Archive for July, 2017

Recording among best weight gains in the first phase of Ekkas Wagyu Challenge, the Hughes familys beef operation appears on-track.

Richard and Dyan Hughes, Wentworth, Clermont introduced Wagyu genetics into their cattle operation 20 years ago and now have Wagyu bulls covering their entire breeding herd.

The Hughes family run more than 10,000 head of cattle across their 40,500 hectare aggregation of properties called Wentworth Station near Clermont, which includes 6000 hectares of sharefarming land, and also run a breeding herd on their Strathalbyn property in Queenslands Burdekin region between Collinsville and Home Hill.

Richard and Dyan Hughes, Wentworth, Clermont placed second in the first phase of this year's Ekka Wagyu Challenge - Best Weight Gain for Pen of Six Grain Fed Wagyu Steers with F2+ Wagyus and achieving a daily average weight gain of 1.23kg.

With a focus on producing highly fertile females and excellent eating quality beef outcomes, the Hughes family have gradually moved towards incorporating more Wagyu genetics in their cattle.

Weve been breeding crossbred Wagyus for at least 20 years and have found we are achieve go results for our beef business with the breed, Mrs Hughes said.

Recently we have started to put Wagyu bulls over our entire breeding herd.

The Hughes started increasing the amount of Wagyu genetics in their herd after noticing very high pregnancy rates in all crossbred Wagyu females at their Burdekin region breeding property.

Any female with some Wagyu in her was falling pregnant very easily, much better than the Brahman/Red Poll-cross females we were running the property, Mrs Hughes said.

It made sense to us to go for fertility when we are also getting the excellent meat eating quality traitswith the Wagyu cattle.

Thats not to say our Brahman cattle didnt have great eating quality as well because weve gone in some taste testing competitions with our Brahman-cross cattle and they can mix it with the best.

Mr Hughes added their cattle operation wanted good fertility traits of the Wagyu breed with the ability of all females to have a calf every year.

The Wagyu breed isvery efficient and fertile type of cattle, he said.

As a cattle operation we have strongly focused on meat quality over the last 15 to 20 years, so I think the beef we produce would be suitable for a dinner table anywhere.

Currently, the Hughes family have a beef supply chain into 400-day Wagyu-cross grain feeding program at Mort and Cos Grassdale feedlot near Dalby, in which Richard and Dyan Hughes are current shareholders in the Mort and Co feedlot.

The season has been very favourable recently for the Hughes familywho previous were in three years of drought across their two large cattle properties.

This is the best our country has looked in many years with good storm rain rolling across our properties since July last year, Mr Hughes said.

We were selling cattle into the live export market and feeder cattle to feedlots during the drought.

We really havent grass finished a steer for four years and this is our first year back at it.

As well as the Wagyu-cross feeder cattle, the Hughes family also run a grass fed beef supply chain that incorporates Red Poll and Brahman genetics originally used in developing a composite bred for their Strathalbyn breeding property in the Burdekin region.

We are now using Wagyu genetics over the Red Poll/Brahman-cross composite cattle as well and selling grass finished steers into a grass fed beef market, Mrs Hughes said.

All we have ever striven for in our cattle operation is fertility and meat quality.

Go here to read the rest:
Hughes benefit from Wagyu fertility and eating quality - Queensland Country Life

In 1977, Alondra Nelson remembers lying stomach-down, head-in-hands, in front of the television, watching Alex Haleys miniseries Roots with her parents. I knew that something special was happening because my parents didnt let us watch TV in the evenings, and here, they were letting us watch eight nights in a row, she told a crowd at the Aspen Ideas Festival, which is co-hosted by the Aspen Institute and The Atlantic. They wanted us to see it for its historic nature.

The miniseries, which traced Haleys genealogy back to the Gambia, spurred many African Americans to start tracing their own ancestries. And it inspired Nelsons own interest in genealogy and the social consequences of learning about ones roots. Now, as the dean of social science at Columbia University, Nelson has spent more than a decade studying what she describes as a new groundswell of root-seekingone propelled by genetic testing.

Today, there are dozens of companies that will sequence segments of a customers DNA and tell them about their ancestry. When Nelson asked the audience how many had made use of such services, at least a dozen people raised their hands. But in 2002, the industry was a nascent one. To find its early customers, Nelson had to go to old-fashioned genealogy clubs and societies.

The history of genetics as a field is steeped in eugenics and scientific racism. And yet, Nelson says that for many African Americans, DNA testing held a special appeal because many of the traditional methods of genealogy had been complicated by the history of slavery. Records disappeared. Names changed. People were trafficked across state lines. Stories were verboten because they were too traumatic. Ancestry testing offered a way of circumventing these obstacles, and airing stories that might never otherwise have come to light. Its an interesting story about race and genetics, Nelson says. When we talk about African Americans in science, its often a story of skepticism and distrust. But this ancestry-testing story is one of pioneering early adopters who are willing to do something different.

One such pioneer was Rick Kittles, a geneticist and cancer researcher who founded a company called African Ancestry Inc. His service provided only broad inferences about where people came from, but for many customers, that was enough. It definitely wasnt perfect, but many people said that if its a choice between no information or an inference that might be slightly off, Ill take the inference, Nelson says.

As tests became more precise, those inferences often proved to be unexpectedly moving. Nelson once met a group of African Americans whose DNA suggested that they had Sierra Leonean ancestry. They met for a ceremony of remembrance on the Ashley River in South Carolina, at a ferry landing where slaves were disembarked from ships and auctioned off. The actor Isaiah Washington was there. A man cast soil and stones from Sierra Leone into the river and said a prayer.

We talk about the history of slavery in this country and it feels so abstract. But genetic ancestry testing can make it very personal, she says. The ceremony allowed for a social practice of healing, where people didnt just have to sit with the knowledge. Many of the folks I talked to tell very moving stories about new relationships they began in their communities with their genetic test results.

Nelson expands on this theme in her recent book, The Social Life of DNA. In it, she argues that DNA is more than a molecule that defines our identity; it also takes a social life beyond its influence within individual bodies. The communities that can arise from ancestry testing are a far cry from the cutesy images often used to sell ancestry tests, in which bemused people swap lederhosen for tartan. This test was not just about identity in a narcissistic way, but about people trying to reconcile the history of slavery, and scaling up from their ancestry test to what it means for the history of the U.S., says Nelson.

When Nelson first looked at ancestry tests, they were mainly of interest to the 50-plus crowd. But theyre now capturing the interest of a younger demographic who are drawn to the quantified-self movement, and the power of dramatically revealing where you came from, reality TV-style. Nelson knows that power first-hand. I didnt want to do the test, but I thought if I was going to do it, it would be with a big reveal, she says.

It happened in an Atlanta ballroom, with Rick Kittles and Isaiah Washington MCing. At the event, Martin Luther King III learned his ancestry on his mothers side traced back to Africa, while his fathers line traced to Scotland and Ireland. He told a story about how were all related in the end, and spoke about his desire to go to Europe. Marcus Garvey Jr.s son heard similar resultsa mothers line that descended from Africa and a fathers line that came from the Iberian Peninsula. He told a story that highlighted the horrors of slavery. It was an example about how these results, even when theyre very similar, get taken up into these stories that are important to us, says Nelson.

She learned that her mitochondrial DNA (which passes down the female line) traced back to the Bamileke people of Cameroona fact that delighted her mother. She couldnt wait to tell everyone, Nelson says. And then soon after, she developed a close relationship with a woman from Cameroon, whose family would spend holidays with us. Her son had grandparents day at school, and since his grandparents are in Cameroon, he invited my motherthe DNA Cameroonianto be his grandparent for the day.

Continue reading here:
How African Americans Use DNA Testing to Connect With Their Past - The Atlantic

Imagine a world in which youre 90 years old and nowhere near middle-aged. An app on your phone has hacked your DNA code, so you know exactly when to go to the doctor to receive gene therapy to prevent all the diseases you dont yet have. A microchip in your skin sends out a signal if youre at risk of developing a wrinkle so you step out of the sun and hotfoot it to your dermatologist. Every evening you sync your brain-mapping device with The Cloud, so even if you were caught up in a fatal accident youd still be able to cheat death every detail of your life would simply be downloaded to one of the perfect silicon versions youd had made of yourself, ensuring you last until at least your 1,000th birthday.

This may sound like science fiction but it could be your fate provided you can afford it. If current research develops into medicine, in the London of the future the super-rich wont simply be able to buy the best things in life, theyll be able to buy life itself by transforming themselves into a bio-engineered super-race, capable of living, if not forever, then for vastly longer than the current UK life expectancy of 81 years.

The science of turning back the clock has never been more advanced. In Boston, a drug capable of reversing half a lifetime of ageing in mice is about to be tested on humans in a medical trial monitored by Nasa. NMN is a compound found naturally in broccoli which boosts levels of NAD, a protein involved in energy production that depletes as we get older. Professor David Sinclair, who headed up the initial research at Australias University of New South Wales, doses himself with 500mg daily, and claims that he has already become more youthful. According to blood tests analysing the state of the 48-year-olds cells, prior to taking the pills Sinclair was in the same physical shape as a 57-year-old, but now hes 31.4.

Meanwhile, Hollywood stars looking for the elixir of youth might want to keep a close eye on developments at Newcastle University where last February Professor Mark Birch-Machin identified, for the first time, the mitochondrial complex which depletes over time, causing skin to age. Mitochondria are the battery packs that power our cells so if we want to slow down ageing we need to keep them topped up; doing so would be transformative for our appearance. In the future, Birch-Machin believes, well not only be taking pills and applying cosmetics, well have implants in our skin. Implants will tell us the state of it how well our batteries are doing, how many free radicals, and will inform us how we are doing with our lifestyle, he says. You can store it, log it, have that linked to your healthcare package.

Such medical discoveries are being translated into treatment at an unprecedented rate. The day after the results of Birch-Machins study were published in The New York Times, his department was contacted by nine companies hoping to turn his research into revolutionary pharmaceuticals. In 2009, Elizabeth Blackburn, a professor of biology and physiology at the University of California, won a Nobel Prize for her work on telomeres, the protective tips on our chromosomes that break down as we get older, leaving us prone to age-related diseases. Blackburn discovered an enzyme called telomerase that can stop the shortening of telomeres by adding DNA like a plastic tip fixing the end of a fraying shoelace. Today, rich Californians now use telomeres therapy to prolong the life of their pets.

Last year, in Monterey, California, the start-up Ambrosia (founded by Dr Jesse Karmazin, a DC-based physician) began trialling the effect of blood transfusions, pumping blood from teenagers into older patients, following studies thatfound that blood plasma from young mice can rejuvenate old mice, improving their memory, cognition and physical activity.

Dr Richard Siow, who heads up the Age Research department at Kings College London, believes we may be soon reach a significant point in anti-ageing research because of the massive amounts of money allocated by governments and charities worldwide in the hope of making a breakthrough. Indeed, according to a survey by Transparency Market Research, by 2019 the anti-ageing market will be worth 151 billion worldwide. Life expectancy in many countries has already increased from 65-68 all the way through to 70, 80, 85 because people are now surviving heart disease, strokes and cancer, points out Siow, who has been studying anti-ageing compounds found in Indian spices and tea. We are now redefining what ageing means. How can we extend that period of health so were not a burden?

It is in Silicon Valley, however, that the really radical advances seem likely to be made. Freshly minted internet tycoons appear willing to pay any price to prolong their lives and a critical mass of geeks is working furiously towards understanding our biology at an unprecedented rate. Take Dmitry Itskov, the Russian billionaire founder of the life-extension non-profit 2045 Initiative, who is paying scientists to map the human brain so our minds can be decanted into a computer and either downloaded to a robot body or synced with a hologram. Or Joon Yun, a physician and hedge fund manager who insisted at an anti-ageing symposium of the California elite in March that ageing is simply a programming error encoded in our DNA. If something is encoded, you can crack the code, he told an audience which, according to The New Yorker, included multi-billionaire Google co-founder Sergey Brin and Goldie Hawn. Thermodynamically, there should be no reason we cant defer entropy indefinitely. We can end ageing forever.

And then theres PayPal founder (and Donald Trump supporter) Peter Thiel, who has a net worth of 2.1 billion and has reportedly invested in start-up Unity Biotechnology which aims to develop drugs that make many debilitating consequences of ageing as uncommon as polio. Thiel has also offered funding to individual researchers, such as Aubrey de Grey, the Chelsea-born, Cambridge and California-based gerontologist who ploughed the 11 million he inherited from his artist mother, Cordelia, into founding the Strategies for Engineered Negligible Senescence Research Foundation in Mountain View, which promotes the use of rejuvenation biotechnology in anti-ageing research.

Of course, the best known element of the immortality industry is cryogenic freezing. Despite its reputation as the last resort of wealthy cranks, it remains in business; at the Alcor cryonics facility in Arizona, 149 corpses have already been preserved in liquid nitrogen at a temperature of minus 196C since it was founded in 1972. Worldwide there are thousands of people signed up for cryogenics services, including Alcors 28 clients in the UK. The service doesnt come cheap (full-body freezing costs 165,000, while having your head cut off and frozen is around 60,000) but it has some impressive-sounding clients, including de Grey and Dr Anders Sandberg, research fellow at Oxford Universitys Future of Humanity Institute.

Its a gamble but its still much better than being dead, says Sandberg. He envisages a world in which the brain is paramount, so when his is revived it could be transformed into a sort of computer programme containing all of his memories of life on earth. If you actually exist as software you have a lot of options. I do enjoy having a physical body but why have just one when you could have lots of different ones?

Of course, if such experiments do come to fruition, they could have far reaching implications for our society. Already, a rapidly ageing population is placing enormous stress on healthcare and pension systems worldwide. De Grey sees the problem of over-population being cured by a dwindling birth-rate. Buthe says little about the impact this would have on the young.

Then theres the question of whether we will one day be living in a world defined by gaping differences in life expectancy where the haves live for 10 times longer than the have nots. Mortality has been the great equaliser from beggars to kings to emperors, says Dr Jack Kreindler, medical director at the Centre for Health & Human Performance in Harley Street. If people embark on really sophisticated, targeted therapies to repair damage to their cells... I think were definitely entering into them and us territory. As projected in Homo Deus, the best-selling book of Israeli academic Yuval Noah Harari, Kreindler adds, we could witness a schism in humanity where we have some people so bioengineered that only the very, very rich can sustain the amount of maintenance required to look after their enhancements, while others simply cant afford to do anything but be natural.

Nevertheless, the quest to overcome mortality continues apace. Last year, at a TEDx symposium Kreindler convened at the Science Museum, Daisy Robinton, a post-doctoral scientist at Harvard University, put forward the theory that ageing should be considered a disease in itself. She described the excitement in the medical community at the discovery of CRISPR/Cas9, a protein that seems to allow us to target and delete genetic mutations in our DNA. Gene editing provides an opportunity to not only cure genetic disease but also to prevent diseases from ever coming into being, Robinton claimed. To treat our susceptibilities before they ever transform into symptoms.

If this theory became fact, dying of old age might one day seem as outmoded as being felled by one of the mass killers of the past for which we get vaccinated. If gene editing on this scale is possible, Kreindler says we have to ask: Can your cells become immortal, can they live forever?

At the Centre for Health & Human Performance, treatments may still be firmly rooted in the 21st century, focused as they are on helping athletes optimise their fitness and celebritiessuch as David Walliams complete gruelling challenges for Sport Relief. But Kreindler is clearlyin awe of what the latestmedical advances might mean for the future of the human race.

I dont believe this should be only for the very rich, he says. If youre going to do things, dont just do it for the billionaires, do it for the billions.

Continued here:
Why the super-rich are ploughing billions into the booming 'immortality industry' - Evening Standard

Dr. Carol Renke and her family practice exudes a familial atmosphere and thats exactly how she likes it. Her husband, Robert Renke, serves as practice manager; much of her staff has been with her for many years; and Renke gets to care for multiple generations of patients, ranging from adolescents to the elderly.

Ive gotten to see patients through different phases of life and I love getting to know them as people, not just their medical histories, she says. I make sure Im spending a little more time with my patients than I think most people are doing these days.

Her two staff physician assistants keep appointments open daily so sick patients can get same-day appointments rather than having to wait. Even with last-minute scheduling, Renke oversees the cases. I review everything. All the blood tests, all the X-rays, she says. And in the style of old-fashioned medicine, Renke insists on following up with a letter or a call after every test. Theres no, Oh if you dont hear from us, everythings fine, she explains. If you do a test, you want the results.

Read more from the original source:
Carol Renke, MD Top Doctors 2017 - Palm Springs Life

Stress. Lets face it. We all have it. The people who dont read this article are simply in denial or arent ready to face it. Stress is the kudzu that looks pretty benign at first, but then takes over everything. It grows out of control. This can lead to adrenal fatigue, which well get into through a future column. We need to figure out how to become more aware of it in order to address it head on.

Stress comes in many forms be prepared, Im about to mention some examples. If they hit home with you, then that feeling you get deep in your chest as I mention them, is the stress response! Ever cram for a final test Stay up all night with a fussy child? Late for work? Have a big presentation to give? Need to get four kids to seven different places after school in traffic (I raised my hand on this one!)? Been diagnosed with an illness? Cancer?Facing a move? Retiring? And the list goes on. And heres the thing depending on how you mentally respond, any situation could or could not be stressful.

Stress disrupts sleep and eating habits, alters hormones, increases risk of illness and accelerates aging just to name a few. Its like a bridle to a horse it has the ability to influence everything else in our lives. Tired all the time Its probably stress causing that or could at least be a significant factor. Heres a good way to test if stress is built into your daily routine are you reactive or proactive most of the day? Do you just put out small fire after small fire answering your phone every time in dings? Responding to email every 5 minutes? Starting several tasks but not completing any before something else pulls you away? If your response is yes, then youre reactive. This is the opposite of proactive, which is the key to carrying around less stress. Proactive is planning and then having a good idea of how your day/week/month/year will unfold. In a life where reactive is the norm, stress is the norm.

As I eluded to above, many times stress is a decision we make in our minds. I have a wonderful friend who, God bless her, turns everything, even a decision about whether or not to put sugar in her tea, into a live or die, extreme stress and life altering decision. She lives in this uber-stress zone that I dont even have enough mental capacity or energy to fathom! This is just cruising for an early heart attack!

Another part of moving towards minimizing stress is that its counter cultural. Just watch a few commercials the American culture is all about being driven, doing more, having more, never settling, and on and on. Dont get me wrong, there are some good caveats to American culture, but the undue stress it put on us through, most times, unachievable expectations is not one of them. Its the perpetual drive for more that breaks us eventually. Sometimes we just need to have an awareness of the moment we are in and be content in that. I think it would lead to less stress not to mention likely freeing our time up more for ourselves, our families, sleep, and whatever else we wanted to do that felt less stressful and more rewarding.

Ever had someone sneak up and scare you?! Ill admit, Im that dad who does it to his kids! That feeling you get is adrenaline from your adrenal glands. How about long term stress, like having a weekly office meeting where you have to present accomplishments? Cortisol is the longer-term hormone released from the adrenals to adjust to stress. How about when that runs out? Like when youre a mother of an infant and you get up with them 2-5 times (yes, that many times for those of you who havent had children yet!) per night for up to a year?! Thats when cortisol reserves are depleted and you move towards burnout or adrenal fatigue. Stress tells your body through all these phases to release fancy things like interleukin-6 and C-reactive protein which cause inflammation. Inflammation is the gateway to almost all the long term issue related to stress like heart disease, high blood pressure, lowered immunity (i.e you get sick more often), poor wound healing, weight gain, insomnia, fatigue and memory impairment.

Well, if I left you there, it would be depressing and add to your stress. Heres a list of just a few simple things you can do to lower your stress level and get back to what normal should feel like:

1. Get more sleep. Just turn the TV off sooner or put your phone down and do it. Youll feel better.

2. Wake up 5 minutes earlier and use that time for quiet reflection and/or to plan your day youd be amazed what a difference this makes!

3. Turn you phone off for part of the day. Heresy, I know! But 20 years ago, if you were driving somewhere for an hour and a half, nobody could reach you and the world didnt end, did it?

4. Schedule your priorities dont prioritize your schedule. Cheesy I knowbut catchy!

5. Get bored. Spend some time doing absolutely nothing ironically, youll get something out of it!

6. Prepare and cook a meal with a significant other. Its therapeutic and will enhance your relationship.

Thats just a few things. There are thousands of other applications. The challenge for you today is to be aware of stress in your life and pick 1-2 things to do to address it. Trust me, itll put a smile on your face!

Dr. Thomas is a board-certified physician who operates Complete Health Integrative Wellness Clinic and Thomas Urology Clinic in Starkville.

This newspaper column is for informational purposes only and is, under no circumstances, intended to constitute medical advice or to create or continue a physician-patient relationship. If you have a medical emergency, you should immediately seek care from your nearest emergency room, and if you have specific health questions, you should consult your own physician.

View original post here:
Only read this if you're stressed - Meridian Star

Cure rate for testis cancer is 90-plus percent Share Facebook Linkedin Pinterest Email

Cancer isnt something anyone wants to spend a lot of time thinking about, yet knowledge is power. When it comes to testicular cancer, acting early has huge implications.

Cleveland Clinic is a non-profit academic medical center. Advertising on our site helps support our mission. We do not endorse non-Cleveland Clinic products or services. Policy

Here are five things every man needs to know:

A cancer diagnosis is never a feel-good moment. But its important that you know that testicular cancer is one of the most treatable cancers out there.

Cleveland Clinic is a non-profit academic medical center. Advertising on our site helps support our mission. We do not endorse non-Cleveland Clinic products or services. Policy

Cleveland Clinic 1995-2017. All Rights Reserved. 9500 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, Ohio 44195 | 800.223.2273 | TTY 216.444.0261

View post:
Testicular Cancer: 5 Things Every Man Needs to Know - Health Essentials from Cleveland Clinic (blog)

Dr. Tennant always has some new diagnostic test or research study up his sleeve. Recently, he asked patients to participate in a new DNA study of genetic indicators not previously studied in rare diseases that involve chronic pain. Every new test and diagnostic tool reveals important information hormone panels, nerve conduction studies, blood tests for inflammatory biomarkers, and MRI images that may reveal the presence of adhesive arachnoiditis.

All of these diagnostic research efforts produce new insights. For example, in a study of over 100 intractable pain patients who require relatively high opioid doses, Dr. Tennant found that 91% of them had genetic defects that impacted their ability to metabolize medications, suggesting why they need higher doses for effective pain relief.

Another example is the growing understanding of the impact of pain on hormone levels. Severe chronic pain initially elevates hormones, but if uncontrolled for too long, hormone levels become depleted. Hormone levels that are too high or too low are biomarkers of uncontrolled pain, and indicate that higher doses of pain medications or hormone replacement may be necessary. Ongoing clinical research is a key element of Dr. Tennants approach to pain care.

In my visits with Louis to numerous pain doctors prior to finding Dr. Tennant, almost all of them said, The goal is to get you off those pain medications.

I was shocked when I first heard Dr. Tennant say, The goal is to relieve your pain.

Dr. Tennant has the expertise to see a patients pain and to ask the right questions. His discerning eye can distinguish between intractable pain patients and the few who come to the clinic seeking drugs for the wrong reasons.

Dr. Tennant understands that most patients have already tried and failed at many different pain treatments. When that is the case, he tries to determine what will work. The goal is to relieve pain so that the patient has a chance at meaningful improvement of function and quality of life. There is no demeaning treatment, there are no words said that convey doubt or suspicion, there are no looks that say, You must be a drug seeker. Dr. Tennants clinic is one of very few medical facilities I have visited where there was no evidence of stigma toward pain patients.

An important piece of Dr. Tennants philosophy is that if you effectively treat the pain, improvements in function and quality of life will follow. Dr. Tennant prescribes medication as needed to enable patients to effectively manage their pain, which in turn helps to stabilize their overall condition, while the underlying causes are identified and treatments are attempted. If a patients pain remains undertreated, the likelihood of successfully treating the underlying causes is greatly reduced.

The Institute of Medicines 2011 report,Relieving Pain in America,called for a cultural transformation in the way pain is understood, assessed, and treated. The characteristics I would seek in such a transformation of pain care are visible every day in Dr. Tennants clinic. I wish that other doctors who treat chronic pain could get outside the bounds of their particular specialties and professional societies to view their patients differently.

As Dr. Tennants research has moved forward, he has found that the majority of chronic pain patients who go to his clinic have 4 or 5 rare disease conditions: adhesive arachnoiditis, post-viral autoimmune disease, Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy (also called Complex Regional Pain Syndrome), and connective tissue disorders such as Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome. All of these conditions are often accompanied by very severe, constant pain.

In the last few years, Dr. Tennant has made great advances in identifying and treating the underlying causes of intractable pain. He credits two recent scientific advances for enabling him to treat the causes rather than just the symptoms of pain. First, we now know that microglial cells within the central nervous system, once activated by a painful injury, disease or trauma, cause inflammation inside the brain and spinal cord. This neuro-inflammation causes chronic pain to centralize in the spinal cord and brain, resulting in severe pain that is constant.

Second, we now know that nerve cells may regrow, a process called neurogenesis. Certain neuro-hormones in the brain and spinal cord can promote neurogenesis when neuro-inflammation is reduced. Dr. Tennants approach is to reduce neuro-inflammation while simultaneously promoting neurogenesis. His protocols for treatment of neuro-inflammation are in their early stage, but they are already providing disease regression, enhanced pain relief, less suffering, and, for some patients, reduction in the use of opioids.

It is a true privilege to work as a volunteer in Dr. Tennants clinic. When I asked him in 2014 if I could be a volunteer, I had two specific reasons: to learn more so I could fight back against our insurance provider (who had suddenly decided to reduce the reimbursement for my husbands pain medications), and to educate myself so that I could become an effective advocate for chronic pain patients. We lost the battle with the insurance company, but I have certainly received an education that very few people have a chance to experience.

Dr. Tennants methods and approaches are not proprietary -- he's eager to share them.There are many good doctors out there who could learn to do what he does, instead of focusing solely on the treatment of pain as a symptom. It doesnt require a fancy clinic, lots of money, and corporate or university infrastructures. What it takes is a doctor who is truly committed to relieving pain and practicing the art of healing.

It is possible to manage pain with medicine instead of injecting the spine, inserting stimulators and pumps, or using other invasive procedures. Instead of treating pain with these modalities, treat and relieve the pain with medication, stabilize the patient, and search for the underlying causes so that they can be addressed.

At age 76, Dr. Tennant could have retired and given up his practice many years ago. Why does he put up with the many challenges of operating a pain clinic? Because he truly cares about helping people who are suffering.

Go here to read the rest:
Doctor Makes California Pain Clinic a Special Place Pain News ... - Pain News Network

SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, CA--(Marketwired - June 29, 2017) - VistaGen Therapeutics Inc.(NASDAQ: VTGN), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing new generation medicines for depression and other central nervous system (CNS) disorders, today reported its financial results for its fiscal year ended March 31, 2017.

The Company also provided an update on its corporate progress, clinical status and anticipated milestones for AV-101, its orally available CNS prodrug candidate in Phase 2 development, initially as a new generation treatment for major depressive disorder (MDD).

"With a team of industry experts and a focused strategy in place, we have established a strong foundation and embarked on paths to achieve several key catalysts within the next 18 months. We anticipate our first catalyst within the next 9 months as the NIMH completes its AV-101 Phase 2 monotherapy study in MDD, a study being conducted and fully funded by the NIH. Additionally, we are working closely with the FDA and our Principal Investigator, Dr. Maurizio Fava of Harvard University Medical School, on our AV-101 Phase 2 adjunctive treatment study in MDD, which we anticipate will begin enrollment in the first quarter of 2018 and be completed by the end of 2018, with topline results available in the first quarter of 2019," commented Shawn Singh, Chief Executive Officer of VistaGen.

In addition to MDD, AV-101 may have therapeutic potential in several other CNS indications where modulation of NMDA receptors, activation of AMPA pathways and/or active metabolites of AV-101 play a key role, including for treatment of epilepsy, as a non-opioid alternative for management of neuropathic pain, and to address certain symptoms associated with Parkinson's disease and Huntington's disease.

Mr. Singh continued, "Our MDD clinical program is our top priority, and will remain so. Additionally, however, recent peer-reviewed publications suggest that AV-101 may have significant therapeutic potential as a non-opioid treatment alternative for pain management. We are also excited about AV-101's potential to reduce dyskinesia associated with standard levodopa, or L-DOPA, therapy for Parkinson's disease, based on results from previous non-clinical studies. Without diverting our priority focus on MDD, we plan to expand our AV-101 Phase 2 clinical program during the next year to include these important CNS indications with significant unmet need."

"We are also pleased to have advanced our cardiac stem cell program during fiscal 2017, through both our participation in the FDA's CiPA initiative focused on using novel human stem cell models to predict cardiac toxicity of new drug candidates long before animal and human studies, as well as our exclusive sublicense agreement with BlueRock Therapeutics, an emerging force in cardiac regenerative medicine, founded and funded by Bayer AG and Versant Ventures. Our initial revenue-generating milestone with BlueRock Therapeutics was completed during fiscal 2017. We are optimistic about this relationship's potential and the future of cardiac regenerative medicine. We believe these significant events over the past year have positioned us to create substantial value for our stakeholders in fiscal 2018 and beyond."

Potential Near-Term Milestones:

Operational Highlights During Fiscal 2017:Achievements Related to Stem Cell Technologies

Advancement of AV-101 as a Potential, Non-Opioid Treatment Alternative for Chronic Pain

Bolstered Team with Industry Experts

Intellectual Property Accomplishments

Capital Market Highlights

Financial Results for the Fiscal Year Ended March 31, 2017:

Revenue for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2017 totaled $1.25 million and was attributable to a sublicense agreement with BlueRock Therapeutics, for certain rights to the Company's proprietary technologies relating to the production of cardiac stem cells for the treatment of heart disease.

Research and development expense totaled $5.2 million for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2017, an increase of approximately 33% compared with the $3.9 million incurred for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2016. The increase in year-over-year research and development expense was attributable to increased focus on development of AV-101, including preparations to launch the Phase 2 Adjunctive Treatment Study in MDD.

General and administrative expense decreased to $6.3 million in the fiscal year ended March 31, 2017, from $13.9 million in the fiscal year ended March 31, 2016, primarily as a result of the decrease in non-cash stock compensation expense, partially offset by an increase in non-cash expense related to grants of equity securities in payment of certain professional services during fiscal 2017. Of the amounts reported, non-cash expenses, related primarily to grants or modifications of equity securities, totaled approximately $3.1 million in fiscal 2017 and $11.9 million in fiscal 2016.

Net loss for the fiscal years ended March 31, 2017 and 2016 was approximately $10.3 million and $47.2 million, respectively, the latter amount including a non-recurring, non-cash expense of approximately $26.7 million attributable to the extinguishment of approximately $15.9 million carrying value of prior indebtedness, including then-outstanding Senior Secured Convertible Notes, and conversion of such indebtedness into equity securities between May and September 2015 at a conversion price (stated value of the equity received) of $7.00 per share.

At March 31, 2017, the Company had a cash and cash equivalents balance of $2.9 million. Since late-March 2017, the Company sold units consisting of unregistered common stock and common stock warrants to accredited investors in a self-placed private placement, yielding approximately $1 million in cash proceeds to the Company.

About VistaGen

VistaGen Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: VTGN) is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing new generation medicines for depression and other central nervous system (CNS) disorders. VistaGen's lead CNS product candidate, AV-101, is in Phase 2 development, initially as a new generation oral antidepressant drug candidate for major depressive disorder (MDD). AV-101's mechanism of action is fundamentally differentiated from all FDA-approved antidepressants and atypical antipsychotics used adjunctively to treat MDD, with potential to drive a paradigm shift towards a new generation of safer and faster-acting antidepressants. AV-101 is currently being evaluated by the U.S. National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) in a Phase 2 monotherapy study in MDD being fully funded by the NIMH and conducted by Dr. Carlos Zarate Jr., Chief, Section on the Neurobiology and Treatment of Mood Disorders and Chief of Experimental Therapeutics and Pathophysiology Branch at the NIMH. VistaGen is preparing to launch a 180-patient Phase 2 study of AV-101 as an adjunctive treatment for MDD patients with inadequate response to standard, FDA-approved antidepressants. Dr. Maurizio Fava of Harvard University will be the Principal Investigator of the Company's Phase 2 adjunctive treatment study. AV-101 may also have the potential to treat multiple CNS disorders and neurodegenerative diseases in addition to MDD, including neuropathic pain, epilepsy, Huntington's disease, L-Dopa-induced dyskinesia associated with Parkinson's disease and other disorders where modulation of the NMDA receptors, activation of AMPA pathways and/or key active metabolites of AV-101 may achieve therapeutic benefit.

VistaStem Therapeutics is VistaGen's wholly owned subsidiary focused on applying human pluripotent stem cell technology, internally and with collaborators, to discover, rescue, develop and commercialize proprietary new chemical entities (NCEs), including small molecule NCEs with regenerative potential, for CNS and other diseases, and cellular therapies involving stem cell-derived blood, cartilage, heart and liver cells.

For more information, please visit http://www.vistagen.com and connect with VistaGen on Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook.

Forward-Looking Statements

The statements in this press release that are not historical facts may constitute forward-looking statements that are based on current expectations and are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual future results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such statements. Those risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, risks related to the successful financing, launch, continuation and results of the NIMH's Phase 2 (monotherapy) and/or the Company's planned Phase 2 (adjunctive therapy) clinical studies of AV-101 in MDD, and other CNS diseases and disorders, including neuropathic pain and L-DOPA-induced dyskinesia associated with Parkinson's disease, protection of its intellectual property, and the availability of substantial additional capital to support its operations, including the Phase 2 clinical development activities described above. These and other risks and uncertainties are identified and described in more detail in VistaGen's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). These filings are available on the SEC's website at http://www.sec.gov. VistaGen undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements.

FINANCIAL TABLES FOLLOW

Read the rest here:
VistaGen Therapeutics Reports Fiscal 2017 Financial Results and Provides Corporate Update - Markets Insider

By Manisha Samy, ARK analyst

Discovered nearly thirty years ago in 1988[1], stem cell technology has failed to transform the field of regenerative medicine until now. After delivering only one treatment during three decades of development, stem cell technology could finally become the all-purpose tool for repairing the body, thanks to rapid and precise genome editing techniques such as CRISPR and TALENs. Several obstacles in stem cell technology- high costs, safety concerns, and bioethical considerations are beginning to fall away. In particular, the introduction of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) eliminated many of the initial bioethical concerns stirred by the the source of stem cells. Now, advances in genome-editing is accelerating the pace of progress.

Stem cells exist in a state of possibility. Two key markers of stem cells are 1) the ability to self-renew and 2). The ability to become any specialized cell. Broadly speaking, a stem cell can evolve into any of the ~200 specialized human cell types, as illustrated in Figure 1. Directing stem cells to become any one of the 200 cell types has proven challenging.

Moreover, before the introduction of iPSCs, which are derived from adult cells, most human stem cells were sourced from human embryos or cord blood. The political and ethical controversies surrounding embryonic research curtailed stem cell funding. As a result, after a quarter century of research, bone marrow transplantation is the only FDA-approved stem cell application in the United States.

Figure 1

Breakthroughs in cheap, rapid genome-editing have re-invogored momentum in stem cell research. As shown in Figure 2, the number of publications on PubMed mentioning both stem cells and gene-editing hit a tipping point upon the discovery of CRISPR in 2012, three years after the first instance of precise TALENs-based genome-editing in human cells. Based on the current trajectory, ARK estimates that the number of scientific publications including both genome-editing and stem cells will approach 300 this year, accounting for nearly 20% of the total number of publications.

Figure 2

As illustrated in Figure 3, while the discovery of iPSC cells in 2006 boosted stem cell research noticeably beginning in 2008, the introduction of CRISPR in 2012 has further catapulted the stem cell field, with combined gene-editing and stem cell publications taking share.

Figure 3

Why Is The Addition of Gene-Editing So Important to Stem Cell Research and Therapy?

Figure 4

Ultimately, CRISPR edited iPSCs should unlock the code to human disease at a cellular level. Three public CRISPR companies are in a good position for the impending stem cell revolution. Editas Medicine (EDIT) signed a stem cell pact with GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) and Biogen (BIIB) for next-gen stem-cell therapies; CRISPR Therapeutics (CRSP) CRSP),+Casebia+Therapeutics+Sign+Commercial+License+Agreement+to+MaxCyte/12664463.html" rel="nofollow">licensed a CRISPR delivery mechanism for blood stem cells and has formed a CRISPR joint venture with Bayer (BAYZF); and Intellia Therapeutics (NTLA) has partnered with biotech giant Novartis NVS to focus on stem-cell based therapies. These companies, among others, finally might unleash the limitless possibilities that stem cells once promised in regenerative medicine, extending human life spans considerably.

Notes

[1] The Weissman Lab at Stanford University first isolated hematopoietic (blood) stem cells from mice bone marrow in 1988; it would be another decade before human stem cells were isolated.

Disclosure: ARK's statements are not an endorsement of any company or a recommendation to buy, sell or hold any security. For a list of all purchases and sales made by ARK for client accounts during the past year that could be considered by the SEC as recommendations, click here. It should not be assumed that recommendations made in the future will be profitable or will equal the performance of the securities in this list. For full disclosures, click here.

Disclaimer: 2017, ARK Investment Management LLC ("ARK"). All content is original and has been researched and produced by ARK unless otherwise stated. No part of ARK's original content may be reproduced in any form, or referred to in any other publication, without the express written permission of ARK. The content is available for informational purposes only and is subject to change without notice. All statements made regarding companies or securities or other financial information on this site or any sites relating to ARK are strictly beliefs and points of view held by ARK or the third party making such statement and are not endorsements by ARK of any company or security or recommendations by ARK to buy, sell or hold any security. For a list of all purchases and sales made by ARK for client accounts during the past year that could be considered by the SEC as recommendations, click here. It should not be assumed that recommendations made in the future will be profitable or will equal the performance of the securities in this list. For full disclosures, please see the Terms of Use for this site.

Editor's Note: This article discusses one or more securities that do not trade on a major U.S. exchange. Please be aware of the risks associated with these stocks.

Read more from the original source:
The Stem Cell Revolution - Seeking Alpha

Updated: Jun 30, 2017 - 11:30 PM

BOSTON - Its been nearly four years since a bone marrow donation saved Mandy Manocchios life, but the anticipation of the last few hours before she met the donor seemed like they took forever.

"When you hear that you have less than a year to live and your life's basically laying on the line and if I didn't find a donor it would've been catastrophic, but she's my angel, she said.

At Brigham and Women's Hospital in November 2013, Mandy had a bone marrow transplant to treat acute myeloid leukemia - on Friday night at The Harp in Boston she finally got to meet Magdelena Kruger, the woman who saved her life.

"She allowed me to watch my children grow up and have another, Mandy said.

Kruger had just landed after an 11-hour flight from Germany. When the two women saw each other there was no need for words.

Stem cells from Kruger were couriered 4,000 miles from Germany. Through a translator, she said it was the first time shed ever donated.

I just wanted to help somebody who's sick and needs help, she said.

Now both women are advocates for bone marrow donations. They say the process is relatively simple and life-changing on both ends.

"It's so rewarding to see that immediate result of how you can help somebody, Kruger said.

To learn more about bone marrow donation or to register as a bone marrow donor, please visit dkms.org.

2017 Cox Media Group.

See the original post here:
Embrace expresses more than words for marrow donor who saved woman's life - My Fox Boston

Conference Series LLC welcomes you to attend the 7th International Conference and Exhibition on Cell & Gene Therapy during March 15-17, 2018 at London, UK. We cordially invite all the participants who are interested in sharing their knowledge and research in the arena of Cell & Gene Therapy.

Cell and Gene Therapy Conference is to ameliorate the knowledge, awareness, and education on cell and gene therapy leading to the discovery of genetic and cellular therapies which aid to alleviate the human disease as it is the most significant emerging technology in the eyes of Medical, Biotechnology, Pharmaceuticals and Academia. Cell and Gene Therapy Conference 2018 is an excellent opportunity for the delegates from Universities and Institutes to interact with the world class Scientists.

Cell Therapy Conferences will provide a perfect platform to all the Doctors, Researchers Business Delegates and Scientists to approach and deliver all the attendees about the latest scientific advancements on the respective sphere.

Gene Therapy Conferences strategic astuteness is to be an event for bringing together Scientists, Physicians, International mix of leading Universities, Cell Gene Therapy Institutions to transform the practice of medicine by incorporating the use of genetic and cellular therapies to control and cure human disease.

This three-day Gene Therapy Event will address key issues concerning cell and gene therapy in the broader context of cellular and genetic disorder. Organized around daily themes, the Conference focuses on moving from present knowledge to future solutions

For more details: http://cellgenetherapy.conferenceseries.com/

Contact:

Angelica Kenova

Email: celltherapy@conferenceseries.net

Like what you just read? You can find similar content on the communities below.

To personalize the content you see on Technology Networks homepage, Log In or Subscribe for Free

See the article here:
7th International Conference and Exhibition on Cell and Gene Therapy - Technology Networks

U.K. firm NightstaRx raised $45 million in a Series C financing round to support continued clinical development of its pipeline of retinal gene therapies, including a pending Phase III study with lead candidate NSR-REP1 for treating choroideremia. The new funds will also be used to support an ongoing Phase I/II study with NSR-RPGR in patients with X-linked retinitis pigmentosa (RP), and a proposed Phase I/II trial with a gene therapy product targeting an inherited form of macular dystrophy. Nightstar projects starting the macular dystrophy clinical trial during late 2018.

Investors in the Series C round included Nightstars existing investors Syncona and New Enterprise Associates (NEA) and new investors Wellington Management Company and Redmile Group. As an original investor in Nightstar, our goal from day one was to build a global gene therapy leader with the capability of developing multiple programs for inherited retinal diseases, commented Chris Hollowood, Ph.D., chairman of the board of Nightstar and chief investment officer of Syncona, which is funded by The Wellcome Trust. We welcome Wellington Management and Redmile Group as investors and look forward to working with them and NEA to fulfill Nightstars potential.

Founded in 2014 by researchers at the University of Oxford, Nightstar is developing a pipeline of one-time potentially curative treatments for rare inherited retinal diseases. Lead candidate NSR-REP1 is an adeno-associated virus (AAV) vector-based gene therapy in development for treating choroideremia, a rare X-linked inherited retinal dystrophy for which there are currently no disease-modifying therapies. The AAV vector is administered by injection under the retina, using standard surgical procedures performed under local anesthetic. Nightstar says a Phase I/II study carried out by the University of Oxford confirmed long-term benefits of the treatment including vision improvement or stabilization.

The firms AAV-vector-based NSR-RPGR gene therapy for X-linked RP is designed to deliver a normal copy of the RP GTPase regulator (RPGR) gene, which Nightstar says is mutated in more than 70% of cases of X-linked RP. The procedure similarly involves injecting the gene-carrying vector under the retina. The ongoing Phase I/II study with NSR-RPGR was started in March.

Nightstar has ongoing collaborations with the University of Oxford, the Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, and the Institute for Ophthalmic Research, Tbingen University Hospital. In February, the firm inked a collaboration with Netherlands-based Preceyes to develop a subretinal drug delivery technology based on the latters high-precision robotic device for ocular surgery.

Here is the original post:
NightstaRx Raises $45M to Fund Phase III Study with Retinal ... - Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News (blog)