Science Daily | Genetic control of immune cell proliferation Science Daily Germinal centers are transient structures in the lymph nodes where antibody-producing B cells proliferate and differentiate at extraordinary rates. Germinal centers can be visually divided into a dark zone and light zone. For the proliferation and ... |
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Genetic control of immune cell proliferation - Science Daily
By The Associated Press on April 19, 2017.
MILFORD, Mass. Massachusetts prison officials say former NFL star Aaron Hernandez has hanged himself in his cell and has been pronounced dead at a hospital. He was 27.
An official with the Massachusetts Department of Corrections says Hernandez was found hanged in his cell just after 3 a.m. Wednesday. Authorities tried to revive the former New England Patriots tight end, and he was pronounced dead at UMass Memorial HealthAlliance Hospital in Leominster at 4:07 a.m.
Prison officials say the Hernandez was in a single cell in a general population housing unit at the Souza Baranowski Correctional Center in Shirley, Massachusetts They say he hanged himself using a bed sheet that he attached to a cell window.
Authorities say Hernandez tried to block the cell door from the inside by jamming the door with various items.
Hernandez, who was serving a life sentence for a 2013 murder, was acquitted Friday in a 2012 double slaying prosecutors said was fueled by his anger over a drink spilled at a nightclub.
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Ex-NFL star Aaron Hernandez dead after hanging self in cell - Medicine Hat News
Novartis CAR-T cell therapy CTL019 receives FDA Breakthrough Therapy designation for treatment of adult patients with r/r DLBCL.
Novartis announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted Breakthrough Therapy designation to CTL019, an investigational chimeric antigen receptor T cell (CAR-T) therapy, for the treatment of adult patients with relapsed and refractory (r/r) diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), who have failed two or more prior therapies.
This is the second indication for which CTL019 has received this designation; the first being for the treatment of r/r B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) in pediatric and young adult patients.
"At Novartis, we are eager to unlock the full potential of CTL019, including the potential to help patients with r/r DLBCL," said Vas Narasimhan, Global Head of Drug Development and Chief Medical Officer, Novartis. "We look forward to working closely with the FDA to help bring this potential new treatment option to patients as soon as possible."
CAR-T cell therapy is different from typical small molecule or biologic therapies currently on the market because it is manufactured for each individual patient. During the treatment process, T cells are drawn from a patient's blood and reprogrammed in the laboratory to create T cells that are genetically coded to hunt the patient's cancer cells and other B-cells expressing a particular antigen.
CTL019 was first developed by the University of Pennsylvania (Penn). In 2012, Novartis and Penn entered into a global collaboration to further research, develop and then commercialize CAR-T cell therapies, including CTL019, for the investigational treatment of cancers. Through the collaboration, Novartis holds the worldwide rights to CARs developed with Penn for all cancer indications.
In March 2017, Novartis announced that the FDA accepted the company's Biologics License Application filing and granted priority review for CTL019 in the treatment of r/r pediatric and young adult patients with B-cell ALL.
The Breakthrough Therapy designation is based on data from the multi-center phase II JULIET study (NCT02445248), which is evaluating the efficacy and safety of CTL019 in adult patients with r/r DLBCL. JULIET is the second global CAR-T trial, following the Novartis ELIANA study (NCT02435849) investigating CTL019 in r/r B-cell ALL. Findings from JULIET are expected to be presented at an upcoming medical congress.
"We are encouraged by the FDA's recognition in the potential of CTL019 for this indication, which follows our promising studies of this therapy for ALL and the FDA filing by Novartis in pediatric and young adult ALL that received priority review," said the Penn team's leader, Carl June, M.D., director of the Center for Cellular Immunotherapies in the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. "Work with our collaborators at trial sites across the world is paving a path to bring personalized cell therapies to more patients with these devastating blood cancers."
According to FDA guidelines, treatments that receive Breakthrough Therapy designation are those that treat a serious or life threatening disease or condition and demonstrate a substantial improvement over existing therapies on one or more clinically significant endpoints based on preliminary clinical evidence. The designation also indicates that the agency will expedite the development and review of CTL019 in adults with r/r DLBCL.
This marks the 14thBreakthrough Therapy designation for Novartis since the FDA initiated the program in 2013, underscoring an emphasis to develop innovative treatments in disease areas with significant unmet need.
DLBCL is the most common form of lymphoma and accounts for approximately 30 percent of all non-Hodgkin lymphoma cases1. Ten to 15 percent of DLBCL patients fail to respond to initial therapy or relapse within three months of treatment, and an additional 20 to 25 percent relapse after initial response to therapy2.
Because CTL019 is an investigational therapy, the safety and efficacy profile has not yet been established. Access to investigational therapies is available only through carefully controlled and monitored clinical trials. These trials are designed to better understand the potential benefits and risks of the therapy. Because of the uncertainty of clinical trials, there is no guarantee that CTL019 will ever be commercially available anywhere in the world. ____________________________________________________
References:
1 American Society of Clinical Oncology. Lymphoma - Non-Hodgkin: Subtypes (Dec. 2016 revision).http://www.cancer.net/cancer-types/lymphoma-non-hodgkin/subtypes. Accessed March 2017.
2 Sehn, L. Paramount prognostic factors that guide therapeutic strategies in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. Hematology, December 2012; 1; 402-409.
(Source: GlobeNewswire)
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CAR-T Cell Therapy Receives FDA Breakthrough Designation - Pharmaceutical Processing
A research team at University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health has treated its first patient in an innovative clinical trial using stem cells for the treatment of heart failure that develops after a heart attack.
The trial is taking place at University Hospital, one of three sites nationwide currently enrolling participants. The investigational CardiAMP therapy is designed to deliver a high dose of a patients own bone-marrow cells directly to the point of cardiac injury to potentially stimulate the bodys natural healing response.
The patient experience with the trial begins with a cell-potency screening test. Patients who qualify for therapy are scheduled for a bone-marrow aspiration. The bone marrow is then processed on-site and subsequently delivered directly to the damaged regions in a patients heart in a minimally invasive procedure.
Patients living with heart failure experience a variety of negative symptoms that can greatly impact their day-to-day life, said UW Health cardiologist Dr. Amish Raval, associate professor of medicine and one of the principal investigators for the trial. By being at the forefront of research for this debilitating condition, we look forward to studying the potential of this cell therapy to impact a patients exercise capacity and quality of life.
The primary outcome to be measured is the change in distance during a six-minute walk 12 months after the initial baseline measurement.
Heart failure commonly occurs after a heart attack, when the heart muscle is weakened and cannot pump enough blood to meet the body's needs for blood and oxygen. About 790,000 people in the U.S. have heart attacks each year. The number of adults living with heart failure increased from about 5.7 million (2009-2012) to about 6.5 million (2011-2014), and the number of adults diagnosed with heart failure is expected to dramatically rise by 46 percent by the year 2030, according to the American Heart Association (AHA).
The CardiAMP Heart Failure Trial is a phase III study of up to 260 patients at up to 40 centers nationwide. Phase III trials are conducted to measure effectiveness of the intervention, monitor side effects and gather information for future use of the procedure. Study subjects must be diagnosed with New York Heart Association (NYHA) Class II or III heart failure as a result of a previous heart attack.
Information about eligibility or enrollment in the trial is available at http://www.clinicaltrials.gov, or through a cardiologist.
The trial is funded by Biocardia, Inc., which developed the potential therapy.
Date Published: 04/17/2017
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UW Treats First Participant in Trial of Stem-Cell Therapy for Heart Failure - University of Wisconsin-Madison
The Husaini Haematology and Oncology Trust will soon provide facilities of bone marrow transplant and stem cell therapies at its newly established Blood Transfusion Centre and Thalassaemia Centre that was inaugurated by the city director health on Tuesday.
Speaking at the inaugural ceremony, Karachi director health Dr Muhammad Toufique urged the trust officials to share the data of patients undergoing blood transfusions, stem cell therapies and bone marrow transplant.
He said the data would help the Sindh government formulate a plan to establish more such facilities in the future. In addition to the blood screening and storage facilities, the centre is providing blood transfusion service to children suffering from genetic blood disorders as well as diagnostic services related to blood disorders.
This is a state-of-the-art blood transfusion and thalassaemia centre where bone marrow transplant and stem cell therapies would be started very soon, said a renowned haematologist associated with the Husaini Blood Bank, Dr Sarfraz Jaffery, at the inaugural ceremony of the blood transfusion and thalassaemia centre located at Qalandaria Chowk, North Nazimabad.
The head office of the Husaini Haematology and Oncology Trust is equipped with a diagnostic lab, blood bank having storage capacity of around 3,000 blood bags and blood transfusion centre for thalassaemic patients while its management is also planning to introduce bone marrow transplant and stem cell therapy services at the same facility in the near future.
Felicitating the trust officials, the city director health vowed to support them in their services. He said the government was also striving hard for provision of safe blood to thalassaemic children and other patients.
Dr Toufique hoped that institutions like Hussaini would come forward to support the government in establishing such centres in the province. Talking to journalists, the director health said steps were being taken to control the outbreak of Chikungunya in the city.
He said the health department was in contact with the municipal authorities to start fumigation in various areas of Karachi to eliminate the mosquitoes and prevent people from mosquito-borne diseases, including dengue and Malaria.
The Sindh government was planning to merge the Malaria and Dengue Prevention and Control Cells under one project director, who would be utilizing all the resources to eliminate the mosquitoes that were responsible for the deadly infectious diseases in the province, he added.
I would also urge people to take precautionary measures, prevent themselves and their children from mosquitoes by using repellents, improving sanitation conditions in their residential areas and adopt other preventive measures to protect themselves against the mosquitoes, he advised.
Earlier, speaking at a workshop on thalassaemia management held at the same place, noted haematologists of the country stressed the need for promoting the culture of prevention from diseases in the country.
They called for the implementation of laws regarding thalassaemia screening, saying that both the government and private sector could not treat the increasing number of thalassaemic patients.
Senior haematologist from Lahore, Prof Dr Jovaria Mannan, urged the doctors and researchers to use latest research methods in the field of haematology.
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Husaini trust plans to perform bone marrow transplants, stem cell therapy - The News International
Interested in learning about stem cell science and medicine and what it means to you? A public meeting will be held Thursday from noon to 1 p.m. at the Sanford Consortium for Regenerative Medicine in La Jolla.
Heres more details from my earlier story.
Not only will researchers and a patient advocate with Parkinsons disease discuss the state of stem cell treatments, the public will be able to ask questions.
The Sanford Consortium building is located across the street from the Salk Institute. For those seeking a bite to eat before or after the event, the building also hosts a bistro, the Bella Vista Social Club and Cafe.
The video with this story shows Sandra Dillon describing how she regained stamina and energy after an experimental treatment that blocked cancer stem cells. While not a cure, the treatment reversed what appeared to be an inevitable downward progression.
Dillions doctor, physician-researcher Catriona Jamieson, will be one of the speakers at tomorrows event.
Ill be on site at the event, and will have a report(s) up tomorrow afternoon.
bradley.fikes@sduniontribune.com
(619) 293-1020
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Reminder: San Diego stem cell meeting open to the public tomorrow - The San Diego Union-Tribune
CINCINNATI, Ohio (WDTN) The Wright State basketball player who injured his spinal cord during an accident at a party this month is getting some much needed good news.
According to a post on Facebook, Ryan Custer might be participating in a medical research study that could help with his recovery.
Custers Recovery Care page says Ryan has been approved to participate in a stem cell study at Rush University in Chicago. This, after he shattered his c5 vertebrae jumping into a makeshift pool at a party in Oxford.
The study would use human embryonic stem cells to see if they help patients whove had spinal cord injuries like Custer. According to the studys webpage called SCI star, early lab studies have shown the cells promote partial repair of damaged cord tissue.
There is a time frame for this study. The injection has to be done within 30 days of the injury and those patients must bescreened earlier than that. That means Custer needs to be in Chicago for treatment in the next few weeks.
The Facebook page says as soon as Ryan is able to travel, they will head there. We did reach out to the Rush University. They cannot confirm Ryan has been accepted into the study.
Custers dad is expected to give an update on Ryans condition Tuesday afternoon.
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Ryan Custer may join stem cell study - WDTN
Protein primes mouse stem cells to quickly repair injury, study finds Science Daily Like drag car racers revving their engines at the starting line, stem cells respond more quickly to injury when they've been previously primed with one dose of a single protein, according to a study from the Stanford University School of Medicine. Mice ... |
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Protein primes mouse stem cells to quickly repair injury, study finds - Science Daily
Harvard Gazette | Researchers study secrets of aging via stem cells Harvard Gazette Much of stem cell medicine is ultimately going to be 'medicine,' he said. Even here, we thought stem cells would provide mostly replacement parts. I think that's clearly changed very dramatically. Now we think of them as contributing to our ability ... Stem Cell Research Products Industry Analysis, Growth, Trend, Opportunities, Tools and Technologies 2016 |
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Researchers study secrets of aging via stem cells - Harvard Gazette
The challenge of finding a cure for AIDS may have gotten harder. Scientists have discovered another cell in the body where HIV the virus that causes AIDS hides from therapy designed to suppress it to undetectable levels in the blood.
The cells called macrophages are part of the immune system and are found throughout the body, including in the liver, lungs, bone marrow and brain. After other immune cells have done their job of destroying foreign invaders, these large white blood cells act as the cleanup crew. They surround and clean up cellular debris, foreign substances, cancer cells and anything else that is not essential to the functioning of healthy cells. In addition, they apparently can harbor HIV.
A new target
While antiretroviral drugs can drive the AIDS virus down to virtually undetectable levels, scientists know if therapy is interrupted, an HIV infection can come roaring back. That's because of a viral reservoir that until now has been thought only to inhabit immune system T-cells the cells that are attacked and destroyed by the AIDS virus. Much research is dedicated to trying to find ways to eradicate the T-cell reservoir.
This may mean researchers must find ways to eliminate HIV from macrophages, as well.
The finding was published in Nature Medicine by researchers in the Division of Infectious Diseases at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine.
Investigators demonstrated in a mouse model that in the absence of humanized T-cells, antiretroviral drugs could strongly suppress HIV in macrophages. However, when the therapy was interrupted, the virus rebounded in one-third of the mice. This, say researchers, is consistent with persistent infection in the face of drug therapy.
Researchers say their work demonstrates that any possible therapies must address macrophages in addition to T-cells to eradicate viral reservoirs. Investigators say they now have more information pointing to the complexity of the virus, and that targeting the viral reservoir in T-cells in the blood will not necessarily work with tackling HIV persistence in macrophages, which reside in tissues and are harder to observe.
Senior author Victor Garcia said its possible there are other HIV reservoirs still to be discovered.
The lead author of the study, Jenna Honeycutt, called the discovery "paradigm changing" in the way scientists must now try to eliminate persistent infection in HIV-positive individuals.
Investigators say their next step is to figure out what regulates HIV persistence in infected macrophages. They are also interested in finding HIV interventions that completely eradicate the AIDS virus from the body.
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Second Immune Cell Found to Harbor HIV During Treatment - Voice of America