Monthly Archives: May 2020

Things have certainly changed this year for humans and other animals. Some of those changes will stick and be good for us all; others wont.

The live-animal markets in China, widely thought to be the source of the novel coronavirus, closed temporarily but are now reopening and, like those in the rest of Asia and even Europe and the U.S., are cause for alarm because they are breeding grounds for zoonotic diseases that can have fatal consequences for our own species.

On the good-news front, if you care about animals, those subjected to the annual Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo were granted a reprieve when it was canceled; horses got a break when racetracks closed (coincidentally just after a scandal erupted and trainers and owners were indicted on a charge of felony doping); Spain banned bullfights; and even that drunken melee known as the Running of the Bulls is likely not to take place this year. Lions have come out to lie on the now-deserted, usually tourist-infested Kenyan park roads; elk herds have been playing in the surf along the Oregon coast; and deer have returned to graze on lawns that were once their ancestral homes.

Some university laboratories decided that their work was no longer essential and adopted out or euthanized animals ordinarily used in experiments. Those of us who work to modernize research suggested that new shipments of animals should not replace them when the pandemic is over, as we now have human organs-on-a-chip and so many other technological advances that sticking an electrode into a dogs brain or a syringe full of chemicals down a rats throat is simply crude and cruel. After all, at Cedars-Sinai Hospital in Los Angeles, researchers use human pluripotent stem cells, an in vitro technique, to test the effects of chemicals found in household items like cookware and paint. Even high school dissection, for which 10 million live frogs, cats, pigs, turtles and others are killed every year nationwide, is being replaced with a simulated frog and computer software that replicates dissection without harming any living being.

People hoarded, but not just toilet paper. Since dairy milk requires refrigeration but almond, soy, rice, oat, and nut milks do not, shoppers began stocking up on nondairy milk, and as a result, cows and their beloved calves, who are torn away shortly after birth, may not suffer as much in the dairy industry. Some percentage of these consumers will no doubt stick with their newfound, healthier dairy alternative. They may also discover that companies like Miyokos Creamery, Kite Hill and Daiya make extraordinarily delicious plant-based cheeses, and in the world of ice cream, so many nondairy varieties now exist that you could fill a freezer with them and not have enough room for the rest.

Although some slaughterhouses have reopened, their temporary closures shed light on the abysmal working conditions inside them. Meanwhile, meat taste-alike products, such as Beyond Burgers, flew off the shelves, and consumers returned to staples like pasta with tomato sauce, rice and beans, baked potatoes, and vegetable soups and stews. People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals and others not only picketed the slaughter facilities with signs reading, Stay Closed Forever. Meat Kills, but also offered free vegan starter kits, recipes and tips for anyone who decided to use their lockdown time to try a vegan diet. In Seattle, the food technology startup Rebellyous recently took over a building that had previously housed a meat-processing facility and plans to use it to set up a prototype of a plant-based poultry factory.

Last year, global enforcement agencies conducted the most wide-ranging wildlife crime sting ever. This year, with reports damning the capture and farming of crocodiles and alligators for the fashion business and the threat of disease transmission from exotic species to our own, the trade will likely take a lasting hit. Clothing is rapidly undergoing change. Instead of using skinned animals, major designers have switched to synthetic and natural, sustainable fabrics. Some, like Cathryn Wills of Sans Beast and Matt & Nat have sworn off all types of leather. Car manufacturers like BMW, Lexus and Tesla now offer vegan leather and fabric interiors.

New York City is one of two states that banned foie gras last year, and in the last month, legislation has also been introduced there seeking to ban wet markets, where chickens, rabbits, turtles, ducks and other animals are caged and butchered, with their waste and blood covering the floors on which people tread as they make their way to their homes, offices and schools. May it pass for all our sakes.

In 2019, we took a step forward to help animals and our planet in many areas. If we reflect upon the opportunities we have to temper our harmful consumer habits, 2020 will see us taking more. So much depends on our acceptance of personal responsibility: We can make kind choices in everything we eat, wear, buy and do to entertain ourselves. We can demonstrate that we care about ending needless violence, show respect and consideration for all and live as if life truly counts by rejecting speciesism and affording all animals the care and compassion they deserve.

Ingrid Newkirk is the founder and president of PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals), which celebrates its 40th anniversary this year. She is the author of "Animalkind: Remarkable Discoveries about Animals and Revolutionary New Ways to Show Them Compassion," and other acclaimed books.

Gene Stone is the bestselling author, co-author or ghost writer of more than 45 books on a wide variety of subjects, including "Animalkind," "Forks Over Knives," and "How Not to Die, Living the Farm Sanctuary Life."

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A chance to change our harmful habits of eating and abusing animals - Seattle Times

People with cancer who contract the new coronavirus appear to have a greater risk for severe COVID-19 illness and death, but this may depend on their cancer stage and the type of treatment they are receiving, according to recent research. In fact, those with early-stage cancer may fare as well as people who have not had cancer.

Researchers from some of the earliest and hardest hit epicenters of the COVID-19 pandemic described outcomes among cancer patients with the coronavirus (officially known as SARS-CoV-2) during a special session the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) virtual annual meeting last week. Soon after the conference, another group of researchers published an analysis of mortality among cancer patients in New York City.

Early reports from China, where the pandemic originated in late December, showed that older people, those with compromised immune systems and those with underlying health conditions are more susceptible to severe COVID-19. One study saw a death rate of 6% for people with cancermore than twice as high as the overall estimated COVID-19 mortality rate in China, but lower than the rates seen in people with diabetes (7%) or cardiovascular disease (11%).

Chemotherapy medications and some targeted therapies for cancer can cause neutropenia, a temporary depletion of immune system white blood cells that fight infection. People who receive bone marrow stem cell transplants or CAR-T therapy or for blood cancers typically receive strong chemotherapy to kill off existing blood cells and make room for the new ones. Conversely, immunotherapies such as checkpoint inhibitors and CAR-T therapy unleash natural or engineered T cells to fight cancer, which in some cases can trigger an excessive immune response that leads to harmful inflammation.

Two reports at the AACR meeting provided updates from China. Li Zhang, MD, PhD, of Tongji Medical College described outcomes among 28 cancer patients with COVID-19 in Wuhan, the initial epicenter of the pandemic.

Seven had lung cancer and the remainder had 13 other cancer types. Just over a third had Stage IV, or metastatic, cancer. Nearly 30% acquired the coronavirus at medical facilities. About half had severe disease, 10 patients required mechanical ventilators and eight diedmostly from acute respiratory distress syndromegiving a mortality rate of 29%.

Although three quarters had ever undergone surgery, radiation or chemotherapy, a majority had not received treatment recently. Only one person received radiation, three received chemotherapy, two received targeted therapy and one received immunotherapy within two weeks prior to their COVID-19 diagnosis. Recent cancer treatment was associated with a fourfold increased risk of severe outcomes. However, the single patient treated with a checkpoint inhibitor (for liver cancer) had mild COVID-19 and a short hospital stay.

Similarly, as part of his discussion of immunotherapy for cancer in the COVID-19 era, Paolo Ascierto, MD, of the National Tumor Institute in Naples, noted that just two out of 400 patients on immunotherapy at his institute tested positive for the coronavirus, they were asymptomatic and they recovered quickly, leading him to speculate that immunotherapy might somehow be protective against COVID-19.

Hongbing Cai, MD, of Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, presented data on 105 cancer patients and 536 age-matched people without cancer at 14 hospitals in Hubei province who developed COVID-19. Results were also published in Cancer Discovery. Twenty-two had lung cancer, 13 had gastrointestinal cancers, 11 each had breast cancer and thyroid cancer, nine had blood cancers such as leukemia or lymphomawhich affect white blood cells that carry out immune responsesand six each had cervical and esophageal cancer.

In general, patients with cancer deteriorated more rapidly than those without cancer, Cais team reported. Cancer patients with COVID-19 were nearly three times more likely to have severe or critical illness (34%), be admitted to an intensive care unit ICU (19%) or be put on a ventilator (10%). Whats more, people with cancer were about twice as likely to die as COVID-19 patients without cancer (11% versus 5%, respectively).

People with blood cancers or lung cancer, as well as those with metastatic cancer, had a higher risk of severe events. Two thirds of the blood cancer patients and half of the lung cancer patients had such events. Among the lung cancer patients, 18% were put on ventilators and 18% died. In contrast, no one with breast, thyroid or cervical cancer required ventilators or died.

In particular, those with blood cancersmore than half of whom had severe immune suppressionhad about a 10-fold higher risk of severe events or death. Two thirds had severe symptoms, 22% were put on ventilators and 33% died. These patients all had a rapidly deteriorated clinical course once infected with COVID-19, the researchers wrote.

People with metastatic cancer had about a six-fold higher risk of severe events or death. But people whose cancer had not yet spread were not significantly more likely to have severe events or die than COVID-19 patients without cancer. People currently on cancer treatment and those with a history of cancer who had completed treatment were both at higher risk.

People who underwent surgery within the previous 40 days had higher rates of severe events, ICU admission, ventilator use and death, but this was not the case for those who received only radiation. In this study, unlike Zhangs and Asciertos, people treated with immunotherapy did not fare so well. Four of the six patients who recently received checkpoint inhibitors had critical symptoms and two died.

Based on our analysis, COVID-19 patients with cancer tend to have more severe outcomes when compared to the non-cancer population, the researchers wrote. Although COVID-19 is reported to have a relatively low death rate of 2% to 3% in the general population, patients with cancer and COVID-19 not only have a nearly three-fold increase in the death rate than that of COVID-19 patients without cancer, but also tend to have much higher severity of their illness.

In a related study, Marina Chiara Garassino, MD, of Fondazione IRCCS National Tumor Institute in Milan, presented the first data from the international TERAVOLT registry, which is collecting data about COVID-19 among people with lung cancer and other thoracic malignancies. She noted that TERAVOLT was registering around 70 new cases per week from around the world per week.

This population may be especially vulnerable to COVID-19 due to older age, lung damage, smoking and underlying health conditions, Garassino said. Whats more, the symptoms of COVID-19 overlap with lung cancer, making diagnosis very challenging.

Garassino described results from the first 200 cancer patients with COVID-19 in more than 20 countries. Non-small-cell lung cancer was the most common type, and nearly three quarters had metastatic disease. About 20% received only targeted therapy, 33% received chemotherapy alone and 23% received immunotherapy alone.

A majority (76%) were hospitalized, but most were not offered intensive care for COVID-19; just 9% were admitted to an ICU and 3% were put on ventilators. More than a third (35%) died, mostly due to COVID-19 rather than cancer. Specific types of cancer treatment were not significantly associated with an increased risk of death.

But not all studies have seen worse COVID-19 outcomes among people with cancer. Fabrice Barlesi, MD, PhD, and colleagues looked at 137 COVID-19 patients with cancer at Gustave Roussy, a cancer center near Paris. They had a variety of cancer types, with blood cancers and breast cancer being most common. Nearly 60% had active advanced disease while 40% were in remission or being treated with potentially curative therapy.

Within this group, 25% had worsening COVID-19 after admission, 11% were admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) and 15% died. Again, people with blood cancers were more likely to have worse outcomes. Treatment with chemotherapy within the past three monthsbut not targeted therapy or immunotherapydoubled the likelihood of worsening disease. But this only applied to people with active or metastatic cancer, not those who had localized disease or were in remission.

The 15% death rate among people with cancer at Gustave Roussy was lower than the 18% rate for all COVID-19 patients in Paris and in France, Barlesi said. His team concluded that both incidence and outcomes of COVID-19 among cancer patients seem to be comparable to the population as a whole. However, people with blood cancers, those treated with chemotherapy and frail patients are at greater risk.

Discussing how to manage cancer patients during the COVID-19 pandemic, Cai recommended self-protective isolation, strict infection control in hospitals and shifting some medical services online.

With regard to cancer treatment, she said, clinicians need to develop individualized plans based on a patients tumor type and stage of disease. She added that postponing surgery, if appropriate, should be considered in areas with current outbreaks. Radiation therapy, she said, could go ahead according to existing treatment plans with intensive protection and surveillance. Whether people with early-stage cancer need to postpone their treatment remains an unanswered question, she said.

Click hereto read the abstracts from the AACR COVID-19 and cancer session.Learn about What People With Cancer Need to Know About the New Coronavirus.

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Cancer Patients With COVID-19 May Have Higher Risk of Severe Illness and Death - Cancer Health Treatment News

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The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced on Tuesday that it has approved dapagliflozin, also known under the brand name Farxiga, for the treatment of heart failure in adults with reduced ejection fraction. The drug can potentially reduce the risk of cardiovascular death and hospitalization for heart failure.

AstraZenecas Farxiga is now the first in its drug class of sodium-glucose co-transporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors to be approved to treat adults with the New York Heart Associations functional class II-IV heart failure with reduced ejection fraction. AstraZeneca was granted with the approval of Farxiga related to heart failure by the FDA.

In a clinical trial, Farxiga appeared to improve survival and reduce the need for hospitalization in adults with heart failure and reduced ejection fraction.

To determine the efficacy of the drug, researchers looked at the number of instances of cardiovascular death, hospitalization for heart failure and urgent heart failure visits. Some trial participants were given a once-daily dose of 10mg of Farxiga, while others were given a placebo. After approximately 18 months, those who were given Farxiga had fewer cardiovascular deaths, hospitalizations for heart failure and urgent heart failure visits compared to their counterparts.

Heart failure is a serious health condition that contributes to one in eight deaths in the U.S. and impacts nearly 6.5 million Americans, said Norman Stockbridge, M.D., Ph.D., director of the Division of Cardiology and Nephrology in the FDAs Center for Drug Evaluation and Research. This approval provides patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction an additional treatment option that can improve survival and reduce the need for hospitalization.

Farxiga can cause side effects including dehydration, urinary tract infections and genetical yeast infections. It can also potentially result in serious cases of necrotizing fasciitis of the perineum in people with diabetes and low blood sugar when combined with insulin.

On Tuesday, BioCardia, Inc. also announced positive preclinical data supporting its new drug application for anti-inflammatory cell therapy for heart failure. BioCardias allogenic neurokinin 1 receptor positive mesenchymal stem cell (NK1R+ MSC) therapy appeared to improve heart function in a study. NK1R+ MSC is being marketed under the name CardiALLO.

Researchers looked at 26 animals treated with both low dose and high dose CardiALLO in their study. Echocardiographic measures of cardiac ejection fraction, fractional shortening and cardiac outflow all notably improved in the animals.

In light of these positive data on our allogenic NK1R+ MSC therapy, we expect to meet our internal timeline to complete our submission to the FDA for our first indication for CardiALLO, and potentially receive IND acceptance by the end of the second quarter, said BioCardia Chief Scientific Officer Ian McNiece, PhD. The MSCs that were studied are subtypes of MSC that we have delivered previously in our co-sponsored trials, which we believe have enhanced potency over MSC generated from unselected bone marrow cells. We look forward to seeing additional data from this animal study that are currently being analyzed, including histology and pathology of the heart and lungs.

BioCardia also intends to submit an IND for the use of NK1R+ MSC delivered via intravenous infusion for the treatment of Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome caused by COVID-19.

Approximately 6.5 million adults in the U.S. are living with heart failure, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Protection. In 2017, it was a contributing cause of death in one out of eight people.

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FDA Approves AstraZeneca's Farxiga for Heart Failure in Adults with Reduced Ejection Fraction - BioSpace

3D cell culture market is estimated to be over US$ 600.0 Bn in 2017. It is anticipated to grow at a CAGR of 19.8% from 2019 to 2030.

This press release was orginally distributed by SBWire

New York, NY -- (SBWIRE) -- 05/08/2020 -- 3D cell culture is an artificial environment created for the growth of biological cells. The biological cells are made to interact with the surrounding or grow in all the three dimensions. This cell culture is completely different from the 2d cell culture like a Petri dish. In a 3d cell culture, the cells grow in all the directions, similar to in vivo. This technique is normally performed in bioreactors, small capsules that help in cell growth into 3d cell colonies or spheroids. 3d cell culture is extensively used in research from several decades. Depending on their applications and characteristics, numerous types of cell cultures are available today. Amongst all, 3d cell culture is broadly used due to its convenient and novel features in comparison to other alternative techniques.

The increasing prevalence of corona virus, worldwide is significantly impacting the healthcare domain. This also includes various medical domains, laboratory services, clinical trials, and delivery speed of required services to patients. The pandemic has boosted the science of viruses on the front news, but the world is more eager to know the advancements made by this domain for the big fight against COVID-19. With the help of 3d cell culture and other modernized technologies, researchers are expected to bring advancements in viral and cellular science for better treatment to patients.

Major Key Players of the 3D Cell Culture Market are:Corning, Thermo Fisher Scientific, Merck & Co., Lonza, 3D Biotek, InSphero, REPROCELL USA, Nano3D Biosciences, SYNTHECON, INCORPORATED and QGel SA, Lausanne, Switzerland.

Download PDF to Know the Impact of COVID-19 on "3D Cell Culture Market" at: https://www.marketindustryreports.com/pdf/40

Increasing R&D investments & funding from both private and public sector in the field of cell-based research has presented a bright prospect for the growth of 3D cell culture market. Introduction of innovative new techniques has further led to wide scale application of such techniques and application of 3D cell culture FOR artificially growing biological entities.

Rising prevalence and incidences of several diseases worldwide has triggered the need for advanced R&D scenario across all sectors of biotechnology, life sciences, pharmaceuticals and research establishments. Both public and private sectors are now focusing on new innovative techniques, ideas to obtain latest breakthroughs in the field of life sciences. According to studies, it was estimated that the total spending on R&D by mid-market biotechnology companies, witnessed an increment of approximately 18% between 2015 and 2016. Growing need to address several forms of ailments has been crucial in dictating the funding and R&D spending by governmental establishments as well as major market players and other research institutes. Increasing R&D investments and spending is anticipated to positively contribute to the growth of the global 3D cell culture market.

Major Applications of 3D Cell Culture Market covered are:Drug Discovery & ToxicologyCancer & Stem Cell ResearchTissue Engineering & Regenerative Medicine

Research objectives:-

To study and analyze the global 3D Cell Culture consumption (value & volume) by key regions/countries, product type and application, history data. To understand the structure of the 3D Cell Culture market by identifying its various sub-segments. Focuses on the key global 3D Cell Culture manufacturers, to define, describe and analyze the sales volume, value, market share, market competitive landscape, SWOT analysis, and development plans in the next few years. To analyze the 3D Cell Culture with respect to individual growth trends, future prospects, and their contribution to the total market. To share detailed information about the key factors influencing the growth of the market (growth potential, opportunities, drivers, industry-specific challenges and risks).

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Table of Content

1 Report Overview1.1 Study Scope1.2 Key Market Segments1.3 Players Covered1.4 Market Analysis by Type1.5 Market by Application1.6 Study Objectives1.7 Years Considered

2 Global Growth Trends2.1 3D Cell Culture Market Size2.2 3D Cell Culture Growth Trends by Regions2.3 Industry Trends

3 Market Share by Key Players3.1 3D Cell Culture Market Size by Manufacturers3.2 3D Cell Culture Key Players Head office and Area Served3.3 Key Players 3D Cell Culture Product/Solution/Service3.4 Date of Enter into 3D Cell Culture Market3.5 Mergers & Acquisitions, Expansion Plans

4 Breakdown Data by Product4.1 Global 3D Cell Culture Sales by Product4.2 Global 3D Cell Culture Revenue by Product4.3 3D Cell Culture Price by Product

5 Breakdown Data by End User5.1 Overview5.2 Global 3D Cell Culture Breakdown Data by End User

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In the end, 3D Cell Culture industry report specifics the major regions, market scenarios with the product price, volume, supply, revenue, production, and market growth rate, demand, forecast and so on. This report also presents SWOT analysis, investment feasibility analysis, and investment return analysis.

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COVID-19 Impact on 3D Cell Culture Market to Witness Huge Growth from 2019-2030 and Key Players - Corning, Thermo Fisher Scientific, Merck & Co -...