Category Archives: Molecular Medicine

Applications are invited for a temporary post of a UCD Post-doctoral Research Fellow Level 1 within the UCD School of Medicine

University College Dublin is seeking applications for a Postdoctoral Research Fellow position to work on a collaborative research project in Precision Oncology Ireland (a Science Foundation Ireland Strategic Partnership Programme). The project is in collaboration with AstraZeneca.

Immune Checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have opened a new avenue for cancer therapy. However, responses are variable between different patients and cancer types. For instance, clinical studies of ICIs in epithelial ovarian cancer have yielded low response rates despite being an extremely antigenic tumour, with a very dynamic tumour microenvironment, The objective of this study is to work with AstraZeneca, systems biologists and clinician scientists to improve the efficacy of ICIs in low response cancers such as epithelial ovarian cancer - the most lethal form of female cancer.

The main aims of the project are to:

This project is carried out by an interdisciplinary team at Systems Biology Ireland (SBI) at UCD and AstraZeneca (Cambridge, UK). This post will be located at SBI and jointly supervised by Prof Walter Kolch (systems biology, proteomics) and Prof Donal Brennan (clinician, single cell sequencing). The position may also include opportunities to visit AstraZeneca. The ideal candidate will have a strong background in (onco)immunology and cell biology, a solid working knowledge of signal transduction and omics methods to analyse signalling processes.

This is a research focused role, where you will conduct a specified programme of research supported by research training and development under the supervision and direction of a Principal Investigator.

The primary purpose of the role is to further develop your research skills and competences, including the processes of publication in peer-reviewed academic publications, the development of funding proposals, the mentorship of graduate students along with the opportunity to develop your skills in research led teaching.

Precision Oncology Ireland (POI; http://www.precisiononcology.ie) is a consortium of 5 Irish Universities, 6 Irish Charities, and 8 companies aiming to develop new diagnostics and therapeutics for the personalised treatment of cancer. The consortium is part-funded by Science Foundation Ireland under their Strategic Partnership Programme. The shared vision is to combine cutting-edge genomics, proteomics, metabolomics and imaging technologies integrated through computational analysis and modelling to generate molecular profiles that allow us to better understand cancer pathogenesis, progression and response to therapies. Bringing together experimental and computational advances combined through data integration is a key competitive advantage of the POI consortium. The results will be better diagnostics, personalised cancer therapies, and acceleration of cancer drug discovery and development.

Systems Biology Ireland (SBI, http://www.ucd.ie/sbi), established in 2009, has successfully developed an integrated mathematical modelling and experimental research programme focusing on the design of new diagnostic and therapeutic approaches to diseases, primarily cancer, based on a systems level, mechanistic understanding of cellular signal transduction networks. To accomplish these goals, SBI uses mathematical and computational modelling approaches in combination with cutting edge experimental technologies in genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, advanced microscopy and flow cytometry as well as cell biology and molecular biology methods. SBI's expertise, particularly in the area of modelling in systems pharmacology and therapeutics, strategically position it at the crossroads between biology and medicine. The purpose-built SBI facility sits in the space between the UCD Conway Institute and the Health Sciences Centre (UCD Charles Institute of Dermatology and School of Medicine). It is physically linked to both buildings, providing access to existing technology platforms, educational and conference facilities and ideally placed to train allied healthcare professionals. The facility houses a multidisciplinary team of some 50 researchers including bioinformaticians

Salary: 38,631 - 41,025 per annumAppointment on the above range will be dependent on qualifications and experience

Closing date: 17:00hrs (local Irish time) on 27th November 2021

Applications must be submitted by the closing date and time specified. Any applications which are still in progress at the closing time of 17:00hrs (Local Irish Time) on the specified closing date will be cancelled automatically by the system. UCD are unable to accept late applications.

UCD do not require assistance from Recruitment Agencies. Any CV's submitted by Recruitment Agencies will be returned.

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UCD Post-doctoral Research Fellow Level 1, School of Medicine job with UNIVERSITY COLLEGE DUBLIN (UCD) | 234707 - Times Higher Education (THE)

UCLA researchers using a model of airway tissue created from human stem cells have pinpointed how smoking cigarettes causes more severe infection by SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, in the airways of the lungs.

The study, led by scientists at the Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research at UCLA and published in Cell Stem Cell, will help researchers better understand COVID-19 risks for smokers and could inform the development of new therapeutic strategies to help reduce smokers' chances of developing severe disease.

Cigarette smoking is one of the most common causes of lung diseases, including lung cancer and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and most demographic studies of COVID-19 patients have indicated that current smokers are at increased risk of severe infection and death. But the reasons why have not been entirely clear.

To help understand how smoking affects SARS-CoV-2 infection on a cellular and molecular level, Dr. Brigitte Gomperts partnered with co-senior authors Vaithilingaraja Arumugaswami, an associate professor of molecular and medical pharmacology, and Kathrin Plath, a professor of biological chemistry, to recreate what happens when the airways of a current smoker are infected with SARS-CoV-2.

The team utilized a platform known as an air-liquid interface culture, which is grown from human airway stem cells and closely replicates how the airways behave and function in humans. The airways, which carry air breathed in from the nose and mouth to the lungs, are the body's first line of defense against airborne pathogens like viruses, bacteria and smoke.

"Our model replicates the upper part of the airways, which is the first place the virus hits," said Gomperts, a professor pulmonary medicine and member of the UCLA Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center. "This is the part that produces mucus to trap viruses, bacteria and toxins and contains cells with finger-like projections that beat that mucus up and out of the body."

The air-liquid interface cultures used in the study were grown from airway stem cells taken from the lungs of five young, healthy, nonsmoking tissue donors. To replicate the effects of smoking, the researchers exposed these airway cultures to cigarette smoke for three minutes per day over four days.

"This type of model has been used to study lung diseases for over a decade and has been shown to mimic the changes in the airway that you would see in a person who currently smokes," said Gomperts, who is also vice chair of research in pediatric hematology-oncology at the UCLA Children's Discovery and Innovation Institute.

Next, the group infected the cultures exposed to cigarette smoke -- along with identical cultures that had not been exposed -- with live SARS-CoV-2 virus and the two groups were compared. In the models exposed to smoke, the researchers saw between two and three times more infected cells.

Digging further, the researchers determined that smoking resulted in more severe SARS-CoV-2 infection, at least in part, by blocking the activity of immune system messenger proteins called interferons. Interferons play a critical role in the body's early immune response by triggering infected cells to produce proteins to attack the virus, summoning additional support from the immune system, and alerting uninfected cells to prepare to fight the virus. Cigarette smoke is known to reduce the interferon response in the airways.

"If you think of the airways like the high walls that protect a castle, smoking cigarettes is like creating holes in these walls," Gomperts said. "Smoking reduces the natural defenses and that allows the virus to set in."

Reference: Purkayastha A, Sen C, Garcia G et al. Direct exposure to SARS-CoV-2 and cigarette smoke increases infection severity and alters the stem cell-derived airway repair response. Cell Stem Cell. 2020. doi:10.1016/j.stem.2020.11.010

This article has been republished from the following materials. Note: material may have been edited for length and content. For further information, please contact the cited source.

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Study Reveals How Smoking Worsens COVID-19 Infection in the Airways - Technology Networks

Mohamed Elrashed Shogar, graduating in genetics, stands inside a Molecular Biology Building laboratory where he has conducted much of his undergraduate research. Photo by Christopher Gannon. Larger image. All photos and videos were shot following physical distancing guidelines, and with staff wearing face coverings.

AMES, Iowa A headache started Mohamed Shogars journey to a career in medicine.

His mothers relentless headaches forced her to travel more than 900 miles from their home to Sudans capital, Khartoum, for treatment. She never found relief, and it frustrated Shogar, who is graduating from Iowa State University next weekend with a bachelors degree in genetics.

Shes the reason, Shogar said. She motivated me to pursue a career in medicine.

He was also bothered by the physician shortage in his hometown of Al Fashir. Shogar noticed the same physician shortage when he arrived in the United States and again thought, Why not pursue a career in medicine to help them out?

Shogars mother has a Ph.D. and his father is a high school principal. Education was the biggest priority for his family. So, after graduating high school, Shogar came to the U.S. in 2016.

After traveling to Egypt to meet with the U.S. ambassador and receive a green card, Shogar was on his way.

The first time, when I landed in Chicago, I was so overwhelmed, he said. I didnt know what to expect. I didnt know the language or the culture. I had just finished high school, and the future wasnt clear to me.

He headed to Cedar Rapids, where he lived with his cousin for a few months and talked to newfound friends about his educational options in the state. One friend suggested starting out at a community college before heading to a four-year university. So, Shogar enrolled at Kirkwood Community College and took English as a Second Language classes while working full time at the Nordstrom warehouse. He gained medical experience as a phlebotomist at Mercy Medical Center in Cedar Rapids before taking some courses at the University of Iowa.

In 2018, he transferred to Iowa State to finish his genetics degree. At the same time, hes worked as a phlebotomist at Mary Greeley Medical Center.

I wouldnt have done it without the people who helped me out, he said. Im so grateful for them.

During his first semester in Ames, Shogar had to take organic chemistry considered one of the most difficult courses at Iowa State. He struggled during the first exam and felt defeated. But he went to the office of chemistry professor Arthur Winter for help. They talked about college courses generally, and how to study. On Shogars next organic chemistry exam, he received a near-perfect score.

Shogar found community and friendship in his classes as well as student organizations, such as the Sudan United Association and the Minority Association for Pre-Health Students.

He typically travels back to Sudan every winter to visit his family, but with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and his post-graduation plans, that visit is on hold. Right now, hes in the midst of the nerve-wracking process of applying to medical schools.

Shogar said going to school and working through the pandemic has been mentally and emotionally draining.

It also had an impact on my education journey, he said. I was not able to shadow and volunteer, which is a very important part in medical school applications.

He also found a mentor in Mark Hargrove, Morrill Professor of biochemistry, biophysics and molecular biology (BBMB), who talked with Shogar about his plans after graduation. To build his research experience, Gordon connected Shogar with Alan DiSpirito, professor of BBMB, whose lab works with methanobactin to study its effects on Wilsons disease, a genetic disorder that causes excessive copper build-up in the body.

This has been an amazing experience, honestly, Shogar said. Its been such a welcoming environment.

The opportunities that I got here, I dont think I would be able to get in Sudan. In terms of the quality of education, I cant even compare it.

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Four years after landing in US, graduating ISU senior is on his way to medical school - Iowa State University News Service

The Dental College of Georgia (DCG) and the Medical College of Georgia, recently performed a study which produced results showing that cannabidiol (CBD), a non-psychoactive cannabinoid found in cannabis, reduces damage in the lungs spurred by cytokine storms caused by coronavirus (COVID-19).

A recent study from the Dental College of Georgia (DCG) (Augusta, Georgia) and the Medical College of Georgia (Augusta, Georgia) produced results showing that cannabidiol (CBD), a non-psychoactive cannabinoid found in cannabis, reduces damage in the lungs spurred by cytokine storms caused by coronavirus (COVID-19) (1). In an earlier study (2), the researchers illustrated that CBD can reduce inflammation and physical lung damage associated with adult respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), along with improved oxygen levels. The new study revealed the mechanisms behind these earlier results, exhibiting that CBD normalizes levels of apelin, a peptide known to reduce inflammation. During a COVID-19 infection, levels of the apelin peptide are low. Results of this study have been published in the Journal of Cellular and Molecular Medicine (3).

In the authors ARDS model, blood levels of apelin (a crucial piece in regulation, bringing both blood pressure and inflammation down) had dropped close to zero and increased 20 times with CBD. In the instance that blood pressure gets too high, apelin levels rise up to help alleviate the pressure. It is assumed that apelin should also help normalize inflammation in the lungs and other related breathing difficulties linked to ARDS. Ideally with ARDS it would increase in areas of the lungs where its needed to improve blood and oxygen flow to compensate and to protect, said Dr. Babak Baban, DCG immunologist (1). In their ARDS model, apelin did neither of these. When CBD was administered, apelin increased.

Although with their current study, the authors reiterated that much more is still being studied and there is some animosity in regard to whether CBD or COVID-19 have a direct effect on apelin but they are continuing on their mission to find out. It is an association; we dont know yet about causative, but it is a very good indicator of the disease, Baban said (1). What they have found so far is that the reductions in apelin could potentially be an early biomarker for ARDS and response to treatment efforts.

Based on their earlier study, the authors mentioned that the data supported the idea that the anti-inflammatory function of CBD may assist in reducing cytokine storm and mitigate the effects of exaggerated inflammation (2). Further adding that, considering all potential regulatory effects of CBD as well as the vast distribution of endocannabinoid system in the body, it is plausible that CBD may be used as a therapeutic candidate in the treatment of various inflammatory conditions including COVID-19 and other virus-induced ARDS.

Expanding from the researchers newest study, the next steps for their research would be to comprise a stronger understanding of the interactions between apelin, CBD, and COVID-19 as well as studying why apelin decreases during COVID-19 infections and how CBD increases those numbers. They will explore how eliminating apelin affects ARDS and if CBD is able to produce the same lung benefit without the peptide. It is assumed that COVID-19 suppresses some sort of reaction that then suppresses apelin and CBD interferes with this process. Nonetheless, the authors doubt the apelin-CBD interaction is the only means by which the compound works in this or other scenarios.

Moving forward with their studies, the authors have refined a safe, relatively inexpensive model of ARDS by giving a synthetic analogue of double-stranded ribonucleic acid (RNA) called POLY (I:C). COVID-19 has double-stranded RNA, while human deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) is single-stranded. The researchers model propagated a response similar to the virus, along with the extreme lung damage and cytokine storm, reflecting an overactive immune response in the lungs.

Gathering data for these studies, a control group received intranasal saline consecutively for three days while the COVID-19 model received POLY (I:C) intranasally for three days. Then there was a third group, known as the treatment group, who received POLY (I:C) and CBD over the same timeframe. The results produced significantly reduced apelin levels in the mice who had developed COVID-19-like symptoms compared to controls, and treatment with CBD normalized the immune response, apelin levels, oxygen levels, swelling, and scarring in the lungs.

CBD has shown itself to be a natural apelin agonist. Apelin levels are consistently measurable in the lungs, which is one of the reasons it proves to be a good biomarker. Aside from CBD, other cannabinoids, such as tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), are proving themselves beneficial in the fight against COVID-19 by decreasing the risk of cytokine storms, ARDS, and mortality (4,5). With future research, cannabis may prove itself useful in strengthening the side of those battling the virus and others fighting to rid the world of COVID-19.

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COVID-19 Lung Inflammation Reduced by CBD - Cannabis Science and Technology

Betina Brresen,1 Anders Elias Hansen,2,3 Frederikke Petrine Fliedner,2 Jonas Rosager Henriksen,3 Dennis Ringkjbing Elema,3,4 Malene Brandt-Larsen,5 Lotte Kellemann Kristensen,2 6 Annemarie Thuri Kristensen,1 6 Thomas Lars Andresen,3 Andreas Kjr2,5

1Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Frederiksberg C 1870, Denmark; 2Cluster for Molecular Imaging, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen N 2200, Denmark; 3DTU Health Technology, Center for Nanomedicine and Theranostics, Technical University of Denmark, Lyngby, Kgs 2800, Denmark; 4DTU Health Technology, The Hevesy Laboratory, Center for Nuclear Technologies, Technical University of Denmark, Roskilde, 4000, Denmark; 5Department of Clinical Physiology, Nuclear Medicine and PET, Copenhagen University Hospital, Copenhagen 2100, Denmark; 6Minerva Imaging, Copenhagen N 2200, Denmark

Correspondence: Andreas KjrCluster for Molecular Imaging, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Blegdamsvej 3, Copenhagen N 2200, DenmarkTel +45 35 32 75 04Fax +45 35 32 75 46Email akjaer@sund.ku.dk

Background: The accumulation of liposome encapsulated chemotherapy in solid cancers is dependent on the presence of the enhanced permeability and retention (EPR) effect. Positron emission tomography (PET) imaging with a liposome encapsulated radioisotope, such as liposome encapsulated Cu-64 (64Cu-liposome) may help to identify tumors with high liposome accumulation, and thereby stratify patients based on expected benefit from liposomal chemotherapy. However, intravenous administration of liposomes without a cytotoxic content is complicated by the accelerated blood clearance (ABC) phenomenon for succeeding therapeutic liposome dosing. Alternative markers for assessing the tumors EPR level are therefore warranted.Materials and Methods: To increase our understanding of EPR variations and to ultimately identify an alternative marker for the EPR effect, we investigated the correlation between 64Cu-liposome PET/CT (EPR effect) and 68Ga-RGD PET/CT (neoangiogenesis), 18F-FDG PET/CT (glycolysis), diffusion-weighted MRI (diffusivity) and interstitial fluid pressure in two experimental cancer models (CT26 and COLO 205).Results: 64Cu-liposome and 68Ga-RGD SUVmax displayed a significant moderate correlation, however, none of the other parameters evaluated displayed significant correlations. These results indicate that differences in neoangiogenesis may explain some EPR variability, however, as correlations were only moderate and not observed for SUVmean, 68Ga-RGD is probably insufficient to serve as a stand-alone surrogate marker for quantifying the EPR effect and stratifying patients.

Keywords: EPR effect, liposome, positron emission tomography, neoangiogenesis

This work is published and licensed by Dove Medical Press Limited. The full terms of this license are available at https://www.dovepress.com/terms.php and incorporate the Creative Commons Attribution - Non Commercial (unported, v3.0) License.By accessing the work you hereby accept the Terms. Non-commercial uses of the work are permitted without any further permission from Dove Medical Press Limited, provided the work is properly attributed. For permission for commercial use of this work, please see paragraphs 4.2 and 5 of our Terms.

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Noninvasive Molecular Imaging of the Enhanced Permeability and Retenti | IJN - Dove Medical Press

By Easwaran Rutnam

The Ministry of Health Ministry has warned that the latest variant of the coronavirus is more dangerous than the earlier one.

Health Ministry Secretary Major General Sanjeewa Munasinghe said that the latest variant of the virus has been identified as B142, a subgroup of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.

He said that this was confirmed by scientists at the Department of Immunology and Molecular Medicine and Allergy, Immunology and Cell Biology Unit of the University of Sri Jayewardenepura.

In a special statement last evening (Sunday), Major General Sanjeewa Munasinghe said that the latest virus is spreading faster from one person to another.

He noted that the virus load in a person is higher than what it was earlier.

We have identified this virus as being very dangerous, he said.

He also warned that children and senior citizens are at a higher risk of contracting the new virus.

The Health Ministry Secretary said that people suffering from various illnesses, including cancer patients are less immune to the virus.

Major General Sanjeewa Munasinghe said that a simple sneeze can spread billions of virus particles as opposed to 100,000 particles seen earlier.

This shows if there is a patient among the public how far the virus can spread, he said.

As a result, he said it was important for the public to limit their movements, especially out of their home towns as there is a threat of the virus spreading around the country.

Major General Sanjeewa Munasinghe said that the public must stay home and go out only if there is an urgent requirement. (Colombo Gazette)

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Health Ministry warns simple sneeze can spread billions of virus particles - Colombo Gazette

CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Nov. 02, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Trillium Therapeutics Inc. (Trillium or the Company) (NASDAQ/TSX: TRIL), a clinical stage immuno-oncology company developing innovative therapies for the treatment of cancer, today announced the formation of a Scientific Advisory Board (SAB), including Karen Ferrante, MD, Gordon Freeman, PhD, Tom Reynolds, MD, PhD, Steven Rosen, MD, and Jeff Settleman, PhD.

It is a true privilege to announce this SAB, comprised of leading experts who have had major formative impact on the field of oncology/immuno-oncology over the past 25 years, said Jan Skvarka, Trillium President and Chief Executive Officer. Their combined resume includes several of the most groundbreaking oncology drugs or underlying scientific discoveries, including the PD-1/PD-L1 class, Adcetris, interferon, Iressa, Lemtrada, Velcade, Tarceva, Taxol, and Xalkori, among others. We are looking forward to their guidance as we continue expanding our research and development activities.

Members of the Trilliums SAB include:

Karen J. Ferrante, MD Dr. Ferrante is a hematologist-oncologist with 25 years of experience in oncology drug development. She was the Head of R&D and CMO at Tokai Pharmaceuticals, and Head of the Oncology Therapeutic Area at Takeda and CMO at Millennium Pharmaceuticals, after holding a variety of roles in oncology clinical development at Pfizer and BMS. During her career she was involved in the clinical development of a number of important cancer therapeutics including Taxol, Tarceva and Velcade.

Gordon Freeman, PhD Dr. Freeman is an immunology researcher in the Department of Medical Oncology at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and a Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School. Dr. Freeman is best known for the discovery of the PD-1/PD-L1 pathway, which provided the foundation for developing immune checkpoint blockade immunotherapies. Dr. Freeman is the 2014 recipient of the William B. Coley Award for Distinguished Research in Tumor Immunology, the 2017 recipient of the Warren Alpert Foundation award, and a 2020 co-recipient of the Richard V. Smalley, MD award, the highest award of the Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer.

Tom Reynolds, MD, PhD Dr. Reynolds served as Chief Medical Officer of Seattle Genetics, where he was responsible for building and leading an integrated clinical development, regulatory and medical affairs organization, highlighted by the development and approval of Adcetris. Previously, Dr. Reynolds served at ZymoGenetics (acquired by Bristol-Myers Squibb in 2010), most recently as VP Medical Affairs, where he oversaw the clinical development and regulatory filing of recothrom, and VP Clinical Affairs at Targeted Genetics.

Steven T. Rosen, MD Dr. Rosen is the Provost and Chief Scientific Officer of the City of Hope National Medical Center in Duarte, California. In addition to directing City of Hopes Comprehensive Cancer Center, Dr. Rosen leads the Beckman Research Institute at City of Hope. Previously, Dr. Rosen was the director of the Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center at Northwestern University. In 2015, Dr. Rosen received a lifetime achievement award from the Israel Cancer Research Fund for his work in cancer research. His main areas of research involve the development of new treatments, particularly for hematologic malignancies.

Jeff Settleman, PhD Dr. Settleman is the Chief Scientific Officer for Oncology R&D at Pfizer, where he leads all oncology research from discovery to proof of concept clinical studies. Prior to Pfizer, Dr. Settleman was the Head of Oncology Research at Calico Life Sciences, and the Head of Discovery Oncology at Genentech, following an 18 year career in academia as a Professor at the Harvard School of Medicine, a Director of the Center for Molecular Therapeutics and Scientific Director of the Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, as well as the Head of the Cancer Cell Biology program of the Dana-Farber/Harvard Cancer Center.

About Trillium Therapeutics

Trillium is an immuno-oncology company developing innovative therapies for the treatment of cancer. The companys two clinical programs, TTI-621 and TTI-622,target CD47, a dont eat me signal that cancer cells frequently use to evade the immune system.

For more information visit: http://www.trilliumtherapeutics.com

Caution Regarding Forward-Looking Information

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of applicable United States securities laws and forward-looking information within the meaning of Canadian securities laws (collectively, "forward-looking statements"). Forward-looking statements in this press release include statements about, without limitation, the membership and our plans for our scientific advisory board. With respect to the forward-looking statements contained in this press release, Trillium has made numerous assumptions regarding, among other things: the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on its operations, the effectiveness and timeliness of preclinical and clinical trials; and the completeness, accuracy and usefulness of the data. While Trillium considers these assumptions to be reasonable, these assumptions are inherently subject to significant scientific, business, economic, competitive, market and social uncertainties and contingencies. Additionally, there are known and unknown risk factors that could cause Trillium's actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements contained in this press release. A discussion of risks and uncertainties facing Trillium appears in Trillium's Annual Information Form for the year ended December 31, 2019 filed with Canadian securities authorities and on Form 40-F with the U.S. Securities Exchange Commission, each as updated by Trillium's continuous disclosure filings, which are available at http://www.sedar.comand at http://www.sec.gov. All forward-looking statements herein are qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement, and Trillium disclaims any obligation to revise or update any such forward-looking statements or to publicly announce the result of any revisions to any of the forward-looking statements contained herein to reflect future results, events or developments, except as required by law.

Investor Relations:James ParsonsChief Financial OfficerTrillium Therapeutics Inc. 416-595-0627 x232james@trilliumtherapeutics.com http://www.trilliumtherapeutics.com

Media Relations:Mike BeyerSam Brown Inc.312-961-2502mikebeyer@sambrown.com

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Trillium Therapeutics Announces Formation of Scientific Advisory Board - GlobeNewswire

Current strain a mutation of Covid-19 virusYet to pinpoint virus country of origin

Health authorities are proceeding with investigations to identify the exact strain of the Covid-19 virus that hit the country last month, after identifying that the current virus spreading in the country was a different strain from the one witnessed earlier this year.

When contacted by The Morning, Ministry of Health Chief Epidemiologist Dr. Sudath Samaraweera said the virus was mutating and the current strain was also a mutation of the Covid-19 virus.

When asked from which country the virus had come to Sri Lanka, he said that answer could only be given by a microbiologist or virologist. Meanwhile, the Health Ministry has warned that the latest variant of the coronavirus is more dangerous than the earlier one.

Health Ministry Secretary Maj. Gen. Dr. Sanjeewa Munasinghe said that the latest variant of the virus has been identified as B142, a subgroup of SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome).

He said that this was confirmed by scientists at the Department of Immunology and Molecular Medicine and the Allergy, Immunology, and Cell Biology Unit of the University of Sri Jayewardenepura.

Dr. Munasinghe noted that the viral load in a person is higher than what it was earlier.

When contacted, Government Medical Officers Association (GMOA) Secretary Dr. Senal Fernando told The Morning that they suspected the virus could be a different strain as the asymptomatic patients have also been identified as spreading the virus, contrary to the previous strain in the country.

The universitys efforts should be appreciated even though the exact strain has not been identified. With the limited resources they have, it has been identified that the virus strain is similar to that of the one in Europe, he added.

At present, 6,134 active cases continue to receive treatment at selected hospitals across the country.

Meanwhile, the total of Sri Lankas Covid-19 recoveries reached 4,905 yesterday (2) after 506 patients were discharged from hospitals as they had returned to health.

The country has also witnessed 22 Covid-19-positive deaths.

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Re-emergence of Covid-19 | Probe continues to identify strain - nation.lk - The Nation Newspaper

Fitbit plans to initiate a prospective study with Northwell Health to help validate its algorithm for early COVID-19 detection

Fitbit (NYSE: FIT) Fitbit announced today it has been selected by the U.S. Army Medical Research and Development Command (USAMRDC) to receive nearly $2.5 million from the U.S. Department of Defense through a Medical Technology Enterprise Consortium (MTEC ) award to advance development of a wearable diagnostic capability for the early detection of a COVID-19 infection. As part of the award, Fitbit is working to initiate a prospective study with Northwell Health’s Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research to validate a Fitbit COVID-19 early detection algorithm.

The award is part of MTEC’s efforts to help keep military personnel healthy and fully operational. Because carriers of COVID-19 can be contagious without symptoms, detecting the virus before symptoms emerge is key to slowing its spread. Fitbit was selected by USAMRDC based on the Company's track record of innovation and the initial success of its COVID-19 research, specifically the role of wearable technology in early illness detection, as well as the ease of use and long battery life of Fitbit’s devices.

We believe Fitbit is uniquely positioned to deliver on USAMRDC’s goals based on our deep wearables expertise and established user base of nearly 30 million users, our early research in machine learning algorithms for detection of presymptomatic COVID-19, and our production and manufacturing capabilities to scale solutions and make them available quickly,” said Amy McDonough, GM and SVP of Fitbit Health Solutions. Our research shows that our bodies start to fight the disease before more visible symptoms appear and we believe Fitbit can reliably detect these signals, giving us an incredible opportunity to get ahead of this virus and help alert people that they could be sick before they unknowingly spread it to others. This award will help advance this important research.”

In connection with the award, Fitbit is working to initiate a prospective study with Northwell Health’s Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research. Northwell Health is the largest healthcare provider and private employer in New York State. We believe this collaboration will help expedite the development and validation of the Fitbit algorithm to detect COVID-19. As part of the prospective study, the parties plan to distribute several thousand Fitbit devices to Northwell Health employees, who will receive notifications of potential illness, as well as COVID-19 testing to assess and verify the results.

The combination of Feinstein Institutes’ research expertise, Northwell’s COVID-19 testing capabilities and Fitbit’s promising algorithm in development, presents a unique opportunity to accelerate early detection of COVID-19, particularly for our frontline health care workers,” said Karina Davidson, PhD, senior vice president at the Feinstein Institutes. Based on our learnings, we aim to work together to advise other large-scale health systems on this approach to minimizing the spread of COVID-19.”

This prospective study builds upon Fitbit’s work in COVID-19 research, which includes its collaborative research consortium with The Scripps Research Institute and Stanford Medicine that launched earlier this year. As part of that effort, Fitbit is conducting a retrospective study to determine whether it can develop an algorithm to detect COVID-19 before symptoms start. To date, the study has over 187,500 enrolled participants in the U.S. and Canada, including more than 2,700 confirmed positive cases of COVID-19. Early findings from that study show the Fitbit algorithm can detect nearly 50% of COVID-19 cases one day before participants report the onset of symptoms with 70% specificity. This is important because people can transmit the virus before they realize they have symptoms or when they have no symptoms at all. This study reinforces that breathing rate, resting heart rate, and heart rate variability (HRV) are all useful metrics for indicating onset of illness and are best tracked at night, when the body is at rest.

The Department of Defense seeks rapid, accurate wearable solutions to identify and isolate pre-symptomatic COVID-19 cases and help track and prevent the spread of the virus. To address this need, our proposal selection process sought mature solutions that could be rapidly and widely deployed,” said Commander Christopher Steele, Director of the Military Operational Medicine Research Program at USAMRDC. Wearable technologies, valuable data metrics and potentially rapid scaling solutions for broad availability, create ideal conditions for military and industry partnerships in the consumer wearables space.”

Early detection is critical, and Fitbit hopes to bring wearable illness detection capabilities to its users as soon as possible. Fitbit will engage with the appropriate regulators to determine the best path forward to bring these features to market.

About Fitbit, Inc. (NYSE: FIT)

Fitbit helps people lead healthier, more active lives by empowering them with data, inspiration and guidance to reach their goals. Fitbit designs products and experiences that track and provide motivation for everyday health and fitness. Fitbit’s diverse line of innovative and popular products include Fitbit Sense , the Fitbit Versa family of smartwatches, Fitbit Charge 4 , Fitbit Inspire 2 , and Fitbit Ace 2 activity trackers, and Fitbit Aria Air smart scale. Fitbit products are carried in approximately 39,000 retail stores and in 100+ countries around the globe. The Fitbit platform delivers personalized experiences, insights and guidance through leading software and interactive tools, including the Fitbit and Fitbit Coach apps, and Fitbit OS for smartwatches. Fitbit’s paid subscription service, Fitbit Premium , provides advanced analytics and actionable guidance in the Fitbit app to help you reach your health and fitness goals. Fitbit Premium + Health Coaching provides one-on-one virtual coaching with expert health coaches and personalized plans based on your Fitbit data. Fitbit Health Solutions develops health and wellness solutions designed to help increase engagement, improve health outcomes, and drive a positive return for employers, health plans and health systems. Fitbit and the Fitbit logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Fitbit, Inc. in the U.S. and other countries. Additional Fitbit trademarks can be found http://www.fitbit.com/legal/trademark-list . Third-party trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

Looking for motivation? You’re in the right place join us on Facebook , Instagram , LinkedIn , Twitter and YouTube . We want to hear from you, share your Fitbit experience with us here .

About US Army Medical Research and Development Command

The U.S. Army Medical Research and Development Command is the Army's medical materiel developer, with responsibility for medical research, development, and acquisition. USAMRDC produces medical solutions for the battlefield with a focus on various areas of biomedical research, including military infectious diseases, combat casualty care, military operational medicine, medical chemical and biological defense, and clinical and rehabilitative medicine.

About Medical Technology Enterprise Consortium

MTEC is a biomedical technology consortium collaborating with multiple government agencies under a 10-year renewable Other Transactional Agreement with the U.S. Army Medical Research and Development Command. To find out more about MTEC, visit http://www.mtec-sc.org .

About Northwell Health

Northwell Health is New York State’s largest health care provider and private employer, with 23 hospitals, nearly 800 outpatient facilities and more than 14,200 affiliated physicians. We care for over two million people annually in the New York metro area and beyond, thanks to philanthropic support from our communities. Our 74,000 employees 18,500 nurses and 4,500 employed doctors, including members of Northwell Health Physician Partners are working to change health care for the better. We’re making breakthroughs in medicine at the Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research. We're training the next generation of medical professionals at the visionary Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell and the Hofstra Northwell School of Nursing and Physician Assistant Studies. For information on our more than 100 medical specialties, visit Northwell.edu and follow us @NorthwellHealth on Facebook , Twitter , Instagram and LinkedIn .

About the Feinstein Institutes

The Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research is the research arm of Northwell Health, the largest health care provider and private employer in New York State. Home to 50 research labs, 3,000 clinical research studies and 5,000 researchers and staff, the Feinstein Institutes raises the standard of medical innovation through its five institutes of behavioral science, bioelectronic medicine, cancer, health innovations and outcomes, and molecular medicine. We make breakthroughs in genetics, oncology, brain research, mental health, autoimmunity, and are the global scientific leader in bioelectronic medicine a new field of science that has the potential to revolutionize medicine. For more information about how we produce knowledge to cure disease, visit http://feinstein.northwell.edu and follow us on LinkedIn .

Forward Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements, within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, that involve risks and uncertainties including, among other things, statements about the future availability of wearable early illness detection and/or diagnostic capabilities; production and manufacturing capabilities; expected results of any trials conducted; performance and/or benefits of products or services described in this release, including but not limited to ability to track and prevent spread of illness; and our ability to help users manage or improve their health and wellness.

These forward-looking statements are only predictions and may differ materially from actual results due to a variety of factors, including the effects of the highly competitive market in which we operate, including competition from much larger technology companies; any inability to successfully develop and introduce new products, features, and services or enhance existing products and services; product liability issues, security breaches or other defects; the impact of COVID-19; and other factors discussed under the heading Risk Factors” in our most recent report on Form 10-Q filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. All forward-looking statements contained herein are based on information available to us as of the date hereof and we do not assume any obligation to update these statements as a result of new information or future events.

The views expressed in this news release/article are those of the authors and may not reflect the official policy or position of the Department of the Army, Department of Defense, or the U.S. Government.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20201029005281/en/

Jen Ralls, (415) 722-6937 PR@fitbit.com

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Fitbit Receives Army Award to Help Accelerate its COVID-19 Wearable Detection Technology - Stockhouse

Last week, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the antiviral remdesivir as a treatment for COVID-19 in adults and children 12 years and older, paving the way for wider use of the drug.

Dr. Lanny Hsieh, clinical professor of infectious diseases at UCI Health, said the FDAs move is very exciting.

Putting together all of the scientific evidence we have on remdesivir to date, it remains the standard of care for hospitalized patients with COVID-19, she said. Ultimately, it is our patients who would benefit from this FDA approval.

However, research so far on remdesivir is mixed, and the drug is far from a cure for COVID-19.

In May, the FDA issued an emergency use authorization (EUA) for remdesivir, marketed in the United States under the brand name Veklury. This allowed the drug to be used to treat those with severe COVID-19.

The agency broadened the EUA in August to allow for its use on all hospitalized patients with COVID-19, regardless of how severe their illness.

President Trump took remdesivir along with several other treatments when he was hospitalized for COVID-19 in early October.

The FDA based its decision on three randomized controlled trials.

One study of 1,062 participants with mild, moderate, or severe COVID-19 was published earlier in October in the New England Journal of Medicine.

Results from this trial show that remdesivir reduced the length of hospital stay by about 5 days from 15 down to 10.

Patients taking remdesivir also had a lower chance of dying after 28 days 11.4 percent compared with 15.2 percent in patients receiving an inactive placebo.

This [study], along with other trials reviewed by the FDA, has led to remdesivirs approval, Hsieh said, who is the principal investigator on the remdesivir clinical trial at UCI Medical Center.

The two other trials reviewed by the FDA had similar results. One of these also showed that a 5-day course of remdesivir worked just as well as taking the drug for 10 days.

However, preliminary results from the World Health Organization (WHO) Solidarity trial of more than 11,000 participants found that remdesivir had little effect on how long they stayed in the hospital and no effect on death.

This study was published as a preprint on medRxiv and hasnt yet been peer-reviewed, so the results should be viewed with some caution. The WHO plans to publish it in the New England Journal of Medicine.

Given the results of the WHO study, Dr. Eric Topol, a professor of molecular medicine at the Scripps Research Translational Institute, questioned whether the FDA should have granted remdesivir a full approval.

How can Remdesivir get a full [FDA] approval when there are such mixed data? Not supportive of this decision at all, he wrote on Twitter. Does it work early? Does it work late? Does it work anytime? So much unresolved.

However, Hsieh said the WHOs study had several limitations, including not comparing remdesivirs effects to a placebo, and looking at several potential treatments in the same study.

Although interesting, Solidaritys findings do not take away from the results of [the NEJM trial], she said, which is a study that is conducted with the most scientific rigor to date.

Without a COVID-19 vaccine approved in the United States, doctors are anxious for an effective treatment for COVID-19. Remdesivirs approval finally gives them something to work with.

Given the limited arsenal of effective or even marginally effective treatments for COVID-19, and the fact that we dont have a fully curative therapy or a vaccine, it is good to have more options, said Dr. Matthew G. Heinz, a hospital physician and internist in Tucson, Arizona.

But he said remdesivir is still difficult to get in some parts of the country, especially in rural areas.

And its expensive. A 5-day course of treatment can cost $3,120 for people with private insurance, reports Vox.

Remdesivir is also not without risks. In some people, it can cause elevated liver enzymes, which could be a sign of liver damage. The most common side effect, though, is nausea.

In specific situations for certain patients, I do think [remdesivir] is reasonable to use, Heinz said, because it can inhibit viral replication if given at the right time point.

Remdesivir blocks the coronavirus from replicating, so it works best if given early.

Remdesivir is likely going to be more useful for stopping serious progression of the disease, Heinz said. But to give it to someone whos already critical getting intubated or who has already been intubated may not work.

The drug is less effective in later stages of severe COVID-19, when the damage is caused more by an overactive immune response than by the virus itself.

At this point, doctors turn to other treatments that target the immune system. One of these is the corticosteroid dexamethasone, which dampens the immune response and has been shown to reduce deaths from COVID-19.

Although remdesivir isnt completely effective against COVID-19, many doctors on the front line are glad to have it as an option.

Given that its not shown to have significant safety concerns, and at least one good study does show some benefit, it is reasonable to have remdesivir as an available treatment while we wait for better ones, Heinz said.

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Should the FDA Have Approved Remdesivir to Treat COVID-19 Patients? - Healthline