Select Page ::

Look Ahead: Curio Aggregates News Stories Before Converting the Articles Into Audio Files – Editor And Publisher Magazine

Posted on November 13, 2019 by Danzig

News consumers have a variety of apps at their disposal to help aggregate their news and deliver it in their preferred way. But for those who prefer to listen to their news, whether its at home or on their daily commute, theres Curio.

Curio is an app that converts news articles into audio files from a range of publications, including the Washington Post, Economist, Financial Times, Guardian, Bloomberg, and more. The app is always uploading and converting new articles, while Curio curates and personalizes news to the users interests and even functions offline. The app has three different plans for users to choose from: annual premium ($59.99), monthly premium ($7.99) or free, which allows users to listen to 10 free tracks.

The app was created in 2017 by CEO Govind Balakrishnan and COO Srikant Chakravarti as a way to help (news consumers) understand the world better and feel more connected with it and with (their) peers. Earlier this year, the app became available in the U.S.

Balakrishnan explained that content is handpicked daily by the editorial team and then narrated by professionals. Curio works with more than 40 professional narrators, including the likes of Andi Arndt, a two-time Audie Award winner, and Ronnie Butler, an actor and award-winning audiobook narrator.

In the app, users will find a For You tab, which becomes a personalized newsfeed, a discover tab where they can browse by category or publisher, and a library tab where users can check out their bookmarked and downloaded articles as well as their queue.

We want to offer different perspectives and great ideas that often get buried under the daily news agenda, Balakrishnan said. Thats why curation is an essential element for us.

Its also what Balakrishnan believes sets Curio apart from other similar tools out there. We focus on timeless stories and ideas that have and will continue to have an impact in the world for the foreseeable future, he said.

Balakrishnan added that he felt the information space has become more crowded, causing news consumers to feel more overwhelmed. Curating the best content can help provide an understanding of what is happening and therefore deliver peace of mind, he explained. Curio also helps publications reach new audiences for stories they have worked hard to produce, and it can increase engagement and create a new stream of revenue for news publishers as well.

For more information, visit curio.io.

Editors Note: This article has been updated with the correct annual premium pricing.

Look Ahead: Curio Aggregates News Stories Before Converting the Articles Into Audio Files - Editor And Publisher Magazine

With a recalibrated vision WEA commits to further God’s Kingdom – Evangelical Focus

Posted on November 13, 2019 by Danzig

Every four to six years, the World Evangelical Alliance (WEA) celebrates its unity and plans its next season at a General Assembly (GA), gathering some 800 leaders from all over the globe. It takes care of administrative procedures and serves to formulate a fresh vision for the 600 million Evangelical community. The last General Assembly was to be held in 2014 in Seoul, South Korea, but was postponed until 2019.

For seven days, November 7-13, Indonesias capital Jakarta hosted the WEAs 13th General Assembly since the 1950s. A line borrowed from the Lords Prayer, Your Kingdom Come, served as main theme of the summit, uniting 92 national alliances leaders to refresh their passion and commitment to further Christs reign on the earth.

The organizers have aimed to invite three groups of people: endorsers or decision makers, who are the approving authority and direction-setters, normally composed of elder leaders; influencers or mobilizers, who have the passion, social skill and ability to mobilize people and resources; and implementers, or doers, who will get the job done, and make the plans happen at all levels, especially on the ground.

FINAL EVENING: LOVE, HUMILITY, HOPE, URGENCY

At the World Evangelical Alliance General Assembly closing evening, in a surprising visit, the conference welcomed Indonesias Minister of Internal Affairs. A moderate Muslim, he delivered an improvised talk with words about bridges between religious communities and common work towards public peace.

He had prepared a special gift: a beautiful texture map of Indonesia to WEA. In return, Secretary General of the WEA Efraim Tendero gave him a medallion of peace as a recognition for his efforts to promote security and peaceful atmosphere in Indonesia.

The final plenary session was led by George Verwer, founder of Operation Mobilization. Dressed in a long-sleeve shirt portraying a map of the world, he spoke about being thankful for what God has already given. In his typical radical voice, the 81-year-old veteran ignited the audience with a calling to serve the Lord with love, humility, hope, urgency. He accented on radical grace leading to radical discipleship. Praise the Lord! If He can use a struggling, 81-year-old man like me, He can use anyone else!, ended George Verwer under standing ovations from the assembly.

In a final prayer, two young people prayed a commissioning prayer over the WEA national alliance leaders.

WEA PLEDGE: 4 COMMITMENTS

The WEA General Assembly closed with a pledge of four commitments:

(1) Articulating Evangelical essentials in the 21st Century

Evangelical essentials are timeless, but how they are presented to others in society requires careful consideration. Sensitivity, intentionality and boldness are needed to transmit these essentials effectively.

(2) Being authentic followers of Jesus

An authentic follower of Jesus follows Him personally and in community. Every Christ-follower should be engaging with others and inviting them into a journey of Christ-likeness in every area of their lives. Authentic followers reflect the image of God in who they are and all they do, as the fruit of sanctification, for Gods glory.

(3) Intergenerational leadership

As different parts of the Body of Christ, each generation offers unique gifts to advance the disciple-making effort. Congregations (and other communities and formations of Christ-followers) that incorporate the principle of intergenerational differences and capitalize collaboratively on the wisdom of members from each generation.

(4) Global focus, national impact

Following Jesus takes place within the context of His body of believers the Church locally, nationally and globally. Unity matters to the WEA. This unity will be demonstrated in a shared focus on holistic disciple-making during the next decade. The WEA is committed to maximizing its effectiveness by establishing and building up national alliances, strengthening its commissions, task forces and initiatives, while simultaneously nurturing new and creative networks and movements to accelerate spiritual formation.

MAPPING THE GA WEEK

The conference had opened on November 7 with a spectacular ceremony and then proceeded with plenary sessions, workshops, networks and business sessions. Every day of the GA weighed upon a general theme: Kingdom, Generations, Renewal, Unity, Leadership.

Twelve main sessions captured the hearts and imagination of the attendants: Your Kingdom Come; State of the WEA; The Kingdom in 21st Century Cities; Urgency of Disciple Making; Generational Discipleship; New Breeds of Leaders; Disruptive Innovations; Concert of Prayers; Reinforcements or Replacements; Mindset Shifts; Recalibrate, Realign and Resurgence; Commissioning.

Halfway through the assembly, the participants had an opportunity to make a pause for recalibration, realignment, and renewal as they joined 6:00 AM worship services with local believers. After this early start, the day proceeded with more downtime, local excursions and regional meetings for reflection and fellowship.

WATER THAT HEALS THE LAND

The new week began with Rev. C. B. Samuel, advisor of Micah Global, returning on Ezekiel 47:1,8-12. He said that every teaching about the Holy Spirit which does not have a foundation in both the Old and the New Testament, cannot be Biblical. Rather than the transforming missional engagement of the Holy Spirit, today His presence is only sought after as entertaining and experiential. The imagery of Ezekiel is one of water flowing out from a temple. In the NT, these metaphors would refer to the Spirit and the Church.

In v.9, the water flows towards the Dead Sea, and the sea waters were healed, because wherever the river goes, everything will live. The problem with mission today is that our talking about the Holy Spirit has been confined between four walls, Samuel said. The church is church only when it is missional. In His Kingdom the lion and the lamb will be together. The Jew and the Gentile will be together. This is the character of the Kingdom.

CONCERT OF PRAYERS FOR EVERY NATION

A challenging message by Dick Eastman, International President of Every Home for Christ, engaged the audience in a message, entitled Concert of Prayers. He followed up on a song preceding his talk that said, Its Your breath in our lungs, so we pour out our praise.

He opened by quoting Dr. A.T. Pierson, Wherever the church is aroused and the worlds wickedness arrested, someone somewhere has been praying. Christians should engage effectively praying for every country round the world. To lay a foundation for prayers, Dick Eastman outlined five main areas to focus: Open hands (in Mt. 9:37-38 God gives us the Great Condition: prayer); Open doors (Col. 4:2-3); Open minds (Acts 26:17-18); Open hearts (2 Cor. 4:3-4); Open heavens (Isaiah 45:8).

With the help of maps containing the name of every country, the audience spent focused minutes in prayer. To make sure every single nation is prayed for, the map lists country names grouped within the days of a month. Every delegate at the GA interceded for the nations listed on the date of his birthday.

RICH HISTORY OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLIES

The World Evangelical Alliance is a network of Evangelical communities in 130 nations, and 100 organizations, representing some 600 million Evangelical Christians. According to its webpage, the WEA seeks to strengthen local churches through national alliances, supporting and coordinating grassroots leadership and seeking practical ways of showing the unity of the body of Christ.

The organization was founded in London back in 1846. Today, it embraces member-bodies whose identity is rooted in historic Biblical Christianity. The WEA affirms the Biblical unity of the Church celebrating diversity of practices and theological emphases consistent with its Statement of Faith, while at the same time recognizing the dynamic tension between unity and diversity.

Every four to six years, the WEA holds a summit for vision renewal, connecting networks, and financial reporting, as well as holding an election of new International Council. The event is called General Assembly, and during the past three decades was held in Manila, Philipines (June 1992), Abbotsford, Canada (May 1997), Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (May 2001), Pattaya, Thailand (October 2008). During this time it was consecutively led by Agustin Vencer (1992-2001), Gary Edmonds (2002-2004), Geoff Tunnicliffe (2005-2014), and presently by Bp. Efraim Tendero.

The mandate of Bp. Tendero was coming to an end in February 2019. However, the International Council had decided to extend his term by another year, so that there would be adequate focus on the Jakarta General Assembly. To facilitate the recruitment and on-boarding of an incoming WEA Secretary General, the council has established a human resource group tasked with setting up a Search Committee.

During the past couple of years, the organization accepted 16 new members from various places round the world. Since April 2019, whenever a new national alliance is accepted as a member of one of its eight Regional Alliances (Africa, Asia, Caribbean, Europe, Latin America, North America, Middle East & North Africa, South Pacific), it automatically also becomes a member of WEA.

BUSINESS PROCEEDINGS AND ELECTIONS

At a Monday morning business session, the General Assembly proceeded to grant mandate to its International Council. Eight of its members had already been nominated by the Regional Alliances and voted in a few days earlier. The session needed to accept the reports of the WEA IC Chairman Shana and Secretary General Tendero, to take care of electing the rest of the council, as well as to discuss some amendments in its by-laws.

The voting affirmed that the new WEA International Council would consist of fifteen members, including: 8 regional directors (Goodwill Shana, Noel Pantoja, Desmond Austin, Frank Hinkelmann, Marta Gaspari, David Guretzki, Bassem Fekry and Brian Winslade); 5 members at large (Mario Li Hing, Palmira dos Santos, Yamini Ravendran, Snehal Pinto, Kenneth Artz); one emeritus member (John Langlois) and the Secretary General Efraim Tendero. The mandate of the new council commences in November 2019, and will continue until the next WEA General Assembly. It is intended to represent the cultural mosaic that is the fabric of todays global Church.

In addition, the congregation discussed several amendments in the organizations by-laws: (a) that Regional Alliances would be formed on geographical (and not linguistic or cultural) basis; and every national alliance would only able to participate in one Regional Alliance; (b) that if a new organization from a country that already has a national alliance member of WEA applies for membership in a Regional Alliance or WEA, its application will need to be supported by the existing WEA member from that country; (c) that acceptance of a new member is based on their consent to abide by the WEA by-laws; (d) that in the case of membership termination of a national alliance, WEA would need to have the agreement of the corresponding Regional Alliance; (e) that in case of postal or electronic voting, a lack of reply on behalf of the International Committee members would be counted for abstention instead of affirmative (as it was so far).

After heated debates, the counting of ballots first showed 76% in favor for the changes suggested by the Spanish Evangelical Alliance. According to the organizations by-laws, any amendment in the document can only come in effect with a majority of 75% affirmative vote of the present voting members. Later in the evening at the plenary session, however, the International Committee chair Dr. Goodwill Shana announced that there had been a miscalculation of the ballots percentage. With a 37:13 vote (not counting abstentions), the math showed that only 69% of the delegates were in favor of the amendments. This was insufficient for a valid decision, and thus the by-laws remained unchanged.

For the first time in decades, the WEA announced a budget without financial deficit or debt. The issue had hung as a heavy burden for the past few administrations, and thus the Secretary General expressed his gratitude to the Lord for this achievement.

The WEA is a family of a number of structures and networks that work together constantly. Since 1974, it has maintained six commissions: Theological, Missional, Religious, Womens, Youth, Information Technology. At Jakarta, some of these commissions received new directors.

LAST REFLECTIONS AND PLENARIES

As a last morning reflection, Rev. C.B. Samuel spoke about what kind of leaders are able to bring hope to the world. In Ezekiel 34, God expresses His frustration with leaders who do not take care of the flock. They build empires, they are brutal, and have ruled harshly.

I am concerned with Christian leaders who come from corporate culture and bring in a type of thinking that cares about achievements, but does not care about people, Pastor Samuel admonished the audience. In that same chapter, God commits to send a shepherd to take care of his people. It is easier to develop leadership in a servant, than to develop servanthood in a leader. God needs shepherds after his own heart, concluded C.B. Samuel.

Use young leaders today; not just tomorrow, insisted Pastor Tan Seow How, of Heart of God Church, Singapore. Do not entertain youth; empower them. Youth need to be invited, involved, included before they can be influenced and impacted. Instead, we wrongly attempt impressing them.

In two consecutive plenary sessions entitled Reinforcements or Replacements, and Mind Shifts to Raise and Release the Next Generation of Leaders, pastor How inspired the conference to create space to empower youth. In traditional Protestant culture, How said, the tendency is: believe-become-behave-belong. However, the mindset of youth culture is radically different: belong-believe-become-behave. Three young people from Heart of God Church stepped on stage sharing how their life was changed as they joined the family of the youth focused ministry.

WEA ON THE WEB

In a designated app, the organizers packed information on GA program, speakers, resources, stories, partners and sponsors. It also provided translation help, a prayer wall, and options for connecting.

On its YouTube channel, the WEA has set up a video playlist, regularly uploading recordings from the GA. Synopses of stage talks can also be found on the event blog. The organizations Twitter account @WEAGA2019 kept feeding relevant information, interviews and snapshots of the event, while a hashtag #jakarta2019 was promoted to mark social media interactions and references.

A new app that had been launched only months earlier, was presented at the assembly. It is developed by Linking Global Voices, a ministry aiming to serve the global missions community by focusing on the unique role of networks. The app is called GENMobile, and is designed to be a place to discover and serve alongside with other networks, collaborating as followers of Christ. Every national alliance or network can have its own profile (for invitation, contact here), presenting its own contact info and ministries, as well as receiving an opportunity to search for and connect with Christian networks across the globe. The application was presented by Eldon Porter, Consultant for Global Engagement on behalf of Linking Global Voices. In a day and age of networking and crisscrossed peer-to-peer communications, of personal linking and flat interconnectedness, GENMobile arrives as a timely and incredibly useful gizmo. The app is intended specifically to serve as a network of Christian networks.

In a similar endeavor to meet contemporary tendencies of interpersonal communication and peer-to-peer encouragement, the Global Institute of Leadership (GIL) was founded to bring together national alliances leaders from around the world via a platform for mutual support and training. GIL is an initiative of WEA administering both online and on-site peer learning communities. The grid sign up walks the participant through a questionnaire of their strong skills and ministry needs. Based on this information, the institute later facilitates for personal connections, as well as more specialized training as needed.

PARTNER MISSION IN FOCUS

A number of networks passionate about reaching and awakening a generation partner under WEA: Converge (aimed at youth); GCF (reaching children); 1for50 (training children); Sports Movement (children & youth); 414 movement (children & youth).

The ministry and vision of several world missions was featured during the WEA GA.

The 4/14 Movement involves passionate focus to reach, rescue, root, and release this emerging generation into the dream of God for their lives. The organization is explicitly intentional about partnering with leaders of the world on various levels for the sake of acquainting children and teenagers with God. The organizers announced relaunching their 4/14 Training Academy intended to equip Christians. A 4/14 global leader summit was announced for May 2020.

Global Institute of Leadership (GIL) is a division of the WEA. Interim chairperson of GIL Dr. Brad Smith said, The GIL is set up to facilitate regional face-to-face and virtual peer learning to strengthen relationships between alliances. It is a long-term, decentralized initiative.

#Gospel is an organization created to bring the gospel to the current generation in ways that sync their culture and uniqueness. The group provides discipleship tools to engage the next generation with the gospel, utilizing social media, video content, and the book #Gospel: Life, Hope, and Truth for Generation Now. It is a book/media project that breaks down Pauls explanation of the gospel in Romans in a way that is accessible and engaging for culture today. This project is designed to use current cultural references and stories to draw us into a thoughtful conversation about what the Gospel really is, and how it radically alters our everyday lives.

Compassion International is a Christian child development organization. Founded back in 1952, it partners with more than 7500 local churches to release children from spiritual, economic, social and physical poverty in Jesus name. Currently, the organization serves over two million babies, children and young adults in 25 countries. The ministry is Christ-focused, Child-focused and Church-based.

Tearfund is a Christian charity called to follow Jesus wherever the need is greatest. To overcome the worst effects of poverty and disasters, Tearfund works alongside local churches and other locally-based organizations in over 50 countries to help people realize their plans for a better future.

World Vision is an international partnership of Christians whose mission is to follow the Lord in working with the poor and oppressed to promote human transformation, seek justice and bear witness to the good news of the Kingdom of God.

Other partners of the WEA GA were: The Global Leadership Summit Youth (leading the worship sessions); Youth Force (setting up the video and tech support); and the Sentul International Convention Center (providing premises for the conference).

CLOSING RECOGNITION OF WEA SERVICE

In a session of appreciation and gratitude, the organizers gave plaques of recognitions to previous WEA leaders like Augustin Vencer and Geoff Tunnicliffe, as well as to current figures like John Langlois and Brian Stiller.

John Langloiss plaque of recognition was handed for his fifty years of faithful and tireless service in providing leadership to WEA in many areas, including theology, religious liberty, governance and accountability. Since the previous 2008 General Assembly, Langlois has been elected emeritus member for life in the WEA International Council.

We have this incredible infrastructure; we have those beautiful ministries of WEA; we see such tremendous needs in the world! And what God has created among us is astounding!, emotionally exclaimed Brian Stiller, Global Ambassador of WEA, after he was handed plaque of recognition for his timely interventions over several decades, helping to firm up WEA sustainability. All that Hes been about in our lives together there is something going on in the Heavenlies we know nothing about. But by His Spirit we can link hands together and accomplish His will. As we go from here, I pray that we will leave in hope, and in risking faith!

With a Scriptural blessing from Joshua 1:17, the General Assembly prayed for the newly elected International Council: Just as we obeyed Moses in all things, so we will obey you; only may the Lord your God be with you as He was with Moses. Medallions of recognition were given to every member of the governing body of the WEA.

A SENSE OF NEW MOMENTUM

Thus, after an exuberant week with a beautiful texture of plenary messages; a spicy bounty of Indonesian cuisine, a plentitude of topical workshops and networks, a delightful profusion of worship experience, and deep sense of Christs inspiration and guidance, the Jakarta General Assembly 2019 officially closed.

The delegates left Indonesia with a sense of destiny and a new momentum, looking forward to a decade of the Spirits moving in unique ways, awaking and raising a new generation, and furthering Gods Kingdom on this earth.

YouTube enters the live-streaming fight (again) – The Verge

Posted on November 13, 2019 by Danzig

The first time YouTube tried live-streaming, it failed. YouTube Gaming began in 2015, after Google tried and failed to buy Twitch, and as of this May the project was shuttered because it was confusing for users. It was pretty bad. It could not have been worse, to be completely honest, says the e-sports consultant and broadcaster Rod Breslau, when I reach him by phone. The failure knocked YouTube out of the race it had been in with Twitch to win the hearts and minds of the streaming class, and it kept the company from really developing a robust live-streaming community. Its death, however, was not the end.

In recent months, YouTube has been positioning itself for another run at the crown. Juiced by the impending arrival of Google Stadia, the companys first foray into cloud gaming, YouTubes been on a hunt for talent it can use to draw new viewers to its platform. Its especially wild when you consider that YouTube the most popular video platform on the planet already has stars with millions of followers. That, combined with the fact that the platform also has the most effective video distribution network on the internet, means that YouTube could reshape live-streaming in its image. That is, if it learned its lessons from the last go-round.

The bigger question, though, remains: will YouTube be able to capitalize on the opportunity?

In the last month, YouTube cut deals with Jack CouRage Dunlop and Lachlan Power, who between them commanded about 3 million followers on Twitch. While Im sure they were paid handsomely, Dunlop and Power will also benefit from plugging themselves into YouTubes scale. According to Breslau, during Fortnites black hole event, there were about three times as many people watching the hole on YouTube as there were on Twitch. According to YouTube, Powers stream alone maxed out at 198,976 live concurrents, which is a truly staggering number. To put that in perspective: Tim Timthetatman Betar, one of the most followed creators on Twitch, drew in 100,000.

More recently, the League of Legends World Championship semi-final happened last weekend, drawing in a peak of just about 4 million concurrent viewers a number that, according to Breslau, made the event the most watched e-sports event of all time in the west (excluding China). And there were more people watching it on YouTube than on Twitch.

The difference in viewership can be explained by the difference in audience. Twitch, as a platform, has a community built specifically around live streams; YouTubes community is centered around events and prerecorded videos. There isnt really a culture around streaming on the site, or at least not much of one outside of political events and lo-fi chill anime beats streams. But paradoxically, its also generally better for YouTubers to stream on YouTube because thats where their audiences are.

YouTube wants viewers to get more used to seeing live streams on the site. In an email, Ryan Wyatt, head of gaming at YouTube, wrote that part of the reason that YouTube folded gaming back into its main site was to make sure live-streaming was introduced to the entire YouTube audience.

Some YouTubers do go over to Twitch to live stream, but their viewership is nowhere near what they can pull in on YouTube; it can be orders of magnitude different. YouTube, Breslau says, is the only platform with an endemic fan base with millions of subscribers for millions of creators already. And you already have a platform with all of the subscribers on your platform. Translation: its much easier to stream to the audience you already have than it is to find a new one, because its easier to convert fans into concurrent viewers than it is to convert internet strangers into fans.

Here, Felix PewDiePie Kjellberg is probably the best example. Earlier this year he announced hed signed an exclusive streaming deal with DLive, a blockchain-fueled live-streaming platform that doesnt have a huge viewership. He has just over 640,000 followers on DLive an impressive number, but nothing compared to his YouTube audience. On YouTube, he is the most followed creator on the platform, with an utterly bonkers 102 million people. If Kjellberg ever streams on YouTube, where his videos regularly pull in millions of views, it will proverbially break the internet. Many of those 102 million people would get a notification alerting them to a stream at the same time; if even 1 percent of Kjellbergs total audience shows up, thats one million concurrent viewers.

Either way, the platform itself doesnt seem to mind: Wyatt wrote that the site planned to always invest in YouTube creators, even if part of their business is on another platform. In his message to me, he also alluded to the fact that YouTube is actually winning the streaming wars. Regardless of where Creators are streaming, they are all uploading on YouTube, he wrote, and we will be sure to continue to support them since every Gaming creator is a YouTube creator.

The point of all this is vertical integration. YouTube paying creators millions to stream exclusively on the site is just Google buying viewers for Stadia, which neatly integrates with YouTube in ways that encourage streamers to use it. While Twitch is trying to own the future of live television, Microsoft and Google are going head to head in the console wars. As Breslau says, Microsoft bought Michael shroud Grzesiek and Tyler Ninja Blevins to make Project Scarlett, its upcoming console, a success. Obviously they want to make YouTube and Mixer big platforms, but the larger tech portion of it these consoles that are coming out in the next year or two are a significant reason why this is happening.

Its also why were absolutely going to see more big names change platforms in the near future. All of this is good for streamers, of course: they get a hefty payday, sometimes in the seven-figure range, just for changing where they create their content. Its nothing to the platforms, either to them, its like paying a toll with change you found in your couch. And for viewers, its simple: if you like a streamer, youll follow them wherever they decide to go.

See the original post here:

YouTube enters the live-streaming fight (again) - The Verge

How to crop your photos for Facebook – The Android Soul

Posted on November 13, 2019 by Danzig

Having the right orientation and aspect ratio for your images is so much important. Especially if you are particular about how your uploaded images unfold when uploaded on Facebook.This factor is vitally important for web publishers, who receive major traffic from social media campaigns, especially through Facebook. Using engaging images skillfully can definitely increase your conversion or even double it.

Irrespective of which group you belong to, the elements like Image file type, aspect ratio and resolution matter so much to your digital presence.

Keeping these factors in mind, we present you with the image guidelines by Facebook and the list of tools that can help you comply with them effortlessly.

To simply things for individual users and brand owners, Facebook has provided the profile and cover photo guidelines for pages. Although, these guidelines hold relevance for profile and cover photos of your personal profile.

The aspect ratio for the Facebook profile picture is 1:1 and is displayed at a resolution of 170 x 170 pixels on computer devices that will alter to 128128 pixels on smartphones and 3636 pixels for the category of devices below it.

On the other hand, the cover photo is displayed at a resolution of 820 pixels wide and 312 pixels tall on computer screens that is followed by 640 pixels wide and 360 pixels tall on smartphones.

For other posts, Facebook recommends the users to upload the highest resolution quality they have for their image that should have an aspect ratio of 9:16 to 16:9. However, for images with link, the desired aspect ratio is 1.91:1 or 1:1 with 1080x1080px being the minimum resolution required.

The minimum aspect ratio for Desktop news feed is 400500 pixels that change to 476 pixels wide and 249 pixels tall for images with a link. The same minimum aspect ratio is desirable for single images on mobile devices. However, in the case of an image with a link, the minimum acceptable width is 320 pixels.

Here are the best apps that allow you to crop photos for Facebook effortlessly.

The Photo and Picture resizer is the app that allows fast picture resizing for your facebook profile picture and posts. Here is how you can do it:

Step 1: Download and install the Photo & Picture Resizer app from the Play Store.

Step 2: Launch the app and tap allow option to grant necessary permissions to the app.

Step 3: Tap on select photos option to choose an image from the Gallery app.

Step 4: After selecting the image, tap on crop icon to crop your image for uploading.

Step 5: Tap on the resolution option to set the desired resolution for your image as shown below.

Step 6: Tap on the aspect ration option to choose the desired aspect ratio for your image to upload on Facebook.

Step 7: Crop your image and tap on crop option at the bottom right corner of the screen when done.

Photo Resizer is an image resizing tool that helps you to crop and resize your images to come up with the desired pixels and aspect ratio to upload on any social media platform including Facebook. Here is how you can use this app:

Step 1: Download and install the Photo Resizer appfrom the Play Store.

Step 2: Tap Ok to grant app permission to access phone storage.

Step 3: Tap on the Gallery option to choose an image for resizing.

Step 4: Tap on the Settings icon at the top right corner to choose the image format.

Note: Facebook accepts both PNG and JPG format.

Step 5: Tap on Crop option on the image as shown below.

Step 6: Tap on Aspect resize option from the newly appeared list.

Step 7: Choose your desired aspect ratio option.

Step 8: Crop the image in your desired aspect ratio and tap on () icon to save the image.

Another option you have is the Square InPic Photo Editor & Collage Maker. This app is ideal to come up with square photos for Facebook without cropping the image.

Step 1: Download and install the Square InPic app from the Play Store.

Step 2: Launch the app from your home screen or app drawer.

Step 3: Tap on the Gallery option to choose an image for editing.

Step 4: Choose a background for your image or simply tap on the blur option to have the blurred version of the same image in the background.

Step 5: Tap on save option to save your final Squared image for Facebook Profile picture.

Thats all!

See original here:

How to crop your photos for Facebook - The Android Soul

Bloomington Vet Joins Study For Stem Cell Therapy To Treat Dogs With Arthritis – WGLT News

Posted on November 13, 2019 by Danzig

The Eastland Companion Animal Hospital in Bloomington is asking dog owners if they want to participate in research on using stem cells to treat dogs with arthritis.

Local dogs wouldjoin a double-blind, placebo-controlled studyto show the effectiveness of stem cells in treating large dogs(70 pounds or more) with arthritis in up to two joints of the knee, hip, elbow, or shoulder. The veterinary clinic has partnered with Animal Cell Therapies, who it's worked with before, to bring this study to Bloomington.

Dr. Kathy Petrucci, founder and CEO of Animal Cell Therapies, explained how dogs will receive the treatment.

The dogs that will receive the stem cells will be sedated, Petrucci said. Depending on what joints are affected, they will receive up to two injections in the joint and they will also receive an IV dose of stem cells.

The FDA oversees the cells that are received from donors for the study. Mothers donating these cells are screened for diseases, and cells are tested for any infections to ensure safety.

Stem cell therapy has been controversial, especially related to humans.

I think a lot of the controversy comes from the misunderstanding of the cell types, Petrucci said. The research in stem cells first started centered around embryonic or fetal tissue use. Its controversial to use embryos and fetal tissues for treatment for anything. The fact that we are using a disposable tissue as our cell sources makes it not controversial at all.

Why Umbilical-Derived Cells

Petrucci explained why umbilical-derived cells are more effective in treating arthritis versus other sources.

We looked at fat, bone marrow, embryonic cells, Petrucci said. The embryonic cells are a lot more unpredictable, and the bone marrow cells are more difficult to work with and less predictable. We didnt think the fat cells are as potent as umbilical-derived cells. Umbilical-derived cells are a lot younger and theyre a little bit more predictable. They are more easy to collect. We obtain cells from donors when the tissue would be normally thrown away. Theres no surgery required, no extra biopsies to obtain fat, no bone marrow from research animals. Its a good, ethical source of stem cells.

Umbilical-derived stem cells have proven successful in past studies on treatment for arthritis, according to Petrucci.

We did a study at the University of Florida on elbows only and we had success with that study, Petrucci said. We had good success with dogs under 70 pounds and (less) success with dogs over 70 pounds, so we changed our dose, which is why were testing dogs 70 pounds and over in this study.

Criteria for eligibility includes dogs weighing 70 pounds or more, being one year of age or older, in general good health, no neurologic issues, arthritis in up to two joints of the knee, hip, elbow, or shoulder, and have all four functioning limbs.

Owners must bring their dogs back to the clinic after 30 days to check for progress and complete a questionnaire. About 50 to 100 dogs are expected to participate in the study.

People like you value experienced, knowledgeable and award-winning journalism that covers meaningful stories in Bloomington-Normal. To support more stories and interviews like this one,please consider making a contribution.

Stem Cell Treatment - Excerpt

Stem Cell Research - Full Story

Read this article:

Bloomington Vet Joins Study For Stem Cell Therapy To Treat Dogs With Arthritis - WGLT News

Allogene allies with Notch to make CAR-T production more scalable – BioPharma-Reporter.com

Posted on November 13, 2019 by Danzig

Last year, Arie Belldegrun and David Chang, fresh from selling chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T pioneer Kite Pharma to Gilead Sciences, launched Allogene with $300m (271m) and a deal with Pfizer to access off-the-shelf cell therapies. The focus then, as now, was on taking CAR-T therapies mainstream by eliminating factors that could restrict them to niche status, such as the complex, costly production process.

Allogenes founding allogeneic technology moves it some way toward that goal, by enabling therapies to be made from donor cells rather than having to engineer cells taken from the patient themselves.

However, even if the allogeneic approach works as Allogene hopes, it will still require a steady supply of donor cells. When Allogene launched, it set its sights on making up to 100 doses from one donor sample.

The finite nature of donated T cells has spurred interest in induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC), which could serve as a renewable source of materials for off-the-shelf CAR-T therapies. Notchs work to realize that potential caught the attention of Allogenes CEO, David Chang.

Chang said, We believe [it] to be a scalable and potentially more [good manufacturing practice] amenable manufacturing process. It might be amenable for large-scale manufacturing.

The early stage nature of the iPSC technology Notch is yet to enter the clinic means it is unclear whether the approach can live up to those expectations. An inability to show CAR-T doses are free from undifferentiated iPSCs and failure to generate functioning T cells from iPSCs are two potential stumbling blocks.

Allogene has seen enough potential to bet on Notch, though. The deal will see Allogene pay Notch $10m upfront, take a 25% stake in its new partner and commit to a package of milestones.

Notch will take iPSC AlloCAR T cells through preclinical development before Allogene steps in to test them in humans. Allogene will have global rights to any products resulting from the collaboration.

Other companies are also working to develop oncology cell therapies based on iPSCs. Fate Therapeutics is trialling an engineered natural killer cell therapy created from a clonal master iPSC line, while Bayer-backed startup Century Therapeutics recently raised $250m to take iPSC-derived treatments for blood cancers and solid tumors into the clinic. Takeda is also active in the space.

Allogene allies with Notch to make CAR-T production more scalable - BioPharma-Reporter.com

Global cell therapy market is expected to grow with a healthy CAGR over the forecast period from 2019-2025 – P&T Community

Posted on November 13, 2019 by Danzig

The report on the global cell therapy market provides qualitative and quantitative analysis for the period from 2017 to 2025.

Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p05796546/?utm_source=PRN

NEW YORK, Nov. 12, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The report predicts the global cell therapy market to grow with a healthy CAGR over the forecast period from 2019-2025. The study on cell therapy market covers the analysis of the leading geographies such as North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and RoW for the period of 2017 to 2025.

The report on cell therapy market is a comprehensive study and presentation of drivers, restraints, opportunities, demand factors, market size, forecasts, and trends in the global cell therapy market over the period of 2017 to 2025. Moreover, the report is a collective presentation of primary and secondary research findings.

Porter's five forces model in the report provides insights into the competitive rivalry, supplier and buyer positions in the market and opportunities for the new entrants in the global cell therapy market over the period of 2017 to 2025. Further, IGR- Growth Matrix gave in the report brings an insight into the investment areas that existing or new market players can consider.

Report Findings1) Drivers Increasing incidences of cancer across the globe Growing aging patient population Rise in cell therapy transplantations2) Restraints The high cost of transplantation treatment Stringent regulatory policies3) Opportunities Automation in cell therapy

Research Methodology

A) Primary ResearchOur primary research involves extensive interviews and analysis of the opinions provided by the primary respondents. The primary research starts with identifying and approaching the primary respondents, the primary respondents are approached include1. Key Opinion Leaders associated with Infinium Global Research2. Internal and External subject matter experts3. Professionals and participants from the industry

Our primary research respondents typically include1. Executives working with leading companies in the market under review2. Product/brand/marketing managers3. CXO level executives4. Regional/zonal/ country managers5. Vice President level executives.

B) Secondary ResearchSecondary research involves extensive exploring through the secondary sources of information available in both the public domain and paid sources. At Infinium Global Research, each research study is based on over 500 hours of secondary research accompanied by primary research. The information obtained through the secondary sources is validated through the crosscheck on various data sources.

The secondary sources of the data typically include1. Company reports and publications2. Government/institutional publications3. Trade and associations journals4. Databases such as WTO, OECD, World Bank, and among others.5. Websites and publications by research agencies

Segment CoveredThe global cell therapy market is segmented on the basis of cell type, therapy type, application, and end-users.

The Global Cell Therapy Market by Cell Type Stem Cell Differentiated Cell

The Global Cell Therapy Market by Therapy Type Allogenic Therapies Autologous Therapies

The Global Cell Therapy Market by Application Autoimmune Diseases Oncology Dermatology Muscoskeletal Therapies Other Applications

The Global Cell Therapy Market by End-Users Hospitals and Clinics Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Companies Research Institutes

Company Profiles NuVasive, Inc Kolon TissueGene, Inc. JCR Pharmaceuticals Co., Ltd. Osiris Therapeutics, Inc. Stemedica Cell Technologies, Inc. MEDIPOST Celgene Corporation ANTEROGEN.CO., LTD Vericel Corporation

What does this report deliver?1. Comprehensive analysis of the global as well as regional markets of the cell therapy market.2. Complete coverage of all the segments in the cell therapy market to analyze the trends, developments in the global market and forecast of market size up to 2025.3. Comprehensive analysis of the companies operating in the global cell therapy market. The company profile includes analysis of product portfolio, revenue, SWOT analysis and latest developments of the company.4. IGR- Growth Matrix presents an analysis of the product segments and geographies that market players should focus to invest, consolidate, expand and/or diversify.

Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p05796546/?utm_source=PRN

About Reportlinker ReportLinker is an award-winning market research solution. Reportlinker finds and organizes the latest industry data so you get all the market research you need - instantly, in one place.

__________________________ Contact Clare: clare@reportlinker.com US: (339)-368-6001 Intl: +1 339-368-6001

View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/global-cell-therapy-market-is-expected-to-grow-with-a-healthy-cagr-over-the-forecast-period-from-2019-2025-300956708.html

SOURCE Reportlinker

Read this article:

Global cell therapy market is expected to grow with a healthy CAGR over the forecast period from 2019-2025 - P&T Community

Promethera Biosciences Presents Updated Clinical Results at AASLD 2019 for World’s First Stem Cell Therapy Trial using HepaStem in Acute-on-Chronic…

Posted on November 13, 2019 by Danzig

MONT-SAINT-GUIBERT, Belgium--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Promethera Biosciences SA, a global innovator in cell-based medicines and liver diseases, published updated clinical data from the ongoing phase 2a study (HEP101) of its lead product candidate HepaStem in patients with Acute-on-Chronic Liver Failure (ACLF) or acute decompensation (AD) at high risk of developing ACLF. The data were presented in an oral presentation at the Annual Meeting of the American Association for Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD) on November 10, 2019, in Boston, by Prometheras principal investigator Prof. F. Nevens, KULeuven, Belgium. The data set confirmed earlier findings presented at The International Liver Congress - ILC 2019 in April.

Currently, liver transplant is the only rescue treatment for patients suffering from ACLF and to a lesser degree for patients with acute decompensation of the liver (AD). There are no other existing therapies that can rescue the end-stage-liver failure. Promethera is developing HepaStem as an alternative to transplant; it consists of liver derived stem cells that are obtained from ethically donated healthy human organs and expanded in GMP culture conditions. These liver derived signaling stem cells migrate through the blood stream to reach the liver, where they support the tissue regeneration via their potent secretome.

In the trial HEP101, HepaStem has been intravenously infused in single or repeated injections in multiple ascending doses in patients to assess the tolerability and the safety profile of the treatment. The trial which recruited a total of 24 patients, including 16 patients with ACLF and 8 patients with AD has met its primary endpoint.

With one or two repeated doses up to 1.2 million cells per kilogram of body weight, no adverse events related to HepaStem occurred and no clinically significant changes were shown in platelet count, fibrinogen levels, and coagulation factors following HepaStem infusion. The demonstrated safety of two infusions of 1.2 million cells per kilogram of body weight provide solid guidance for conducting the subsequent trials. In addition to the positive safety profile, the study has shown trends in efficacy with improvement in three indicators of liver disease severity; Model for End Stage Liver Disease score (MELD), Child-Pugh score and bilirubin levels, 28 days and three months after treatment initiation. Promethera plans to demonstrate the efficacy of HepaStem at 1.0 million cells per kilogram of body weight in ACLF with a large multicentric double blind placebo-controlled trial (HEP102). The study HEP102 is expected to start end 2019.

We continue to pioneer the use of liver stem cells for the treatment of severe liver diseases and the updated status from the worlds first clinical trial evaluating a cell-based therapy in ACLF gives us confidence about the safety aspects and the broad therapeutic potential of our therapy, said Etienne Sokal, M.D., Ph.D., Prometheras Group Chief Medical Officer. As a potential first tangible alternative to organ transplantation for an ever-growing patient population, HepaStem will advance into a larger efficacy trial in ACLF focusing on a reduced need for transplantation and a decreased mortality.

Prof. Nevens added, With the data set having evolved since we last presented results at this years ILC Congress, the Phase 2a trial provides a strong rationale for further clinical evaluation of the therapeutic concept and has provided a safe dosing regimen which will guide future studies.

About Promethera Biosciences

Promethera Biosciences is a global innovator in liver therapeutics whose mission is to bring life-saving treatments to reduce the need for liver transplantation. Our lead clinical program, derived from our patented cell technology platform HepaStem, is designed to benefit from its immune-modulatory and anti-fibrotic properties. In addition to our cell-based pipeline we develop antibody technologies, such as the antiTNF-R1 antibody Atrosimab, to complement and diversify our therapeutic options. We are a team of international experts operating out of facilities in Mont-Saint-Guibert, Belgium, Durham, NC, USA, Tokyo, Japan and Basel, Switzerland.

Promethera, HepaStem, H2stem, are all registered trademarks of the PROMETHERA group.

Read the original here:

Promethera Biosciences Presents Updated Clinical Results at AASLD 2019 for World's First Stem Cell Therapy Trial using HepaStem in Acute-on-Chronic...

Magenta Therapeutics Reports Third Quarter 2019 Financial Results and Recent Business Highlights – Business Wire

Posted on November 13, 2019 by Danzig

CAMBRIDGE, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Magenta Therapeutics (NASDAQ: MGTA), a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing novel medicines to bring the curative power of stem cell transplant to more patients, today reported financial results for the third quarter ended September 30, 2019 and recent business highlights.

Magenta has a big vision: to bring the curative power of immune reset through stem cell transplant to patients with autoimmune diseases, genetic diseases and blood cancers. At ASH next month, we are looking forward to sharing important new data from across our portfolio. These will include clinical data from our MGTA-145 program, which we are developing as a new first-line standard of care for stem cell mobilization. We will also present the first gene therapy data on our CD117-ADC, which we are developing as a non-genotoxic preparation regimen for gene therapy and transplant, said Jason Gardner, D.Phil., Chief Executive Officer and President, Magenta Therapeutics. In addition, earlier this week we presented our first data in autoimmune disease, showing that a single dose of our CD45-ADC led to successful immune reset in disease models of multiple sclerosis, systemic sclerosis and inflammatory arthritis. Immune reset through stem cell transplant has previously demonstrated durable remissions in thousands of patients with autoimmune diseases such as multiple sclerosis and systemic sclerosis, and it is recommended in multiple guidelines in US and Europe.

Recent Business Highlights:

First clinical data for MGTA-145 stem cell mobilization program and groundbreaking CD117-ADC gene therapy data to be presented at the American Society of Hematology (ASH) annual meeting: On November 6th, 2019, Magenta announced that the Company will share results from six abstracts at ASH in December 2019, covering Magentas patient preparation, mobilization and cell therapy programs. The Company will present clinical data for the MGTA-145 stem cell mobilization program, building on the positive early data in the ASH abstract. Magenta is developing MGTA-145 to be the new standard of care for first-line stem cell mobilization, with mobilization and collection taking place in a single day without the use of G-CSF, the current standard of care. The Company will also highlight important proof-of-concept data from the CD117-ADC patient preparation program. In a rhesus model of gene therapy, a single dose of CD117-ADC enabled engraftment of stem cells modified with the -globin gene, the gene that causes sickle cell disease and -thalassemia when mutated. These results showed for the first time that a single dose of CD117-ADC can enable successful gene therapy transplant in non-human primates without the need for chemotherapy or radiation.

First Magenta preclinical immune reset data presented at the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) annual meeting: On November 10th, 2019, Magenta presented the first data on the use of targeted antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) to reset the immune system and halt progression of autoimmune disease. Results showed that a single dose of C45-ADC removed disease-causing cells, enabled successful reset and rebuild of the immune system and was well tolerated in models of multiple sclerosis, systemic sclerosis and inflammatory arthritis. Further, a single dose of CD45-ADC significantly delayed disease onset in a model of multiple sclerosis that has successfully provided preclinical proof of concept for many clinically validated standard of care therapies.

Exercised option with Heidelberg Pharma for ADCs using an amanitin payload and targeting CD45: On November 11th, 2019, Magenta announced that it had exercised its option with Heidelberg Pharma for exclusive worldwide development and marketing rights for ADCs using an amanitin payload and targeting CD45.

Received Regenerative Medicine Advanced Therapies (RMAT) Designation for MGTA-456 in inherited metabolic disorders: In September 2019, Magenta announced that the FDA granted RMAT designation for MGTA-456, a one-time cell therapy for the treatment of multiple inherited metabolic disorders, based on encouraging clinical data generated to date in the Companys ongoing Phase II trial. RMAT designation is a dedicated program designed to expedite the development and approval processes for promising pipeline products, including cell therapies. Potential advantages of the RMAT designation include all of the benefits of the fast track and breakthrough therapy designation programs, including early interactions with the FDA that may be used to discuss potential surrogate or intermediate endpoints to support accelerated approval.

Appointed Senior Vice President, Head of Translational Sciences; Chief Scientific Officer to transition out of Company: In October 2019, Magenta announced that it had hired Jan Pinkas, Ph.D., as Senior Vice President, Head of Translational Sciences. Dr. Pinkas is a seasoned scientist with deep expertise in leading drug development programs, including ADCs. Prior to joining Magenta, he was Head of Translational Research & Development at ImmunoGen, Inc., where he led nonclinical and translational research and development-related activities for all programs in discovery through late-stage clinical development. The Company also announced that Mike Cooke, Ph.D., Chief Scientific Officer, will leave Magenta to pursue other opportunities.

Financial Results:

Cash Position: Cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities as of September 30, 2019, were $160.6 million compared to $142.6 million on December 31, 2018. Magenta anticipates that its cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities will be sufficient to fund operations and capital expenditures into the second half of 2021.

Research and Development Expenses: Research and development expenses were $16.5 million in the third quarter of 2019, compared to $11.4 million in the third quarter of 2018. The increase was driven primarily by investments in clinical activities for MGTA-145, as well as manufacturing related to our patient preparation programs.

General and Administrative Expenses: General and administrative expenses were $6.1 million for the third quarter of 2019, compared to $5.3 million for the third quarter of 2018. The increase was primarily due to an increase in professional fees and facility costs associated with the growth of the Company.

Net Loss: Net loss was $ 21.0 million for the third quarter of 2019, compared to net loss of $16.0 million for the third quarter of 2018.

About Magenta TherapeuticsHeadquartered in Cambridge, Mass., Magenta Therapeutics is a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing novel medicines for patients with autoimmune diseases, blood cancers and genetic diseases. By creating a platform focused on critical areas of unmet need, Magenta Therapeutics is pioneering an integrated approach to allow more patients to receive one-time, curative therapies by making the process more effective, safer and easier.

Forward-Looking StatementThis press release may contain forward-looking statements, including express or implied statements regarding Magentas future expectations, plans and prospects, including, without limitation, statements regarding expectations and plans for presenting pre-clinical and clinical data, projections regarding future revenues and financing performance, our long-term growth, cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities, the anticipated timing of our clinical trials and regulatory filings, the development of our product candidates and advancement of our preclinical programs, as well as other statements containing the words anticipate, believe, continue, could, estimate, expect, intend, may, might, plan, potential, project, should, target, will or would and similar expressions that constitute forward-looking statements under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The express or implied forward-looking statements included in this press release are only predictions and are subject to a number of risks, uncertainties and assumptions, including, without limitation: uncertainties inherent in clinical studies and in the availability and timing of data from ongoing clinical studies; whether interim results from a clinical trial will be predictive of the final results of the trial; whether results from preclinical studies or earlier clinical studies will be predictive of the results of future trials; the expected timing of submissions for regulatory approval or review by governmental authorities, including review under accelerated approval processes; orphan drug designation eligibility; regulatory approvals to conduct trials or to market products; whether Magenta's cash resources will be sufficient to fund Magenta's foreseeable and unforeseeable operating expenses and capital expenditure requirements; and other risks concerning Magenta's programs and operations are described in additional detail in its registration statement on Form S-1, its Annual Report on Form 10-K filed on March 19, 2019, its Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and its other filings made with the Securities and Exchange Commission from time to time. Although Magenta's forward-looking statements reflect the good faith judgment of its management, these statements are based only on facts and factors currently known by Magenta. As a result, you are cautioned not to rely on these forward-looking statements. Any forward-looking statement made in this press release speaks only as of the date on which it is made. Magenta undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise.

2019

2018

2019

2018

16,524

11,418

40,494

28,950

6,120

5,284

17,838

13,083

22,644

16,702

58,332

42,033

(22,644)

(16,702)

(58,332)

(42,033)

1,654

687

4,800

1,197

(20,990)

(16,015)

(53,532)

(40,836)

(88)

(20,990)

(16,015)

(53,532)

(40,924)

(0.54)

(0.49)

(1.47)

(3.05)

38,824,209

32,997,346

36,322,804

13,396,856

160,570

142,570

155,601

See the original post:

Magenta Therapeutics Reports Third Quarter 2019 Financial Results and Recent Business Highlights - Business Wire

ISSCA Faculty Honored with Health Sciences Awards at Conference Held at the University of Miami – PRUnderground

Posted on November 13, 2019 by Danzig

Three faculty members with the International Society for Stem Cell Application (ISSCA) were honored with awards at the organizations recent regenerative medicine conference held at the University of Miami on October 24-27. The awards were sponsored by the Sociedad Internacional en Investigacin, Salud, Desarrollo Empresarial y Tecnologas (SISSDET) and lauded the honorees for their commitment to leadership and education in the field of regenerative medicine.

The three recipients of the awards are Dr. Damian Ariel Siano, Dra. Maritza Novas, and Dra. Silvina Pastrana. All three have continued to partner with the ISSCA and have notable contributions to the field by offering courses in regenerative medicine, helping thousands of doctors around the world add stem cells therapies to their medical practices.

Dr. Damian Ariel Siano is an orthopedic physician from Argentina who has dedicated his professional life to treat sports injuries. He is one of the most renowned sports medicine specialists in South America. Dr. Siano currently works with one of the most famous soccer teams in Argentina, using cell therapies to help professional athletes avoid unnecessary surgery and recuperate quicker from injuries.

Dra. Maritza Novas currently serves as the Director of Research and Development for the Global Stem Cells Group. For the past 10 years, she has dedicated herself to educating doctors in the latest stem cells advancements and conducting stem cell research. Dra. Novas has visited all continents, sharing her knowledge as a stem cells practitioner and researcher.

Dra. Silvina Pastrana is one of the first doctors that helped form the ISSCA. She has become a visionary in the field and is noted for creating her own stem cells protocols and using complementary therapies to get better results in patient who utilize cell therapies. Dra. Pastrana combines both ozone and vitamin C therapies before employing stem cell protocols, obtaining excellent results in treating patients with arthritis.

The ISSCA is committed to helping physicians who want to add regenerative medicine to their practices gain the education and tools to do that, said Benito Novas, Vice President of Public Relations for ISSCA. The three doctors recognized at our recent event at the University of Miami are prime examples of the high-quality instructors that physicians can anticipate working with when then attend one of our conferences. Congratulations to our faculty on receiving this prestigious award, and thank you to SISSDET for recognizing their accomplishments.

ISSCA is a global leader in stem cells research, applications, and education, partnering with major global institutions and locations worldwide to host its independent medical congresses. To learn more about the ISSCA and its all of its past and upcoming events, visit http://www.issca.us

About International Society for Stem Cells Applications

The International Society for Stem Cells Applications (ISSCA) is a multidisciplinary community of scientists and physicians, all of whom aspire to treat diseases and lessen human suffering through advances in science, technology, and the practice of regenerative medicine. Incorporated under the Republic of Korea as a non-profit entity, the ISSCA is focused on promoting excellence and standards in the field of regenerative medicine.

ISSCA bridges the gaps between scientists and practitioners in Regenerative Medicine. Their code of ethics emphasizes principles of morals and ethical conducts.

At ISSCA, their vision is to take a leadership position in promoting excellence and setting standards in the regenerative medicine fields of publication, research, education, training, and certification. ISSCA serves its members through advancements made to the specialty of regenerative medicine. They aim to encourage more physicians to practice regenerativemedicine and make it available to benefit patients both nationally and globally.

For more information, please visit https://www.issca.us/ or send an email to info@stemcellsgroup.com

Read this article:

ISSCA Faculty Honored with Health Sciences Awards at Conference Held at the University of Miami - PRUnderground

BrainStorm Cell Therapeutics Announces Ralph Kern MD MHSc to Present at the 7th International Stem Cell Meeting – GlobeNewswire

Posted on November 13, 2019 by Danzig

NEW YORK, Nov. 12, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- BrainStorm Cell Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:BCLI), a leading developer of adult stem cell therapies for neurodegenerative diseases, today announced that the Companys Chief Operating and Chief Medical Officer Ralph Kern MD MHSc will present at the 7th International Stem Cell Meeting, which is hosted by the Israel Stem Cell Society. The Conference will be held November 12-13, in Tel Aviv, Israel.

Ralph Kern, MD, MHSc, said: I welcome the opportunity to participate in the 7th International Stem Cell Meeting where I will share the advances BrainStorm has made with NurOwn. It is a privilege to participate and to exchange ideas with many of the international scientific leaders in stem cell research.

About NurOwn

NurOwn (autologous MSC-NTF) cells represent a promising investigational therapeutic approach to targeting disease pathways important in neurodegenerative disorders. MSC-NTF cells are produced from autologous, bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) that have been expanded and differentiated ex vivo. MSCs are converted into MSC-NTF cells by growing them under patented conditions that induce the cells to secrete high levels of neurotrophic factors. Autologous MSC-NTF cells can effectively deliver multiple NTFs and immunomodulatory cytokines directly to the site of damage to elicit a desired biological effect and ultimately slow or stabilize disease progression. BrainStorm has fully enrolled a Phase 3 pivotal trial of autologous MSC-NTF cells for the treatment of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). BrainStorm also recently received U.S. FDA acceptance to initiate a Phase 2 open-label multicenter trial in progressive MS and enrollment began in March 2019.

About BrainStorm Cell Therapeutics Inc.

BrainStorm Cell Therapeutics Inc. is a leading developer of innovative autologous adult stem cell therapeutics for debilitating neurodegenerative diseases. The Company holds the rights to clinical development and commercialization of the NurOwn technology platform used to produce autologous MSC-NTF cells through an exclusive, worldwide licensing agreement. Autologous MSC-NTF cells have received Orphan Drug status designation from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (U.S. FDA) and the European Medicines Agency (EMA) in ALS. BrainStorm has fully enrolled a Phase 3 pivotal trial in ALS (NCT03280056), investigating repeat-administration of autologous MSC-NTF cells at six U.S. sites supported by a grant from the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM CLIN2-0989). The pivotal study is intended to support a filing for U.S. FDA approval of autologous MSC-NTF cells in ALS. BrainStorm also recently received U.S. FDA clearance to initiate a Phase 2 open-label multicenter trial in progressive Multiple Sclerosis. The Phase 2 study of autologous MSC-NTF cells in patients with progressive MS (NCT03799718) started enrollment in March 2019. For more information, visit the company's website at http://www.brainstorm-cell.com

Safe-Harbor Statement

Statements in this announcement other than historical data and information, including statements regarding future clinical trial enrollment and data, constitute "forward-looking statements" and involve risks and uncertainties that could causeBrainStorm Cell Therapeutics Inc.'sactual results to differ materially from those stated or implied by such forward-looking statements. Terms and phrases such as "may", "should", "would", "could", "will", "expect", "likely", "believe", "plan", "estimate", "predict", "potential", and similar terms and phrases are intended to identify these forward-looking statements. The potential risks and uncertainties include, without limitation, BrainStorms need to raise additional capital, BrainStorms ability to continue as a going concern, regulatory approval of BrainStorms NurOwn treatment candidate, the success of BrainStorms product development programs and research, regulatory and personnel issues, development of a global market for our services, the ability to secure and maintain research institutions to conduct our clinical trials, the ability to generate significant revenue, the ability of BrainStorms NurOwn treatment candidate to achieve broad acceptance as a treatment option for ALS or other neurodegenerative diseases, BrainStorms ability to manufacture and commercialize the NurOwn treatment candidate, obtaining patents that provide meaningful protection, competition and market developments, BrainStorms ability to protect our intellectual property from infringement by third parties, heath reform legislation, demand for our services, currency exchange rates and product liability claims and litigation,; and other factors detailed in BrainStorm's annual report on Form 10-K and quarterly reports on Form 10-Q available athttp://www.sec.gov. These factors should be considered carefully, and readers should not place undue reliance on BrainStorm's forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release are based on the beliefs, expectations and opinions of management as of the date of this press release. We do not assume any obligation to update forward-looking statements to reflect actual results or assumptions if circumstances or management's beliefs, expectations or opinions should change, unless otherwise required by law. Although we believe that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking statements are reasonable, we cannot guarantee future results, levels of activity, performance or achievements.

CONTACTS

Corporate:Uri YablonkaChief Business OfficerBrainStorm Cell Therapeutics Inc.Phone: 646-666-3188uri@brainstorm-cell.com

Media:Sean LeousWestwicke/ICR PRPhone: +1.646.677.1839sean.leous@icrinc.com

More here:

BrainStorm Cell Therapeutics Announces Ralph Kern MD MHSc to Present at the 7th International Stem Cell Meeting - GlobeNewswire

bluebird bio and Forty Seven Announce a Research Collaboration to Study an All Antibody Conditioning Regimen for Use in Combination with Autologous…

Posted on November 13, 2019 by Danzig

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. & MENLO PARK, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--bluebird bio, Inc. (Nasdaq: BLUE) and Forty Seven, Inc. (Nasdaq:FTSV) announced today that they have entered into a research collaboration to pursue clinical proof-of-concept for Forty Sevens novel antibody-based conditioning regimen, FSI-174 (anti-cKIT antibody) plus magrolimab (anti-CD47 antibody), with bluebirds ex vivo lentiviral vector hematopoietic stem cell (LVV HSC) gene therapy platform. This collaboration will focus on a conditioning approach aimed to deliver reduced toxicity and will initially target diseases that have the potential to be corrected with transplantation of autologous gene-modified blood-forming stem cells. If successful, the new conditioning regimen could allow for more patients to undergo gene therapy.

Autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) and most ex vivo LVV HSC gene therapies require that a patients own stem cells first be depleted from the bone marrow to facilitate the engraftment of the new (or gene-modified) HSCs through a process called conditioning. Conditioning is performed using chemotherapy or radiation, which can place patients at risk for infection and require hospitalization until bone marrow cells have recovered. In addition, conventional conditioning can place patients at risk for secondary malignancy and infertility. As a result, the overall toxicity profile of current conditioning regimens limits the types of patients who are eligible for gene therapy. It is hoped that novel antibody based conditioning regimens could avoid these toxicities.

We are excited about this collaboration, combining our industry-leading LVV HSC gene therapy platform with Forty Sevens novel antibody-based conditioning regimen, said Philip Gregory, chief scientific officer, bluebird bio. We believe that, if successful, this novel conditioning modality could not only increase the number of patients and physicians who may consider gene therapy but also improve the overall risk benefit profile for stem cell-based gene therapy, as well as potentially reduce time and costs associated with hospital visits.

Forty Seven is advancing the pioneering work on CD47 and cKIT from our scientific founder, Irv Weissmans lab. We have shown that antibody blockade of CD47 can synergize with other antibodies targeting cancer to promote tumor engulfment. Based on this experience, coupled with the results of preclinical studies, we are eager to explore this dual-antibody approach for the potential treatment of non-malignant diseases, says Jens Peter Volkmer, M.D., Founder and Vice President of Research and Development at Forty Seven.

Forty Sevens President and Chief Executive Officer, Mark McCamish, M.D., Ph.D., commented, bluebird is a leading gene therapy company and we are excited to collaborate with them. Stem cell transplantation is potentially curative for a variety of blood diseases, including genetic blood disorders like sickle cell disease and beta-thalassemia. If successful, we believe our chemo- and radiation-free, all-antibody approach could expand transplantation beyond genetic blood disorders to a range of indications for which current transplantation approaches are suboptimal. In 2020, we plan to evaluate FSI-174 in healthy volunteers, before initiating a combination study of Forty Sevens novel all-antibody conditioning regimen and bluebirds gene therapy product.

Under the terms of the agreement, bluebird bio will provide its ex vivo LVV HSC gene therapy platform and Forty Seven will contribute its innovative antibody-based conditioning regimen for the collaboration.

About FSI-174 and MagrolimabFSI-174 is a humanized monoclonal antibody targeting cKIT, which is a receptor that is highly expressed on hematopoietic stem cells. Magrolimab is a humanized monoclonal antibody targeting CD47, which is a dont eat me signal to macrophages and is expressed on all cells. Magrolimab is currently being investigated in Phase 2 clinical trials to treat cancer and has established clinical efficacy in four indications, including myelodysplastic syndrome, acute myeloid leukemia, diffuse large B cell lymphoma and follicular lymphoma, with a favorable safety profile in over 350 patients treated, including some patients treated continuously for over two years. When combined, FSI-174 sends a positive signal to macrophages to target blood forming stem cells for removal and magrolimab disengages inhibitory signals that block phagocytosis. Combination of these antibodies has shown efficient removal of blood forming stem cells, allowing for transplantation in pre-clinical models.

About bluebird bio, Inc.bluebird bio is pioneering gene therapy with purpose. From our Cambridge, Mass., headquarters, were developing gene therapies for severe genetic diseases and cancer, with the goal that people facing potentially fatal conditions with limited treatment options can live their lives fully. Beyond our labs, were working to positively disrupt the healthcare system to create access, transparency and education so that gene therapy can become available to all those who can benefit.

bluebird bio is a human company powered by human stories. Were putting our care and expertise to work across a spectrum of disorders by researching cerebral adrenoleukodystrophy, sickle cell disease, transfusion-dependent -thalassemia and multiple myeloma using three gene therapy technologies: gene addition, cell therapy and (megaTAL-enabled) gene editing.

bluebird bio has additional nests in Seattle, Wash.; Durham, N.C.; and Zug, Switzerland. For more information, visit bluebirdbio.com.

Follow bluebird bio on social media: @bluebirdbio, LinkedIn, Instagram and YouTube.

bluebird bio is a trademark of bluebird bio, Inc.

About Forty Seven Inc.Forty Seven, Inc. is a clinical-stage immuno-oncology company that is developing therapies targeting cancer immune evasion pathways based on technology licensed from Stanford University. Forty Sevens lead program, magrolimab, is a monoclonal antibody against the CD47 receptor, a dont eat me signal that cancer cells commandeer to avoid being ingested by macrophages. This antibody is currently being evaluated in multiple clinical studies in patients with myelodysplastic syndrome, acute myeloid leukemia, non-Hodgkins lymphoma, ovarian cancer and colorectal carcinoma.

For more information, please visit http://www.fortyseveninc.com or contact info@fortyseveninc.com.

Follow Forty Seven on social media: @FortySevenInc, LinkedIn

Forward-Looking StatementsThis release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Words such as "may," "will," potentially, and similar expressions (as well as other words or expressions referencing future events, conditions, or circumstances) are intended to identify forward-looking statements. These statements include those related to the research and development plans for bluebird bios and Forty Sevens respective platforms and product candidates, the timing and success of Forty Sevens collaboration with bluebird bio, Forty Sevens plans to pursue clinical proof-of-concept for FSI-174 plus magrolimab with the LVV HSC gene therapy platform, the focus on diseases that have the potential to be corrected with transplantation of autologous gene-modified blood-forming stem cells, the tolerability and efficacy of FSI-174 and magrolimab, Forty Sevens plans to continue development of FSI-174 plus magrolimab, as well as related timing for clinical trials of the same.

Any forward-looking statements are based on the companies managements current expectations of future events and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially and adversely from those set forth in or implied by such forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, the risks that the exploratory antibody-based conditioning platform will not be successful or will not be safe or effective in clinical trials, the risks that the collaboration between bluebird bio and Forty Seven will not continue or be successful, and the risk that the parties will not be successful in advancing the collaboration in development, the risk that potential product candidates that bluebird bio and Forty Seven develop may not progress through clinical development or receive required regulatory approvals within expected timelines or at all, the risk that clinical trials may not confirm any safety, potency or other product characteristics described or assumed in this press release and the risk that such product candidates may not be beneficial to patients or successfully commercialized. For a discussion of other risks and uncertainties, and other important factors, any of which could cause the companies actual results to differ from those contained in the forward-looking statements, see the section entitled Risk Factors in each companys most recent Form 10-K as well as discussions of potential risks, uncertainties and other important factors in subsequent filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission at http://www.sec.gov. All information contained in this press release are not guarantees of future performance and speak only as of the date hereof, and each of bluebird bio and Forty Seven disclaims any obligation to update this information to reflect future events or circumstances unless required by law.

See the original post here:

bluebird bio and Forty Seven Announce a Research Collaboration to Study an All Antibody Conditioning Regimen for Use in Combination with Autologous...

Kiadis Pharma changes strategy to focus solely on development of Natural Killer (NK) Cell therapeutics and terminates development of ATIR101 | DNA RNA…

Posted on November 13, 2019 by Danzig

DetailsCategory: DNA RNA and CellsPublished on Wednesday, 13 November 2019 09:46Hits: 111

AMSTERDAM, The Netherlands I November 12, 2019 I Kiadis Pharma N.V. (Kiadis Pharma or the Company) (Euronext Amsterdam and Brussels: KDS), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company, today announced that it has completed a strategic portfolio review and has decided to change its strategy and focus all resources and investments on the companys NK-cell therapy platform and product candidates. The company will discontinue development of ATIR101 and stop its ongoing phase 3 trial.

Kiadis NK-cell program consists of off-the-shelf and haplo donor cell therapy products for the treatment of liquid and solid tumors. Kiadis proprietary off-the-shelf NK-cell platform is based on NK-cells from unique universal donors, expanded and activated ex vivo using our PM21 particle technology. The Kiadis off-the-shelf platform has the potential to make NK-cell therapy products rapidly and economically available for a broad patient population across a potentially wide range of indications.

The companys pipeline includes:

Arthur Lahr, CEO of Kiadis Pharma commented, We believe that our proprietary NK-cell therapy platform has broad potential as stand-alone or adjunctive treatments for patients with both liquid and solid tumors. Our off-the-shelf NK-cell platform is based on NK-cells from unique universal donors, expanded and activated with our PM21 particle technology, to make our NK-cell therapy products rapidly and economically available for patients across a potentially broad range of indications. The proof-of-concept trials for our NK pipeline programs, in which 38 patients have been treated, is very promising and was the basis for our acquisition of Cytosen Therapeutics, Inc. earlier this year. To confirm findings from these trials, we will start two Phase 1/2 clinical trials in 2020. We believe that investing in our NK platform and rapidly advancing development of our off-the-shelf and haplo donor derived NK-cell therapies in solid and liquid tumors will bring value to patients and our investors.

Lahr continued, As part of our strategic portfolio review, we reviewed progress of our phase 3 study, which was designed to show superiority of ATIR101 over the PTCy protocol. We identified that in the phase 3 a higher percentage of patients than expected dropped out of the study before receiving ATIR101. We subsequently collected additional recent external data, which show that outcomes with PTCy have better survival and lower severe GVHD than literature showed when we designed and started the phase 3 study. Based on these data, we no longer believe that the phase 3 ATIR study as currently designed with 250 patients can demonstrate superiority over PTCy and at a minimum would require a much larger trial. In the best interest of patients, we have therefore taken the decision to discontinue the ATIR101 study with immediate effect and are proceeding with close down activities.

RestructuringKiadis is implementing a restructuring program to refocus the organization on its NK-cell therapy platform, which will result in a reduction of approximately half of its workforce, a reduction in external clinical trial costs associated with the phase 3 study, and a reduced company cash burn. The company ended the third quarter of 2019 with approximately 47 million of cash.

About Kiadis K-NK-Cell Therapies Kiadis NK-cell programs consist of off-the-shelf and haplo donor cell therapy products for the treatment of liquid and solid tumors as adjunctive and stand-alone therapies.

Our NK-cell PM21 particle technology enables improved ex vivo expansion and activation of anti-cancer cytotoxic NK-cells supporting multiple high-dose infusions. Kiadis proprietary off-the-shelf NK-cell platform is based on NK-cells from unique universal donors. The Kiadis off-the-shelf K-NK platform can make NK-cell therapy product rapidly and economically available for a broad patient population across a potentially wide range of indications.

Administered as an adjunctive immunotherapeutic on top of HSCT, K-NK002 provides functional, mature and potent NK-cells from a haploidentical family member. In addition, Kiadis is developing K-NK003 for the treatment of relapse/refractory acute myeloid leukemia and has pre-clinical programs evaluating NK-cell therapy for the treatment of solid tumors.

About KiadisFounded in 1997, Kiadis Pharma, is a fully integrated biopharmaceutical company committed to developing innovative cell-based therapies for patients with life-threatening diseases. With headquarters in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, and offices and activities in the US and across Europe, Kiadis Pharma is leveraging the natural strengths of humanity and our collective immune system to source the best cells for life.

Kiadis Pharma is listed on the regulated market of Euronext Amsterdam and Euronext Brussels since July 2, 2015, under the symbol KDS. Learn more at http://www.kiadis.com.

SOURCE: Kiadis Pharma

See the rest here:

Kiadis Pharma changes strategy to focus solely on development of Natural Killer (NK) Cell therapeutics and terminates development of ATIR101 | DNA RNA...

Marker Therapeutics Reports Third Quarter 2019 Operating and Financial Results – P&T Community

Posted on November 13, 2019 by Danzig

HOUSTON, Nov. 12, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Marker Therapeutics, Inc.(Nasdaq:MRKR), a clinical-stage immuno-oncology company specializing in the development of next-generation T cell-based immunotherapies for the treatment of hematological malignancies and solid tumor indications, today provided a corporate update and reported financial results for the third quarter ended September 30, 2019.

"We continue to make progress in advancing our next-generation T-cell based immunotherapies for the treatment of hematological malignancies and solid tumors," said Peter L. Hoang, President and CEO of Marker Therapeutics. "Our partner-sponsored MultiTAA T-cell therapy trials at the Baylor College of Medicine continue to show promising results. In addition, we continue to expand our team and build out our infrastructure to support future Marker-sponsored clinical trials. We expect the next 12 to 18 months to be an exciting and productive time for our Company."

Continued Mr. Hoang: "We recently filed an Investigational New Drug (IND) application with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for our MultiTAA T-cell therapy as part of a planned Marker Phase 2 study in post-allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant patients with acute myeloid leukemia in both the adjuvant and active disease setting. The FDA reviewed our submission and requested additional information regarding certain quality and technical specifications for two reagents supplied by third party vendors that are used in our manufacturing process. Because the FDA requires these data in order to clear the IND, the Marker AML trial has been placed on clinical hold until our complete response to the technical questions is satisfactory to the FDA. While these reagents are not present in the final product, we worked with respective manufacturers of these reagents to satisfy the FDA's questions and subsequently submitted a complete response to the FDA in late October. We currently project to initiate our Phase 2 trial in 2020 and look forward to providing an update on our clinical path forward upon receiving the FDA's feedback."

PROGRAM UPDATES

Multi-Antigen Targeted (MultiTAA) T-Cell Therapies

Marker Submits Response to FDA Clinical Hold on AML Trial The Company worked with regulatory and quality groups at the respective manufacturers to address the FDA's request and submitted a complete response to the issues raised by the FDA on October 28, 2019. The FDA will respond within 30 daysafter receiving Marker's complete response, indicating whether the hold is lifted and, if not, specifying the reasons the clinical trial remains on hold.Marker expects to initiate its Phase 2 clinical trial of MultiTAA therapy for the treatment of post-transplant AML in 2020.

T Cell-Based Vaccines

Phase 2 Triple Negative Breast Cancer Trial ProgressingMarker continues to advance its T cell-based vaccine program in triple negative breast cancer. To date, results have shown:

Phase 2 Platinum-Sensitive Advanced Ovarian Cancer Trial Update Marker will be discontinuing the development of TPIV200 in patients with platinum-sensitive advanced ovarian cancer based on an unblinded review of interim results from its Phase 2 study conducted by an independent Data and Safety Monitoring Board (DSMB). Although the DSMB did not express any safety concerns with respect to TPIV200, Marker has elected to suspend the trial because it did not meet the threshold for probability of success based upon the Company's pre-specified criteria. Pending full review of the data, Marker anticipates closing the trial in the first quarter of 2020.

CORPORATE UPDATES

THIRD QUARTER 2019 FINANCIAL RESULTS

Net loss for the quarter ended September 30, 2019 was $5.5 million, compared to a net loss of $4.4 million for the quarter ended September 30, 2018.

Research and development expenses during the three months ended September 30, 2019 were $3.1 million, compared to $1.9 million during the three months ended September 30, 2018. The increase of $1.2 million was primarily attributable to increases in personnel-related expenses, relating to the build-up of Marker's internal infrastructure.

General and administrative expenses were $2.5 million during the three months ended September 30, 2019 as compared to $2.6 million during the three months ended September 30, 2018. The decrease was primarily attributable to $0.6 million of merger-related expenses incurred during the three months ended September 30, 2018, offset by increased expenses in headcount-related and legal and other professional expenses.

CASH POSITION AND GUIDANCE

At September 30, 2019, Marker had cash and cash equivalents of $48.5 million. The Company believes that its existing cash and cash equivalents will fund its current operations through at least the fourth quarter of 2020.

Conference Call and Webcast

The Company will host a webcast and conference call to discuss its third quarter 2019 financial results and provide an update on recent corporate activities today at 5:00 p.m. EST.

The webcast will be accessible in the Investors section of the Company's website at http://www.markertherapeutics.com. Individuals can participate in the conference call by dialing 877-407-8913 (domestic) or 201-689-8201 (international) and referring to the "Marker Therapeutics Third Quarter 2019 Earnings Call."

The archived webcast will be available for replay on the Marker website following the event.

About Marker Therapeutics, Inc.Marker Therapeutics, Inc. is a clinical-stage immuno-oncology company specializing in the development of next-generation T cell-based immunotherapies for the treatment of hematological malignancies and solid tumor indications. Marker's cell therapy technology is based on the selective expansion of non-engineered, tumor-specific T cells that recognize tumor associated antigens (i.e. tumor targets) and kill tumor cells expressing those targets. This population of T cells is designed to attack multiple tumor targets following infusion into patients and to activate the patient's immune system to produce broad spectrum anti-tumor activity. Because Marker does not genetically engineer its T cell therapies, we believe that our product candidates will be easier and less expensive to manufacture, with reduced toxicities, compared to current engineered CAR-T and TCR-based approaches, and may provide patients with meaningful clinical benefit. As a result, Marker believes its portfolio of T cell therapies has a compelling product profile, as compared to current gene-modified CAR-T and TCR-based therapies.

Marker is also advancing a number of innovative peptide and gene-based immuno-therapeutics for the treatment of metastatic solid tumors, including the Folate Receptor Alpha program (TPIV200) for breast cancer and the HER2/neu program (TPIV100/110) for breast cancer, currently in Phase 2 clinical trials.

To receive future press releases via email, please visit:https://www.markertherapeutics.com/email-alerts/

Forward-Looking Statement DisclaimerThis release contains forward-looking statements for purposes of the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Statements in this news release concerning the Company's expectations, plans, business outlook or future performance, and any other statements concerning assumptions made or expectations as to any future events, conditions, performance or other matters, are "forward-looking statements." Forward-looking statements include statements regarding our intentions, beliefs, projections, outlook, analyses or current expectations concerning, among other things: our research, development and regulatory activities and expectations relating to our non-engineered multi-tumor antigen specific T cell therapies; our TPIV200 and TPIV100/110 programs; the effectiveness of these programs or the possible range of application and potential curative effects and safety in the treatment of diseases; and, the timing and success of our clinical trials, as well as clinical trials conducted by our collaborators. Forward-looking statements are by their nature subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors which could cause actual results to differ materially from those stated in such statements. Such risks, uncertainties and factors include, but are not limited to the risks set forth in the Company's most recent Form 10-K, 10-Q and other SEC filings which are available through EDGAR at http://www.sec.gov. The Company assumes no obligation to update our forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, after the date of this press release.

Marker Therapeutics, Inc.

Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets

(Unaudited)

September 30,

December 31,

2019

2018

ASSETS

Current assets:

Cash and cash equivalents

$ 48,477,670

$ 61,746,748

Prepaid expenses and deposits

1,906,062

141,717

Interest receivable

78,145

108,177

Total current assets

50,461,877

61,996,642

Non-current assets:

Property, plant and equipment, net

438,881

147,668

Right-of-use assets, net

501,714

Total non-current assets

940,595

147,668

Total assets

$ 51,402,472

$ 62,144,310

LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY

Current liabilities:

Accounts payable and accrued liabilities

$ 2,858,808

$ 2,754,572

Lease liability

199,266

Warrant liability

129,000

49,000

Total current liabilities

3,187,074

2,803,572

Non-current liabilities:

Lease liability, net of current portion

333,480

Total non-current liabilities

333,480

Total liabilities

3,520,554

2,803,572

Commitments and contingencies

Stockholders' equity:

Preferred stock - $0.001 par value, 5 million shares authorized and 0 shares issued and outstanding at September 30, 2019 and December 31, 2018, respectively

Common stock, $0.001 par value, 150 million shares authorized, 45.7 million and 45.4 million shares issued and outstanding as of September 30, 2019 and December 31, 2018, respectively

45,723

45,440

Additional paid-in capital

370,290,447

365,400,748

Accumulated deficit

(322,454,252)

(306,105,450)

Total stockholders' equity

47,881,918

See the rest here:

Marker Therapeutics Reports Third Quarter 2019 Operating and Financial Results - P&T Community

Gene Editing Tool in Ongoing Sickle Cell Trial of BIVV003 Supported by Early Study – Sickle Cell Anemia News

Posted on November 13, 2019 by Danzig

A technique called zinc finger nuclease (ZFN) gene editing technology can be used to modify immature red blood cells called precursor cells to boost the production of fetal hemoglobin and help ensure red blood cells maintain a normal shape in people with sickle cell disease (SCD), a study shows.

Sanofi has launched a Phase 1/2 trial (NCT03653247) evaluating the safety, tolerability and efficacy of a BIVV003, a gene editing therapy using the ZFN technology (by Sangamo Therapeutics) in adults with severe SCD. This trial, taking place at four U.S. sites, is currentlyrecruiting eligible patients.

ZFN technology findings will be presented by Samuel Lessard, PhD, a researcher at Sanofi, in the poster, Zinc Finger Nuclease-Mediated Disruption of the BCL11A Erythroid Enhancer Results in Enriched Biallelic Editing, Increased Fetal Hemoglobin, and Reduced Sickling in Erythroid Cells Derived from Sickle Cell Disease Patients, (abstract No. 974) at the 61st Annual Meeting of the American Society of Hematology (ASH), December 710 in Orlando.

Sickle cell is caused by mutations in the HBB gene, which provides instructions for making part of hemoglobin, a protein responsible for transporting oxygen in the blood.

These mutations change the structure of the protein, resulting in the production of abnormal hemoglobin fibers. These fibers tend to stiffen red blood cells, changing their shape from normal disc-like cells to those with a sickle-like shape.

BIVV003 is an investigational gene edited cell therapy being developed under an agreement between Bioverativ, a Sanofi company, and Sangamo.

It uses Sangamos proprietary ZFN gene editing technology to modify a short sequence of the BCL11Agene in red blood precursor cells acquired from the patients own hematopoietic stem cells (stem cells that give rise to other blood cells) to raise production of fetal hemoglobin, the main form of hemoglobin found in fetuses.

Fetal hemoglobin production is normally switched off in adults and largely disappears at ages 6 months to 1 year, but artificial ways of introducing fetal hemoglobin show increasing promise in treating SCD by preventing red blood cells from taking on a damaging sickle shape.

Sangamoannounced the findings from a proof-of-concept ex-vivo(lab) study aiming to validate the ZFN gene editing technology using immature red blood cell isolated from four healthy donors and one sickle cell patient.

Study findings demonstrated that more than 90% of edited donor cells incorporated genetic modifications in both copies of the BCL11A gene, leading to an increase of 27% to 38% in fetal hemoglobin levels compared to baseline (studys start).

Edited cells from the SCD patient also tended to incorporate these modifications in both gene copies. As a result, patient edited cells produced up to 28% more fetal hemoglobin compared to unedited cells.

Patient red blood cells obtained from already edited precursor cells were also less likely to change to a sickle-like shape, supporting BIVV003 as a potential cell therapy for SCD, the study reports. Further experiments in red blood precursor cells from additional SCD patients are underway.

Sangamo is also enrolling patients with transfusion-dependent beta-thalassemia (TDT) in thePhase 1/2 THALES trial (NCT03432364) to evaluate the safety, tolerability, and efficacy of ST-400, another experimental gene-edited cell therapy that uses the same gene-editing approach as BIVV003.

The companyannounced it will present data from the first three THALESpatients at the ASH meeting.

Joana is currently completing her PhD in Biomedicine and Clinical Research at Universidade de Lisboa. She also holds a BSc in Biology and an MSc in Evolutionary and Developmental Biology from Universidade de Lisboa. Her work has been focused on the impact of non-canonical Wnt signaling in the collective behavior of endothelial cells cells that make up the lining of blood vessels found in the umbilical cord of newborns.

Total Posts: 94

Margarida graduated with a BS in Health Sciences from the University of Lisbon and a MSc in Biotechnology from Instituto Superior Tcnico (IST-UL). She worked as a molecular biologist research associate at a Cambridge UK-based biotech company that discovers and develops therapeutic, fully human monoclonal antibodies.

See original here:

Gene Editing Tool in Ongoing Sickle Cell Trial of BIVV003 Supported by Early Study - Sickle Cell Anemia News

Notice of Business Alliance between Promethera Biosciences SA and MEDIPAL HOLDINGS – Business Wire

Posted on November 13, 2019 by Danzig

MONT-SAINT-GUIBERT, Belgium--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Promethera Biosciences SA (Promethera) and MEDIPAL HOLDINGS CORPORATION (MEDIPAL) today announced that they have entered into a business alliance agreement. In conjunction with todays alliance, MEDIPAL has decided to increase its shareholdings in the Promethera Group. Details follows below.

The purpose of this alliancePromethera has been developing its lead liver cell-derived technology (HepaStem) in an area of high medical need, primarily for Non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), Acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF) and urea cycle disorder (UCD). Promethera completed the recruitment of 24 patients in its Phase 2a study in Acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF) in July 2019. The 3 months follow-up data were presented on 10th November at the AASLD 2019 conference (70th American Association for the Study of the Liver Diseases). In addition, the Phase 2a clinical study in patients with late stage NASH with worlds first cell therapy was initiated in May 2019. MEDIPAL will support Promethera in the commercialization of its products in Japan through the subscription to a private placement of new shares on March 20th, 2019, with the aim to expand the products it handles in the regenerative medicine field going forward.

The purpose of this alliance is to further deepen the cooperative relationship between the two companies by providing access to MEDIPALs know-how and capabilities in the distribution of cellular medicines at ultra-low temperatures. MEDIPAL will support Promethera's clinical trials and aims to provide a steady supply after its product launch.

With about 430 cases per year, the percent of patients receiving a liver transplant in Japan is significantly lower than in the US, where some 8,000 patients receive a transplant every year. Rescue solutions for Japanese patients with fatal liver diseases are performing poorly too. An even closer partnership with MEDIPAL will support us in setting up clinical trials in Japan that could positively impact and contribute to a solution for this considerable medical need in Japan. Building on this partnership, we will accelerate the clinical development of HepaStem towards a subsequent market launch in Japan, which will be a meaningful new development for Japanese patients suffering from end-stage liver disease, said Dr John Tchelingerian, President and CEO of Promethera. Mastering the entire supply chain is a key requirement for an off-the-shelf allogeneic cell therapy product, and MEDIPALs expertise and capabilities in this sector will be very valuable in this regard.

Prometheras HepaStem program can potentially become the worlds first therapeutic product using liver stem cells for the treatment of severe liver diseases, commented Shuichi Watanabe, Chief Executive Officer of MEDIPAL. Liver disease prevalence is rising in Japan and around the world due to an increase in obesity and other metabolic syndromes. The need to deliver effective treatments such as Prometheras is expected to augment rapidly. MEDIPALs system enables strict temperature management and traceability by using SDDU (Specialty Drug Distribution Unit: a liquid nitrogen-based ultra-low cold chain system for drug distribution) and has an extensive expertise in this field. We are very pleased with this partnership and the opportunity to support the development and the logistics of this innovative product candidate with our capabilities.

About MEDIPAL HOLDINGS CORPORATION

Head office

2-7-15, Yaesu Chuo-ku Tokyo 104-8461 Japan

Representative

Shuichi Watanabe, Representative Director, President and CEO

Business

As a holding company, MEDIPAL controls, administers and supports the operating activities of companies in which it holds shares in the Prescription Pharmaceutical Wholesale Business; the Cosmetics, Daily Necessities and OTC Pharmaceutical Wholesale Business; and the Animal Health Products and Food Processing Raw Materials Wholesale Business, and conducts business development for the MEDIPAL Group.

Website

https://www.medipal.co.jp/english

About Promethera Biosciences S.A.

Head office

Watson & Crick Hill, Rue Granbonpr, 11 B-1435 Mont-Saint-Guibert, Belgium

Representative

John Tchelingerian, PhD, President & CEO

Business

Promethera Biosciences is a global innovator in liver therapeutics whose mission is to bring patients life-saving treatments to reduce the need for liver transplantation. Promethera develops and manufactures allogeneic cell-based medicines for liver diseases by using regenerative medicine technology.

Website

https://www.promethera.com/

See the original post:

Notice of Business Alliance between Promethera Biosciences SA and MEDIPAL HOLDINGS - Business Wire

Stem Cell Banking Market 2019: Growth, Trends, Demand, Share, Analysis and Forecast to 2026 – Markets Gazette 24

Posted on November 13, 2019 by Danzig

Stem Cell Banking Marketis expected to reachUSD 5830.41 Million by 2026 fromUSD 1593.9 Million in 2017 during the forecast period. A stem cell bank is a facility, which stores stem cells for future use. Stem cell banking is the process of conserving stem cells at temperatures below the freezing point. These cells used for the treatment of Parkinsons syndrome, cancer, diabetes, heart diseases, and others.

Stem cell banking market is segmented by Type, Banking service, Application, and Geography. Based on service type the sample preservation & storage segment is expected to hold maximum market share during the forecast period due to the increasing adoption of stem cell banking services in key countries, growing numbers of stem cell banks across developing countries, increasing public consciousness about the therapeutic applications of stem cells.

On the basis of application, the personalized banking applications segment is fastest-growing segment owing to increasing adoption of precision medicine across established countries, the growing prevalence of blood & immune system-related disorders amongstnew-borns& children, &growing public worries regarding the clinical abuse of stored stem cell samples.

REQUEST FOR FREE SAMPLE REPORT:https://www.maximizemarketresearch.com/request-sample/13540

North America is expected to hold largest market share during the forecast period. The increasing network of stem cell banking services, ongoing support of stem cell lines for various disease treatment, new technological developments in the field of stem cell collection & preservation techniques, increasing public-private investments for stem cell researches, rising number of stem cell transplantation procedures are pouring the growth of the Stem Cell Banking Market in North America.

Cordlife introduced NICE, a clinically approved non-invasive prenatal test in Indonesia and the Philippines.LifeCodexx AG, a Provider of non-invasive prenatal DNA testing in Europe, declared its partnership with LifeCell International Pvt. Ltd., an Indian mother & baby preventive health care Type, to bring PrenaTesT, qNIPT testing for the first time to India. The qNIPT technology, which detects the presence of foetal trisomy 21 (Down Syndrome) from maternal blood, received CE marking (European Conformity) in December 2016.

Cordlife Group Limited and China Cord Blood Corporation announced that the two companies collaborated in order to support patients across the China, Singapore, Hong Kong, Indonesia, India, the Philippines, and Malaysia to identify suitable cord blood matching units for stem cell therapy.

DO INQUIRY BEFORE PURCHASING REPORT HERE:https://www.maximizemarketresearch.com/inquiry-before-buying/13540

Scope of the report Stem Cell Banking Market:

Stem Cell Banking Market by Type:

Umbilical Cord Stem Cell Adult Stem CellEmbryonic Stem Cell Stem Cell Banking Market by Service Type

Storage Analysis Processing Collection & Transportation Stem Cell Banking Market by Application

Cerebral Palsy Thalassemia Cancer Diseases Diabetes Autism Stem Cell Banking Market by region

North America Europe APAC Latin America MEAKey Players Stem Cell Banking Market:

1. CCBC2. CBR Systems, Inc.3. ViaCord4. Esperite5. Vcanbio6. Boyalife7. LifeCell8. Crioestaminal9. RMS Regrow10. Cryo-cell11. Cordlife Group12. PBKM FamiCord13. Cells4life14. Beikebiotech15. StemCyte

MAJOR TOC OF THE REPORT

Chapter One: Stem Cell Banking Market Overview

Chapter Two: Manufacturers Profiles

Chapter Three: Global Stem Cell Banking Market Competition, by Players

Chapter Four: Global Stem Cell Banking Market Size by Regions

Chapter Five: North America Stem Cell Banking Revenue by Countries

Chapter Six: Europe Stem Cell Banking Revenue by Countries

Chapter Seven: Asia-Pacific Stem Cell Banking Revenue by Countries

Chapter Eight: South America Stem Cell Banking Revenue by Countries

Chapter Nine: Middle East and Africa Revenue Stem Cell Banking by Countries

Chapter Ten: Global Stem Cell Banking Market Segment by Type

Chapter Eleven: Global Stem Cell Banking Market Segment by Application

Chapter Twelve: Global Stem Cell Banking Market Size Forecast (2019-2026)

Browse Full Report with Facts and Figures of Stem Cell Banking Market Report at:https://www.maximizemarketresearch.com/market-report/stem-cell-banking-market/13540/

About Us:

Maximize Market Research provides B2B and B2C market research on 20,000 high growth emerging technologies & opportunities in Chemical, Healthcare, Pharmaceuticals, Electronics & Communications, Internet of Things, Food and Beverages, Aerospace and Defense and other manufacturing sectors.

Contact info:

Name: Lumawant Godage

Organization: MAXIMIZE MARKET RESEARCH PVT. LTD.

Email:sales@maximizemarketresearch.com

Contact: +919607065656/ +919607195908

Website: http://www.maximizemarketresearch.com

Originally posted here:

Stem Cell Banking Market 2019: Growth, Trends, Demand, Share, Analysis and Forecast to 2026 - Markets Gazette 24

Pensioner travels over 2,000 miles to meet stranger who saved his life with stem cell donation – Yahoo Movies

Posted on November 13, 2019 by Danzig

This is the heart-warming moment a pensioner personally thanked the mum who saved his life with her anonymousstem cell donation- after a 2,300-mile journey.

Jackie Wray, 50, met with her genetic twin, Siegfried Siggi Wahl, 71, in September after the pair spent more than three years communicating anonymously due to the laws surrounding stem cell donations.

Siggi, from Hattersheim in Germany, was diagnosed with chronic myeloid leukaemia in April 2015 after he had suffered a stroke and doctors found the cancer when he was hospitalised.

After initial treatment proved unsuccessful, doctors told Siggi that his best chance of survival was a blood stem cell donation from a person with identical tissue type.

Siegfried Siggi Wahl had an emotional meeting with stem cell donator Jackie Wray (Caters)

Unfortunately nobody in his immediate family proved to be a match, so he then had to turn to the worldwide register to find a stranger willing to help.

Luckily, just six months earlier, Siggis genetic twin Jackie, from, had signed up with blood cancer charity DKMS in 2015 after seeing a TV appeal for a child in urgent need of a donor.

Moving video captures the moment Siggi met his angel Jackie at her restaurant and bar in Great Ayton, North Yorkshire for the first time earlier this year.

The Value and Versatility of Clinical Flow Cytometry – Technology Networks

Posted on November 13, 2019 by Danzig

What is flow cytometry and how does it work?Flow cytometry(FCM) is a scientific technique used to measure the physical and biochemical characteristics of cells.1The sample is injected into the flow cytometer instrument, where it is typically focused to flow one cell at a time past light sources and detectors. Tens of thousands of cells can be examined in seconds to determine their morphology, granularity, scattering and transmission of light, or fluorescence of biomarkers, depending on the variation of FCM used.

The first conventional fluorescence-based flow cytometer was developed and commercialized in the late 60s/early 70s in Germany.2 Over the last five decades, FCM has developed rapidly in terms of the number of its applications and the quantity and dimensionality of the data it generates.1,3 Dr. Minh Doan, formerly of the Imaging Platform of the Broad Institute (USA) and now head of Bioimaging Analytics at GlaxoSmithKline in the USA, states, There have been significant advances in all three Vs of flow cytometry data: velocity (throughput/speed of data acquisition), volume (data content), and variety (sample types and signal acquisition technology).

Michael Parsons, manager of the Flow Cytometry Core of the Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute in Toronto, Canada, agrees. The two biggest trends in flow cytometry are high content data and the merging of technologies from separate disciplines. For example, the last five years or so have seen the emergence of mass cytometry, which merges the disciplines of flow cytometry and mass spectrometry. In its latest iteration, an image cytometry module has been incorporated to generate unprecedented amounts of content (number of measured parameters) from relatively small amounts of patient tissue. Spectral flow cytometry has also established itself as an important emerging technology. Indeed, mass cytometry can now measure up to 50 features on a single cell simultaneously using antibodies tagged with rare earth metals,4 and imaging flow cytometry allows for 1000s of morphological features and multiple fluorescence markers to be analyzed per cell.3Flow cytometry, therefore, has inarguable potential as a clinical tool for disease diagnosis, prognosis, and therapeutic monitoring. However, some challenges remain in translating the full promise of FCM into clinical practice. Here, some of the current clinical applications of FCM will be discussed, as well as some of the compelling new applications being researched.

Similarly, FCM of liquid biopsies could be used to detect circulating tumor cells in the bloodstream.3 These cells are extremely rare, and with its high sensitivity, FCM is perfectly poised to make a significant impact in this area. This approach has potential for the clinical detection of early-stage cancer as well as the detection of circulating metastatic or drug-resistant cancer cells. For example, a study published earlier this year described label-free liquid biopsy with very high throughput (> 1 million cells/second) for drug-susceptibility testing during leukemia treatment.8

Prior to an organ transplant, FCM can be used to crossmatch the patient's serum with donor lymphocytes to detect antibodies that could result in organ rejection.1 Postoperatively, the analysis of various cell markers on the peripheral blood lymphocytes can indicate early transplant rejection, detect bone marrow toxicity arising from immunosuppressive therapies, and help differentiate infections from organ rejection. For blood transfusions, FCM can be used to detect contamination of blood with residual white blood cells, which can have adverse effects such as pulmonary edema.9Groups such as Dr. Roshini Abrahams at Nationwide Childrens Hospital in Ohio, USA, are using FCM to diagnose primary immunodeficiency disorders with the use of immunophenotyping and functional assays.10 These disorders are caused by genetic mutations that result in defects in the immune system, such as X-linked (Brutons) agammaglobulinemia and X-linked hyper-IgM syndrome. Over 300 of these disorders have been identified thus far, and the causative mutations lower immune defense against the attack of infections.

HIV is, of course, an example of a secondary (acquired) immunodeficiency disorder. FCM analysis of CD4 and other markers on lymphocytes in the peripheral blood is used to monitor the treatment of HIV patients, and a CD4 count <200 cells/mL together with a positive antibody test for HIV is used as a diagnostic for AIDS.1 Secondary immunodeficiencies can also be caused by e.g., substance abuse, malnutrition, other medical conditions, and certain medical treatments. FCM of a panel of markers can be used to confirm suspected cases.1In pregnancy, when a Rhesus blood group D-negative mother carries a D-positive fetus, fetal-maternal bleeding can sensitize the mother to the D-positive blood cells from the fetus and this can be fatal to subsequent D-positive newborns.11 FCM is used to measure the degree of fetal-maternal hemorrhage to determine the correct dose of prophylactics to be administered shortly after delivery.

In addition to oncology and immunology applications, FCM is also used to diagnose a variety of rare hematologic disorders12 as well as autoimmune/autoinflammatory disorders such as spondylarthritis (arthritis of the spine).13 Another area of research that is likely to give rise to increasing clinical applications in the future is that of platelet activity, which is important in many clinical conditions.1,14

Experts suggest that it may be possible to overcome this data analysis hurdle by applying machine learning approaches coupled with further standardization of FCM workflows.3,15 The most exciting applications of high content data revolve around the use of machine learning, in particular, deep learning, to extract relevant meaning from large data sets. Machine learning, coupled with big data, has the potential for driving diagnosis and treatment options tailored to the patients disease in a timely manner, says Dr. Parsons. In addition, Prof. Sadao Ota of RCAST at the University of Tokyo, Japan, points out, We still need to figure out how to design a workflow that convincingly validates diagnostic results, especially if the diagnosis employs the power of machine learning. Such developments are necessary before the rich information content of advanced FCM technology can be fully applied in the clinic.

In terms of other future advances in the field, Prof. Ota specifically makes mention of the potential of cell sorters combined with FCM.16 There are exciting and unique applications of sorters in fields such as cell therapy and regenerative medicine. Also, creating key applications of imaging cell sorters in pharmaceutical fields may accelerate global drug discovery. Dr. Doan concurs, Disease heterogeneity makes it hard to validate findings. Perhaps the use of flow cytometry with sorting capability can help such validation, where events-of-interest collected by flow cytometry can be validated with other downstream assays. Finally, as Dr. Doan notes, With multiple layers of data(types) incorporated altogether, there are now possibilities to do more with less, i.e., label-free sample measurement, which could lead to more direct, faster, and smarter diagnoses. Rare events (e.g., metastatic cancer cells) may soon be detected better than before.References1.Bakke A.C. Clinical Applications of Flow Cytometry. Laboratory Medicine. 2000; 31(2): 97104. doi: 10.1309/FC96-DDY4-2CRA-71FK.2.Herzenberg L.A., Parks D., Sahaf B., Perez O., Roederer M., Herzenberg L.A. The history and future of the fluorescence activated cell sorter and flow cytometry: a view from Stanford. Clinical Chemistry. 2002;48(10):181918273.Doan M., Vorobjev I., Rees P., Filby A., Wolkenhauer O., Goldfeld A.E., Lieberman J., Barteneva N., Carpenter A.E., Hennig H. Diagnostic potential of imaging flow cytometry. Trends in Biotechnology. 2018;36(7):649652. doi: 10.1016/j.tibtech.2017.12.008.4.Olsen L.R, Leipold M.D., Pedersen C.B., Maecker H.T. The anatomy of single cell mass cytometry data. Cytometry Part A. 2019;95(2):156172. doi: 10.1002/cyto.a.23621.5.Laerum O.D., Farsund T. Clinical application of flow cytometry: a review. Cytometry. 1981;2(1):113. doi: 10.1002/cyto.990020102.6.Li J., Wertheim G., Paessler M., Pillai V. Flow cytometry in pediatric hematopoietic malignancies. Clinics in Laboratory Medicine. 2017;37(4):879893. doi: 10.1016/j.cll.2017.07.009.7.Gupta S., Devidas M., Loh M.L., Raetz E.A., Chen S., Wang C., Brown P., Carroll A.J., Heerema N.A., Gastier-Foster J.M., Dunsmore K.P., Larsen E.C., Maloney K.W., Mattano L.A. Jr., Winter S.S., Winick N.J., Carroll W.L., Hunger S.P., Borowitz M.J., Wood B.L. Flow-cytometric vs. -morphologic assessment of remission in childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia: a report from the Childrens Oncology Group (COG). Leukemia. 2018;32(6):13701379. doi: 10.1038/s41375-018-0039-7.8.Kobayashi H., Lei C., Wu Y., Huang C-J., Yasumoto A., Jona M., Li W., Wu Y., Yalikun Y., Jiang Y., Guo B., Sun C-W., Tanaka Y., Yamada M., Yatomi Y., Goda K. Intelligent whole-blood imaging flow cytometry for simple, rapid, and cost-effective drug-susceptibility testing of leukemia. Lab on a Chip. 2019;19(16):26882698. doi: 10.1039/c8lc01370e.9.Castegnaro S., Dragone P., Chieregato K., Alghisi A., Rodeghiero F., Astori G. Enumeration of residual white blood cells in leukoreduced blood products: Comparing flow cytometry with a portable microscopic cell counter. Transfusion and Apheresis Science. 2016;54(2):266270. doi: 10.1016/j.transci.2015.10.001.10.Abraham R.S., Aubert G. Flow cytometry, a versatile tool for diagnosis and monitoring of primary immunodeficiencies. Clinical and Vaccine Immunology. 2016;23(4):254271. doi: 10.1128/CVI.00001-16.11.Kim Y.A., Makar R.S. Detection of fetomaternal hemorrhage. American Journal of Hematology. 2012;87(4):417423. doi: 10.1002/ajh.22255.12.Bn M.C., Le Bris Y., Robillard N., Wuillme S., Fouassier M., Eveillard M. Flow cytometry in hematological nonmalignant disorders. International Journal of Laboratory Hematology. 2016;38(1):516. doi: 10.1111/ijlh.12438.13.Duan Z., Gui Y., Li C., Lin J., Gober H.J., Qin J., Li D., Wang L. The immune dysfunction in ankylosing spondylitis patients. Bioscience Trends. 2017;11(1):6976. doi: 10.5582/bst.2016.01171.14.Pasalic L. Assessment of platelet function in whole blood by flow cytometry. Methods in Molecular Biology. 2017;1646:349367. doi: 10.1007/978-1-4939-7196-1_27.15.Doan M., Carpenter A.E. Leveraging machine vision in cell-based diagnostics to do more with less. Nature Materials. 2019;18(5):414418. doi: 10.1038/s41563-019-0339-y.16.Ota S., Horisaki R., Kawamura Y., Ugawa M., Sato I., Hashimoto K., Kamesawa R., Setoyama K., Yamaguchi S., Fujiu K., Waki K., Noji H. Ghost cytometry. Science. 2018;360(6394):12461251. doi: 10.1126/science.aan0096.

Visit link:

The Value and Versatility of Clinical Flow Cytometry - Technology Networks

Fighting invasive species on one island led to plan for all – Great Lakes Echo

Posted on November 13, 2019 by Danzig

Boys stand with a healthy crop of invasive Phragmites at Cheyenne Point on Beaver Island in 2004. Image: stoptheinvasives.wordpress.com

By Helen KorneffelCapital News Service

Michigan researchers recently created a series of steps to show people how to rid Great Lakes islands of plants and animals that invade their ecosystems.

Pamela Grassmick started a grassroots educational campaign to treat invasive species on northern Lake Michigans Beaver Island, where she was born and raised. She targeted phragmites, a non-native plant that grows in wetlands, along roadsides and shorelines.

We always felt that the state wasnt going to ride in on a white horse and solve all of our problems because we are in the middle of Lake Michigan, Grassmick said.

Invasive species locations on High Island. Image: Michigan Natural Features Inventory

The program told Beaver Islanders how phragmites devastated the shoreline and how to remove the invasive plant. About 30 acres of the islands shoreline was affected by phragmites at the time.

Grassmicks work inspired researchers at the Michigan Natural Features Inventory, a group of scientists who conduct fee-for-service and grant-funded projects for public, nonprofit and private clients. They maintain the most comprehensive database on rare species and natural communities in the state.

I used to think invasive species work was too overwhelming and that there was nothing I could do about it, said Phyllis Higman, a senior conservation scientist with the group and co-leader of the invasive species prevention effort.

After I saw Pam and her team on Beaver Island bring down 30 acres of phragmites to two acres in their first year, I was inspired to do similar work, she said. The work these folks are doing is so extraordinary and proactive.

Higman and the research team developed a series of questions to diagnose invasive species problems and solutions: What are you trying to protect? Is the invader a real threat? Do we know how to control it? Where is it? How much of it is there?

Oftentimes, when people learn about invasive species, they just want to go out and kill things, Higman said. That is almost never an effective approach. You need to see where those species actually occur and where you can be effective at addressing them.

The research team saw how invasive species directly affected ecosystems by travelling to Great Lakes islands. Michigan has 1,709 islands, but 14 comprise 90% of the states entire island area.

Brandon Shroeder, senior educator with Michigan Sea Grant, and students monitor Phragmites on Charity Island. Image: Tracy DAugustino

The research team recorded rare animals, plants and high-quality communities on each island. They comprise about 10% of the organizations database, but they are only 1% of the area of Michigan. More than 90 percent of the colonial waterbirds in the Great Lakes were observed on islands.

The Great Lakes has the largest group of freshwater islands in the world, and its a really critical resource, said Daria Hyde, a co-leader of the research team. I feel that because we live in Michigan and a Great Lakes state, its upon us to make sure that were taking care of and providing stewardship for that important resource.

Higman and Hyde were asked to spearhead the invasive species project by the Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy because of a lack of attention to Michigans islands.

The diversity and number of islands in the Great Lakes goes unrecognized, said Matt Preisser, the lake coordinator for the state agencys Water Resources Division. While the islands across the different lakes have different needs by virtue of their geographies, all are vulnerable to invasive species, colonization and establishment.

The team accumulated data over a year on where invasive species are located on the islands. They want to ensure the beauty of the islands and that invasive species do not squash their dynamic ecosystems, Hyde said.

Invasive species are literally marching across landscapes, including islands, and theyre simplifying ecosystems, Higman said. Theyre taking species out systematically by displacing them and that crashes food webs. The more species are taken out by invasion, the less resilient the islands and Michigan will be.

View the developed invasive species proactivity guide developed by the group here https://mnfi.anr.msu.edu/reports/MNFI-Report-2019-20.pdf.

Fighting invasive species on one island led to plan for all - Great Lakes Echo

Select Page ::