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Google relaxes ban on stem cell therapy ads – The Verge

Posted: May 15, 2022 at 2:01 am

Google will allow ads for stem cell treatments that are approved by the US Food and Drug Administration a change from its previous policy, which banned all ads for this experimental category of medical care. The policy update was first reported by Gizmodo and will go into effect in July.

The company said in the policy update that it will also allow cell or gene therapy ads that are exclusively educational or informational in nature, even if they reference products or applications that are not approved by the FDA. Its not clear how Google would define educational or informational or what type of advertisements would be allowed under that umbrella.

Stem cell therapy is a broad term for medical treatments that use stem cells, which can develop into any cell type. There are some evidence-based applications for the cells, like to treat some cancers, and there are around two dozen FDA-approved cell- and gene-therapy products (which Googles new policy would allow ads for).

But most uses for stem cells are unproven, experimental, and can be dangerous. Clinics claim the cells, taken from donated umbilical cords or from patients fat, can treat things like joint pain or eye conditions. People have developed infections and died after getting those types of procedures. The FDA has tried to crack down on businesses offering these types of procedures, but theyve proliferated over the past few years.

Googles initial ban on stem cell ads hasnt done much to keep the clinics from popping up in search, Paul Knoepfler, a professor at the UC Davis School of Medicine, wrote in Stat in March. Even if they cant advertise, the companies have designed websites that appear at the top of search results for searches related to stem cells above more reputable medical resources, like the National Institutes of Health.

These companies are savvy and have been able to skirt policies to push out their products even in the face of a total ban. Now, that ban is set to relax, opening up new avenues for groups to distribute information. Googles continuing stem cell problem is emblematic of a serious, broader problem with unproven biomedical offerings the company needs to address, Knoepfler wrote.

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Google relaxes ban on stem cell therapy ads - The Verge

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Stem cellderived model offers insights on gene activity and addiction – ASBMB Today

Posted: May 15, 2022 at 2:01 am

Researchers at North Carolina State University have demonstrated that neuron-like cells derived from human stem cells can serve as a model for studying changes in the nervous system associated with addiction. The work sheds light on the effect of dopamine on gene activity in neurons, and offers a blueprint for related research moving forward.

It is extremely difficult to study how addiction changes the brain at a cellular level in humans nobody wants to experiment on somebodys brain, says Albert Keung, corresponding author of the study and an assistant professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering at NCState. What weve done here demonstrates that we can gain a deep understanding of those cellular responses using neuronlike cells derived from human stem cells.

At issue is how cells in our nervous system respond to drugs that are associated with substance abuse and addiction. Our bodies produce a neurotransmitter called dopamine. Its associated with feelings, such as pleasure, that are related to motivation and reward. When neuronal cells in the brains reward pathway are exposed to dopamine, the cells activate a specific suite of genes, triggering the feelings of reward that can make people feel good. Many drugs from alcohol and nicotine to opioids and cocaine cause the body to produce higher levels of dopamine.

In experiments using rodents, researchers have shown that when relevant neuronal cells are exposed to high levels of dopamine for an extended period of time, they become desensitized meaning the cells gene activation is less pronounced in response to the dopamine, Keung says. This is called gene desensitization. However, until now, it hasnt been possible to do an experimental study using human neuronal cells.

Our work here is the first experimental study to demonstrate gene desensitization in human neuronal cells, specifically in response to dopamine, says Ryan Tam, first author of the study and a Ph.D. student at NCState. We dont have to infer that it is happening in human cells; we can show that it is happening in human cells.

In their study, Tam and Keung exposed neuronlike cells derived from human stem cells to varying levels of dopamine for varying periods of time. The researchers found that when cells were exposed to high levels of dopamine for an extended period of time, the relevant reward genes became significantly less responsive. The work was published in the journal Cells.

Courtesy of Ryan Tam

Stem cellderived medium spinylike neuron morphology highlighted by the green fluorescent protein GFP and neuron marker MAP2 in red.

This is an interesting finding, but its also a proof of concept study, Tam says. Weve demonstrated that gene desensitization to dopamine occurs in human cells, but there is still a lot we dont know about the nature of the relationship between dopamine and gene desensitization.

For example, could higher levels of dopamine cause desensitization at shorter time scales? Or could lower levels of dopamine cause desensitization at longer time scales? Are there threshold levels, or is there some sort of linear relationship? How might the presence of other neurotransmitters or bioactive chemicals affect these responses?

Those are good questions, which future research could address, says Keung. And weve demonstrated that these neuronlike cells derived from human stem cells are a good model for conducting that research.

This article was republished with permission from North Carolina State University. Read the original.

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Experts see blood stem cell transplant as a curative treatment for thalassemia – India Today

Posted: May 15, 2022 at 2:01 am

Baby Bhushra Naqeeb, an 11-year-old girl who has suffered from thalassemia since the age of 6 months, recently suggested an allogeneic stem cell transplant as her only chance of survival after over 10 years of blood transfusion. Finally, with the support from the DKMS-BMST thalassemia programme, she underwent stem cell transplantation in October 2021 under Dr. Sachin Jadhav, HCG (HeathCare Global Enterprises Ltd.) group of hospitals. Post the transplant, Bhushra is able to lead a normal life as she also attends regular school.

India is also known as the Thalassemia capital of the world. The country has the largest number of children with thalassemia major with over 10,000 children born with it every year. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), over four million Indians are thalassemia carriers and more than 1,00,000 are patients. Parents, who are usually asymptomatic, are the carriers of this disease and have a 25% chance of passing this disease to their children.

Patients suffering from thalassemia are required to undergo lifelong regular blood transfusions to maintain their hemoglobin levels. However, it can now be cured with stem cell transplantation.

THE ONLY CURE

Dr. Sunil Bhat, Director and Clinical Lead, Pediatric Hematology, Oncology and Blood & Marrow Transplantation, Narayana Health said, Thalassemia patients are mostly children who go through painful blood transfusion for several years in their life. Blood transfusions have their own challenges and risks for the patients. A stem cell transplantation is currently the only curative option available for this condition. Recent data shows a more than 90% success rate of stem cell transplantation in patients who have HLA (Human Leukocyte Antigen) matched stem cell donors.

In a blood stem cell transplant, stem cells are collected from the blood of the donors and transplanted into the thalassemia patient after their bone marrow has been destroyed. Only 30% of patients who need transplants have a fully HLA-matched donor in their family, while the rest of them depend on an unrelated donor.

Shobha Tuli, the founder of the NGO - Thalassemics India, President-Federation of Indian Thalassemia Associations, says At present, stem cell transplant is the only curative treatment available for Thalassemia patients. If not cured on time, such patients are dependent on blood transfusions all throughout their lives along with other expensive treatments & regular investigations. Thalassemia Bal Sewa Yojna is a unique project initiated by the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Govt. of India. Under this scheme, a patient can get financial aid up to Rs. 10 lakhs from Coal India Ltd. DKMS has offered us an opportunity to get free HLA tests done in the country. This enables the patients to check if they have a matched sibling.

LOW AWARENESS

There are around 270 million Thalassemia patients in the world but awareness about the disease is alarmingly less. Symptoms of Thalassemia usually start at 4 to 6 months of age and usually present with lethargy, poor feeding, progressive pallor, poor weight gain and sometimes vomiting and diarrhoea. On examination, the babies are pale and have liver and spleen enlargement.

Patrick Paul, CEO, DKMS BMST Foundation India, says, It is our mission to support blood cancer, and other blood disorders such as Thalassemia patients in India, for which we have initiated the DKMS-BMST Thalassemia programme. Under this programme, DKMS-BMST collaborates with local NGOs and transplantation clinics to organise camps where paediatric thalassemia patients and their siblings travelling from afar places in India to give buccal swab samples for free HLA typing. Samples from the camps are analysed in the DKMS laboratory based out of Germany and clinical matching reports of the same are provided. In cases where there is no matching sibling for a sick child, we also support unrelated donor searches for patients. Since the inception of the programme, so far, 7,162 HLA typings have been facilitated by DKMS-BMST.

HOW YOU CAN HELP

Dr. Bhat also added, A successful blood stem cell transplant depends on a perfect HLA tissue match. Patients and donors of Indian origin have unique HLA characteristics that are severely under-represented in the global database, which makes the probability of finding a suitable donor even more difficult. Indian patients mainly require an Indian tissue match. This calls for increased awareness and the need to encourage many more people in India to register as potential blood stem cell donors.

To register as a potential blood stem cell donor, healthy individuals between 18-50 years of age can register at: dkms-bmst.org/register

All it takes is five minutes of your time and a simple 3-step process:

Step 1: Visit the site, fill in an online form and you will receive a DIY swab kit at home.

Step 2: Once you receive the swab kit, fill out the consent form and take a tissue sample from the inside of your cheeks with 3 cotton swabs provided in the kit.

Step 3: Send back your swab sample in the pre-paid envelope provided.

The DKMS laboratory will then analyse your tissue type and your details will be available in the global search for blood stem cell donors. If you do come up as a suitable donor, DKMS-BMST will get in touch with you straight away. Once you come up as a match, blood stem cells will be obtained from the bloodstream using a procedure called Peripheral Blood Stem Cell Collection, which is similar to a blood donation wherein only your stem cells are taken. This is a safe, non-surgical outpatient procedure.

READ MORE | JNU biologists identify a new way to better treat kala-azar

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Cord Blood Banking: Benefits, Cost, and Process – Healthline

Posted: May 15, 2022 at 2:01 am

If you are a new or expectant parent, youve probably heard about the option of banking your babys cord blood at birth. The topic can be confusing, and you may have many unanswered questions.

You may be unsure exactly what cord banking involves, why people choose to bank their infants blood, whether its worth it to do so, and how much it costs to bank cord blood.

Heres a simple breakdown of the potential benefits of cord blood banking and how to decide if its right for your family.

At birth, your newborns placenta and umbilical cord contain blood that is rich with potentially lifesaving stem cells. This blood can be removed, stored, and used down the road to treat various diseases and conditions.

Healthcare professionals do not remove cord blood directly from babies or birthing parents. Rather, it comes from the umbilical cord and placenta themselves, according to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG).

The stem cells in umbilical cords and placentas are called hematopoietic stem cells. In people with certain health conditions, they can be used to produce healthy new cells and replace damaged cells.

Stem cells are used to treat over 70 types of diseases, according to ACOG. These include:

You might choose to bank your newborns cord blood for several reasons.

First, you may choose to do so if you have a family member with a medical condition that might benefit from stem cell donation. Alternatively, you might want to donate your babys blood to help another person in need of stem cells.

One myth about cord banking is that you child can use the cord blood down the line, should they develop a serious medical concern. This type of transfer where a persons own cord blood is used to treat their health condition is called an autologous transplant.

ACOG notes that autologous transfers are rare.

If your child has a genetic disease, for example, treating them with their own stem cells wouldnt help because these stem cells contain the same genes as the cells that are involved in the disease. Similarly, your own childs stem cells cant be used to treat cancers such as leukemia.

Instead, most cord blood transplants are allogeneic.

This means that your childs stem cells would be used to treat another child or adult. It would require a strong match between the stem cell recipient (the person using the stem cells) and the stem cell donor (your child).

The benefits of cord blood banking depend on your purpose and where you are storing your childs cord blood.

If you are storing your childs blood at a private institution, you may be able to use the stem cells to directly benefit a family member in need, including a close family member or your childs sibling.

Storing your babys cord blood in a public facility has benefits, too. Stem cells can help treat people with many types of health conditions, including cancers and certain metabolic and immunologic conditions, according to the Health Resources & Services Administration.

There are many advantages to using stem cell transplants for treating medical conditions rather than using bone marrow transplants.

According to ACOG, these benefits include:

If you want to have your newborns cord blood collected, you should inform your OB-GYN or birthing professional, such as a midwife, and the hospital or facility where you will give birth. They may need to order special equipment or a cord collecting kit.

Usually, you will need to inform your healthcare team of your choice to bank your infants blood about 6 weeks in advance of your due date. Youll also need to be sure youve signed all the required consent forms.

Cord blood extraction happens in the hospital after birth and after a healthcare professional has clamped and cut the umbilical cord. They will then use a needle to draw blood out of the cord and store in a designated bag.

The entire process is quick about 10 minutes and does not involve direct contact with your baby.

Sometimes, cord blood extraction isnt possible. Reasons for this may include:

After collection, cord blood must be stored very carefully to ensure that its quality is preserved. Each facility has its own protocols and procedures for how this is done.

The Academy of American Pediatrics (AAP) explains certain accrediting institutions oversee the regulation of cord blood storage and cautions that some private cord blood banks may not meet all these standards.

Before agreeing to have your childs cord blood stored at a private facility, you may want to find out:

Cord blood bank accrediting institutions include:

Before considering cord blood donation, its important for you to understand the difference between private and public banks. Heres what to know:

Private banks are usually used by parents who believe that their childs cord blood may be helpful to a family member who has a medical condition.

They require you to pay on an ongoing basis for your childs cord blood to be stored.

Not all private banks are accredited or regulated in the same way that public banks are.

Public banks are free and supported by government or private funds.

Currently, there is very little evidence that storing your childs blood will help your own child fight a medical condition in the future. In fact, if your child needs stem cells to treat a condition, its more likely that they will receive a donation from a public cord bank.

When you donate to a public cord bank, you do not get to decide who will use your childs blood. You are essentially donating your childs cord blood to help a person in need.

Public cord banks are heavily regulated, and cord blood from these banks is used more frequently than cord blood from private banks. In fact, blood from public banks is used 30 times more frequently than from private banks.

Most major health organizations including the Academy of American Pediatrics and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommend public cord blood banking.

Another reason these organizations recommend using public cord blood banks is that they are consistently and well regulated.

Cord blood banking at a public cord bank is free, and you will not have to pay any costs if you donate. These institutions are usually supported by federal funds or receive private funding.

On the other hand, private blood cord banks charge fees, and you must pay these fees for the entire time your childs cord blood is stored in these facilities.

Private cord banks generally charge an initial fee for collecting and processing cord blood. After these initial fees, you will also pay annual fees for ongoing storage. Private cord blood banks vary in their fee amounts, but they average about $2,000 for initial fees and between $100 and $175 each year for annual storage fees, per the AAP.

There are many benefits to banking cord blood. But how you do it depends on several factors, including your familys medical needs and your financial situation.

Almost anyone can choose to donate their infants cord blood to a public bank. Doing so may help many people. While most medical institutions do not recommend private cord banking, this may be the right choice for you if you have a family member who might use the cord blood you bank to treat a health condition.

Either way, its a good idea to speak with your healthcare professional before deciding on whether to bank your babys cord blood. They can also advise you on the best way to do it and which type of blood bank may best meet your needs.

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Cord Blood Banking: Benefits, Cost, and Process - Healthline

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Hypoxic mesenchymal stem cell-derived extracellular vesicles ameliorate renal fibrosis after ischemiareperfusion injure by restoring CPT1A mediated…

Posted: May 15, 2022 at 2:01 am

Background

Renal fibrosis is a common pathological process of chronic kidney diseases induced by multiple factors. Hypoxic pretreatment of mesenchymal stem cells can enhance the efficacy of secreted extracellular vesicles (MSC-EVs) on various diseases, but it is not clear whether they can better improve renal fibrosis. The latest research showed that recovery of fatty acid oxidation (FAO) can reduce renal fibrosis. In this study, we aimed to examine whether hypoxic pretreatment with MSC extracellular vesicles (Hypo-EVs) can improve FAO to restore renal fibrosis and to investigate the underlying mechanism.

Hypo-EVs were isolated from hypoxia-pretreated human placenta-derived MSC (hP-MSC), and Norm-EVs were isolated from hP-MSC cultured under normal conditions. We used ischemiareperfusion (I/R)-induced renal fibrosis model in vivo. The mice were injected with PBS, Hypo-EVs, or Norm-EVs immediately after the surgery and day 1 postsurgery. Renal function, kidney pathology, and renal fibrosis were assessed for kidney damage evaluation. For mechanistic exploration, fatty acid oxidation (FAO), mitochondrial morphological alterations, ATP production and mitochondrial mass proteins were detected in vivo. Mitochondrial membrane potential and reactive oxygen species (ROS) production were investigated in vitro.

We found that Hypo-EVs confer a superior therapeutic effect on recovery of renal structure damage, restoration of renal function and reduction in renal fibrosis. Meanwhile, Hypo-EVs enhanced mitochondrial FAO in kidney by restoring the expression of a FAO key rate-limiting enzyme carnitine palmitoyl-transferase 1A (CPT1A). Mechanistically, the improvement of mitochondrial homeostasis, characterized by repaired mitochondrial structure, restoration of mitochondrial mass and ATP production, inhibition of oxidative stress, and increased mitochondrial membrane potential, partially explains the effect of Hypo-EVs on improving mitochondrial FAO and thus attenuating I/R damage.

Hypo-EVs suppress the renal fibrosis by restoring CPT1A-mediated mitochondrial FAO, which effects may be achieved through regulation of mitochondrial homeostasis. Our findings provide further mechanism support for development cell-free therapy of renal fibrosis.

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The Exciting Emergence of Regenerative Medicine – Verve Times

Posted: May 15, 2022 at 2:01 am

I recently had the opportunity to interview Tony Robbins likely the most successful personal development coach in modern history about what hes been up to during the last couple of years, and the release of his new book, Life Force: How New Breakthroughs in Precision Medicine Can Transform the Quality of Your Life and Those You Love.

During his career, Robbins has coached more than 10 million people through group events, and more than 100 million digitally. Pre-COVID, he would visit, on average, 125 cities in more than a dozen countries each year. The pandemic put a firm stop to all those mass gatherings so, in the end, he innovated and developed virtual interactive multiday seminars that reached millions of people around the world during the global pandemic.

Im used to a stadium, and the energy, Robbins says. So, I said, This is what were going to do. Were going to build a studio with 50-foot ceilings, 20-foot LEDs, .67 highest resolution

Im going to go to the guys at Zoom and see if I can get them to go from 1,000 to 25,000, (now 200,0000), and then [we] made software so that people could communicate like clapping, [by] shaking their phone. If one person does it, you dont hear it, but when 10,000 people do it, its thunderous. Its like being at a real event.

I would normally go see a quarter of a million people over most years, some years a million people, but now, we had one the other day for six days; 800,000 people signed up, and then there are people joining them because its in their home.

We had over a million people for this one program. Technology has allowed us to touch peoples lives when they need it most. Im just grateful that we found a way to adapt to make it happen.

When asked what drives him to maintain such a rigorous schedule, all while being more than successful, so much so that he doesnt actually need to work, Robbins replies:

Ive been driven by impact my whole life. I dont have to work, fortunately, but you feel a sense of responsibility when you know whats available. Thats why I was so frustrated at the beginning [of the pandemic], because if there was ever a time people needed help, it was during this [pandemic].

Stanford studied my work and that study just came out in a psychiatric journal. Its mind-boggling. The most you ever see when they do meta studies on depression, in people who get treated, about 40% improve, 60% dont.

They approached me because, using drugs and everything else, thats the best theyve seen. There was one study done by Johns Hopkins two years ago where they used hallucinogenics, magic mushrooms, along with therapy, and they had a four times greater result than anything theyd ever seen, meaning 53% of the people, four weeks later, had no symptoms whatsoever of depression.

They put people through one of my five-and-a-half day Date With Destiny programs. People can see it if they go to Netflix a version of one. Tony Robbins: Im Not Your Guru, compresses it. Its an hour and 45 minutes. But they followed up with the people. At the end, 30 days later, zero people had any symptoms of clinical depression.

Now Im working on being able to expand, and none of this would have happened except so many people got depressed over COVID and Stanford said, We got to find some better solutions. Im really grateful for the researchers there and its opening up all kinds of doors to help people in a new way.

Im driven by impact. Im driven to see peoples lives change. What else are you going to do with your life? Sit around and do nothing? Im a kid. Im 62 years old. I got a lot of life in me.

His latest book, Life Force, grew out of his experience with a physical injury, a severely torn rotator cuff. It was so severe he thought his career might be over. He was also diagnosed with spinal stenosis. Four different doctors told him surgery was the only option, but Robbins was curious about stem cells. Might that help?

I work with some of the greatest athletes in the world and I remember Cristiano Ronaldo, the greatest soccer player, he was supposed to be out three months. He did stem cells [and was] back in three weeks, Robbins says.

His doctors said no, but Robbins got hooked up with Dr. Bob Hariri, a neuroscientist and stem cell specialist. Hariri explained that the key to stem cells is using four-day old stem cells, as they contain the life force. Fetal (embryonic) stem cells are commercially outlawed in most places, and were out of the question from an ethical perspective.

But these stem cells can also be derived from the placenta and umbilical cord. So, Robbins received intravenous stem cells at a clinic in Panama, three days in a row. I woke up the third morning with no pain in my shoulder, the MRI is perfect, and no pain in my spine for the first time in 14 years. That made me an evangelist, he says.

This experience inspired Robbins to learn all he could about stem cells, and the book is the product of interviews with numerous experts in the field. Interestingly, Pope Francis invited Robbins to speak at his biannual regenerative medicine conference, which is the largest in the world. There, he met experts and patients alike.

I met a kid that was supposed to die at 5. He got his sisters stem cells and hes now 11 and totally healthy. I met the greatest golfer of all time, Jack Nicklaus, and he said he couldnt stand for 10 minutes, he was in such pain.

They were going to fuse his spine, which works about 50% of the time and even then, it restricts you. He did stem cells instead and hes now 82 playing golf and playing tennis I met this kid who was on Americas Got Talent. He was blind and hes had gene therapy and he can see now. I mean, things that sound like science fiction [are] now happening

I did a book on finance where I interviewed 50 of the smartest financial people in the world I thought, what if I did this with 100 or 150 of the greatest scientists, Nobel Laureates, greatest regenerative medicine doctors? It was a three-year project in the middle of COVID, and it was a passion project. It all came together.

There are many different types of stem cells and some are more effective than others. Robbins is particularly impressed with the research from a group called Biosplice, which is working on WNT stem cells.

However, my favorite stem cells are Vsels (very small embryonic stem cells), which are taken from your own peripheral blood rather than your bone marrow or fat. Since they are your own cells, they have virtually no chance of causing long term complications to you. They are very similar to PRP (platelet rich plasma) only profoundly more effective.

While your genes were for a time believed to be the final determinant of your health, we now know this simply isnt true. As noted by Robbins, DNA is not destiny. Epigenetic factors are far more important.

Think of it as your DNA or your genome is the keyboard on a piano. The epigenome, epi being above, is the player turning on or off the keys, and thats what makes the music of your life.

What most people dont understand is that epigenome could be affected by diet, exercise all the things you teach and that I teach. Theyre so simple and critical, they dont cost anything, and then theres exposure to radiation, chemicals and things of that nature.

All that plays a role, but in order for us to have that epigenome function at its ideal, there are seven master genes called sirtuins. They do four things, primarily. No. 1, they help the epigenome turn off the right genes. If they dont do that, you start to break down, your body starts to age, you can have disease.

Secondly, they reduce inflammation, which is the basis of most breakdown in the body. The third thing they do is they affect the mitochondrias ability to produce ATP, which is the source of energy for everything. Then, the fourth thing they do, is they clean up our DNA, because as we live longer, we get exposed to more radiation, more exposures, and that DNA starts to break down.

The problem is, all this needs a source of fuel for work Some people do infusions of NAD, but theres no solid research that I can find that those large molecules are fully absorbed. You can feel like it for a while but it doesnt seem to be sustainable. The better approach is to give the precursor for [NAD], which is NMN.

According to Robbins, NMN has been shown to be very effective in mice, and effects appear to be even greater in humans. The problem is that NMN is highly perishable, and tests have shown most commercially available products have no NMN in them at all.

MIB 626 or NAD3, a product that is still under development, contains a more stable form of NAD, along with coenzymes that act as catalysts to activate more of the NAD in your body. NAD3 is currently on the fast-track to approval thanks to the fact that the U.S. military wants it.

Imagine you can go to your doctor and get prescribed something that used to be in your body anyway, or at least a co-enzyme of it, and suddenly have all those four things working your best, Robbins says.

The more energy your cells can have throughout the whole body means the organ systems, everything will work better, the cleanup of your DNA, the right genes turning on and off, and inflammation reducing. To me, thats the part that excites me about where things are going. Everything in the book is either now or within 36 months, so youre prepared for it.

That said, you can also raise your NAD level naturally. The enzyme for forming NAD is NAMPT, and you can radically upregulate NAMPT through exercise, time-restricted eating (which mimics the effects of calorie restriction) and sauna. NAMPT basically converts nicotinamide the breakdown product of NAD into NMN, which in turn reforms into NAD. You can also add 50 mg (1/64 of a teaspoon) of niacinamide powder three times a day for even greater improvement.

So, what are the best interventions Robbins has come across in his search for optimal health?

I think the first thing you have to do is [start] where you are. I can plot a course where I want to go, but if I have a map and I dont know where I am, its worthless. So, you need to do some of the most fundamental blood tests. Youve got to do heavy metals testing. You can do a hormone test.

If your hormones are off, your body is off Today, hormone optimization therapy is available with smaller inserts and huge changes, in men and in women. Once you know where you are and you know what your issues are, then you measure those things. You dont have to measure everything, because you have a base to know where you stand.

Now what are the interventions? For me, youve got to include some form of exercise, and for some people, thats just beyond their scope. Thats why the sauna is so valuable, because I can put somebody in a sauna for 20 minutes and youre going to see these heat shock proteins in your body.

Theres a transformation that occurs. Studies show 50% reduction in heart attacks, 60% reduction in stroke, and overall reduction of death at early age is down by 70%.

Then what happens is people feel better and now they can do some simple exercises I believe in cold also. I use cryotherapy I think thats a place to start for people. The other thing I tell people to do is cut 300 calories [a day]. Cut one bagel, and research shows that over two years, a person will usually lose between 17 and 20 pounds, if theyre overweight

Supplementing, obviously, with the right supplements, to me, is critical. So, figure out where you are, decide where you want to go. Once you know where you are, address whats there. It might be diabetes, it might be weight loss; whatever it is, address it.

Get yourself the core nutrients, and have a diet that matches your metabolism and a place for your body to have a little bit of a rest with intermittent fasting or the equivalent of intermittent fasting. To me, those are fundamentals.

For more information on the benefits of sauna, be sure to listen to the full interview. For additional details, you can also review my previous article, The Stunning Health Benefits of Sauna Therapy.

To go along with the book, Life Force, Robbins has co-founded two companies to help make precision medicine breakthroughs available to the public. The first one is Fountain Life, which works with doctors around the world to provide testing and regenerative and peak performance medicine.

This includes CCTA testing, which can predict a heart attack up to five years in advance, and Release, which uses ultrasound to scan your body for connective tissue that has tightened or hardened around nerves or blood vessels. A fluid is then injected into the affected area, instantly releasing that restriction.

At present, Fountain Life has nine health centers located in Florida, New York, Pennsylvania, Texas, California, the United Arab Emirates, India and Canada. About 12% to 14% of people find something through the scans thats serious, and theyre able to deal with it, Robbins says. The second company is MyLifeForce.com, from which you can also order a variety of tests at minimal cost.

What normally costs about $700 theyll do it for $350. We make no money on the tests, Robbins says. Then it gives you products like the NAD3 it can recommend whats available

So, I have both those groups. One is so you can have basically telemedicine, the other is if you want to do something direct; like the CCAT test, you can order it, your doctor can order it.

And, last but certainly not least, to learn about the breakthroughs in precision medicine that are already available, or soon will be, be sure to pick up a copy of Life Force: How New Breakthroughs in Precision Medicine Can Transform the Quality of Your Life and Those You Love.

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The Exciting Emergence of Regenerative Medicine - Verve Times

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Keasling tells graduates to pursue passions, inspire others – Nebraska Today

Posted: May 15, 2022 at 1:58 am

Renowned scientist Jay Keasling encouraged the University of NebraskaLincolns spring graduates to find and develop their passions, help others pursue their passions, and take bigchances.

Full list of graduates | Featured grads | Program

Keasling, Philomathia Professor of Alternative Energy at the University of California, Berkley, and a Husker alumnus, delivered the undergraduate commencement address, Live Your Passion, May 14 at MemorialStadium.

Keasling recalled taking his first genetics course at the university in 1984, which reinforced his fascination with genetic engineering and led him down the career path he is still on today engineering microbes to produce therapies to fight diseases such as malaria and producing more environmentally friendly chemicals than those made frompetroleum.

People often ask me what my hobby is, and I somewhat embarrassingly say my job, said Keasling, who is also a senior faculty scientist at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and chief executive officer of the Joint BioEnergy Institute. I know this might sound lame to you, but its really true. Its a very special privilege that I get up every morning and can do my hobby forwork.

Keasling, who is a member of the National Academy of Engineering and the National Academy of Inventors, said he didnt choose his career because it was easy or would make him a lot of money, but because it fascinates and challenges him and he might be able to move the needle on making the planet a better place. He urged the graduates to take a similarapproach.

Keasling said everyone can find a passion and pour their spare time into it, even if its not ones work. He encouraged the graduates to pick something that is difficult to master and that makes them happy andproud.

Keasling said he was inspired by thoughtful teachers, professors and mentors. He asked the graduates to try to be a positive inspiration to someoneelse.

If you can inspire just one person to be the best person they can be or to see a career path that they did not know about or to be a force for good, that will be a positive multiplier in the world, hesaid.

Keasling told the graduates that hardly anything of value is achieved without taking big risks. He emphasized that he has failed far more often than he has succeeded, and that is the case for most of the successful people he knows. He encouraged the graduates to take chances while they are young and have less tolose.

When you leave here today, start taking risks, he said. Dont be afraid to fail if you do, you will learn and you will have successes later. And given the audience I am speaking to, many of those big risks will turn into high payoffs for you andsociety.

Keasling closed his address by saying that everything he has accomplished in life has been in collaboration with wonderful people family, mentors, colleagues and students and that people are the graduates greatest resource. He instructed the graduates to treat people as they would want to be treated, share credit with them and try to emulate the best mentors theyve had at theuniversity.

Keasling also received an honorary Doctor of Science during the undergraduateceremony.

Terry L. Fairfield, former president and CEO of the University of Nebraska Foundation, received the Nebraska Builder Award for exceptional service to the state and university during theceremony.

Pinnacle Bank Arena hosted a ceremony for students earning graduate and professional degrees May 13; Memorial Stadium hosted a ceremony for undergraduates May 14; and the Lied Center for Performing Arts hosted a ceremony for law graduates May14.

Marco Barker, vice chancellor for diversity and inclusion at Nebraska, gave the address at the graduate and professional degree ceremony May 13 at Pinnacle Bank Arena. He shared his journey to becoming a diversityengineer.

I see diversity engineering as applying critical thinking, analysis, rigorous calculations of scenarios, experimentation with trying new solutions to solve one of the worlds greatest challenges of fostering belonging, inclusion, togetherness and community, he said. There is no doubt that we are polarized right now and that we are not taking the time to learn from one another, listen to one another and to show love to oneanother.

Barker shared four life lessons he has learned: to not to be defined by one moment or anyone else; to be part of the solution; to look beyond ones bubble and remain curious; and that mattering is one of humanitys deepestneeds.

One of our largest issues is that we have lost our human connection to understand, empathize and love, he said. To head toward better connectivity, we have to be open and ask questions and be inquisitive. Even ask yourself today, graduates: How did I get here? Whos here or not here with me? These can often reveal things about us that we do notrealize.

Barker emphasized that much is expected of the new graduates. He said they are well-positioned to go into the world and do two things solve problems using their academic superpowers and act in a way that ensures that people and interactionsmatter.

Sara Howard, policy adviser for First Five Nebraska and a former state senator, spoke to the law graduates May 14 at the Lied Center for PerformingArts.

Chancellor Ronnie Green presided over the commencement exercises, during which 2020 and 2021 graduates were also celebrated. About two dozen returned to cross the stage in front of family andfriends.

To each of our graduates: We are very proud of your accomplishments and thankful for your contributions, Green said. You have raised our level of critical thinking and creative activity as a world-leading institution of higher education, adding to the legacy of the people who have earned their advanced degrees fromNebraska.

The university conferred a record 3,612 degrees during the May commencement ceremonies. The 3,523 graduates are from 58 countries; 45 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, and more than 250 Nebraskacommunities.

The May graduating class earned 131 new Juris Doctor degrees, 602 other new graduate and professional degrees and 2,879 new baccalaureate degrees. The university has awarded 310,614 degrees since it was founded in1869.

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Genetically-engineered food to be produced in the UK under new post-Brexit plans – The Mirror

Posted: May 15, 2022 at 1:58 am

The new Genetic Technology Bill aims to make food more nutritious and reduce our reliance on pesticides.

Image: BPM MEDIA)

Genetically-engineered food will be produced in the UK under new Government plans to deliver on the promise of Brexit .

The new Genetic Technology (Precision Breeding) Bill aims to make food more nutritious and reduce our reliance on pesticides.

The Bill, set out at the Queen's Speech, will allow gene-edited plants to be treated differently to genetically modified organisms (GMOs).

GMOs have strict rules that only one is grown commercially in the EU.

But genetic-engineering is said to pose fewer risks.

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Gene-editing has the potential to improve the sustainability and productivity of farming and animals could also be less vulnerable to disease, experts have noted.

The use of gene editing had been hampered by a European Court of Justice ruling in 2018 that technology had to be regulated in the same way as genetic modification.

The Bill aims to remove unnecessary barriers inherited from the EU to enable the development and marketing of precision bred plans and animals which will drive economic growth and position the UK as the leading country to invest in agri-food research and innovation, officials said.

The National Farmers Union welcomed the new legislation when the draft bill was open to consultation from experts.

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At the time, NFU vice president, Tom Bradshaw said: New precision breeding techniques, such as gene editing, could protect crops and animals from pests and disease, help deliver net zero and allow farmers to produce more home-grown food.

However, he did mention the importance of analysing the implications for trade with the EU and promoting confidence among the public.

Scientists raised concerns earlier this year the the draft bill went through a consultation, with 63% of academic institutions fearing there could be a risk to human health or the environment with gene editing.

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Poseida Therapeutics Provides Updates and Financial Results for the First Quarter of 2022 – Yahoo Finance

Posted: May 15, 2022 at 1:58 am

SAN DIEGO, May 12, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Poseida Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: PSTX), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company utilizing proprietary genetic engineering platform technologies to create cell and gene therapeutics with the capacity to cure, today announced updates and financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2022.

Poseida Therapeutics (PRNewsfoto/Poseida Therapeutics, Inc.)

"2022 is shaping up to be an exciting year for the Company, as we work to demonstrate the differentiation of our CAR-T programs in the clinic and advance our wholly owned and partnered gene therapy programs towards IND-enabling studies," said Mark Gergen, Chief Executive Officer of Poseida. "We now have three clinical CAR-T programs recruiting and enrolling, including two allogeneic product candidates, P-MUC1C-ALLO1 and P-BCMA-ALLO1 for solid tumors and multiple myeloma, respectively, as well as our P-PSMA-101 autologous CAR-T program for metastatic castrate resistant prostate cancer. As we and the industry navigate current market dynamics, we are focused on efficient resource utilization and prioritization, including our decision in the first quarter to reduce autologous manufacturing capacity as we focus on the emergence of our allogeneic CAR-T programs. Additionally, we are fortunate to be advancing our platform technologies with partners such as Takeda, and we continue to evaluate other partnership opportunities that may allow us to pursue more opportunities and get access to resources and non-dilutive capital."

Program Highlights

CAR-T ProgramsThe Company currently has three ongoing CAR-T programs in the clinic. These include two allogeneic CAR-T programs progressing in Phase 1 clinical trials: P-BCMA-ALLO1, which is being evaluated in patients with relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma (R/R MM), and P-MUC1C-ALLO1, which is being evaluated in a wide range of solid tumors derived from epithelial cells, including breast and ovarian cancers. These programs are moving forward with planned clinical data updates in each allogeneic program in the second half of 2022. The Company is also advancing its autologous P-PSMA-101 product candidate being developed to treat patients with metastatic castrate-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) in an ongoing Phase 1 dose escalation trial.

Gene Therapy ProgramsThe Company is advancing multiple gene therapy programs in liver-directed diseases, including its wholly owned P-OTC-101 program for the in vivo treatment of the urea cycle disease caused by congenital mutations in the ornithine transcarbamylase (OTC) gene. The Company is currently determining the best path forward for this program and will update expected timing on program advancement once that evaluation is complete.

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The Company is also advancing its P-FVIII-101 program partnered with Takeda Pharmaceuticals USA, Inc. (Takeda), which is in development for the in vivo treatment of Hemophilia A. P-FVIII-101 utilizes piggyBac gene modification delivered via lipid nanoparticle and has demonstrated stable and sustained Factor VIII expression in animal models.

Financial Results for the First Quarter 2022

RevenuesRevenues were $1.4 million for the first quarter ended March 31, 2022, consisting of revenue earned from the collaboration and license agreement with Takeda that the Company entered into in the fourth quarter of 2021, compared to no revenue for the same period in 2021.

Research and Development ExpensesResearch and development expenses were $48.9 million for the first quarter ended March 31, 2022, compared to $29.1 million for the same period in 2021. The increase was primarily related to a $8.1 million expense related to the Company's decision to discontinue future manufacturing at one of the Company's autologous contract manufacturers, as well as an increase in personnel expenses due to an increase in headcount, which included a $0.7 million increase in stock-based compensation expense, an increase in external costs related to the Company's clinical stage programs due to an increased number of clinical trials ongoing, including enrollment, manufacturing and license fees for the P-PSMA-101 Phase 1 clinical trial, the P-BCMA-ALLO1 Phase 1 clinical trial and P-MUC1C-ALLO1 Phase 1 clinical trial, and an increase in external costs related to the Company's preclinical stage programs.

General and Administrative ExpensesGeneral and administrative expenses were $9.5 million for the first quarter ended March 31, 2022, compared to $8.4 million for the same period in 2021. The increase was primarily related to an increase in personnel expenses due to an increase in headcount, which included a $0.7 million increase in stock-based compensation expense.

Net LossNet loss was $58.1 million for the first quarter ended March 31, 2022 compared to net loss of $38.3 million for the same period in 2021.

Cash PositionAs of March 31, 2022, the Company's cash and cash equivalents balance was $183.5 million.

About Poseida Therapeutics, Inc.

Poseida Therapeutics is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company dedicated to utilizing our proprietary genetic engineering platform technologies to create next generation cell and gene therapeutics with the capacity to cure. We have discovered and are developing a broad portfolio of product candidates in a variety of indications based on our core proprietary platforms, including our non-viral piggyBac DNA Delivery System, Cas-CLOVER Site-specific Gene Editing System and nanoparticle- and AAV-based gene delivery technologies. Our core platform technologies have utility, either alone or in combination, across many cell and gene therapeutic modalities and enable us to engineer our portfolio of product candidates that are designed to overcome the primary limitations of current generation cell and gene therapeutics. To learn more, visit http://www.poseida.com and connect with us on Twitter and LinkedIn.

Forward-Looking Statements

Statements contained in this press release regarding matters that are not historical facts are "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such forward-looking statements include statements regarding, among other things, the potential benefits of Poseida's technology platforms and product candidates, Poseida's plans and strategy with respect to developing its technologies and product candidates, Poseida's ability to prioritize and utilize its resources efficiently and expected benefits from any such prioritization, and anticipated timelines and milestones with respect to Poseida's development programs and manufacturing activities. Because such statements are subject to risks and uncertainties, actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are based upon Poseida's current expectations and involve assumptions that may never materialize or may prove to be incorrect. Actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in such forward-looking statements as a result of various risks and uncertainties, which include, without limitation, risks and uncertainties associated with development and regulatory approval of novel product candidates in the biopharmaceutical industry and the other risks described in Poseida's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. All forward-looking statements contained in this press release speak only as of the date on which they were made. Poseida undertakes no obligation to update such statements to reflect events that occur or circumstances that exist after the date on which they were made, except as required by law.

Poseida Therapeutics, Inc.

Selected Financial Data

(Unaudited)

(In thousands, except share and per share amounts)

STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS

Three Months Ended March 31,

2022

2021

Revenues:

Collaboration revenue

$

1,435

$

Total revenue

1,435

Operating expenses:

Research and development

48,850

29,095

General and administrative

9,546

8,369

Total operating expenses

58,396

37,464

Loss from operations

(56,961)

(37,464)

Other income (expense):

Interest expense

(1,077)

(838)

Other expense, net

(19)

(12)

Net loss before income tax

(58,057)

(38,314)

Income tax expense

Net loss

$

(58,057)

$

(38,314)

Net loss per share, basic and diluted

$

(0.93)

$

(0.62)

Weighted-average shares of common stock, basic and diluted

62,555,915

61,981,081

SELECTED BALANCE SHEET DATA

March 31,

2022

December 31,

2021

Cash and cash equivalents

$

183,489

$

206,325

Total assets

248,152

269,309

Total liabilities

144,450

113,098

Total stockholders' equity

103,702

156,211

Cision

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SOURCE Poseida Therapeutics, Inc.

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New Zealand scientists discover DNA key to growing taller, may lead to genetic height increase – Digital Journal

Posted: May 15, 2022 at 1:58 am

Recently, three top research institutions in New Zealand jointly announced a breakthrough in the research of human height increase genes, has been purified through genetic technology to a key key that can effectively promote the body to effectively increase height NA Complex Growth Factor.Before this, the scientific research on height increase was more on height increase surgery or nutrient supplementation. The emergence of NA Complex Growth Factor has officially brought height increase into the genetic era, and is expected to bring real hope to hundreds of millions of children worldwide who have dreams of height increase.

New Zealand is one of the developed countries with the most complete gene technology industry-academia-research chain in the world. It not only has the top three genetic research institutions in the world New Zealand Genetic Research Center, but also has a number of genome listed companies with global reputation.

Recently, the New Zealand Centre for Genetic Research announced that a group of three genetic institutions, namely the New Zealand Genetic Research Center, the Genetic Research Center at Auckland University of Technology and the EZZ Institute of Life Sciences, had made a major and substantial breakthrough in the field of genetics. The new ingredient NA Growth Factor jointly developed by the three parties is proven to be effective in activating several key height increase genes in the human body including DNAJC27, DNAJC27, LIN28B, LIN7C, etc., and is engaged in achieving targeted intervention to help adolescents with dwarfism and height stunting solve their height increase challenges.

The three research institutions involved in this study are the New Zealand version of the Genetic Dream Team.Among them, the New Zealand Genetic Research Center is a genetic research institution built with New Zealands national resources, which has the top three research strengths and huge genetic database resources in the world. Auckland University of Technology, on the other hand, is one of the top 5% engineering institutions in the world, with genetics and health as its ace major.

Among them, EZZ Institute of Life Sciencesis an industry-academia-research institute established by EZZ Life Sciences, a listed company on the Australian Main Board, with a long-term commitment to rapidly commercialize the latest cutting-edge technologies for the benefit of consumers.This institute is credited with being behind many of the new products that have set the world on fire in the areas of NAD+, HPV, and H. pylori. It is because of this background that the market generally predicts that commercial products of this technology will soon be available to consumers.

Previously, the market for height-enhancing products generally stopped at nutrient supplementation, but the invention of the NA Factor was not based on this.The underlying technology of the NA Complex Growth Factor is genetic engineering.Our research on the relationship between skeletal development and genes in adolescents has revealed that insufficient activation of growth genes in adolescents is the root cause of slow growth due to acquired factors. Instead, only a specific key needs to be entered to awaken these genes, thus promoting skeletal growth signals. Through backward research and development, we finally applied the targeted gene flashing technology to the field and realized the vitality flashing of height-increase genes.Dr. Fabrice Merien, an expert in the NA Factor Research Group, said.

In addition to the targeted flash technology, in terms of formulation, NA Complex Growth Factor also solves the drawbacks of traditional growth supplements that simply supplement the nutrients needed to grow taller and need to be taken with other nutrients to address the bodys healthy growth needs.A new customized compound formula is used, which can achieve the comprehensive effect of growing taller, supplementing nutrition and strengthening the body.

Media ContactCompany Name: American Star NewsContact Person: Media RelationsEmail: Send EmailCountry: United StatesWebsite: http://www.deiniolnews.com

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