Category Archives: Stem Cell Treatments

Health tech is an undisputed leader in the startup landscape in Belgium outranking industries such as fintech and manufacturing. There has been a persistent growth in the health tech startups in the country since the past decade. Not only startups but also in the scaleup ecosystem, healthcare is a leader in Belgium.

Mostly, a large number of Belgium health tech startups are spin-offs that have budded from research organisations. Furthermore, many initiatives and networks are also providing their support to healthcare entrepreneurship.

As Belgian health tech is doing pretty well over the years with several notable investments and innovative approaches, we at Silicon Canals have curated a list of fast-growing startups from Dealroom. Take a look!

Founder/s: NAFounded year: 2015Funding: 15.7 million

miDiagnostics is a spin-off from imec and a research collaboration with the Johns Hopkins University in the US. The Leuven-based healthtech company is developing a new generation of disposable tests that need only drops of blood for the detection of cells, nucleic acids, proteins, and small molecules. It uses a novel silicon-based nanofluidic processor that is capable of processing the blood sample automatically sans any pumps or valves.

With miDiagnostics, there is no need for expensive and complex instrumentation to make medical decisions. The nanofluidic processor is combined with a compact reader for screening, diagnosis and monitoring of a range of health conditions including infectious ailments.

Founder/s: Dirk Loeckx, Wim HeckeFounded year: 2011Funding: 18.4 million

Leuven-based icometrix has developed a fully automated FDA-approved and CE-certified icobrain software. Its software is already available in Europe, Brazil, Australia, Canada, and Japan. The icobrain software is deployed in over 100 hospitals and imaging centre networks all over the world and is working with the largest health tech and pharmaceutical companies as well.

icometrix touts that its icobrain software paves the way for a better and faster understanding of medical images in a more consistent and personalised manner by quantifying the volume of brain structures and abnormalities. This software is of critical importance as brain scan plays a major role in the diagnosis and treatment of various disorders in an efficient way.

Founder/s: Benedict Verhegghe, Matthieu Beule, Peter MortierFounded year: 2009Funding: 12.2 million

FEops based in Gent has developed FEops HEARTguide, which is a proprietary system to enhance transcatheter valve procedures depending on personalised computer simulations. The companys first product is TAVIguide, which is a CE-marked tech that can predict how a TAVI implant will interact with the patient-specific aortic anatomy and provide meaningful clinical insights.

FEops operates with the mission to create predictive, unique, and personalised computational modelling and simulation solutions that empower medical device manufacturers come up with superior products at a faster rate. These will enable physicians improve the clinical outcomes.

Founder/s: Jan Hellemans, Jo VandesompeleFounded year: 2007Funding: 2 million

Biogazelle specialises in high-value applications that support pharmaceutical research, diagnostic test development, and clinical trials. It applies a suite of transcriptomic and genomic technologies to validate and find RNA biomarkers and assesses safety, efficacy, and toxicity.

During the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak, Biogazelle has been at the first line in the fight against the virus. It participated in a Belgian government-led consortium of academia, pharma, and biotech aimed at increasing the testing capacity in the country dramatically. The mission of this Belgian healthtech startup is to provide customised RNA gene expression services by choosing the best analytical platforms and developing data analysis software tools.

Founder/s: Jan SteyaertFounded year: 2015Funding: 41.3 million

Confo Therapeutics is a spin-off of Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) and Vlaams Instituut voor Biotechnologie (VIB). Is a drug discovery company involved in building a unique pipeline of GPCR targeted therapeutics that address unmet medical requirements. It employs its proprietary CONFO technology to lock inherently unstable functional conformations of GPRCs as a superior starting point for drug discovery.

Confo body-stabilised active state conformations of these receptors disclose previously inaccessible structural features empowering the discovery of novel agonists for better therapeutic intervention. And, recently, the company was in the headlines for appointing Paolo Therapeutics as its Chief Development Officer.

Founder/s: Etienne Sokal, John TchelingerianFounded year: 2009Funding: 133 million

Belgian startup Promethera Biosciences is one of the leading innovators in the world specialised in liver therapeutics. The company operates with the mission to bring life-saving treatments that will reduce the need for liver transplantation. It is one of the pioneers in the development of cell-based therapies that will provide both anti-fibrotic and immunomodulatory effects in the liver.

Promethera Biosciences lead clinical program is derived from its patented allogenic live-cell platform dubbed HepaStem. The startup has developed its cell therapy technologies using allogeneic stem and progenitor liver cells that are isolated, expanded, and purified from healthy human livers unsuitable for transplantation.

Founder/s: Denis DufraneFounded year: 2013Funding: 28 million

Novadip Biosciences is an advanced biopharmaceutical company focused on new generation of therapies from adipose stem cells adapted to hard and soft tissues reconstruction. It is transforming the lives of patients using its unique 3M3 tissue regeneration technology platform. Using its unique 3M3 tissue regeneration platform, which utilises adipose-derived stem cells within a 3-dimensional extracellular matrix, the company helps drive multiple product classes.

Novadips mission is to provide innovative solutions for patients with limited or no effective treatment options. Notably, it is a spin-off from Universit Catholique de Louvain (UCLouvain) and St. Luc University Hospital.

Founder/s: Joris WinderickxFounded year: 2002Funding: 12 million

reMYND is a spin-off from the University of Leuven. It actively drives R&D in the field of protein misfolding diseases, among others Alzheimers disease (AD) and Parkinsons disease (PD). The company consists of two independently managed units. The Drug Discovery and Development Unit focuses on disease-modifying treatments for among others AD and PD. And, the Contract Research Unit offers extensive experience in the testing of experimental Alzheimer therapies in its unique and proprietary transgenic mouse models.

Founder/s: Nader Donzel, Rudi PauwelsFounded year: 2007Funding: 320 million

Biocartis develops diagnostic systems to reduce the cost and improve the efficacy of personalised medical treatments. It provides next-generation diagnostic solutions aimed at improving clinical practice for the benefit of patients, clinicians, payers and industry.

The companys proprietary MDx Idylla platform is a fully automated, real-time system offering accurate, highly-reliable molecular information from any biological sample in virtually any setting. Idylla addresses the growing demand for personalised medicine by allowing fast and effective treatment selection and treatment progress monitoring.

Stock photo from mustafaclk/Shutterstock

Check out the innovations that took home the Blue Tulip Awards this 2020

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9 best healthcare and medical startups in Belgium in 2020 - Silicon Canals

Global Stem Cell Therapy Market: Overview

Also called regenerative medicine, stem cell therapy encourages the reparative response of damaged, diseased, or dysfunctional tissue via the use of stem cells and their derivatives. Replacing the practice of organ transplantations, stem cell therapies have eliminated the dependence on availability of donors. Bone marrow transplant is perhaps the most commonly employed stem cell therapy.

Osteoarthritis, cerebral palsy, heart failure, multiple sclerosis and even hearing loss could be treated using stem cell therapies. Doctors have successfully performed stem cell transplants that significantly aid patients fight cancers such as leukemia and other blood-related diseases.

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Global Stem Cell Therapy Market: Key Trends

The key factors influencing the growth of the global stem cell therapy market are increasing funds in the development of new stem lines, the advent of advanced genomic procedures used in stem cell analysis, and greater emphasis on human embryonic stem cells. As the traditional organ transplantations are associated with limitations such as infection, rejection, and immunosuppression along with high reliance on organ donors, the demand for stem cell therapy is likely to soar. The growing deployment of stem cells in the treatment of wounds and damaged skin, scarring, and grafts is another prominent catalyst of the market.

On the contrary, inadequate infrastructural facilities coupled with ethical issues related to embryonic stem cells might impede the growth of the market. However, the ongoing research for the manipulation of stem cells from cord blood cells, bone marrow, and skin for the treatment of ailments including cardiovascular and diabetes will open up new doors for the advancement of the market.

Global Stem Cell Therapy Market: Market Potential

A number of new studies, research projects, and development of novel therapies have come forth in the global market for stem cell therapy. Several of these treatments are in the pipeline, while many others have received approvals by regulatory bodies.

In March 2017, Belgian biotech company TiGenix announced that its cardiac stem cell therapy, AlloCSC-01 has successfully reached its phase I/II with positive results. Subsequently, it has been approved by the U.S. FDA. If this therapy is well- received by the market, nearly 1.9 million AMI patients could be treated through this stem cell therapy.

Another significant development is the granting of a patent to Israel-based Kadimastem Ltd. for its novel stem-cell based technology to be used in the treatment of multiple sclerosis (MS) and other similar conditions of the nervous system. The companys technology used for producing supporting cells in the central nervous system, taken from human stem cells such as myelin-producing cells is also covered in the patent.

The regional analysis covers:

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Global Stem Cell Therapy Market: Regional Outlook

The global market for stem cell therapy can be segmented into Asia Pacific, North America, Latin America, Europe, and the Middle East and Africa. North America emerged as the leading regional market, triggered by the rising incidence of chronic health conditions and government support. Europe also displays significant growth potential, as the benefits of this therapy are increasingly acknowledged.

Asia Pacific is slated for maximum growth, thanks to the massive patient pool, bulk of investments in stem cell therapy projects, and the increasing recognition of growth opportunities in countries such as China, Japan, and India by the leading market players.

Global Stem Cell Therapy Market: Competitive Analysis

Several firms are adopting strategies such as mergers and acquisitions, collaborations, and partnerships, apart from product development with a view to attain a strong foothold in the global market for stem cell therapy.

Some of the major companies operating in the global market for stem cell therapy are RTI Surgical, Inc., MEDIPOST Co., Ltd., Osiris Therapeutics, Inc., NuVasive, Inc., Pharmicell Co., Ltd., Anterogen Co., Ltd., JCR Pharmaceuticals Co., Ltd., and Holostem Terapie Avanzate S.r.l.

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Stem Cell Therapy Market Analysis and Demand 2017 2025 - Cole of Duty

The current coronavirus pandemic clearly illustrates how dangerous viral infections can become for us. Independent of the present situation, there are people whose bodies are defenseless against infections because their immune systems are unable to combat them - they suffer from immunodeficiency diseases such as ADA-SCID (adenosine deaminase severe combined immunodeficiency) or Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome. Prof. Dr. Alessandro Aiuti, a physician and research scientist based in Milan who works at the San Raffaele-Telethon Institute for Gene Therapy (SR-Tiget) and at the Vita Salute San Raffaele University, is now being honored with the Else Krner Fresenius Prize for Medical Research 2020 for his groundbreaking successes in the development of gene therapies. The award is coupled to 2.5 million euros in prize money.

In the case of the rare immune disorder ADA-SCID, which exclusively afflicts young children and occurs about 15 times a year in Europe, a defective ADA gene within the genome disrupts lymphocyte development, leaving the young patient's body defenseless against infections. "Without effective therapy, the children rarely survive for more than 2 years because any infection can become perilous for them," Aiuti explains. Standard for this therapy is a bone marrow transplantation from a fully matched sibling. However, a suitable donor is available only for a minority of patients. "Meanwhile children with such a condition benefit from the advances we have made in the field of gene therapy. So far we have treated 36 children from 19 countries using the therapy we developed. In more than 80 percent of the cases, the treatment has had such an impact that no enzyme replacement therapy or transplantation is needed. This achievement has been made possible by the extraordinary effort and dedication of SR-Tiget researchers and clinical team throughout 25 years," Aiuti adds. All of the patients are still alive.

For these successes and his other work in the field of gene therapy, Alessandro Aiuti has now been honored with the Else Krner Fresenius Prize for Medical Research 2020 awarded by the Else Krner-Fresenius-Stiftung (EKFS) foundation. At 2.5 million euros, this award is one of the highest endowed prizes for medical research in the world. "Still young by comparison, this year the prize is being awarded for the third time. It honors research scientists for pioneering contributions in the areas of biomedical science. A major percentage of the prize money flows into the prizewinner's research and is supposed to contribute toward achieving further groundbreaking findings and medical breakthroughs in the future as well," emphasizes Prof. Dr. Michael Madeja, scientific director and member of the management board at EKFS.

The decision regarding the prize recipient was made by a ten-member international jury composed of renowned research scientists in the fields of genome editing and gene therapy along with delegates from the Scientific Commission at EKFS. Prof. Dr. Hildegard Bning, chairwoman of the jury and president of the European Society for Gene and Cell Therapy (ESGCT), substantiates the jury's decision: "Alessandro Aiuti is a truly outstanding physician and scientist. His work has decisively contributed to the development and successful treatment of rare, genetically caused disorders such as SCID. Thanks not least of all to the contributions he has made, even patients with other inheritable illnesses can presumably be treated successfully in the future."

After successful clinical trials, the gene therapy developed for ADA-SCID patients was approved as a pharmaceutical remedy in Europe. It is considered to be one of the key findings in the development of gene therapies worldwide. With this treatment certain blood stem cells (CD34+) are taken from the patient, then the cell DNA is modified. The cells are treated outside the body using a viral vector to accomplish this. The correct version of the gene for the ADA enzyme is introduced into the genome of the cells that were collected. The genetically modified cells are returned to the patient's bloodstream via intravenous infusion. A portion of the modified cells subsequently establish themselves in bone marrow again. The patient now has blood stem cells that function properly and produce lymphocytes to defend against infections - presumably on a life-long basis.

Alessandro Aiuti wants to utilize the prize money from EKFS to set the success story forth, to optimize the therapies further and map out the healing mechanisms involved in a better fashion. The scientist sees another major challenge in conveying the acquired knowledge beyond the successful gene therapies from Milan to as many other genetic disorders as possible. Alongside the therapy for ADA-SCID, the San Raffaele Telethon Institute for Gene Therapy has also developed gene therapies for four more hereditary diseases, among them the Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome and metachromatic leukodystrophy (MLD). To this day a total of more than 100 patients from 35 different countries have been treated.

Biography of Alessandro Aiuti

Alessandro Aiuti was born in Rome in 1966 and studied medicine there at Sapienza University. Following a stay at Harvard Medical School in Boston, Massachusetts in the USA, he received his doctorate in Human Biology in 1996 from Sapienza University. Since 1997 he has been active at the San Raffaele Scientific Institute in Milan, where he meanwhile also teaches as a professor at the Vita Salute San Raffaele University. He is furthermore Deputy Director of Clinical Research at the San Raffaele Telethon Institute for Gene Therapy and Head of the Pediatric Immunohematology Unit at San Raffaele Hospital.

Aiuti is the author of numerous and highly acclaimed publications. Over the course of his career he has received a number of prizes from national and international institutions. Aiuti is a member of the board of the European Society of Gene and Cell Therapy, and a member of the EMA Committee for Advanced Therapies since 2019.

The Else Krner Fresenius Prize for Medical Research

The international Else Krner Fresenius Prize for Medical Research came into existence in 2013 on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of Else Krner's death and is awarded in alternating fields of biomedical science. Endowed with 2.5 million euros, the prize is one of the most highly endowed medical research awards in the world. It honors and supports research scientists who have made significant scientific contributions in their fields and whose work can be expected to yield groundbreaking findings and medical breakthroughs in the future as well.

The Else Krner-Fresenius-Stiftung (EKFS) foundation - Advancing research. Helping people.

The Else Krner-Fresenius-Stiftung, a non-profit foundation, is dedicated to the funding of medical research and supports medical/humanitarian projects. The foundation was established in 1983 by entrepreneur Else Krner and appointed as her sole heir. EKFS receives virtually all of its income in dividends from the Fresenius healthcare group, in which the foundation is the majority shareholder. To date, the foundation has funded around 2,000 projects. With a current annual funding volume around 60 million euros the EKFS is one of the largest foundations for medicine in Germany. More information:www.ekfs.de.

The San Raffaele-Telethon Institute for Gene Therapy (SR-Tiget)

Based in Milan, Italy, the San Raffaele-Telethon Institute for Gene Therapy (SR-Tiget) is a joint venture between the Ospedale San Raffaele and Fondazione Telethon. SR-Tiget was established in 1995 to perform research on gene transfer and cell transplantation and translate its results into clinical applications of gene and cell therapies for different genetic diseases. Over the years, the Institute has given a pioneering contribution to the field with relevant discoveries in vector design, gene transfer strategies, stem cell biology, identity and mechanism of action of innate immune cells. SR-Tiget has also established the resources and framework for translating these advances into novel experimental therapies and has implemented several successful gene therapy clinical trials for inherited immunodeficiencies, blood and storage disorders, which have already treated >115 patients and have led through collaboration with industrial partners to the filing and approval of novel advanced gene therapy medicines.

Fondazione Telethon

Fondazione Telethon is a non-profit organisation created in 1990 as a response to the appeals of a patient association group of stakeholders, who saw scientific research as the only real opportunity to effectively fight genetic diseases. Thanks to the funds raised through the television marathon, along with other initiatives and a network of partners and volunteers, Telethon finances the best scientific research on rare genetic diseases, evaluated and selected by independent internationally renowned experts, with the ultimate objective of making the treatments developed available to everyone who needs them. Throughout its 30 years of activity, Fondazione Telethon has invested more than EUR 528 million in funding more than 2.630 projects to study more than 570 diseases, involving over 1.600 scientists. Fondazione Telethon has made a significant contribution to the worldwide advancement of knowledge regarding rare genetic diseases and of academic research and drug development with a view to developing treatments. For more information, please visit:www.telethon.it

Issued by news aktuell/ots on behalf of Else Krner-Fresenius-Stiftung

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Groundbreaking Gene Therapies for Hereditary Diseases / Alessandro Aiuti, a physician and research scientist from Milan, receives the Else Krner...

What the company does

Human retinal progenitor cells (hRPC)

Human retinal progenitor cells differentiate into components of the retina.

Reneuron has developed the ability to scale up the manufacturing of hRPCs using a patented low-oxygen cell expansion technology.

The hRPC cell therapy candidate is being evaluated in an ongoing phase I/IIa clinical trial in the US in subjects with a blindness-causing inherited retinal disease, retinitis pigmentosa (RP).

CTX Cells

CTX cell therapy candidate is a treatment for patients left disabled by the effects of a stroke.

Reneurons product is a standardised, clinical and commercial-grade cell therapy product capable of treating all eligible patients presenting with the diseases targeted, without the need for additional immunosuppressive drug treatments.

Data from the Phase II PISCES trial indicated CTX therapy was safe and well-tolerated and produced clinically meaningful and sustained improvement in the level of disability and dependence as well as motor function.

Exosome platform

Exosomes are nanoparticles, released by cells, and contain a number of active proteins and micro RNAs, which are short non-coding RNAs capable of regulating gene expression, that arebelieved to play a key role in cell-to-cell communication.

ExoPr0, Reneurons first CTX-derived exosome therapeutic candidate, has demonstrated potential as both a novel therapeutic candidate as well as a drug delivery vehicle

hRPC

's ()human retinal progenitor cells (hRPC) have scored some early success.

A Phase I/II assessment of a very small group of sufferers of a blindness-causing disease called retinitis pigmentosa saw a significant improvement in vision after treatment.

Six months after treatment there was a mean improvement of 18.5per treated eye, with a mean improvement of 12 letters per treated eye after nine months, whereasinexorable disease progression is the norm for this disease.

With a total of 22 patients now treated and the study still ongoing, ReNeuron said the efficacy in subsequent patients was seen but at a lower rate and magnitude, with improvement in visual acuity ranging from +5 to +11 letters in the treated eye threemonths after treatment.

In February, clinicaldata from the PISCES II clinical trial were published in peer-reviewedJournal of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Psychiatry.

CTX

A peer journal review published in May indicated a CTX human neural stem cell line can rescue deficits associated with an accepted animal model of Huntington's disease, a progressive genetic brain disorder.

ReNeuron has previously presented data demonstrating that its CTX stem cell line, currently undergoing clinical evaluation for the treatment of stroke disability, can cause functional and behavioural recovery in animal models of ischemic (restriction of blood supply) injury.

The new data showed that implantation of CTX cells into a model of Huntington's disease can reduce inflammation, glial scar formation and induce host neurogenesis (the generation of new brain cells) leading to a recovery in behavioural deficits.

Coronavirus

In April, Reneuron said it haddeveloped a line of the human exosomes that can deliver a medically relevant payload: Viral vaccines thatmight help in the fight against coronavirus.

The stem cell specialist added that the disruption from lockdowns would inevitably lead to delays in the recruitment of patients for trials of its treatments for stroke disability and retinitis pigmentosa (RP).

It said it will update on how this will affect the release of top-line data from the two studies once it knows the full impact of the restrictions.

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ReNeuron encouraged by progress in stroke and RP treatments - Proactive Investors Australia

Scientists have successfully transplanted functional miniature livers into rats, after growing the bioengineered organs in the lab from reprogrammed human skin cells.

The experiment, which gave the animals working liver organs, could lay the groundwork for future treatments to address terminal liver failure a disease that claims the lives of over 40,000 people in the US every year.

While there's still a lot of work to be done before the technique can directly aid human patients, the researchers say their proof of concept may help underpin a future alternative to liver transplants, which are often incredibly expensive procedures to perform, in addition to being strictly limited by donor supply.

Another positive outcome would be using the approach to temporarily augment failing liver function in patients, lengthening people's lives while they're on the waiting list for these vital organs: a situation facing about 14,000 Americans at any given moment, most of whom won't ever receive a transplant.

"The long-term goal is to create organs that can replace organ donation, but in the near future, I see this as a bridge to transplant," explains pathologist Alejandro Soto-Gutirrez from the University of Pittsburgh.

"For instance, in acute liver failure, you might just need hepatic boost for a while instead of a whole new liver."

To grow their mini livers, the researchers took human skin cells donated by volunteers and reverted them to a stem cell state, known as induced pluripotent stem cells, from which other kinds of cell types can be derived.

The researchers then induced differentiation in the cells with the aid of hormones and other chemicals, prompting them to become liver cells, which were cultured in the lab.

While it ordinarily takes two years for a human's liver to mature from the moment of their birth, the researchers were able to grow their miniature analogues in only a matter of weeks, seeding the grown cells on a rat liver scaffold that had been stripped of its rat cells.

While previous experimental liver graft research has incorporated rodent cells onto the scaffold, here the researchers used the human stem cells to populate the liver's functional tissue, along with its vascular system and bile duct network.

When transplanted into five rats, the mini livers appeared to be functional. After four days - at which point the animals were sacrificed and dissected - tests revealed that the bioengineered livers secreted bile acids and urea; human liver proteins in the animals' blood were another sign that the organs were working.

Not that the transplants functioned perfectly. Evidence of poor blood flow into the graft, in addition to thrombosis and ischemia, reveals there are still serious difficulties in properly connecting grafts like these to an animal's vascular network.

Nonetheless, it's still a remarkable achievement. For a short time, five rats lived their lives with miniature human livers, which isn't something that's ever been demonstrated before, and it could bring us closer to employing the same techniques for the benefit of human patients one day.

That day might be a long time away (perhaps a decade off, the researchers suggest), although it depends on a huge range of future experiments succeeding, including demonstrating that these kinds of engineered transplants are safe for humans, which remains to be seen.

In the meantime, methods like this including work pioneered by the same laboratory last year could enable the use of such mini organs to study simulated diseases and test different treatment options.

"I believe it's a very important step because we know it can be done," Soto-Gutirrez explained to Inverse. "You can make a whole organ that can be functional from one cell of the skin."

The findings are reported in Cell Reports.

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Tiny Human Livers Grown in The Lab Have Been Successfully Transplanted Into Rats - ScienceAlert

SAN DIEGO (KGTV) With the search for a coronavirus cure, researchers say unproven stem cell products are being pushed as treatment for COVID-19.

"I think these businesses kind of tap into very vulnerable populations. People who are looking for help, maybe theyre hopeful, maybe theyre desperate," said Leigh Turner, a bioethicist at the University of Minnesota.

Turner has been studying the direct-to-consumer marketing of stem cell therapies and related products for nearly a decade.

His recent paper about "Preying on Public Fears and Anxieties in a Pandemic" recently appeared in the journal Cell Stem Cell. He focused on businesses that were making marketing representations that were not compliant with federal law.

"Theyre not accurate. Theyre not evidence-based," Turner said.

His research said that businesses make vague claims on their websites about stem cell treatments for COVID-19. He mentioned one Southern California anti-aging clinic that used YouTube videos to promote "stem cell exosome" products that were shipped to clients homes.

Turner also wrote about an Arizona regenerative medicine that advertised stem cell therapy as a "precautionary measure" for preventing COVID-19.

"I think its both illegal and unethical," Turner said.

The FDA has sent letters to businesses in several states warning them about their unsubstantiated claims of coronavirus prevention and treatment.

"Do everything you can to avoid being scammed because this is a moment where there are a lot of people out there trying to do helpful things in all kinds of ways, but there are other individuals who see this as an opportunity to make money," Turner said.

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Warning about stem cell treatments and COVID-19 - 10News

Ring this bell three times well. Its toll to clearly say, my treatments done, this course is run and I am on my way!

With the reading of those words and the ceremonial ringing of the bell at Emorys Winship Cancer Institute in Atlanta, longtime Georgia Military College head football coach and Athletic Director Bert Williams celebrated the completion of his chemotherapy treatment last week for mantle cell lymphoma. He is in remission from the rare cancer he was diagnosed with back in December, which now gives one of junior college footballs winningest coaches an off-the-field victory to add to his career total.

It was a very exciting and emotional moment, Williams said of ringing the bell. We had been on the other side of that numerous times as others completed their treatment at Emory. Everybody just stops what theyre doing patients, doctors, nurses, the whole bunch its a very humbling and emotional experience, to say the least. That was a moment Ill never forget.

Williams oldest son Parker posted the video of his father ringing the bell on Twitter Friday and it had reached nearly 100,000 views as of Tuesday afternoon. Current and former GMC players, fellow coaches and many others replied with their congratulations and well wishes for the head coach as he reached the milestone. The celebration continued Friday when Williams was greeted inside his home by his two sons, Parker and Zach, who were each packing their own confetti cannons.

We still have confetti floating all over the house, Williams said laughing. Note to reader: Do not use inside.

The ability to laugh at confetti scattered throughout his home and a strong family support system are two things that have served Williams well in his battle.

Weve been very positive and upbeat the whole time, he said. Its certainly a challenge you think youre never going to have to deal with until you do. Theres high points and low points. We didnt have many low points, but sometimes you start thinking about things and get the bigger picture without question. Id get up in the morning with the mindset to fight every day and do every little thing I could do from dieting to getting what activity I could get to keep working to do all the things I needed and wanted to do. My wife and kids support that, and have from the start.

The GMC head football coach of more than 20 years now is glad to be off medication for a while, but his fight is not over. Mantle cell lymphoma is not yet curable, so the next step is to harvest stem cells (possibly in mid-July) for a stem cell transplant to keep the cancer in remission for as long as possible while a cure is hopefully worked out.

They dont know how to cure it yet, but I fully expect to be the first one and set the standard, Williams said.

Outpatient chemotherapy has done little to keep Williams away from his job as a junior college football coach and athletic director. The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the way most everyone works, so hes been able to handle his duties from home and even attend Zoom meetings while receiving his treatments. The pandemic canceled spring football practices along with the Bulldogs annual intra-squad scrimmage, but signing day still came and went like normal. Junior college programs like GMC often get guys whose grades do not qualify them to enroll at the big universities they were initially recruited to, but the NCAA has relaxed some of its eligibility criteria due to COVID-19. That means that five or six guys Coach Williams and his staff were expecting to come to Milledgeville now will not be. GMCs recruiting efforts always go into the summer anyway though, so the Bulldog coaches will just have a few more roles to fill than normal.

If conditions allow the 2020 football season to occur as planned, Williams hopes to be on the Davenport Field sideline coaching his guys up. His status will depend heavily on how his stem cell transplant goes.

I may be a couple weeks delayed, he said. I wouldnt call it a likelihood, but it is a possibility at this time. Theres a lot of decisions my family and I have to make about what we do and how we do it. Youll see me out there hollerin and trying to get some wins at some point though.

Finally, Coach Williams wanted to take the opportunity to thank the local community for continually having his back throughout this process.

I would like to thank the GMC family and the Milledgeville/Baldwin County community. As a whole, they have been unbelievable. The cards and notes I've received since January from people letting me know theyre rooting for me have really been a blessing. I cant tell you how much my wife and I and my family appreciate that constant outpouring of care, concern and prayers that have gotten us to the point where we are today.

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VICTORY BELL: GMC's Coach Williams reaches remission | News - The Union-Recorder

Poorprognosis and limited efficacy of intensive chemotherapy approaches forpatients with TP53-mutated myeloidmalignancies were confirmed in study results published in Leukemia &Lymphoma.

Jan Philipp Bewersdorf, MD, of the department of internal medicine, section of hematology at the Yale School of Medicine in New Haven, Connecticut, and colleagues conducted the single-center retrospective cohort study from September 1, 2015, to May 31, 2019 (follow-up ended on July 4, 2019). The aims of the study were to describe the clinical, cytogenetic, and molecular characteristics of patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) with TP53 mutations and to analyze patient responses and outcomes with different treatment modalities.

Ofthe 83 participants in the study, the majority were Caucasian (88%); 51.8% werewomen and the median age was 69 years. Most patients had complex karyotypes(90%), and nearly 40% of patients developed therapy-related malignancies.

Frontline treatment included intensive chemotherapy (24.1%), low-intensity treatment (42.2%), best supportive care or hydroxyurea only (22.9%), targeted therapy (3.6%), or other treatments (8.4%).

Themedian follow up was 6.4 months. The median overall survival (OS) and 1-year OSrate were 7.6 months and 22.6%, respectively. Among patients with AML, the medianOS was 6.7 months and 1-year OS rate was 16%. Among patients with MDS, themedian OS was 10 months and the 1-year OS rate was 31.1%.

Forpatients with AML, intensive chemotherapy did not improve median OS compared withlow-intensity treatment (8.8 months vs 9.4 months, respectively; hazard ratio[HR], 0.63). The 1-year OS rates for intensive chemotherapy and low-intensitytherapy were 25.0% and 14.3%, respectively (P =.46); complete response rates were 45.0% and 14.3%, respectively.

Amongparticipents with MDS, no patients received induction chemotherapy as frontlinetreatment. For the 19 patients with MDS who received hypomethylating agent-basedtherapies, the median OS was 12.1 months. For patients who received hydroxyureaor best supportive care only, the median OS was 0.8 months.

Notably,the 11 patients who underwent allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant (alloHSCT)had a significantly longer median OS than those who did not (HR, 0.08; P =.002).Therefore, the authors suggested the alloHSCT should be considered for eligiblepatients with TP53-mutated myeloidneoplasms.

Limitationsof the study included the retrospective design, small sample size, and shortfollow-up durations.

Inconclusion, our data confirm the limited efficacy of intensive chemotherapyapproaches for TP53-mutated patientswith myeloid neoplasms and suggest that a minority of patients achievelong-term survival with alloHSCT, wrote the authors.

Reference

Bewersdorf JP, Shallis RM, Gowda L, et al. Clinical outcomes and characteristics of patients with TP53-mutated acute myeloid leukemia or myelodysplastic syndromes: a single center experience [published online May 2, 2020]. Leuk Lymphoma. doi: 10.1080/10428194.2020.1759051

This article originally appeared on Hematology Advisor

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Novel Therapies Needed: Poor Prognosis of Patients With TP53-Mutated Myeloid Malignancies - Cancer Therapy Advisor

VITA NOVAS POSTER

MIAMI (PRWEB) May 21, 2020

Having the cushion of an already established worldwide network and 10 years of experience of GSCG, VITA NOVAS has already gained ground with the inherited reputation of quality, innovation, and professionalism. The VITA NOVAS program delivers micro-nutrients , vitamins and stimulating biological products intravenously, guaranteeing an effective way for the ingredients to become immediately available to the cells. This greatly decreases the time it takes for the medication or supplements to take effect. Patient-centered carved out packages The Shield, the Fighter, and the Lightening are delivered on-demand to homes, offices, or hotels administered by certified healthcare professionals.

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We have combined elements of Tele-health with Regenerative therapy, IV wellness infusions, and a direct-to-consumer model intending to serve at the patients place of residence, due to convenience and social distancing practices, explains Benito Novas , CEO of VITA NOVAS.

The secret behind the VITA NOVAS program is the provision of assistance and prime incentives to medical professionals. Once a physician joins the network, the company provides training and support that they will need in order to set-up run, and market their practices. They enjoy geography and specialization exclusively as well as a strong network of patients referrals, increased revenues, and conduct consultations from home.

Global Stem Cells Group, with golden track record and experience of a decade, is the parent company of six wholly owned operating companies dedicated entirely to stem cell research, training, products, and solutions. Founded in 2010 by Benito Novas, the company combines dedicated researchers, physicians, patient educators, and solution providers with the shared goal of meeting the growing worldwide need for leading-edge Regenerative Medicine treatments. Global Stem Cells Groups corporate mission is to make the promise of Regenerative medicine a reality for patients around the world. With each of GSCGs six operating companies focused on a separate research-based mission, the result is a global network of state-of-the-art regenerative technology, while adhering to the highest medical standards.

VITA NOVAS can help, to find your service area, please visit: http://www.vitanovas.net To know more about the company, visit http://www.stemcellsgroup.com

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Global Stem Cells Group Announces the Launch of its New Division VITA NOVAS - PR Web

SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Imago BioSciences, Inc. (Imago), a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company developing innovative treatments for myeloid diseases, today announced that positive Phase 2 data from its lead pipeline program bomedemstat (IMG-7289), will be presented at the Virtual Edition of the 25th EHA Annual Congress beginning June 12, 2020.

Title: A PHASE 2 STUDY OF BOMEDEMSTAT (IMG-7289), A LYSINE-SPECIFIC DEMETHYLASE-1 (LSD1) INHIBITOR, FOR THE TREATMENT OF LATER-STAGE MYELOFIBROSIS (MF)

Session Topic: 16. Myeloproliferative Neoplasms

Final Abstract Code: EP1080

The data demonstrates the potential of bomedemstat as a monotherapy in intermediate-2 and high-risk patients with myelofibrosis who have become intolerant of, or resistant to, or are ineligible for a Janus Kinase (JAK) inhibitor.

Imago is currently conducting a Phase 2 study of bomedemstat in five countries. Clinical endpoints include spleen volume reduction, reduction in total symptom scores, and improvement in circulating inflammatory cytokines, anemia, bone marrow fibrosis and blast count. For additional information, visit cliniciatrials.gov (NCT03136185).

About Bomedemstat (IMG-7289)

Bomedemstat is being evaluated in an open-label Phase 2 clinical trial for the treatment of advanced myelofibrosis (MF), a bone marrow cancer that interferes with the production of blood cells. The endpoints include spleen volume reduction and symptom improvement at 12 and 24 weeks of treatment. Bomedemstat is used as monotherapy in patients who are resistant to, intolerant of, or ineligible for a Janus Kinase (JAK) inhibitor.

Bomedemstat is a small molecule developed by Imago BioSciences that inhibits lysine-specific demethylase 1 (LSD1 or KDM1A), an enzyme shown to be vital in cancer stem/progenitor cells, particularly neoplastic bone marrow cells. In non-clinical studies, IMG-7289 demonstrated robust in vivo anti-tumor efficacy across a range of myeloid malignancies as a single agent and in combination with other chemotherapeutic agents. Bomedemstat (IMG-7289) is an investigational agent currently being evaluated in ongoing clinical trials (ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03136185 and NCT02842827). Bomedemstat has FDA Orphan Drug and Fast Track Designation for the treatment of myelofibrosis and essential thrombocythemia, and Orphan Drug Designation for treatment of acute myeloid leukemia.

About Imago BioSciences

Imago BioSciences is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on discovering and developing novel anti-cancer therapeutics targeting epigenetic enzymes. Imago has developed a series of compounds that inhibit LSD1, an epigenetic enzyme critical for cancer stem cell function and differentiation. Imago is advancing the clinical development of its first LSD1 inhibitor, bomedemstat, for the treatment of myeloid neoplasms including myelofibrosis and essential thrombocythemia. Imago BioSciences is backed by leading strategic and venture investors including a fund managed by Blackstone Life Sciences, Frazier Healthcare Partners, Omega Funds, Amgen Ventures, MRL Ventures Fund, HighLight Capital, Pharmaron, Greenspring Associates and Xeraya Capital. The company is based in South San Francisco, California. To learn more, visit http://www.imagobio.com.

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Imago BioSciences To Present Update on Phase 2 results of Bomedemstat (IMG-7289), a Lysine Specific Demethylase-1 (LSD1) Inhibitor for the Treatment...