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A Giant Leap for Stem Cells – Technology Networks

Posted: February 23, 2017 at 1:46 pm

Consider it one physicians giant leap for mankind. The latest rocket launch from NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, included a payload of several samples of donated adult stem cells from a research laboratory at Mayo Clinics Florida campus. The launch by SpaceX, an American aerospace manufacturer and space transport services company, is part of NASAs commercial resupply missions to the International Space Station.

The biological cells come from the laboratory of Abba Zubair, M.D., Ph.D., who says he has eagerly awaited the launch following several delays over the past couple of years. Dr. Zubair, who specializes in cellular treatments for disease and regenerative medicine, hopes to find out how the stem cells hold up in space. He says hes eager to know whether these special cells, which are derived from the bodys bone marrow, can be more quickly mass-produced in microgravity and used to treat strokes. Microgravity is the condition in which people or objects appear to be weightless. The effects of microgravity can be seen when astronauts and objects float in space. Microgravity refers to the condition where gravity seems to be very small.

At Mayo Clinic, research drives everything we do for patients, says Gianrico Farrugia, M.D., vice president, Mayo Clinic, and CEO of Mayo Clinic in Florida. This space cargo carries important material for research that could hold the key for developing future treatments for stroke a debilitating health issue. Research such as this accelerates scientific discoveries into breakthrough therapies and critical advances in patient care.

Dr. Zubair says he has dreamed of this moment all his life, with a passion for space that goes back to his childhood in the northern city of Kano, Nigeria. There, he says he came across a book about the first moon launch and became instantly enthralled. In high school, he recruited other physics students to build a model rocket prototype using corrugated metal and rudimentary materials from the local blacksmith. When it came time to apply for college, however, the school adviser steered him from becoming an astronaut. He said it may be a long time before Nigeria sends rockets and astronauts into space, so I should consider something more practical, Dr. Zubair recalls.

With the goal of being useful to patients and helping cure disease, he headed to medical school in Nigeria. His training took him to the University of Sheffield, in Sheffield, England; the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia; and Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, as he specialized in bone marrow transplants and stem cell research. He came to Mayo Clinics Florida campus to treat cancer patients and others whose conditions could be helped by regenerative medicine all the while running a research lab that studies adult stem cells.

Dr. Zubair came across a request for research proposals that involved medicine and outer space four years ago. His mother had died of stroke in 1997, and he had been thinking about stem cells as a treatment for stroke-related brain injury. Collaborating with Mayo Clinic neurologists James Meschia, M.D., and William D. Freeman, M.D., he studied mouse models of stroke.

Stem cells are known to reduce inflammation, he explains. Weve shown that an infusion of stem cells at the site of stroke improves the inflammation and also secretes factors for the regeneration of neurons and blood vessels.

One big problem is that it may take as many as 200 million cells to treat a human being, and developing vast numbers of stem cells on Earth can take weeks.

Its further complicated, because some patients are unable to donate cells for themselves, and, sometimes, there arent enough donors who are a good match, as sometimes occurs for minorities, he says.

Studies in simulators on Earth have shown that adult stem cells the undifferentiated cells that exist in the body to replace damaged or dying cells reproduce quickly and reliably in microgravity. While its not known why microgravity works better than a petri dish, some researchers speculate the conditions may be similar to the floating environment of developing cells in the body. With funding from the Center for the Advancement of Science in Space, a nonprofit organization, Dr. Zubair hopes to find that, in space, stem cells can be reproduced safely in large quantities, providing new opportunities for patients.

Hell gather real-time information about the cells as astronauts conduct experiments measuring molecular changes.

Well be looking to see if there are genes activated in microgravity and analyzing the stages of the cell cycle, he says.

We may discover proteins or compounds that are produced that we can synthesize on Earth to encourage stem cell growth without having to go to microgravity. Over the last three years of planning, he says hes been tickled to learn about the challenges of space-based research, such as the need for techniques to handle fluids that dont mix in microgravity.

Most importantly, experiments will continue after the expanded stem cells return to Earth.

Well study them to make sure theyre normal, functional and safe for patients with stroke, he says. My work in regenerative medicine has always been intentionally translational not just to study what the cells do and what can be done with them but to make a difference for patients. Thats what makes our project unique.

For the launch, Mayo Clinic is collaborating with the Center for Applied Space Technology (CAST) in Cape Canaveral, and BioServe Space Technologies in Boulder, Colorado. CAST supported Dr. Zubair's research by providing strategic mission planning, proposal development, spaceflight technical support and served as an interface between the research team and various space activities and agencies. BioServe provided space flight hardware, on orbit research protocol and scheduling interface.

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

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How baseball players are trying stem cells to avoid Tommy John – Yahoo Sports

Posted: February 23, 2017 at 1:46 pm

TEMPE, Ariz. On the day he hoped would save his elbow, Garrett Richards laid face down on a table with his back exposed. A doctor guided a needle into the iliac crest of his pelvic bone and began to extract bone marrow. Richards was wide awake, the blessing of local anesthesia saving him from physical pain but not the anxiety that crept into his head: Is this really going to work?

Within a few minutes, the harvested marrow was hurried to a centrifuge, spun to separate the good stuff, mixed into a slurry of platelet-rich plasma and readied to inject into Richards damaged right elbow. Rather than the standard tear across his ulnar collateral ligament, Richards ran lengthwise along the middle of his UCL, a rare manifestation of an increasingly commonplace injury that almost always ends with Tommy John surgery. Not in this case. While he could have chosen that route, he wanted to explore first the efficacy of the aforementioned good stuff: stem cells.

Today, Garrett Richards is darting 98-mph fastballs again. I feel as good as I ever have throwing a baseball, he said Monday from Tempe Diablo Stadium, where the Los Angeles Angels, perhaps the most Tommy John-addled team in baseball, expect to break camp with Richards as their opening day starter. The 28-year-old is the latest player to turn to orthobiologics, the class of treatments that includes stem cells and PRP, in hopes of healing an injury. While clinical studies have shown great success with those who use orthobiologics, they are not yet a panacea for the pervasive elbow injuries in baseball for two reasons: They work only on partial ligament tears, like Richards, and medical studies have yet to validate their efficacy independent of other treatments run concurrently.

The lack of knowledge as to how orthobiologics work inside the body while the proteins in stem cells and platelets are believed to regrow damaged tissue, doctors have yet to isolate best practices for particular injuries speaks to the difficulties in true medical advances. Still, the desire of Richards and others to avoid surgery lends orthobiologics enough credence to warrant further studies.

I truly think this kind of treatment has significant potential, said Dr. Neal ElAttrache, a longtime orthopedic surgeon at the Kerlan-Jobe clinic in Los Angeles who introduced orthobiologics to Major League Baseball when he injected PRP into the elbow of Dodgers reliever Takashi Saito in 2008. Theres no question biologics are here to stay and biologic manipulation is the frontier of treatment in what were doing. The problem, as I see it, is that the marketing and clinical use has far exceeded the science behind it.

Translation: Once the use of PRP and stem cells found traction in the media, pro athletes and weekend warriors alike sought their use, even if the success stories skewed anecdotal. Bartolo Colon resurrected his career after a stem cell injection in 2010 and is still pitching today at 43. Others did so without the fanfare or publicity. Richards faced a choice after being diagnosed with a partially torn UCL last May: Undergo Tommy John surgery and, at earliest, return following the 2017 All-Star break or follow the advice of Dr. Steve Yoon, a partner of ElAttraches at Kerlan-Jobe, and try to salvage the ligament with stem cells.

Science, bro, Richards said. Im a believer now.

Two weeks before Richards began his treatment, teammate Andrew Heaney had looked to avoid Tommy John via stem cells. Richards figured theyd rehab together every step of the way and be back in time for the fall instructional league. Then at the end of June, a scan showed Heaneys elbow wasnt healing, and he would need reconstructive surgery. Already Tyler Skaggs had taken nearly two years to return from his 2014 surgery, and six weeks after Heaneys, starter Nick Tropeano went down. Like Heaney, he is expected to miss the 2017 season.

It made Richards recovery that much more imperative. His first checkup, six weeks in, showed regrowth in the torn area via ultrasound. By August, he started throwing, and come October, when instructional league was in full bloom, so too was Richards. He didnt hesitate to pump his fastball and rip off one of his spin-heavy breaking balls. As far as pure, raw stuff goes, few in baseball can match Richards.

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He was convinced science was working, bro, though the skepticism about orthobiologics generally remains, and understandably so, in the medical community. In May 2013, a paper published in the American Journal of Sports Medicine found 30 of 34 overhand throwers with partial UCL tears who used PRP had returned to their previous level of competition. This was reason for celebration. If a player could avoid the 14-month-plus recovery from the surgery, better for him as well as the team.

Another study arrived in 2016 that didnt cast doubt on the value of orthobiologics so much as offer a different avenue: rest. The 28 players used everything from electrical stimulation, ultrasound, laser therapy, massage and other soft-tissue work. And when paired with rest, their return to previous level came in at 84 percent. It was almost exactly as effective as PRP.

This reinforced ElAttraches concern: Neither of those studies had a control group against which to measure, so the numbers, while impressive, could not isolate what helped and what didnt. This chicken-or-egg question struck ElAttrache just the same when Saito returned and went on to pitch five seasons.

Maybe it was the injection, ElAttrache said. Or maybe it was that we shut him down and let him heal.

Garrett Richards is darting 98-mph fastballs again after turning to orthobiologics. (Getty Images)

He doesnt know, and thats an important distinction as orthobiologics grows exponentially. In 2004, voters in California pledged to provide $3 billion for stem-cell research and create the California Institute of Regenerative Medicine. It remains a benefactor for an industry trying to find its place in the United States.

Across the world, stem cells have far greater potency. U.S. law prevents doctors from manipulating the cells in any way. They are extracted and put back into patients bodies as is. In Switzerland, for example, doctors will harvest stem cells, manipulate them to promote greater healing capacity and then inject them. At least one star pitcher this offseason sought a stem cell injection in the United States, according to sources, while another veteran traveled halfway across the world to Zurich, seeking the comparative lack of regulations just as Peyton Manning did in 2011 to help heal a neck injury that eventually needed surgery.

The future of orthobiologics domestically doesnt end with the FDA loosening rules on stem cell usage. Doctors see significant promise in stem cells from a babys umbilical cord or a mothers placenta, both of which can be frozen. Already theyre capable of harvesting stem cells from old patients and engineering the cells into an immature state. The possibilities going forward are endless.

For right now, theyre going to play themselves out in Anaheim. The danger zone for re-injury after using orthobiologics tends to fall between April and June, though Richards cant imagine falling prey again. In addition to the 13-week break from throwing he took over the summer, Richards spent 10 more weeks in the offseason letting it heal further.

During his down time, Richards studied his own delivery to find even the slightest inefficiencies. He had three numbers in mind. The first was 85. Thats the percent at which he said hell throw his fastball, though because of improved mechanics he expects it wont hinder his velocity. The second is 100. Thats the pitch limit the Angels will foist on Richards, and hes not one to fight. The third is 200. Thats the number of innings Richards wants to pitch this season. He did it in 2015 and sees no reason he cant again.

If he can throw 85 percent, keep his pitch count below 100 and get those 200 innings, it will play publicly as another validation of orthobiologics. Just the same, if Richards elbow gives out eventually, his association with stem cells could perhaps give those considering it pause. Richards pays no mind to this. He just wants to be great.

So much so, in fact, that its going to cost him. Inside the Angels clubhouse, a chart, labeled 1 through 13, is taped to the side of a locker. Its a list of shame with the price buying lunch for the entire team. Players, coaches, P.R. directors, even manager Mike Scioscia are on there. Next to No. 6, it read: G. Rich Ace. He had made the mistake of saying aloud what he believed to be true: that hes the ace of the Angels.

Fulfilling that depends on plenty of things, none as important as his elbow, and Richards knows that. Hell do everything he can to take care of it, to nurture it, to fight against its natural gift of velocity that puts him at such risk. To make sure that next time hes on a table in the doctors office, its not with his elbow opened up and another season lost.

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Penn State and the University of Michigan collaborate on cancer cell and infection research – The Daily Collegian Online

Posted: February 23, 2017 at 1:43 pm

As Penn State students worked to raise money for childhood cancer research, two researchers at Penn State worked on a study determining the best treatment methods for cancer and infections.

Dr. Andrew Read and Elsa Hansen, from Penn State, and Dr. Robert Woods, from the University of Michigan, all co-authored a paper on the research. The main goal of their research was to determine whether containment or aggressive medication was the best method of treatment for cancer or a serious infection. The research hinges on delaying drug resistance in cells, which would make the problem much harder to treat.

When containing cancer or an infection, just enough drug is used to keep the cancer or infection from spreading too much beyond its original area.

Elsa Hansen, a research associate at Penn State and co-author of the study, explained why just containment may sometimes be a surprisingly good treatment.

Health care providers and researchers are starting to question whether the traditional approach of aggressively treating a cancer or infection is really the best option for a patient, Hansen said via email.

Using a containment strategy may seem counterintuitive, but the idea is to leverage the fact that drug sensitive cells can competitively suppress the expansion of drug resistant cells, Hansen said, mentioning that drugs without immunity to medicine can block the spread of resistant cancer cells or infection. A milder form of treatment is used to control medicine-sensitive cells, which then control the resistant cells.

In these situations, aggressively treating the patient with a drug may cause the patients cancer or infection to develop an immunity to the treatment. In the case of infections, the containment method leads to the bodys immune system fighting off the resistant cells. In the case of cancer, it slows the spread as long as possible.

This research proves that containment of cells is a viable option those in the medical field should consider more often. However, the research also highlighted that there are situations where aggressive treatment is the preferred choice. The traditional approach to treating cancer and infections is still viable when containment will not improve the situation.

As resistance is involved in most cancer and infection associated deaths, Hansen believes researching new drugs and novel forms of treatment is crucial. However, she stated that its also important to figure out how to extend the life of the drugs we have, part of the teams research goal.

Collaborating with a clinical lecturer from the University of Michigan proved paramount to the success of the research. Dr. Robert Woods, co-author of the study and a specialist in internal medicine, infectious diseases at the University of Michigan, had unique skills to contribute to the research. As an expert in putting research into use in the medical field, particularly in the hospital on the universitys campus, Woods had the unique opportunity to see the research happening in his workplace.

Its sometimes hard to translate evolutionary concepts into clinical use, Woods said.

The combination of his practical experience with treating cancer and infection cells combined with the mathematical and theoretical work of Hansen and Read led to the success of this research, Woods added.

He focused on the physical aspects of the research instead of the theoretical aspects as someone who works in the hospital. Here, the research might have an effect by changing the way doctors treat cancer or infections.

Both Hansen and Woods said they found the collaborative research to be a positive experience, as the unique combination of skills and resources at the two universities made the research such a success.

With today's technology, I think long distance collaborations can work really well, Hansen said. Increasing ease of communication across universities can open up the opportunity for more collaborations such as this study.

This research has been highly regarded by Reads and Hansens colleagues at Penn State.

This is really important research because it points to a course of treatment that is not just the hell and fury approach, hit the cancer with all we have, Dr. David Hughes, an assistant professor of entomology and biology at Penn State said. These models will considerably aid in better decision making.

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Stem Cell Therapy Halts Multiple Sclerosis – Anti Aging News

Posted: February 23, 2017 at 1:43 pm

Posted on Feb. 23, 2017, 6 a.m. in Stem Cell Research Immune System Stem Cell

Autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation halted progression of Multiple Sclerosis for 5 years in 46% of patients.

Recent research indicates that the transplant of autologous hematopoietic stem cells (AHSCT) is an excellent treatment for multiple sclerosis. It has been determined that the procedure stops disease progression for half a decade in nearly 50 percent of multiple sclerosis patients.

About the Study

The study was spearheaded by Dr. Paolo Muraro from the Imperial College London's Department of Medicine. Dr. Muraro and his colleagues revealed their findings through JAMA Neurology. These results were released on the heels of a separate study that found the success of a similar treatment in patients suffering from relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS). Dr. Muraro and his research team are quick to point out that additional trials are necessary to gauge the efficacy and safety of AHSCT. It is important to note that some patients perished within the first 100 days of treatment.

About AHSCT

AHSCT involves the harvesting of a patient's own stem cells. The patient is subjected to a powerful dose of chemotherapy to destroy any diseased cells. The next step is the return of harvested stem cells to the patient's blood. The goal is to restart the production of normal blood cells.

In layman's terms, AHSCT is best understood as a resetting of the body's immune system. Though it was already known that this style of treatment resets the immune system and poses certain risks, the length of its benefits was not fully understood. We now have a better picture of these benefits. AHSCT Results

The research team studied data from over two dozen treatment centers in 13 countries. They pinpointed 281 patients who suffered from multiple sclerosis and underwent AHSCT from 1995 to 2006. Exactly 78 percent of these patients had a progressive form of multiple sclerosis. The team made use of the Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) to analyze patients' survival after five years of treatment as well as improvements in their multiple sclerosis symptoms. A whopping 46 percent of these patients enjoyed zero disease progression in the five years following treatment. Those with RRMS, characterized by flare-ups (inflammatory attacks) and periods of remission enjoyed the optimal outcomes.

An amazing 73 percent of these patients did not endure worsening of symptoms in the 5 years following AHSCT. Some patients also experienced minor improvements in their multiple sclerosis symptoms following AHSCT. Those with progressive multiple sclerosis enjoyed a rise in EDSS score by 0.14 in the year after treatment. Those with RRMS experienced an EDSS score increase of 0.76. Those of a younger age, minimal immunotherapies before AHSCT and a comparably lower EDSS score also displayed improved outcomes with AHSCT. Treatment Risk

The findings described above clearly show promise for the AHSCT use in individuals who suffer from multiple sclerosis. The research team would like to make it perfectly clear that some patients died in the 100 days following AHSCT. Exactly eight patients perished in this time period. It is assumed that the deaths were related to treatment. AHSCT makes use of aggressive chemotherapy that significantly weakens the immune system and spikes one's risk for infection. Since multiple sclerosis is not a disease that is immediately life-threatening, the risk of death posed by AHSCT must be weighed by all multiple sclerosis patients.

What's next Dr. Muraro is adamant that a follow-up study must be performed that includes a group of multiple sclerosis patients who have not received AHSCT. It is clear that additional studies are required to accurately gauge the efficacy and safety of AHSCT. Ideally, a massive randomized controlled trial of AHSCT will be performed in the coming months.

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Periodontitis may be an early sign of type 2 diabetes – Medical News Today

Posted: February 23, 2017 at 1:42 pm

A new study suggests severe gum disease - also known as periodontitis - may be an early marker of type 2 diabetes.

According to the latest data, diabetes affects approximately 422 million people worldwide, and this number is expected to increase.

In the United States, 29 million people live with the disease. Of these, over 8 million people have it but have not been diagnosed, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The CDC also estimate that 37 percent of American adults over the age of 20 have prediabetes.

New research - published in the journal BMJ Open Diabetes Research & Care - suggests severe gum disease, or periodontitis, might be an early sign of diabetes.

The authors also suggest a simple finger stick diabetes screening procedure could be carried out in the dental office to avoid the adverse effects of leaving diabetes untreated.

Researchers from the University of Amsterdam in The Netherlands assessed a total of 313 participants from a dental clinic at the university.

Of these, 126 patients had mild-to-moderate gum disease, 78 patients had severe periodontitis, and 198 individuals did not have signs of gum disease.

Participants with periodontitis had a higher body mass index (BMI) than the rest, with an average BMI of 27. However, other diabetes risk factors - such as high blood pressure or high cholesterol - were similar across all three groups.

The researchers analyzed higher glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) values in dry blood spots, and evaluated the differences in mean HbA1c values, as well as the prevalence of diabetes and prediabetes between the two groups.

HbA1c values measure the average level of blood sugar in the last 2-3 months. The dry blood spots were obtained by sampling participants' blood using a finger pin-prick test.

Prediabetes is commonly considered to range between an HbA1C value of 39-47 millimoles per mol (mmol/mol).

The analysis revealed that those with the most severe form of periodontitis also had the highest HbA1c values.

The average HbA1c values for the severe gum disease group was 45 mmol/mol, compared with 43 mmol/mol in those with mild-to-moderate gum disease and 39 mmol/mol among those without gum disease.

Additionally, the researchers found a high percentage of people with suspected diabetes and prediabetes among participants with mild-to-moderate as well as severe gum disease.

In the severe gum disease group, 23 percent of study participants were suspected of diabetes, whereas 14 percent of the mild-to-moderate gum disease participants had suspected diabetes. In the severe gum disease group, 47 percent had prediabetes, and 46 percent of those in the mild-to-moderate group had prediabetes.

By comparison, 37 percent of those with no gum disease had prediabetes, and 10 percent had suspected diabetes.

Additionally, the researchers found previously undiagnosed cases of diabetes across the three groups: 8.5 percent of those with no gum disease and a little under 10 percent of those with mild-to-moderate gum disease had not been previously diagnosed with the disease until the study.

As much as 18 percent of those with severe gum disease had not been diagnosed with diabetes.

The study is observational, so it cannot explain a causal link between gum disease and diabetes. However, the authors suggest that screening patients with severe periodontitis for diabetes as part of dental medical practices might be an effective way of avoiding complications of the disease. The authors conclude:

"[The findings confirm] the assumption that severe periodontitis could be an early sign of undiagnosed diabetes [...] The early diagnosis and intervention of prediabetes prevent the common microvascular and macrovascular complications and are cost-effective."

Read about how insulin-producing cells could be formed using malaria drugs.

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SOAR to host obesity and diabetes roundtable – The Floyd County Times

Posted: February 23, 2017 at 1:42 pm

PIKEVILLE SOAR is set to host an obesity and diabetes roundtable at Union College in Barbourville on March 16. The goal of the roundtable will be to identify specific strategies that can be implemented throughout the region through innovation, collaboration and the support of SOAR.network.

This Roundtable event is about next steps, Dr. William Hacker, Chair of the SOAR Community Health and Wellness Advisory Council, said. We refuse to get caught up in the continual loop of negative data and poor outlooks. We know the rates, we know that there is work to be done in our communities and we are bringing together the people, the organizations and the leaders that are ready to work together to reduce obesity and diabetes in our region.

The roundtable will feature bright spot presentations from successful programs and attendees will have the opportunity to participate in one of two separate roundtable discussions: Education, Prevention, and Innovation and Disease Detection and Management. Each discussion will be led by a panel of experts.

Our region continues to struggle with the effects of obesity and diabetes in our daily lives, in our families and in building and maintaining a strong, healthy workforce, Jared Arnett, Executive Director of SOAR, said. We are ready to turn the conversation to identifying strategies that communities can implement to reduce the impact of these conditions and meet the goals of the SOAR Regional Blueprint. We are excited to bring together those with an interest and a desire to be a part of the solution and provide the link for continued conversation and action through the SOAR.Network.

The roundtable will be held at Union College through collaboration with Union College and the Appalachian Regional Commission. The roundtable will take place from 10am-2pm with lunch sponsored by WellCare of Kentucky. Informational booths and posters with evidence based best practice recommendations will be displayed. Registration is free but space is limited. All are encouraged to attend.

All interested in attending can register at http://www.soar-ky.org/healthroundtable.

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My Republica – Biotechnology company is introducing Nepal to the … – Republica

Posted: February 22, 2017 at 10:43 pm

Innovation not necessarily comprises a scientific breakthrough but seeks the immediacy of needs to be acknowledged, asserts Rabindra Mohan Sapkota, 43, who is the chairman of Shikhar Biotech established in 2000. In conversation with Republicas Sonam Lama, he shares some of his insights on initiating the first biotechnological company in Nepal, followed by its different setbacks.

Tell us about Shikhar Biotech? Shikhar Biotech is pioneer antibody production company in Nepal which was initiated by the parent biotech company based in the United Kingdom. Our company is a spin-off of the British-Nepali venture Everest Biotech Limited, UK. We aim to manufacture and deliver the highest quality reagents and services to life-science researchers and other biotech companies worldwide.

How is Shikhar Biotech different from other biotech companies? Yes. Many experiments in Nepal are carried out on plant biotechnology but we have been conducting a specific operation on producing and manufacturing goat antibodies. With a smooth manufacture and delivery of more than 3000 antibodies till date, we believe we are attained a renowned space in the international market with our products being on long term demand. We have a strong track record of testing thousands of high quality goat polyclonal antibodies on behalf of our previous parent company. This experience has enabled us to offer this service now to other companies or researchers at competitive prices without any compromise in quality.

How does Shikhar Biotech benefit Nepal? With our company being recognized as an independent one, it has helped acquiring first hand contribution to boost the economy of Nepal. Our rigorous research and hands on activities have increased the growth in productivity. Our operations run further with promoting goat rearing in several villages such as Taulung which has earned a good source of income for the village farmers. On this note, we have gradually been able to provide technological materials such as cell lines to students of Kathmandu and Tribhuwan Universities. We are now extending our work to developing new products within Nepal.

What were the setbacks of initiating a pioneer company in Nepal? There were certain challenges since its inception as there was a congested market with people being highly unaware of biotechnological studies. So we primarily had to struggle for an access to the market outside Nepal. Moreover, limited amount of revenue and acute lack of investments occurred with the scarcity of raw materials and services. In context of Nepal, the financial crisis has been lagging us behind. However, in the case of availability of ample resources, we still fall short for research, innovation, and awareness.

What are your further plans? One of our long term plans is to include the development of testing material of vitamin D. This tester is used to detect the content of Vitamin D in a human body through antibody platform. In order to make it easily accessible and cost cheaper in Nepal, the research on producing diagnostic kits have been under high consideration. We have been conducting researches on developing the glucose tester in Nepal which would serve Nepal in the long run.

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Generex Biotechnology Corporation (OTCMKTS:GNBT) Pushes Higher on New Catalysts – The Oracle Dispatch

Posted: February 22, 2017 at 10:43 pm

Generex Biotechnology Corporation (OTCMKTS:GNBT) is a micro-cap biotech player that has been on the rise of late despite an avalanche of growing debt and no clear route to near term monetization. But such is the case quite often in this sector, even in the case of the best opportunities. GNBT stockis moving higher in recent days following a couple catalysts.

In the first case, the company announced a letter of intent for the acquisition of a controlling equity interest in Emmaus Life Sciences, Inc, a biopharmaceutical company engaged in the discovery, development, and commercialization of innovative treatments and therapies, primarily for rare and orphan disease. Initial product development efforts are focused on Sickle Cell Disease (SCD), a genetic disorder. In the second case, the company just announced that it has achieved the elimination of its outstanding derivative securities.

Generex Biotechnology Corporation (OTCMKTS:GNBT) trumpets itself as a company engaged in the research, development, and commercialization of drug delivery systems and technologies.

As the company states, Generex has developed a proprietary platform technology for the delivery of drugs into the human body through the oral cavity (with no deposit in the lungs). The Companys proprietary liquid formulations allow drugs typically administered by injection to be absorbed into the body by the lining of the inner mouth using the Companys proprietary RapidMist device. Antigen Express, Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Generex.

The core platform technologies of Antigen Express comprise immunotherapeutic vaccines for the treatment of malignant, infectious, allergic, and autoimmune diseases. Antigen Express has pioneered the use of specific CD4+ T-helper stimulation technologies in immunotherapy. One focuses on modification of peptides with Ii-Key to increase potency, while a second relies on inhibition of expression of the Ii protein. Antigen Express scientists, and others, have shown clearly that suppression of expression of the Ii protein in cancer cells allows for potent stimulation of T-helper cells and prevents the further growth of cancer cells.

According to company materials, Hema Diagnostic Systems, LLC (www.rapid123.com) is a rapidly growing biotechnology company involved in the development, manufacture, assembly, and distribution of diagnostics targeting primary as well as orphan infectious diseases. Hema Diagnostic Systems continues to expand its product line to meet the needs of the worldwide market. Point-of-Care test devices are made simple to use and are highly cost effective when incorporated into Hema Diagnostic Systems patented and patent pending delivery systems. The Rapid 1-2-3 Hema EXPRESS is a novel delivery system that is self-contained and easy to use.

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In thinking about the potential benefits of a controlling position in Emmaus, Dr. Yutaka Niihara, MD, MPH, Chairman and CEO of Emmaus and Executive Chairman of Generex commented: R&D efforts continue apace at Emmaus, as evidenced by these new patents securing our intellectual property portfolio. We are pleased to add diverticulosis and diabetes as prospective new indications for our PGLG product which we are currently developing for the treatment of SCD.

Joseph Moscato, Generex President & CEO, stated: I am gratified by the confidence Emmaus has expressed in Generex in providing this leeway to allow us to consummate the reorganization of our capital structure which will set the stage for our future successes.

That said, our sense is that the biggest catalyst in recent action may actually be the cap table move through undercutting the companys derivative liabilities.

As noted in the companys most recent release, the consequent reduction in the number of shares coming into the market and the termination of the attendant price protection provisions will unburden the Company. In addition, the elimination of the derivative liability will greatly improve the Companys balance sheet. Thus unencumbered, and with a reinvigorated management team and Board of Directors, the Company will proceed to execute its business plans and to attract value investors.

The chart shows just under 290% piled on for shareholders of the listing during the trailing month. Market participants may want to pay attention to GNBTstock. Generex has a track record that includes a number of dramatic bounces. Whats more, the company has witnessed a pop in interest, as transaction volume levels have recently pushed just shy of 410% above its longer run average levels. Since we last covered the name, the stock has moved 58% higher.

Now commanding a market cap of $15.8M, GNBT has virtually no cash on the books, which compares with a mountain of current liabilities, in excess of $9 million. One should also note that debt has been growing over recent quarters. The company is pre-revenue at this point. This may be a very interesting story and we will look forward to updating it again soon. For continuing coverage on shares of GNBT stock, as well as our other hot stock picks, sign up for our free newsletter today and get our next hot stock pick!

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Generex Biotechnology Corporation (OTCMKTS:GNBT) Pushes Higher on New Catalysts - The Oracle Dispatch

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Puma Biotechnology Inc (PBYI) Plunges 10.56% on February 22 – Equities.com

Posted: February 22, 2017 at 10:43 pm

Market Summary Follow

Puma Biotechnology Inc is a A biopharmaceutical company

PBYI - Market Data & News

PBYI - Stock Valuation Report

Puma Biotechnology Inc (PBYI) had a rough trading day for Wednesday February 22 as shares tumbled 10.56%, or a loss of $-4.05 per share, to close at $34.30. After opening the day at $38.05, shares of Puma Biotechnology Inc traded as high as $38.50 and as low as $34.25. Volume was 890,673 shares over 7,101 trades, against an average daily volume of 936,446 shares and a total float of 36.82 million.

As a result of the decline, Puma Biotechnology Inc now has a market cap of $1.26 billion. In the last year, shares of Puma Biotechnology Inc have traded between a range of $73.27 and $19.74, and its 50-day SMA is currently $34.41 and 200-day SMA is $41.71.

For a complete fundamental analysis of Puma Biotechnology Inc, check out Equities.coms Stock Valuation Analysis report for PBYI.

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Puma Biotechnology Inc is a biopharmaceutical company. It is engaged in the acquisition, development and commercialization of products to enhance cancer care.

Puma Biotechnology Inc is based out of Los Angeles, CA and has some 156 employees. Its CEO is Alan H. Auerbach.

Puma Biotechnology Inc is a component of the Russell 2000. The Russell 2000 is one of the leading indices tracking small-cap companies in the United States. It's maintained by Russell Investments, an industry leader in creating and maintaining indices, and consists of the smallest 2000 stocks from the broader Russell 3000 index.

Russell's indices differ from traditional indices like the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) or S&P 500, whose members are selected by committee, because they base membership entirely on an objective, rules based methodology. The 3,000 largest companies by market cap make up the Russell 3000, with the 2,000 smaller companies making up the Russell 2000. It's a simple approach that gives a broad, unbiased look at the small-cap market as a whole.

To get more information on Puma Biotechnology Inc and to follow the companys latest updates, you can visit the companys profile page here: PBYIs Profile. For more news on the financial markets and emerging growth companies, be sure to visit Equities.coms Newsdesk. Also, dont forget to sign-up for our daily email newsletter to ensure you dont miss out on any of our best stories.

All data provided by QuoteMedia and was accurate as of 4:30PM ET.

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Puma Biotechnology Inc (PBYI) Plunges 10.56% on February 22 - Equities.com

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Researchers take broad look at stem cells – Science Daily

Posted: February 22, 2017 at 10:43 pm

Sanford Research scientists recently published a review article in an issue of Stem Cells Translational Medicine focused on the study of and utility of adult-derived stem cells.

Earlier this month, Sanford began enrolling participants in the Safety and Efficacy of Adult Adipose-Derived Stem Cell Injections into Partial Thickness Rotator Cuff Tears clinical trial. The trial uses stromal vascular fraction, a mixture of cells and nutrients isolated from a patient's own body that contain adipose-derived stem cells, as a potential therapy for partial-thickness rotator cuff tears. Sanford scientists and clinicians are exploring the application of this type of stem cells for other conditions.

The team put together the review after recognizing that the medical and general communities have limited knowledge about the various types of stem cells and how they could be used in medicine.

The article, "Fat and Furious: Harnessing the Full Potential of Adipose-Derived Stromal Vascular Fraction," is a review of the various types of stem cells found in humans and how they can be used in medical applications. The researchers emphasized the difference between the SVF isolated from adipose tissue and the pure adipose-derived stem cells that have been purified and maintained in a culture dish. Understanding those differences can help dictate appropriate therapies and regulations, particularly in countries where the SVF could be less regulated than other stem cells. It's also important to understand how SVF composition varies in healthy versus disease states.

"Continued research into the application of SVF and adipose derived stem cells has the potential to transform treatments and therapy options," said Daniel Kota, assistant research scientist for Sanford Research. "But it all starts with putting scientists on the same page -- tracking results following transfusions, using appropriate nomenclature and examining regulations."

Stem Cells Translational Medicine publishes papers in the evolving field of translational medicine, with a focus on helping speed emerging discoveries into clinical trials.

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Materials provided by Sanford Health. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.

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Researchers take broad look at stem cells - Science Daily

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