Posted: February 8, 2017 at 8:46 am
9Coach (blog) | Sitting not linked to incident diabetes, new research suggests ... Science Daily Sitting may not be as deadly as previously thought, with new research ruling out sitting as a direct cause of diabetes. Excessive sitting not linked to an increased risk of diabetes |
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Sitting not linked to incident diabetes, new research suggests ... - Science Daily
Posted: February 8, 2017 at 8:46 am
(Reuters Health) - A genetic trait that affects red blood cells and is fairly common among African Americans and Hispanic Americans can cause an important blood sugar test to miss signs of diabetes, researchers say.
The test known as hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) estimates long-term blood sugar levels by measuring the amount of glucose sticking to red blood cells, but blood cells from people with sickle cell trait don't live as long, so they have less time to collect glucose.
When lead author Mary Elizabeth Lacy from Brown University School of Public Health in Providence, Rhode Island, and her colleagues used standard HbA1c cutoffs to screen for diabetes, we identified 40 percent fewer cases of prediabetes and 48 percent fewer cases of diabetes in individuals with sickle cell trait than in those without sickle cell trait, she told Reuters Health by email.
Sickle cell disease is a serious condition that occurs when a person has two copies of a defective gene responsible for making part of the hemoglobin molecule in red blood cells. Hemoglobin allows the cells to carry oxygen to the tissues that need it, but in people with two copies of the faulty gene, blood cells can turn sickle-shaped, causing painful crises and even death.
People with only one copy of the defective gene are said to have sickle cell trait, and most have no symptoms of sickle cell disease. The gene is most common among people with ancestry in sub-Saharan Africa, Central America and South America, Saudi Arabia, India, Turkey, Greece and Italy.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that 1 in 13 African American babies are born with sickle cell trait.
In their study of 4,620 African Americans, including 367 with sickle cell trait, Lacys team found that HbA1c levels were 0.3 percent lower in those with the trait than in those without it, even though they had similar blood sugar levels.
While 0.3 percent may seem small, Lacy said, a difference of 0.3 percentage points in HbA1c could be the difference between being identified as high-risk (and being targeted for more frequent monitoring as well as additional diabetes prevention efforts) or not, or receiving a diagnosis of diabetes or not.
Among individuals with no history of diabetes and not taking diabetes medications, testing blood sugar directly detected pre-diabetic elevated blood sugar levels or full-fledged diabetes in equal numbers of people, regardless of whether they had sickle cell trait, the researchers report in JAMA.
But if HbA1c was used instead of blood sugar testing, pre-diabetic elevated blood sugar would be diagnosed in about 29 percent of those with sickle cell trait compared to 49 percent of those without the trait. Similarly, the HbA1c test would identify diabetes in about 4 percent of those with sickle cell trait and about 7 percent of those without the trait.
The results of HbA1c testing need to be interpreted with caution in patients with sickle cell trait, Lacy concludes. These findings were based on one method of HbA1c measurement. While it is approved for use in those with sickle cell trait, we are unable to say whether our findings are due to assay interference or a biological phenomenon in those with sickle cell trait.
Doctors should consider using a glucose tolerance test if they suspect diabetes in people with SCT whose HbA1c is close to the cutoff level, said Dr. Anthony J. Bleyer from Wake Forest School of Medicine in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, who coauthored a related editorial.
I think there needs to be more research in this area. The HbA1c is a really important test that we use all the time. We need to make sure it is accurate for individuals of all races and ethnicities, Bleyer said by email.
Approximately 10 percent of African American patients have sickle cell trait. It is prudent to test African American patients for hemoglobinopathy (sickle cell trait) before relying on HbA1c for diagnosis diabetes/prediabetes and before using HbA1c to monitor blood sugar control, Dr. Kristina Behan from the University of West Florida in Pensacola, who was not involved in the study, said by email.
SOURCE: bit.ly/2ln3Rap and bit.ly/2kovj9m JAMA, online February 7, 2017.
GENEVA The United Nations appealed on Wednesday for $2.1 billion to provide food and other life-saving assistance to 12 million people in Yemen who face the threat of famine after two years of war.
NEW DELHI A group backed by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation that works on India's immunization program will now be funded by the health ministry, a government official said, a move in part prompted by fears foreign donors could influence policy making.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved Amgen Inc's treatment for secondary hyperparathyroidism in adult patients with chronic kidney disease undergoing dialysis, the U.S. biotech company said on Tuesday.
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Sickle cell trait skews common diabetes test - Reuters
Posted: February 8, 2017 at 8:46 am
Glycemic Response Independent of Initial Diabetic Medication Choice Among HIV-Infected Patients With Diabetes Endocrinology Advisor Data from a longitudinal cohort study of patients with type 2 diabetes infected with HIV aims to elucidate whether initial choice of oral diabetic medication had effects on glycemic control. Glycemic response was not affected by specific diabetic oral ... |
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Glycemic Response Independent of Initial Diabetic Medication Choice Among HIV-Infected Patients With Diabetes - Endocrinology Advisor
Posted: February 7, 2017 at 11:48 am
BUCKEYE, AZ - As the saying goes: "blood is thicker than water." But when it comes to bone marrow, it is truer than ever especially because family is usually the only people to turn to for a match.
But, one Buckeye family is finding that the phrase could not be more perfectfor them because a brother has been serving as the lifeline for his sibling over the last few years.
Gloria Mesquias calls her 11-year-old son, Shaun, "the warrior."
"He takes every jab he gets and just rolls through," said Mesquias.
Shaun's 13-year-old brother Malik is called "the hero."
"They are actually like night and day, "Mesquias said. "They're brothers."
The three of them, and other supportive family members, have spent months at Phoenix Children's Hospital. Shaun has a condition where his body isn't producing new blood cells.
"He was diagnosed with severe aplastic anemia," Mesquias said.
That happened when he was just about 1 year old. Ever since then, he's been in and out of the hospital.
But, Malikhas served as a bone marrow and stem cell donor to his b brother not once, not twice but, three different times.
And the fight for this little warrior, is not over yet. If his treatment goes well over the next few days, he will have a fourth surgery on Wednesday; another stem cell transplant.
Mesquias doing this all as a single mother. She also has a 5-year-old daughter, who has not seen Shaun since before Christmas.
"She understand;she gets it," Mesquias explained. "She knows brother is sick and she knows mom is here with Shaun."
But, while she tries to keep it together, all of the stress and days away from home are weighing on Mesquias. But, it's something she will never let her family see.
"At night time, I can go in the restroom and cry my eyes out or ball my face out in the pillow," Mesquias said. "But, I just don't do it in front of him."
So, the boys' Buckeye teacher, Carrie Brown, has also taken action to try and do something special for the family.
"She would never ask for help," Brown said. "She's not that kind of person. So, I just thought that this was one thing that I could do to relieve some of the worry that she has and to give her a little bit of comfort."
Brown started a GoFundMe page to try and help the family who has given so much to each other.
And Mesquias said she is making sure all of them get out of that hospital together.
"He has his moments too where he says he wants to go home," Mesquias explained. "And... I'm like, 'I'm not going home until you're going home. So, we're good."
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Posted: February 7, 2017 at 11:46 am
Hall of Fame Packers QBs Bart Starr, left, and Brett Favre at a Thanksgiving game in Green Bay in 2015.(Photo: Mike Roemer, AP)
HOUSTON The MVP of the first Super Bowl has special plans for Super Bowl LI.
Hes going to watch Sunday'sgame at home with family and friends in Alabama, happy to be recovering his health again after all that hes suffered since 2014.
Its a long list for Bart Starr, 83. In 2014 and 2015, he suffered two strokes, a heart attack, a bronchial infection and a broken hip. Last year, he underwent bladder surgery and later developed a staph infection.
Im not even sure that he will go much further than hes gone because its just a miracle that hes even alive to begin with, Starrs wife, Cherry, told USA TODAY Sports.
Every day now is a victoryit seems much bigger than when the Hall of Fame quarterback led the Green Bay Packers to a 35-10 win against the Kansas City Chiefs in that historic game 50 years ago.
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Starr's latest setback was a staph infection linked to his previous bladder condition an ailment that required strong medication before he overcame it about six weeks ago, Cherry Starr said.Since then, she said her husband has made significant strides, showing improvement with his appetite, cognition, reading and physical exercise. Recently, she said he even enjoyed catching replays on television of Super Bowls I and II. Starr was named MVP of each game.
He actually recognized himself as being on the field playing football, she said. That was good. That was great.
Starr's reputation and his name also will be recognized again Saturday, when New England Patriots special teams captain Matthew Slater is scheduled to receive the Bart Starr Award, given annually to the NFL player who best exemplifies outstanding character and leadership in the home, on the field and in the community.
Bart Starr Jr., son of Bart and Cherry, will be on hand to present it before returning home to watch the game with his parents in Alabama.Cherry Starr notified Slater last month that he won the award, surprising him with a call that was put on speaker phone in a Patriots team meeting. Slater became emotional during the conversation. His father, Hall of Fame tackle Jackie Slater, won the same award in 1996.
Thank you so much, Slater said to Cherry Starr. Wow. I dont even know what to say. Im so humbled. I really ... Your husband. I know so much about him and what he stood for. Im blown away.
Starr still has that effect on peopleall these years later. In 2015, he made an improbable return to Green Bay for a Thanksgiving appearance on the field with Brett Favre, another legendary Packers quarterback. The crowd roared. But Cherry Starr said they probably wont be able to return to Green Bay because travel is too difficult for them now.
She also said her husband isnt likely to receive additional, experimental stem-cell treatments, which she credits for helping his condition improve in recent years. The Starrs made multiple trips to Tijuana, Mexico, for the treatments, which are not approved for use in the U.S. and have not been proven to be effective under U.S. standards. The cells are manufactured by Stemedica, a company in San Diego that ships them to a clinic in Tijuana for a clinical trial there.
Starr instead hopes to keep improving through rest and exercise. Cherry Starr said the recent staph infection was quite a setback and devastating.
Yet Bart Starr is still as tough as ever and beat it back.
I just see better things happening in the next few months, she said. His quality of life is going to be much better.
Follow reporter Brent Schrotenboer @Schrotenboer. E-mail: bschrotenb@usatoday.com
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Bart Starr prepares to watch Super Bowl from home as health keeps improving - USA TODAY
Posted: February 7, 2017 at 11:46 am
Anthony Romero 87,executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union, says that President Donald Trumps executive order on immigration has hit a live nerve with the American people and donations to the ACLU are soaring as a result. The New York Times
Jordan Roth 97, the youngest theater owner on Broadway in more than a decade, discusses his journey from business school to becoming a producer. Financial Times
The Rochester Institute of Technology has selectedDavid Munson *79,a former dean of engineering at the University of Michigan, to be its 10th president. Democrat and Chronicle
The McClatchy Co., which operates 29 newspapersin the United States, has namedCraig Forman 82,a digital entrepreneur and investor, as its new CEO. Sacramento Business Journal
Jae Shin *11created the New York City Housing Authoritys first design guidelines for the rehabilitation of buildings, which include avoiding asthma-triggering spray products and implementing green roof technologies. FastCompany Co.Exist
Heather Ann Thompson *95,author ofBlood in the Water: The Attica Prison Uprising of 1971 and Its Legacy, speaks about how she uncovered new details about the tragic clash between state troopers and rebelling prisoners. The Daily Show with Trevor Noah
Princeton sociology professorDouglas Massey *78says that if President Trump repeals Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), great damage will be done to the fabric of American society and its standing in the world. Foreign Policy
University of Pennsylvania political scienceprofessorMarie Gottschalk *85s work on mass incarcerations is featured in the Academy Award-nominated documentary13th. The Daily Pennsylvanian
Unrest, a documentary directed byJennifer Brea 05,discusses patients suffering from Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and chronicles Breas own struggles with the disease. It was featured in the Sundance Film Festival. Variety
Cardozo School of Law professorAkil Alleyne 08recommends that in replacing Obamacare, Congress and President Trump let health-insurance companies compete across state lines to reduce premiums and increase competition. The Hill
Cheryl LaFleur 75has been named the acting chairwoman of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, which regulates the interstatetransmission of electricity, oil, and natural gas. The Springfield (Mass.) Republican
Former U.S. Trade RepresentativeMichael Froman 85,who helped negotiate the Trans-Pacific Partnership and left government following the change in presidential administrations, has joined the Council on Foreign Relations as a distinguished fellow. Council on Foreign Relations
The Pope Center for Higher Education Policywas renamedthe James G. Martin Center for Academic Renewal in honor of former North Carolina Gov.James Martin *60, a longtime elected official and former chemistry professor at Davidson College. The News & Observer
Alabama Rep.Terri Sewell 86says that President Trump should investigate cases of voter suppression, and has sponsored a bill to restoreprovisions of the 1965 Voting Rights Act. AL.com
Sally Blount 83,the dean of Northwestern Universitys Kellogg School of Management, says that in order to advance in a career, people should be open to receiving negative feedback. Fortune
Frances Arnold 79,a professor of chemical engineering at Caltech, received the 2017 Raymond and Beverly Sackler Prize in Convergence Research for her work in protein function and evolutionary theory. National Academy of the Sciences
Rockefeller University ProfessorElaine Fuchs *77received the 2017 McEwen Award for Innovation, which recognizes groundbreaking work relating to stem cells or regenerative medicine. Rockefeller University Newswire
David Berlin 86,the former head of the New York State Athletic Commission, received the Boxing Writers Association of Americas Integrity Award. NYFights.com
Stephen Ban 84,who has run over 100 triathlons, joined the board of trustees of the USA Triathlon Foundation. Inside the Games
Jane Randall 13,a former contestant on Americas Next Top Model, is now running and promoting the New Jersey nonpartisan news aggregator Jersey Report. Politico
Christian Birky 13,who tutored prisoners during his junior year at Princeton and launched a luxury T-shirt company in Detroit last year, has joined an effort to hire employees who previously served time in prison. Crains Detroit Business
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Romero '87 Sees ACLU Donations Soar, Munson *79 to Lead RIT, and More - Princeton Alumni Weekly
Posted: February 7, 2017 at 11:45 am
Forbes | Biotechnology Executives Oppose Trump Immigration Policy Forbes Nearly 100 founders and leaders of biotechnology companies have signed a letter rebuking President Donald Trump for the immigration restrictions he put in place through an executive order on January 27. The letter is being published by Nature Biotech, ... Leaders of biotech company oppose travel ban, say scientists fear traveling to US |
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Biotechnology Executives Oppose Trump Immigration Policy - Forbes
Posted: February 7, 2017 at 11:45 am
Tenax Therapeutics, Inc. (TENX) ended last trading session with a change of 1.3 percent. It trades at an average volume of 1.1M shares versus 3.36M shares recorded at the end of last trading session. The share price of $0.72 is at a distance of 73.16 percent from its 52-week low and down -75.56 percent versus its peak. The company has a market cap of $22.8M and currently has 31.73M shares outstanding. The share price is currently -61.84 percent versus its SMA20, -62.99 percent versus its SMA50, and -68.05 percent versus its SMA200. The stock has a weekly performance of -63.15 percent and is -63.15 percent year-to-date as of the recent close.
On January 31, 2017 Tenax Therapeutics, Inc. (TENX) announced top-line results from its Phase 3 LEVO-CTS trial. The study did not achieve statistically significant reductions in the dual endpoint of death or use of a mechanical assist device at 30 days, nor in the quad endpoint of death, myocardial infarction, need for dialysis, or use of a mechanical assist device at 30 days. However, the study demonstrated statistically significant reductions in two of three secondary endpoints including reduction in low cardiac output syndrome (LCOS) and a reduction in postoperative use of secondary inotropes. Patient visits for data on death through day 90 have not yet been completed. The Company has a meeting scheduled with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to review the preliminary trial data and discuss a path forward to bring this potentially lifesaving treatment to the benefit of patients undergoing serious cardiac surgery.
Intrexon Corporation (XON) recently recorded -2.77 percent change and currently at $21.43 is 5.1 percent away from its 52-week low and down -46.74 percent versus its peak. It has a past 5-day performance of 2.05 percent and trades at an average volume of 1.34M shares. The stock has a 1-month performance of -17.03 percent and is -11.81 percent year-to-date as of the recent close. There were about 118.35M shares outstanding which made its market cap $2.54B. The share price is currently -7.68 percent versus its SMA20, -17.93 percent versus its SMA50, and -19.97 percent versus its SMA200.
On Jan. 24, 2017 Intrexon Corporation (XON) announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire GenVec, Inc. (GNVC), a clinical-stage company and pioneer in the development of AdenoVerse gene delivery technology.
Intrexon intends to integrate and expand upon GenVecs expertise in adenoviral vectors and cGMP drug product manufacturing to enhance its broad gene transfer capabilities that encompass multiple viral and non-viral platforms. Notably, the combined technologies have the potential to yield the next generation of adenoviral (AdV) delivery through the creation of a scalable manufacturing platform utilizing helper-dependent adenovirus with significantly higher payload capacity of >30kb, as compared to current viral delivery methods ranging from 4.5kb 9kb.
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Top Biotechnology Stock Picking: Tenax Therapeutics, Inc. (TENX), Intrexon Corporation (XON) - The Independent Republic
Posted: February 7, 2017 at 11:45 am
Merrimack Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (MACK) ended last trading session with a change of 0.96 percent. It trades at an average volume of 4.05M shares versus 1.35M shares recorded at the end of last trading session. The share price of $3.17 is at a distance of 12.01 percent from its 52-week low and down -64.86 percent versus its peak. The company has a market cap of $399.07M and currently has 125.89M shares outstanding. The share price is currently 0.08 percent versus its SMA20, -26.55 percent versus its SMA50, and -41.42 percent versus its SMA200. The stock has a weekly performance of 3.59 percent and is -22.3 percent year-to-date as of the recent close.
On Jan. 18, 2017 Merrimack Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (MACK) announced that Richard Peters, M.D., Ph.D., has been appointed as the Companys President and Chief Executive Officer, effective February 6, 2017, at which time he will also be appointed to the Merrimack Board of Directors. Dr. Peters will join Merrimack from his current role at Sanofi Genzyme, where he serves as Senior Vice President and Head of Global Rare Diseases. He replaces Gary Crocker, Chairman and Interim President and CEO, who guided the Company during the recent restructuring process and search for a permanent CEO and will remain Chairman of the Board.
MannKind Corporation (MNKD) recently recorded -4.25 percent change and currently at $0.54 is 31.98 percent away from its 52-week low and down -75.84 percent versus its peak. It has a past 5-day performance of -15.76 percent and trades at an average volume of 5.54M shares. The stock has a 1-month performance of -17.78 percent and is -15.01 percent year-to-date as of the recent close. There were about 498.94M shares outstanding which made its market cap $269.98M. The share price is currently -17.65 percent versus its SMA20, -15.12 percent versus its SMA50, and -34.44 percent versus its SMA200.
Feb. 01, 2017 MannKind Corporation (MNKD), a fully integrated biopharmaceutical company focusing on the discovery and development of therapeutic products for patients with diseases such as diabetes, announced the launch of a new Titration Pack containing 60 4 unit cartridges, 60 8 unit cartridges and 60 12 unit cartridges of Afrezza (insulin human) Inhalation Powder.
This new package is intended to simplify physician prescribing of Afrezza and allow patients greater dose flexibility in managing their diabetes, while potentially reducing the cost burden of multiple copays.
Posted: February 7, 2017 at 11:44 am
Scientists have found a way to efficiently engineer new thyroid cells from stem cells. The discovery, performed in mice, is the first step toward engineering new human thyroid cells in order to better study and treat thyroid diseases.
A report on the work - led by Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) in Massachusetts - is published in the journal Stem Cell Reports.
The thyroid is a gland in the middle of the lower neck. Although only small, it produces hormones that reach every cell, organ, and tissue to help control metabolism - the rate at which the body makes energy from nutrients and oxygen.
Thyroid diseases are common conditions in which the gland is either overactive and produces too much hormone (hyperthyroidism), or underactive and produces too little (hypothyroidism).
It is thought that around 20 million people in the United States are living with some form of thyroid disease, the causes of which are largely unknown.
Most thyroid disorders are chronic or life-long conditions that can be managed with medical attention. However, approximately 60 percent of cases are undiagnosed.
Undiagnosed thyroid diseases can lead to serious conditions, such as cardiovascular diseases, infertility, and osteoporosis.
Stem cells are cells that have the potential to mature into many different cell types. Particular patterns of genetic switches and signals direct the maturing stem cells toward their individual fates.
Fast facts about hyperthyroidism
Learn more about hyperthyroidism
In their study, the researchers found a way to coax genetically modified embryonic stem cells from mice to develop into thyroid cells.
They discovered that there is a "window of opportunity" for doing this efficiently that occurs during cell development.
As they guided the laboratory-cultured embryonic stem cells through various stages of development, the researchers switched a gene called Nkx2-1 on and off for short periods.
They discovered a small timeframe during which the Nkx2-1 gene is switched on that converts the majority of the stem cells into thyroid cells.
Researchers believe that the discovery is the first step toward an effective human stem cell protocol for creating research models and new treatments for thyroid diseases. The principle may also apply to other cell types, they add.
In their paper, they note that stem cells hold great promise as a way to mass produce differentiated cells for research. However, a major roadblock to achieving high yields has been "the poor or variable differentiation efficiency of many differentiation protocols."
"This method resulted in high yield of our target cell type, thyroid cells, but it may be applicable for the derivation of other clinically relevant cell types such as lung cells, insulin-producing cells, liver cells, etc."
Senior author Prof. Laertis Ikonomou, BUSM
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Engineering thyroid cells from stem cells may lead to new therapies - Medical News Today
