because, for successive generations from that period, "youve got a cohort effect" of increasing incidence.

Mr Messenger also notes that the shift in tumour location and the shift in geographical distribution of cases suggests that "the biology of the disease in young adults is different", which could have healthcare implications if the increase in CRC incidence in younger patients continues.

The authors point out that, while increases in rates of CRC have been observed in younger adults across Europe and North America, there appear to be differences in the way the disease manifests in younger versus older populations.

They note that it therefore is "vital" that the epidemiology underlying the increase is better understood, "as young adults typically present with more advanced tumours that carry a poorer prognosis".

To investigate further, the team examined data from the UK-wide National Cancer Registration and Analysis Service database on all adults aged 2049 years diagnosed with CRC between 1974 and 2015.

They also obtained population estimates from the Office for National Statistics and the European Standard Population report to examine trends in age-specific incidence rates, stratified by sex, anatomic subsite, Index of Multiple Deprivation quintile, and geographical region.

The researchers identified a total of 1,145,639 new cases of CRC diagnosed during the study period, of which 2594 were in adults aged 2029 years, 11,406 among 3039 year olds, and 42,314 in those aged 4049 years.

Joinpoint regression analysis revealed that after an initial decrease, there was a notable increase in cases among individuals aged 2029 years, at an annual percentage change (APC) of 4.6% in women from 1986 and 5.1% in men from 1992.

In adults aged 3039 years, the increase started later, at an APC in women of 3.8% from 1995 and 6.0% in men from 2002.

The increases were smaller in adults aged 4049 years and started later, at an APC of 1.5% in women and 0.8% in men, beginning in 2003.

These results, the team writes, are "suggestive of an age cohort effect".

Looking at the data in more detail, they found that the incidence of proximal CRCs, primarily driven by caecal and ascending colon cancers, was increased in 2029 year olds, at an APC of 4.4% from 1995, and in 3039 year olds, at an APC of 5.8% from 2005, but not in 4049 year olds.

However, the increase in incidence rates for distal cancers was higher and more sustained, at an APC of 5.6% from 1991 for 2029 year olds, and an APC of 3.3% from 1995 to 2006 and 7.0% from 2006 for adults aged 3039 years. For those aged 4049 years, the APC was 1.4% from 2001.

While there were few differences noted when stratifying individuals by socioeconomic status, there were differences observed when the researchers looked at geographical region.

For example, incidence rates of proximal CRC among 2049 year olds were, in 1985, decreasing all across England apart from in London, with the South West recording an APC of -12.1%.

By 2015, however, incidence rates for proximal CRC were increasing fastest in the South East at an APC of 7.4%, in London by 6.5% per annum, and in the East at an APC of 6.0%.

The increase was even greater for distal cancers, with all southern regions showing annual increases in incidence rates of more than 5%, rising to an APC of 10.1% in the South West.

"It is difficult to explain why incidence rates are increasing more rapidly in young adults in the south given that risk factors such as obesity are increasing faster in northern regions," the team says.

While acknowledging there may be issues around access to healthcare at play, they add: "The role of environmental factors, such as diet, obesity, physical exercise and the gut microbiota, in the development of youngonset colorectal cancer is incompletely understood and requires further research."

Mr Messenger said the evidence nevertheless suggests that the biology of CRC in younger adults differs from that in their older counterparts.

"That then begs the question about what is happening in the UK that were seeing such pronounced increases in southern regions," particularly in terms of the dramatic increase in CRC cases in the distal large bowel.

He highlighted that, "typically, people have thought this is maybe a disease that is perhaps related to lower socioeconomic groups but weve not seen that in our study the increased rates have occurred equally across all socioeconomic groups in the younger adult age group".

However, Mr Messenger noted that, over time, there has been northsouth migration in England, as well as "increasing urbanisation in southern regions, particularly the South West".

He pointed to cities such as Bristol and towns along the M4 corridor, including Swindon, which are increasing in size and becoming more and more urbanised. In contrast, Middlesborough and Teeside are depopulating, a phenomenon he ascribes to internal migration.

Mr Messenger added that, as well as tumours in younger adults having a "greater propensity to be in the sigmoid and the rectum, theres some evidence that molecularly, they are slightly different; they dont necessarily exhibit microsatellite instability in the same way that you see with older adults".

He said that this observation cannot currently be fully explained, and is the focus of future research. There is also evidence to suggest that younger adults are more likely to present with metastatic or locally advanced disease.

He believes that screening could therefore help with identifying patients at an earlier stage, although not via the blanket use of flexible sigmoidoscopies or colonoscopies but rather greater application of faecal immunochemical testing, which is currently being used in the over-50s.

"The question is do we then roll that out to adults under 50 as a means of risk stratifying those groups, as to whether or not they should have endoscopic examination," Mr Messenger asked.

This would also be a way of obtaining more data on whether young adults really do present with more advanced disease.

"Weve got some idea that they might do worse because theyve got more advanced disease but that is really not set in stone and there is virtually no data on that in the UK, so thats really where things will be heading," he said.

If the current trends continue unchecked, Mr Messenger believes that the types of cases "that we see in 20 years time will look very different".

"At the moment, we think that about 5% of all bowel cancer occurs in adults under 50 but if you were to extrapolate out those rates of increase out to 2041we think it could account for anywhere from about 8% up to 30% of all cases, so youve got the potential in 20 years that patients with bowel cancer could be a very different group."

He continued: "This is anecdotal but Im seeing a lot more younger adults with advanced disease.

"So overall, globally in the population, probably the incidence will trickle down and everyone will think thats great, but actually if you look at it more deeply, those that are getting the cancers will be different. It will be younger adults with more advanced disease."

Mr Messenger said: "Suddenly were having a paradigm shift from where this is seen as a disease of middle age and elderly to then becoming a disease of a younger population."

The study was funded by the Medical Research Council, David Telling Charitable Trust and the Elizabeth Blackwell Institute.

No conflicts of interest declared.

Br J Surg 2020. doi 10.1002/bjs.11486

Visit link:

Increase in Younger Bowel Cancer Cases Highest in Southern England - Medscape

UL ‘likely’ to play host to field hospital if hospitals become overwhelmed by Covid-19 – BreakingNews.ie

University of Limerick (UL) is likely to become a location for a Covid-19 field hospital in the event that hospitals in the region become overwhelmed by cases of the virus, announced the Universitys President, Dr Des Fitzgerald.

It is likely that UL will play host to a field hospital as our frontline health services are potentially overwhelmed, Dr Fitzgerald said this morning.

We are currently working with the HSE to develop more sophisticated systems of contact tracing, with the inclusion of testing.

"This is further to the change in testing criteria in recent days, he explained.

We are also working on a process of using mobile phone geolocation data to map individuals who may have come into contact with an individual with a positive diagnosis.

Dr Fitzgerald added the University do not take these decisions lightly.

None of us has ever faced anything like this in our lifetimes but we do have it within our power to influence how dire this does or does not become.

Social gatherings are still taking place, and at a level where there is disregard for everyones public safety.

Dr Fitzgerald, who is a cardiologist and former Professor of Molecular Medicine at UCD and Chief Academic Officer of the Ireland East Hospital Group, made a passioned plea for people to take personal responsibility to try and slow down this virus and save lives.

He has mounted a campaign over social and traditional media to alert people to the severity of the COVID-19 crisis, and to reinforce the absolute necessity for immediate social distancing.

The announcement of the change in recent days in the testing criteria means there will be more testing and that will absolutely mean a lot more diagnoses that are positive the virus is far more widespread than the number of positive tests would indicate now, he explained.

We have to do anything and everything to stop this awful virus spreading. The professionals will do their part, so you must do your part, he urged.

Stop this virus spreading - stay apart. People in Limerick must stop meeting, stop this disease - party when it is over, not now.

What you do now will have an impact long into the future. We owe it to the sisters, daughters, husbands, wives, brothers and sons, mothers and fathers placing themselves in the way of this virus that is already spreading through our community.

We must take action and by remaining apart, we stand together.

Dr Fitzgerald has sought support from TDs, senior business people, media and civic leaders, to amplify his message.

These are extraordinary times. We are facing the single biggest health crisis in living memory, Dr Fitzgerald declared.

However, he said he was deeply concerned that people are not fully realising the severity of the situation and so are not changing their behaviour quickly enough.

The government and health authorities are doing everything they can and those at the front line facing COVID-19 Coronavirus are performing incredible work, he said, praising doctors and nurses.

Those that are dealing directly with this crisis dont have the luxury to self-isolate and reduce their personal contact - we owe it to those at the coalface to do everything we can to buy them enough time to deal with this crisis.

We have a small window of time right now where we can really have an influence over how bad this gets.

"We still have a chance to flatten out the curve of this deadly virus and help to interrupt its march, but we need to act now today this morning, he added.

Dr Fitzgerald said he expected that, UL, which closed its doors to tackle the spread of the virus would remain closed until at least mid-June, and after this pandemic hopefully peaks.

He suggested that people consider keeping a daily diary of their contact with other people, this is a good way to make people more conscious of their personal contact with others.

Stay active and keep going for walks and connect with people remotely via phone, or social media, he said.

I have already heard a lot of incredible stories of communities coming together through social messaging platforms to stay connected and support each other.

This is the only kind of community gathering we need right now.

Read the rest here:

UL 'likely' to play host to field hospital if hospitals become overwhelmed by Covid-19 - BreakingNews.ie

Medicine is getting to grips with individuality – The Economist

Mar 12th 2020

NEENA NIZAR is 42 years old, a professor of business studies and just 122cm tall. The ends of her bones are soft and pliable: on an x-ray they look frayed, like old paintbrushes. During her childhood and adolescence in Dubai she was operated on 30 times. The source of her problem remained a mystery. In 2010, after three decades of wondering, she finally received a diagnosis: Jansens Metaphyseal Chondrodysplasia, a condition first recognised in the 1930s. Her problems stem from a broken copy of just one of her 20,000 genes.

Dr Nizar is in some ways very unusual. Fewer than one in 200m people have the mutation to the PTH1R gene that causes Jansens disease. In other ways she is like everyone else. Although few people have a defect as debilitating, everyones health, and ill-health, is tied to the contents of their genomes. All genomes contain arrangements of genes that make psychological disorders, cancers, dementias or circulatory diseases either more of a problem or less of one. Everyone has genes that make them better or worse at metabolising drugs, more or less likely to benefit from specific forms of exercise, better able to digest some foods than others.

The same arrangement will never be seen twice. Though for identical twins the differences are the height of subtlety, each of the 7.5bn human genomes sharing the planet is unique. That irreducible diversity represents a challenge to many of the 20th centurys greatest medical advances, which were based on a one-size-fits-all approach. Personalising medicine is an enticing opportunity for improvement.

Good doctors have always treated their patients as individuals. In the 20th century blood tests, X-rays, body scans and other diagnostic tools made the specifics of each patients particular problems ever more visible. A spectacular reduction in the cost of reading, or sequencing, the DNA bases that make up human genetic information is adding a new level of individuality. It is now possible to inspect genetic differences with an ease previously unimaginable, and thus to know something about propensities to disease well before any symptoms show up.

Nobody knows exactly how many human genomes have been fully sequenced, and different sequencing procedures read the genome to different degreesthere are quick skims and painstaking philological studies. But the number is in the millions (see chart). By the 2030s genome sequencing is likely to be as routine in some places as taking a pin-prick of blood from a babys heel is todayit may even be part of the same procedure. Genome science is becoming a matter of practical medicine. New therapies that make it possible to adjust or edit this genetic inheritance are coming to market.

This flood of data is allowing medicine to become more precise and more personalin many ways, the p-words are two sides of the same coin. Previously recognised genetic diseases, such as Jansens, have been traced to specific genes and can be connected to defects in the proteins they create (almost all genes describe proteins, and proteins do almost all the bodys chemical work). Most of these diseases are rare, in that they typically affect no more than one person in 2,000 in the general population. But with over 6,000 such rare diseases now recognised, this means they are common in the aggregate. In Britain one in 17 people can expect to suffer from a rare disease at some point.

Studies of genetic diseases are not just a worthwhile end in themselves. Understanding what goes wrong when a specific protein is out of whack can reveal basic information about the bodys workings that may be helpful for treating other ailments. And the growing understanding of how large sets of genes may contribute to disease is making it possible to pick out the patients most at risk from common diseases like diabetes, heart conditions and cancer. That will help doctors personalise their interventions. In theory, the rise in access to personal genetic information allows individuals to better calculate these risks and to take pre-emptive action. In practice, so far, few people seem to do so.

Genomics is not the only source of new personal-health data. Just as all genomes are unique, so are the lives that all those genome-carriers lead. The increase in other forms of data about individuals, whether in other molecular information from medical tests, electronic health records, or digital data recorded by cheap, ubiquitous sensors, makes what goes on in those lives ever easier to capture. The rise of artificial intelligence and cloud computing is making it possible to analyse this torrent of data.

Almost 4bn people carry smartphones that can monitor physical activity. It is estimated that by 2022, 1bn people may be wearing a device such as a smart watch that can monitor their heart rate. The data-driven giants and startups of Silicon Valley are eager to help. Consumers no longer need to go to a doctor for a genome scan or to engage with a wide range of opinion about what ails them, or will ail them. The pharmaceutical companies used to dominating medicine are working hard to keep up. So are doctors, hospitals and health systems.

These possibilities are not without their risks, drawbacks and potential for disappointment. The ability to pinpoint what has gone wrong in a genome does not make it easy to fix. Moreover, as technology helps people monitor themselves in more ways, the number of the worried well will swell and unnecessary care will grow. Many could be done real harm by an algorithmic mirage.

Beyond this, the move fast and break things attitude common in tech companies sits uneasily with first, do no harm. And the untrammelled, unsupervised and unaccountable means of data accrual seen in other industries which have undergone digital transformations sits uneasily with concerns over medical privacy.

The very nature of medicine, though, means that the future will not just be a matter of business goals, research cultures, technological prowess, wise practice and well-crafted regulations. It will also be subject to the driving interests of particular individuals in ways never seen before. The development of gene-based medical research in Britain was deeply affected by the short, difficult life of Ivan Cameron, whose father, David Cameron, did much to build up genomics when he was prime minister. Many of those working in this field are impelled by personal loss.

And then there are those whose interests stem from the way in which their own genes shape their lives. People like Dr Nizar, who is now crafting a new research agenda for Jansens disease. There may only be 30 people in the world who suffer from it. But two of them are her children, and they are in ceaseless pain. Science knows why; medicine cannot yet help. We believe in miracles, she says. She is also working to make one happen.

This article appeared in the Technology Quarterly section of the print edition under the headline "Populations of one"

Continued here:

Medicine is getting to grips with individuality - The Economist

Two Canadian teams of scientists isolate coronavirus to speed research effort – The Globe and Mail

The researchers involved in isolating the virus: Dr. Rob Kozak and Dr. Samira Mubareka of the University of Toronto, and Dr. Arinjay Banerjee of McMaster University.

handout/Sunnybrook Hospital

Two teams of Canadian scientists have isolated the coronavirus that causes COVID-19 and successfully reproduced it in the laboratory.

The accomplishment means that researchers who are looking to test screening methods, therapies and vaccines now have Canadian sources that can provide access to the global pathogen without them having to undertake the complicating step of shipping live virus across international borders.

Coronavirus guide: The latest news on COVID-19 and the toll its taking around the world

Should I cancel my plans? How to get social distancing right in the coronavirus outbreak

The significance for us is that it serves as a tool," said Samira Mubareka, a microbiologist at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre in Toronto and member of one of the teams. Now that we have this virus in hand it means that we have material for a number of things."

Story continues below advertisement

Dr. Mubareka and her colleagues at McMaster University in Hamilton and the University of Toronto worked in a facility in the Toronto area with the appropriate containment level to handle the new coronavirus safely. They announced their feat on Thursday.

On Friday, Paul Hodgson, associate director of business development at the Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization-International Vaccine Centre in Saskatoon, confirmed to The Globe and Mail that the joint federal-provincial facility had quietly reached the same milestone a few weeks earlier and is now using its version of the virus for a vaccine development effort.

Samples of the Saskatoon-derived version of the coronavirus are now available for approved research groups through the National Microbiological Laboratory in Winnipeg. The Ontario group also plans to generate its version for distribution.

The spread of the novel coronavirus that causes COVID-19 continues, with more cases diagnosed in Canada. The Globe offers the dos and don'ts to help slow or stop the spread of the virus in your community.

In both cases, the virus was isolated from clinical samples obtained from patients at Sunnybrook, the first hospital in Canada to treat someone with COVID-19. However, the Toronto and Saskatoon isolates are from different patients and so may vary in ways that will be important for scientists looking to detect or target the virus.

They are also different from a version of the virus isolated by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and documented in a paper posted online last week. That version is intended to be the reference strain for scientists working in the United States.

I think having multiple virus isolates is incredibly valuable, Dr. Hodgson said. We can see whether one vaccine or therapy works across all the virus strains ... if there are known [genetic] variations.

Dr. Mubareka said that for the Ontario-based team, the process of isolating the virus began with a relatively standard procedure that did not work the first time. Hurdles along the way had to be surmounted with some additional scientific tricks. The group ultimately succeeded in getting the virus to reproduce in animal cells that were engineered to have no immune response and specially treated to enhance the likelihood of infection.

Story continues below advertisement

The first sign that the method was working surfaced when the group spotted plaques in their cell cultures patches of dead cells that were destroyed by the virus.

We did the infection from clinical specimens on a Friday, said Arinjay Banerjee, a postdoctoral researcher at McMaster Universitys Institute for Infection Disease Research. Then to go back on Monday and see all [the] cells dead that was pretty exciting. That was step one.

Dr. Mubareka said that one of the first uses for the isolate would be to act as a control to make sure that tests used by health-care workers to identify the virus are performing as expected. It could also serve as a challenge strain for antiviral drugs and vaccines currently in development.

Karen Mossman, a professor of pathology and molecular medicine at McMaster, said that researchers there would be working with the isolates to better understand details about the biology of COVID-19, including how the virus works to counteract the human immune response.

She added that there was a certain irony in trying so hard to create a virus that everyone else is trying to get rid of.

Dr. Hodgson said the virus isolated in Saskatoon has now been used to establish the virus in ferrets that can be used to test the efficacy of vaccines in living organisms before human clinical trials commence.

Story continues below advertisement

Last week, the western facility received a $1-million grant to advance its work as part of a funding competition organized by the Canadian Institutes for Health Research, which selected 47 teams working on various aspects of the COVID-19 outbreak.

The Ontario collaboration was not among the winners and, until now, a lack of funding has been the teams biggest challenge, Dr. Mubareka said.

On Friday, the federal agency said it would be able to support 49 additional projects with a portion of the $1.1-billion COVID-19 response package announced earlier in the week by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Among them is a proposal by Dr. Mossmans group at McMaster to study the biology of how the virus interacts with its hosts and to model this interaction in laboratory experiments

Our Morning Update and Evening Update newsletters are written by Globe editors, giving you a concise summary of the days most important headlines. Sign up today.

Read more:

Two Canadian teams of scientists isolate coronavirus to speed research effort - The Globe and Mail