Category Archives: Massachusetts Stem Cells

You may have heard of T cells, but Aleks Radovic-Moreno, Ph.D., Be Biopharmas co-founder, president and director, is betting on B cells as the future of cell therapies.

Our mission is to develop what we see as a new class of cell medicines that have a broad new pharmacology, he said of B cells potential. We think it's a big new white space that's enabled by the rich biology of these cells.

The Cambridge, Massachusetts-based company is capitalizingearly on research by scientists at the University of Washington School of Medicine. With a $52 million series A round in the bank, it'smaking a beeline for the clinic.

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Why the enthusiasm around B cells? The wayRadovic-Moreno sees it, they'rethe cellular gadget, if you will, that's really good at making large amounts of protein, and they also traffic to where you want them to go."

When we think about it from a drug development standpoint, now you have a system that can make a protein that you want in high quantities in places where you want it to be made, he added.

B cells may also be useful for targeting specific tissues and modulating microenvironments, or [talking] to the cells that are nearby, he said.

One of the biggest challenges to bringing Be Bio to fruition was making the products themselves. Theyre harder to engineer than other cell types thanksto their intrinsic biology, Radovic-Moreno said. Theyre also hard to make correctly and in large quantities, challenges the company only recently overcame.

Those two are the final two bottlenecks that were preventing B cells from being a viable stem cell therapy modality, he said.

RELATED: Q32 debuts with $46M to 'rebalance' innate and adaptive immunity

The applications of B cells include everything from autoimmune diseases to cancer and monogenic disorders, which are caused by variation in a single gene. B-cell therapy could eliminate the need for patients with monogenic disorders who are missing proteins to get biweekly four-hour infusions.

And that's not all. It couldalso eliminate the need for bone marrow transplants in these patients, as well asthe need for a pre-therapy round of chemotherapy, otherwise known as conditioning. For cancer patients who need conditioningahead of a stem cell treatment, the regimencan be deadly up to 10% of the time.

That's extraordinary if you think about a therapy killing patients 10% of the time, Radovic-Moreno said.

Beyond pushing Be'spipeline toward the clinic, the new fundingfrom Atlas Venture, RA Capital Management, Alta Partners, Longwood Fund and other investorswill bankroll potential partnerships and build out the company's team.

The most important thing is to build a great company, hire the best people. We want to be the best B-cell engineers in the world and in history, Radovic-Moreno said. We want to fully capitalize on the timing of this, given that it's a very kind of unusual place to be in this time and age of biotech, where you're sitting right in front of this massive blue wave, big blue ocean of possibilities so big.

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Be Biopharma debuts with $52M to advance engineered B-cell therapies - FierceBiotech

Non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) is among the most common cancers in the United States. In 2020, an estimated 77,240 Americans will be diagnosed with the disease and about 20,000 people will die from it.1 Seventy-two percent of patients live for at least 5 years after diagnosis.2 However, the success of treatment varies widely across the many subtypes of NHL. Patients diagnosed with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), the most common subtype, have a 5-year survival rate of 63% for all disease stages combined. By contrast, follicular lymphoma (FL) has a 5-year survival rate of 88% for all stages combined. Patients with mantle cell lymphoma, one of the more difficult-to-treat subtypes, have an average survival time of less than 5 years.3

But the treatment landscape is transforming across the entire spectrum of NHL. Novel immunotherapies and small molecule inhibitors are offering both previously treated and untreated patients entirely new options and new combinations. At the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) 2020 Virtual Scientific Program, researchers led by Jeremy Abramson, of Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, provided a compelling overview of these new and upcoming treatments.4 Their overview, published in the ASCO Educational Book, offered a detailed and vital look at the present and future of NHL treatment.

CAR T-cell immunotherapy has been hailed as a major game-changer for some blood cancers.5 For aggressive B-cell lymphomas, such as DLBCL, anti-CD19 chimeric antigen receptor T cells (CAR-T) are a new option for patients who have relapsed following chemoimmunotherapy or autologous stem cell transplant (ASCT). For this patient group, which has a median overall survival of about 4 months, anti-CD19 CAR-T agents have elicited durable remissions in about 40% of patients.5-7 Clinical trial data has led to the approval of axicabtagene, ciloleucel, and tisagenlecleucel by both the US Food and Drug Administration and the European Medicine Agency. CAR T-cells offer curative intent therapy to patients with relapsed DLBCL who are not eligible for stem cell transplant, Dr Abramson told Cancer Therapy Advisor. Previously these patients only had palliative options available.

Some clinicians envision CAR-T as a potential first-line therapy for patients with DLBCL who relapsed after first-line chemoimmunotherapy. These patients, noted Anton Hagenbeek, MD, PhD, professor of Hematology at Amsterdam University Medical Centers, who was not involved with the review paper, represent one of the highest unmet needs in the treatment of lymphoma to date. And Helen Heslop, MD, who directs the Center for Cell and Gene Therapy at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas, noted that trials for first-line CAR-T therapy are already underway in acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Not everyone sees this potential. First-line treatment in NHL is generally very effective and much less expensive than CAR T-cells, explained Edward Copelan, MD, who chairs the Department of Hematologic Oncology and Blood Disorders at Carolinas Healthcare System in Charlotte, North Carolina, and who was not an author of the review. Though Dr Copelan emphasized that patients at extremely high risk of relapse following standard immunochemotherapy may respond well to CAR-T therapy.

Dr Abramson and co-authors highlighted a difficult conundrum with regard to DLBCL. Although the addition of rituximab to cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, hydrochloride, and vincristine sulfate (CHOP) chemotherapy is curative for most patients, the number of patients who may be cured after relapse has declined. Thus improvements in second-line therapy are desperately needed. Several clinical trials are currently evaluating anti CD19 CAR-T for primary refractory or early relapsed aggressive B-cell lymphoma compared with traditional salvage therapy or ASCT. The same approach is being studied for relapsed DLBCL patients who are not transplant candidates.

Whether CAR-T therapy will find a place on the first line of care is another current question. The cost and logistics of CAR-T therapy make it unlikely that this approach will replace R-CHOP as the standard initial treatment, Dr Abramson and colleagues noted. I do not think CAR T-cells will replace frontline chemotherapy, Dr Abramson said. However, the authors note that for patients who do not respond well to initial treatment, such an approach may make sense a possibility that is now being examined in the clinical trial setting. Dr Hagenbeek is more certain about the first-line role for CAR-T therapy, based on the dismal prognosis of DLBCL that is refractory to R-CHOP.

On the subject of CAR-T therapy as first-line therapy, the authors pay special attention to so-called double-hit lymphomas (DHLs), also known as double expressor lymphomas. According to a multicenter study published in 2017, R-CHOP is curative for more patients than conventional wisdom has held.9 Clinical trials are currently investigating the use of anti-CD19 CAR-T early for patients who consistently test positive for disease on PET scans during initial therapy, though Dr Abramson and colleagues call for caution with this approach because the prognostic value of PET/CT scans is controversial. Dr Hagenbeek is optimistic about the potential for CAR-T therapy to improve the prognosis for patients with double- and even triple-hit lymphomas, if applied in the first complete, PET-negative metabolic remission. Because these patients have a relatively small tumor load, this approach could, said Dr. Hagenbeek, completely eradicate minimal residual disease. Its the double-hit patients who Dr Copelan sees as the likeliest candidates for first-line CAR T-cell treatment.

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Targeted Therapy for Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma: Current Progress and Future Plans - Cancer Therapy Advisor

Newswise Massachusetts Eye and Ear, a member hospital of Mass General Brigham, is entering into an exclusive licensing agreement with Biogen to develop a potential treatment for inherited retinal degeneration due to mutations in the PRPF31 gene, which are among the most common causes for autosomal dominant retinitis pigmentosa.

Inherited retinal degenerations (IRDs), such as retinitis pigmentosa, are a group of blinding eye diseases caused by mutations in over 270 different genes. Mutations in the PRPF31 gene are the second most common cause of dominant IRD and lead to defects in the function of the retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells and photoreceptors of the retina. Previous lab-based research performed by members of the Ocular Genomics Institute at Harvard Ophthalmology, led by Eric A. Pierce, MD, PhD, demonstrated that adeno-associated virus (AAV)-mediated gene augmentation therapy for PRPF31 can restore normal function to PRPF31 mutant RPE cells.

Biogen (Nasdaq: BIIB), a biopharmaceutical company that discovers, develops, and delivers worldwide innovative therapies for people living with serious neurological and neurodegenerative diseases as well as related therapeutic adjacencies, will build upon this prior work, and conduct the studies needed for clinical development of PRPF31 gene therapy. This includes the pre-clinical studies needed to support progression to clinical trials of PRPF31 gene therapy. As part of the agreement, Biogen will receive an exclusive license to develop the product worldwide and will be responsible for all U.S. Food and Drug-Administration (FDA) required investigational new drug (IND) enabling studies, clinical development and commercialization.

The treatment of IRDs with highly effective AAV-based gene therapies is core to Biogens ophthalmology strategy, said Chris Henderson, Head of Research, Biogen. This agreement underscores our commitment to that strategy and builds off of our acquisition of Nightstar Therapeutics in 2019 and our active clinical trials of gene therapies for different genetic forms of IRD. We are excited to work with Massachusetts Eye and Ear and look forward to applying our preclinical and clinical experience to their leading PRPF31 program.

We are thrilled to work with Biogen, who will bring to this effort its deep experience with the clinical development process, as we work toward our goal of developing a gene therapy for people with PRPF31-related eye disease, added Dr. Pierce, who is the William F. Chatlos Professor of Ophthalmology at Harvard Medical School. My ultimate hope for patients with inherited retinal disorders due to mutations in PRPF31 is that a gene therapy will preserve and potentially restore some of their vision.

About the Ocular Genomics Institute

The Ocular Genomics Institute at Harvard Ophthalmology aims to translate genomic medicine into precision ophthalmic care for patients with inherited eye disorders. It is home to one of the leading centers for early-phase clinical trials of therapies for inherited retinal degenerations, with seven gene-based and one stem cell trial currently in progress. The group works in conjunction with other departments throughout Harvard Medical School and Mass. Eye and Ear, including the Bioinformatics Center and Grousbeck Gene Therapy Center.

Dr. Pierces lab, established in 2011, is dedicated to research in an effort to improve the understanding of the molecular bases of IRDs so that rational therapies can be developed for these diseases.

In 2018, Mass. Eye and Ear surgeons performed the first post-FDA approval gene therapy for patients with a form of inherited retinal blindness caused by mutations in the gene RPE65 by injecting an AAV-based drug treatment into a patients eye, which restored vision in a 13-year-old boy. This therapy, called Luxturna, is now being used to treat patients with RPE65-associated retinal degeneration around the world.

One of the exciting aspects of our collaboration with Biogen is that mutations in the PRPF31 gene affect approximately 10 to 20 times more people than mutations in the RPE65 gene, said Dr. Pierce. Success with PRPF31 gene therapy could provide visual benefit to more patients, which is our ultimate goal.

Mass. Eye and Ear was one of the first centers to offer life-changing gene therapies to patients with inherited retinal disease, and we are thrilled with this new opportunity to develop a translational retinal therapy that could help even more patients, said Joan W. Miller, MD, Chief of Ophthalmology at Mass. Eye and Ear, Massachusetts General Hospital, and Brigham and Womens Hospital, and Chair of Ophthalmology and the David Glendenning Cogan Professor of Ophthalmology at Harvard Medical School.

According to Chris Coburn, Chief Innovation Officer, Mass General Brigham, the collaboration with Biogen illustrates the importance of academia and industry teaming to solve problems for patients worldwide. We are eager to see this progress reach patients who are challenged by blinding, degenerative eye disease, said Coburn. We look forward to working with Biogen to advance this break-through innovation.

Patients with an inherited retinal disease require genetic testing prior to being considered for any gene therapy treatment.

About Massachusetts Eye and Ear

Massachusetts Eye and Ear, founded in 1824, is an international center for treatment and research and a teaching hospital of Harvard Medical School. A member of Mass General Brigham, Mass. Eye and Ear specializes in ophthalmology (eye care) and otolaryngologyhead and neck surgery (ear, nose and throat care). Mass. Eye and Ear clinicians provide care ranging from the routine to the very complex. Also home to the world's largest community of hearing and vision researchers, Mass. Eye and Ear scientists are driven by a mission to discover the basic biology underlying conditions affecting the eyes, ears, nose, throat, head and neck and to develop new treatments and cures. In the 20192020 Best Hospitals Survey,U.S. News & World Reportranked Mass. Eye and Ear #4 in the nation for eye care and #2 for ear, nose and throat care.For more information about life-changing care and research at Mass. Eye and Ear, visit our blog,Focus, and follow us onInstagram,TwitterandFacebook.

About Harvard Medical School Department of Ophthalmology

The Harvard Medical SchoolDepartment of Ophthalmologyis one of the leading and largest academic departments of ophthalmology in the nation. Composed of nine affiliates (Massachusetts Eye and Ear, which is home to Schepens Eye Research Institute; Massachusetts General Hospital; Brigham and Womens Hospital; Boston Childrens Hospital; Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center; Joslin Diabetes Center/Beetham Eye Institute; Veterans Affairs Boston Healthcare System; Veterans Affairs Maine Healthcare System; and Cambridge Health Alliance) and several international partners, the department draws upon the resources of a global team to pursue a singular goaleradicate blinding diseases so that all children born today will see throughout their lifetimes. Formally established in 1871, the department is committed to its three-fold mission of providing premier clinical care, conducting transformational research, and providing world-class training for tomorrows leaders in ophthalmology.

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Massachusetts Eye and Ear Enters Licensing Agreement with Biogen to Develop Treatment for Inherited Retinal Disorder - Newswise

One of the major breakthroughs in cancer treatment is CAR-T technology, which involves genetically modifyinga patients own immune cells so they can recognize and attack cancer. But while the innovationhas benefited patients with certain blood malignancies, progress in solid tumors remains limited.

Now, scientists at McMaster University and the University of Toronto have developed a CAR-T therapy for the aggressive brain cancer glioblastoma. It helped reduce tumor burden and improved survival in mouse models, according to a new study published in the journal Cell Stem Cell.

The researchers were so encouraged by the findings that they launched a startup called Empirica Therapeutics, which aims to bring the CAR-T drug into clinical trials in recurrent glioblastoma patients by 2022.

For each CAR-T construct, T cells are modified to produce a special structure called a chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) that gives the cells the ability to recognize a specific protein on cancer cells. The two FDA-approved CAR-Ts, Novartis Kymriah and Gilead Sciences Yescarta, are directed toward CD19. TheCAR-T cell Empirica is developing targets CD133, also known as prominin-1.

In a 2003 Cancer Research study, a McMaster University team identified a group of neural stem cells from human brain tumors that bear CD133 on their surface. They found these CD133-expressing cells could differentiate into cells identical to the original tumor, suggesting these stem cells are necessary for glioblastoma tumor growth.

For the current study, the team tested three types of treatments in lab dishes and in mice. The first was a human IgG antibody that binds to CD133 on glioblastoma cells. The second was a bispecific T-cell engager antibody (BiTE), which can recruit cytotoxic T cells to kill tumor cells. The third was the CAR-T, known at Empirica as eCAR-133.

We found that the CAR-T therapy had enhanced activity compared to the other two therapeutics in preclinical models of human glioblastoma, Parvez Vora, the studys first author and director of preclinical development at Empirica, said in a statement.

Moreover, the CAR-T drug didnt induce any acute systemic toxicity in mice, showing it wouldnt disrupt hematopoiesis, a vital process in the human body that leads to the formation of blood cells, Vora said.

RELATED:Killing brain tumors with CAR-Ts built with scorpion venom

The potent clinical responses from CAR-T cells in blood cancers have sparked interest in exploring the approach in solid tumors, including hard-to-treat glioblastoma. A research team at City of Hope recently designed a novel CAR based on chlorotoxin, a toxin found in scorpion venom, and recorded promising results of the CAR-T cells in mice with glioblastoma xenografts.

There are many obstacles ahead. For one thing, the glioblastoma tumor microenvironment is notoriously immunosuppressive, which could dampen CAR-T cells activity once they arrive at the tumor site.

Besides CD133, other glioblastoma CAR-T targets that have been floated include IL-13Ra2 from City of Hope researchers, CSPG4froma team at the University of North Carolina, NKG2DL and EGFRvIII, among others.One possibility could be a combo of CAR-T and BiTEtechnologies. Last year, a team led by Massachusetts General Hospital designeda CAR-T that also expressed BiTE to activate bystander T cells against tumors. The CAR-T/BiTE cells eliminated tumors in mouse models of glioblastoma.

The Empirica scientists are also exploring combination strategies for their CD133-targeting CAR-T to treat glioblastoma."We hope that our work will now advance the development of really new and promising treatment options for these patients," said co-author Sheila Singh, professor in the department of surgery at McMaster and CEO of the startup.

Continued here:
Startup targets glioblastoma tumors with CAR-T therapy - FierceBiotech

Disclosure: Dr Henderson is the president and principal owner of The Synaptic Space, a neuroimaging consulting firm, and owner of Neuro-Luminance Corporation. Please see the listed studies for a full list of disclosures.

During the last 20 years, a large body of research has accumulated on the beneficial effects of infrared light in the range of 600 to 1000 nm. Infrared light can activate mitochondria, which in turn stimulate second messenger systems, DNA transcription, and growth factors.1,2 As a result, new synapses are formed, circuits regrow, and pluripotent stem cells differentiate into neurons.

Animal studies have shown that infrared photobiomodulation (PBM) may reduce the size and severity of brain injury and stroke, as well as diminish damage and physiological symptoms in depression, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), Parkinson disease, and Alzheimer disease.1,3-6 Michael Hamblin, PhD, from the Wellman Center for Photomedicine at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, a leader in the field, describes PBM as the use of red or near-infrared light to stimulate, heal, regenerate, and protect tissue that has either been injured, is degenerating, or else is at risk of dying.1

Generally in medicine we shy away from the word heal when referring to the brain, and regenerate stirs vague recollections of Frankenstein. Nevertheless, early findings in mouse models of brain injury and disease have spawned a different sort of monster in the commercial world. The internet is now loaded with companies offering infrared LED helmets or pads for the treatment of traumatic brain injury (TBI) and other brain disorders, often based on exaggerated claims about healing the brain. Exorbitant prices in the thousands of dollars are charged for a device that can be made for less than $30. As a result, the public is misled and the potential scientific benefits of infrared light are sullied.

It is time to separate fact from fiction. Yes, infrared light can induce the cellular events described here, reduce the size of stroke injury or TBI in mouse models, and protect neurons from neurotoxins. But is treating a human with a 0.5-W LED the same as treating a mouse? Certainly not! When it comes to infrared light treatment, it is all a matter of getting there: the infrared light must be able to penetrate all the overlying tissue to reach the brain.

Can Infrared Light Reach the Brain?

Can 0.5-W LEDs penetrate human scalp and skull to reach the brain? The answer is No.2 My colleague, Larry Morries, DC, and I showed that these LEDs did not even penetrate 2 mm of human skin. In contrast, our laser device, which emits infrared light in the range of 10 to 15 W, was able to effectively penetrate human tissue. We found that 33% of our 10-W infrared laser energy penetrated 2 mm of human skin and delivered from 1.2% to 2.4% of the energy from our device 3 cm into the brain. These data were replicated in a study by Juanita Anders, PhD, and colleagues at the Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences.7

The human scalp and skull provide a significant barrier. Infrared light energy needs to be in the range of 0.9 to 15 J/cm2 at the target tissue to activate mitochondria and other cellular events.2-3,8-9 Even if a 0.5-W LED only had to penetrate the skull to reach the surface of the brain, it could only deliver 0.0064 J/cm2, or 1/140th of the minimum energy necessary to induce PBM.10 No energy would be expected to reach the depths of the brain needed to treat stroke, Parkinson disease, Alzheimer disease, or many brain injuries. Although more than 40% of the incident light from a light source may penetrate mouse skull, only 4.2% penetrates human skull.8,10

There is a hairier problem facing LED devices: human hair blocks infrared light. More than 98% of infrared light can be blocked by 2 mm of hair (ie, 9.764 W of a 10-W beam of 810 nm infrared light is absorbed by human hair).11 If 98% of the energy from a 0.5-W LED is absorbed by hair, 80% to 90% is absorbed by 2 mm of skin, and 96% of incident energy is attenuated by skull, then claims of neurophysiological benefits of LED-based devices become highly questionable.

Another misconception propagated by companies selling LED-based devices is that multiple LEDs somehow increase light penetration, even though each LED projects light on its own path. For example, 100 0.5-W LEDs do not generate 50 W on the brain, they generate 0.5 W on 100 spots.11 The argument that light scattering in the brain provides the cumulative value of multiple LEDs also falls apart if nothing can get through the overlying tissues.

Given that a small percentage (<1%) of incident infrared light gets through human scalp and skull, we must question the results of human trials of LEDs. Studies demonstrated small yet almost insignificant positive effects, and the benefits are generally transient.12 In contrast, our protocol yields persistent and robust clinical changes in patients with TBI, PTSD, and depression.

Treating TBI, PTSD, and Depression with Infrared Light

Our patented multi-Watt Neuro-Luminance approach involves transcranial infrared laser treatment (NILT), and in 2015 we published an initial open-label trial of 10 subjects with mild to moderate TBI.13 After a course of 10 NILT treatments (20 treatments in a subset of 4 patients), all patients experienced significant clinical improvement of symptoms, including headaches, cognitive problems, sleep disturbances, irritability, and depression. In telephone interviews every 6 months after treatment, patients report sustained improvements.12

An open-label clinical trial (n=39) of multi-Watt Neuro-Luminance demonstrated effectiveness for depression.4 Overall, 92% of patients responded and 82% remitted, which is notably better than the response rate for oral antidepressants. Patients saw benefits within 4 treatments, and some achieved resolution of depressive symptoms within 8 treatments. In follow-up telephone interviews, patients report sustained improvements. Similarly, in our unpublished data, using a protocol of 20 treatments, each lasting 24 minutes, over the course of 9 weeks, 20 patients with PTSD treated with multi-Watt NILT experienced reduced hyperarousal, anxiety, sleep disturbance, and nightmares.

LED Photobiomodulation in Comparison

Naeser and colleagues15 treated 2 patients with TBI daily for approximately 1 hour by applying 3 separate LED cluster heads (2 head; 1 foot). The first patient, who was 7 years post-TBI and had significant postconcussive symptoms, received weekly treatments over the course of 7 months and then daily treatments at home for more than 6 years. The patient experienced transient benefits, and if treatment was stopped, symptoms returned within 2 weeks.15 The second patient received daily treatments, and in 4 months, most symptoms improved, allowing her to return to work. This patient also noted that symptoms returned if treatments were stopped for more than 1 week.15

In an open-label study,16 11 patients with TBI and persistent cognitive dysfunction were treated for 18 sessions, each lasting 20 minutes, over the course of 6 weeks. At follow-up, there had been a significant effect on attention, inhibition, verbal learning and memory, and long-delay free recall.16 The LED treatment led to mild improvement in 3 of 5 cases of depression.

In 12 patients with TBI treated with 220 0.5-W LEDs for 18 sessions, each lasting 20 minutes, over the course of 6 weeks, there was significant improvement in psychological testing results (P =.45).17 However, the study did not correct for multiple comparisons, instead using parallel paired t-tests, which could exaggerate findings.18 PTSD has received considerably less attention.19,20

Cassano and colleagues21 described a 5-W laser treatment of 4 patients with depression. In a double-blind, sham-controlled extension of their initial findings, subjects in the treatment group received 16 treatments, each lasting 30 minutes, over the course of 8 weeks.22 In 13 completers, Hamilton-D-17 scores separated the treatment group from sham controls (mean score, 15.74.41 vs 6.17.86; P =.031). In contrast, in our open-label trial of a 13-W laser, the mean Hamilton-D-17 score decreased from baseline (mean score, 21.485.24 to 6.05.12; P =6.4510-13).23

Table. Case series, open-label, and double-blind studies of infrared light therapy for TBI, PTSD, and depression

Alternative Explanation for Clinical Response to LED Brain Treatments

Researchers, along with the human PBM field, need to reconsider the potential mechanisms underlying the meager improvements derived from LED-based devices. The light from LED devices may not penetrate beyond the skin, but could induce central nervous system benefits via a remote or systemic effect in irradiated skin, dubbed remote photobiomodulation.24

Infrared irradiation can have remote or indirect effects on tissue that has not been irradiated. For example, Braverman and colleagues25 demonstrated this indirect effect by creating matching skin lesions on the left and right dorsum of a rabbit, treating 1 side with infrared light. Both lesions showed accelerated healing relative to nonirradiated controls. Rochkind and colleagues26 demonstrated that remote PBM could occur in the peripheral nervous system and the central nervous system. After bilateral sciatic nerve crush, 1 side was irradiated with infrared light and the other side was not. Nerves on both sides showed enhanced recovery of function, and the number of anterior horn motor neurons was greater on both sides compared with nonirradiated controls.

Ganeshan and colleagues27 irradiated the dorsum and hind limbs of a rat with infrared light (670 nm) before injection of a neurotoxin (MPTP) and demonstrated reduced loss of dopaminergic neurons in rodents treated with indirect PBM to the skin compared with untreated controls. Given the overwhelming evidence that low-power LEDs do not penetrate the brain, it is more likely that the benefits of LED-based devices result from an effect mediated by the skin, where most, if not all, of the infrared energy is absorbed. In other words, LED-based devices may be working by remote PBM.

Conclusions

The excitement about the potential of infrared light therapy is not merely that it does not involve taking a pill. There is considerable enthusiasm about its potential to treat conditions such as TBI, dementia, and Parkinson disease. In our excitement, we must not overlook the unique physical limitations of light. Similarly, we must not imbue infrared light with magical powers. Infrared light can only work if it reaches target tissue.

Thus, a sharp divide can be drawn between LED-based treatment technologies, which offer minimal results and may not even reach the brain, and multi-Watt technologies that demonstrably reach the brain and offer lasting clinical benefit. Potentially, infrared light may prove to be effective for numerous neuropsychiatric conditions. However, for infrared light to work on the brain, it must be able to reach the brain.

References

1. Hamblin MR. Shining light on the head: Photobiomodulation for brain disorders. BBA Clin. 2016;6:113-124.

2. Henderson TA, Morries, LD. Near-infrared photonic energy penetration: can infrared phototherapy effectively reach the human brain? Neuropsychiatr Dis Treat. 2015;11:2191-2208.

3. Chung H, Dai T, Sharma SK, Huang YY, Carroll JD, Hamblin MR. The nuts and bolts of low-level laser (light) therapy. Ann Biomed Eng. 2012;40(2):516-533.

4. Henderson TA, Morries LD. Multi-Watt near-infrared phototherapy for the treatment of comorbid depression: an open-label single-arm study. Front Psychiatry. 2017;8:187.

5. Johnstone DM, Moro C, Stone J, Benabid AL, Mitrofanis J. Turning on lights to stop neurodegeneration: the potential of near infrared light therapy in Alzheimers and Parkinsons disease. Front Neurosci. 2016;11;9:500.

6. Hamblin MR. Photobiomodulation for Alzheimers disease: has the light dawned? Photonics. 2019;6(3):77.

7. Tedford CE, DeLapp S, Jacques S, Anders J. Quantitative analysis of transcranial and intraparenchymal light penetration in human cadaver brain tissue. Lasers Surg Med. 2015;47(4):312-322.

8. Ando T, Xuan W, Xu T, et al. Comparison of therapeutic effects between pulsed and continuous wave 810-nm wavelength laser irradiation for traumatic brain injury in mice. PLoS One. 2011;6(10):e26212.

9. Yip KK, Lo SC, Leung MC, So SK, Tang CY, Poon DM. The effect of low-energy laser irradiation on apoptotic factors following experimentally induced transient cerebral ischemia. Neuroscience. 2011;190:301-306.

10. Lapchak PA, Boitano PD, Butte PV, et al. Transcranial near-infrared laser transmission (NILT) profiles (800 nm): systematic comparison in four common research species. PLoS One. 2015;3;10(6):e0127580.

11. Henderson TA, Morries LD. Near-infrared photonic energy penetration principles and practice. In: Hamblin, MR and Huang YY, eds. Photobiomodulation and the Brain: Low-level Laser (Light) Therapy in Neurology and Neuroscience. London: Academic Press; 2019.

12. Morries LD, Henderson TA. Treatment of traumatic brain injury with near-infrared light. In: Hamblin, MR and Huang YY, eds. Photobiomodulation and the Brain: Low-level Laser (Light) Therapy in Neurology and Neuroscience. London: Academic Press; 2019.

13. Morries LD, Cassano P, Henderson TA. Treatments for traumatic brain injury with emphasis on transcranial near-infrared laser phototherapy. Neuropsychiatr Dis Treat. 2015;11:2159-75.

14. Connolly KR, Thase ME. If at first you dont succeed: a review of the evidence for antidepressant augmentation, combination and switching strategies. Drugs. 2011;71(1):43-64.

15. Naeser MA, Saltmarche A, Krengel MA, Hamblin MR, Knight JA. Improved cognitive function after transcranial, light-emitting diode treatments in chronic, traumatic brain injury: two case reports. Photomed Laser Surg. 2011;29(5):351-358.

16. Naeser MA, Zafonte R, Krengel MH, et al. Significant improvements in cognitive performance post-transcranial, red/near-infrared light-emitting diode treatments in chronic, mild traumatic brain injury: open-protocol study. J Neurotrauma. 2014;31(11):1008-1017.

17. Hipskind SG, Grover FL Jr, Fort TR, et al. Pulsed transcranial red/near-infrared light therapy using light-emitting diodes improves cerebral blood flow and cognitive function in veterans with chronic traumatic brain injury: a case series. Photobiomodul Photomed Laser Surg. 2019;37(2):77-84.

18. Henderson TA, Morries LD. Infrared light cannot be doing what you think it is doing (re: DOI: 10.1089/photob.2018.4489). Photobiomodul Photomed Laser Surg. 2019;37(2):124-125.

19. Schiffer F, Johnston AL, Ravichandran C, et al. Psychological benefits 2 and 4 weeks after a single treatment with near infrared light to the forehead: a pilot study of 10 patients with major depression and anxiety. Behav Brain Funct. 2009;5:46.

20. LED light therapy to improve cognitive & psychosocial function in TBI-PTSD veterans. ClinicalTrials.gov. NCT02356861. https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02356861. Accessed February 29, 2020.

21. Cassano P, Cusin C, Mischoulon D, et al. Near-infrared transcranial radiation for major depressive disorder: proof of concept study. Psychiatry J. 2015;2015:352979.

22. Cassano P, Petrie SR, Mischoulon D, et al. Transcranial photobiomodulation for the treatment of major depressive disorder. The ELATED-2 Pilot Trial. Photomed Laser Surg. 2018;36(12):634-646.

23. Henderson TA, Morries LD. Multi-Watt near-infrared phototherapy for the treatment of comorbid depression: an open-label single-arm study. Front Psychiatry. 2017;8:187.

24. Gordon LC, Johnstone DM. Remote photobiomodulation: an emerging strategy for neuroprotection. Neural Regen Res. 2019;14(12):2086-2087.

25. Braverman B, McCarthy RJ, Ivankovich AD, Forde DE, Overfield M, Bapna MS. Effect of helium-neon and infrared laser irradiation on wound healing in rabbits. Lasers Surg Med. 1989;9(1):50-58.

26. Rochkind S, Rousso M, Nissan M, Villarreal M, Barr-Nea L, Rees DG. Systemic effects of low-power laser irradiation on the peripheral and central nervous system, cutaneous wounds, and burns. Lasers Surg Med. 1989;9(2):174-182.

27. Ganeshan V, Skladnev NV, Kim JY, Mitrofanis J, Stone J, Johnstone DM. Pre-conditioning with remote photobiomodulation modulates the brain transcriptome and protects against MPTP insult in mice. Neuroscience. 2019;400:85-97.

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Infrared Laser Treatment of TBI, PTSD, and Depression: An Expert Perspective - Psychiatry Advisor

Numerous revelations about the world have been made in various forms throughout history. Researchers and scientists have continuously managed to discover new ways we can understand the world around us.

Major scientific breakthroughs have been made that helped improve our way of life and will make it easier for us to achieve even more amazing innovation eventually. The 21st century was especially fruitful for the advancements in technology and science. Many of the essential revelations in history were made during the last 100 years. This article will attempt to name the most important ones.

In 2015, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration managed to find evidence that proves that there is liquid water on Mars. Scientists were aided by the first spectrometer provided by NASA, called the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter.

With its help, they were able to detect hydrated salts all over the distant planet. The hydrated salts are more prevalent during the warmer seasons, which means that water is a crucial ingredient in their development.

Many scientists believe this to be the most crucial discovery of the 21st century. Since Albert Einsteins theory of relativity was published, the thought of time travel has excited scientific minds all over the world.

The LIGO (Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory) project in the United States is responsible for the detection of gravitational waves, which would imply that with enough research time travel could be possible. Journey to the earliest parts of our universe does not seem as impossible as before since this discovery.

Proof of the existence of Dark Matter was found in 2006 by a team of researchers, led by Maxim Markevitch of the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics in Cambridge. They proved its existence by measuring the location of mass that gets created when galaxies collide. Specific clusters of mass get disconnected, and a large amount of visible matter is what makes up dark matter. While this sounds overly complex, the important thing to remember is that this proves that dark matter makes up for 68% of the universe.

Through stem cell research, we can provide better access to organs for patients, meaning that patients no longer need to wait for donors, making it easier to cure certain conditions. Stem cells make it possible to grow an indefinite number of cells of the same type, but other types of cells also arise from that process. This means that it is possible to regenerate organs using skin cells. In the future, the discovery could make it so that the organs needed for treatment are created in a laboratory.

The process of face transplantation uses tissues of a dead person to replace another persons face. It is a complicated process that was first successfully performed in France in 2005. This transplant was only partial, but the first full-face transplant happened only five years later in Spain.

Since then, people with significant congenital disabilities or facial disfigures caused by diseases or burns have had this procedure performed on them in multiple countries. What seemed like science fiction in the 1990s is a reality now.

HIV is considered to be one of the deadliest viruses in the history of humankind. While we still have not found a cure for AIDS, the disease that is a result of an HIV that has advanced too much, we did manage to improve the treatment of HIV.

With the new methods, some of which were developed in Germany, patients with HIV can live longer, almost being able to lead healthy lives. With these exciting advancements, millions of lives have been saved, and it is only a matter of time before we find a complete cure.

Scientists atthe Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)managed to find a way to create false memories and plant them into the brains of mice. While this enormous scientific breakthrough can help us better understand the concept of mind and help us with dealing with mental health issues, it can still be problematic.

It does seem like a scene out of an old science fiction movie, but with this advancement, it could be possible to manipulate a persons memory, and who knows what consequences that could have.

Scientists at the University of Twente have developed robotic body parts using biomechanics. They managed to create robotic arms that can make life easier for people with severe muscular dystrophy. They also implemented previous research on prosthetics in creating these limbs. These robotic body parts could prove to be extremely helpful for wounded soldiers, people suffering from disabilities or older people.

A photon was teleported into space with the help of a laser beam by Canadian scientists. This process is called quantum teleportation, and it can be used to transport information about something, not its physical state. However, it is a step in the right direction of possibly making teleportation of physical matter possible someday.

The process itself was incredibly hard and required extreme precision. Photons are tiny, meaning that it will be a while until we can successfully teleport larger items.

Although the World Wide Web originated much earlier, it was not until the 21st century that we saw everything the internet is capable of. And it is a fitting way to end this list because it impacted more lives than anything else. Thanks to the internet, we can do things we could only imagine 20 years ago, basically from anywhere in the world. We can access any information, watch every movie in existence, or talk to people halfway around the world. It is the discovery of all the possibilities of the internet that made this century what it is, at least for now.

Where and when was the first face transplant procedure performed?

The first face transplant procedure was performed in France in 2005.

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10 Of The Biggest World Revelations In The 21st Century - World Atlas

Every year, BioSpace analyzes the biotech industry, looking for the hot new biotech startups to watch. We then produce the NextGen Bio Class of, twenty companies ranked based on several categories, including Finance, Collaborations, Pipeline, and Innovation. The companies were typically launched no more than 18 months before the list was created.

We thought it would be insightful to look back at our previous lists to see where some of those companies are today. Heres a look at the top three companies from the Top 20 Life Science Startups to Watch in 2018.

#1. BlueRock Therapeutics. Founded in 2016, BlueRock was #1 on our list of companies to watch in 2018. With facilities in Ontario, Canada; Cambridge, Massachusetts; and New York, New York, BlueRock launched in December 2016 with a $225 million Series A financing led by Bayer AG and Versant Ventures. The company focuses on cell therapies to regenerate heart muscle in patients who have had a heart attack or chronic heart failure, as well as therapies for patients with Parkinsons disease.

In October 2017, BlueRock and Seattle-based Universal Cells entered into a collaboration and license deal to create induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cell lines that can be used in the manufacture of allogeneic cellular therapies. Shortly afterwards, the company established its corporate headquarters in Cambridge, and in April 2018, established a research-and-development hub in New York City, as well as formalizing a sponsored research collaboration with the Center for Stem Cell Biology at Memorial Sloan Kettering (MSK) Cancer Center. The collaboration focuses on translating Ketterings expertise in creating multiple types of authentic neural cells from stem cells to address diseases of the central and peripheral nervous system. BlueRock also received $1 million from the State of New York and Empire State Development under its economic development initiatives program.

In April 2019, BlueRock partnered with Editas Medicine (which was on BioSpaces NextGen Bio Class of 2015 list) to combine their genome editing and cell therapy technologies to focus on novel engineered cell medicines. Part of the deal was to collaborate on creating novel, allogeneic pluripotent cell lines using a combination of Editas CRISPR genome editing technology and BlueRocks iPSC platform.

And finally, in August 2019, Bayer AG acquired BlueRock for the remaining stake in the company for about $240 million in cash and an additional $360 million in pre-defined development milestones.

#2. Prelude Fertility. Prelude Fertility is a bit of an outlier from the typical BioSpace NextGen company, because it isnt quite a biopharma company. It is a life sciences company whose business model is aimed at in vitro fertilization and egg freezing. It was founded with a $200 million investment by entrepreneur Martin Varsavsky. The investment was in the largest in vitro fertilization clinic in the Southeast, Reproductive Biology Associates of Atlanta, and its affiliate, My Egg Bank, the largest frozen donor egg bank in the U.S.

Since then it has expanded in various parts of the country, including adding San Francisco-based Pacific Fertility Center (PFC) to its network in September 25, 2017; partnering with Houston Fertility Institute and acquiring Vivere Health; partnering with the Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago; and in October 2018, partnered with NYU Langone Health.

In March 2019, Prelude merged with Inception Fertility to establish the Prelude Network as the fastest-growing network of fertility clinics and largest provider of comprehensive fertility services in the U.S. Inception is acting as the parent company, with the Prelude Network, both having board representatives from the previous organizations.

#3. Relay Therapeutics. Ranking #3 on our list for 2018, Relay Therapeutics launched in September 2016 with a $57 million Series A financing led by Third Rock Ventures with participation form D.E. Shaw Research. On December 14, 2017, it closed on a Series B round worth $63 million, led by BVF Partners, with new investors GV (formerly Google Ventures), Casdin Capital, EcoR1 Capital and Section 32.

The company focuses on the relationship between protein motion and function. It merges computational power with structural biology, biophysics, chemistry and biology. In December 2018, the company completed a $400 million Series C financing. It was led by the SoftBank Vision fund and included additional new investors, Foresite Capital, Perceptive Advisors and Tavistock Group. Existing investors also participated.

The company announced at the time it planned to use the funds to accelerate the implementation of its long-term strategy, expanding its discovery efforts, advancing existing programs into the clinic and improving its platform.

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Where Are They Now? Top 3 Biotech Startups From NextGen Bio Class of 2018 - BioSpace

HUNTINGTON Serucell Corporation, a cosmeceutical company based in Huntington, has developed the worlds only dual-cell technology to create and produce anti-aging skincare products, and they did it in Huntington.

Serucell KFS Cellular Protein Complex Serum is made start to finish at Serucells laboratory on the south side of Huntington.

This has been one of the best kept secrets in West Virginia, said Cortland Bohacek, executive chairman and a co-founder of Serucell Corporation.

The company soft launch was in September 2018 at The Greenbrier Spas. The Official online launch was April 2019 and is getting exposure with some well known sellers like Neiman Marcus, local dermatologist and plastic surgeons offices and several other retail locations from New York to California. It is also sold online at serucell.com.

One person that has tried the product is Jennifer Wheeler, who is also a Huntington City Council member.

As a consumer I have an appreciation of the quality of the product and the results Ive seen using it, she said. It has been transformative for my skin and seems like its success will be transformative for our city as well.

She said Serucell and the people behind it are impressive on every level.

In my role on council, Im especially grateful for the companys conscious effort to stay and grow in our city, Wheeler said.

A one-ounce bottle of the serum costs $225. The recommended usage is twice per day and it will last on average of about six weeks.

Serucells active ingredient is called KFS (Keratinocyte Fibroblast Serum), which is made up of more than 1,500 naturally derived super proteins, collagens, peptides and signaling factors that support optimal communication within the cellular makeup of your skin.

This is the first and only dual-cell technology that optimizes hydration and harnesses the power of both keratinocytes and fibroblasts, two essential contributors to maintaining healthy skin by supporting natural rejuvenation of aging skin from the inside out, said Jennifer Hessel, president and CEO of the company.

When applied to the skin, KFS helps boost the skins natural ability to support new collagen and elastin, strengthen the connection and layer of support between the upper and lower layers of your skin. The result, over time is firmer, plumper and smoother skin, according to Hessel.

Why it works so naturally with your skin is because it is natural, Hessel said. These proteins play an important role in strengthening the bond between the layers of your skin, and thats where the re-boot happens.

KFS is the creation of Dr. Walter Neto, Serucells chief science officer and co-founder of the company. Neto is both a physician and a research scientist, specializing in the field of regenerative medicine with an emphasis on skin healing and repair.

Neto said Serucells technology unlocks the key to how our cells communicate and harnesses the signaling power actions to produce the thousands of bioactive proteins necessary to support the skins natural rejuvenation.

Originally from Brazil, Neto studied at Saint Matthews University and completed his clinical training in England. His clinical research on stem-cell cancer therapies, bone and tissue engineering and wound and burn healing led to his discovery in cell-to-cell communication, and ultimately the creation of Serucells KFS Cellular Protein Complex Serum.

Neto received multiple patents for the production method of Serucell KFS Serum. He lives in Huntington with his wife and four golden retrievers and works alongside his longtime friend, Dr. Brett Jarrell.

I have known Brett since I was 18 years old, Neto said.

Jarrell practices emergency medicine in Ashland, Kentucky, and oversees all aspects of quality control for Serucell. He received his bachelors degree in biology from Wittenberg University, his masters degree in biology from Marshall University and his medical degree from the Marshall University School of Medicine. Jarrell completed his residency at West Virginia University and is board certified by the American Board of Emergency Medicine.

Jarrell has served as a clinical instructor of emergency medicine at the Marshall School of Medicine, president of the West Virginia chapter of the American College of Emergency Medicine and he has published a number of peer-reviewed journal articles on stroke research.

Jarrell also lives in Huntington.

Another co-founder of the company is Dr. Tom McClellan.

McClellan is Serucells chief medical officer and director of research and is a well-respected plastic and reconstructive surgeon with a private practice, McClellan Plastic Surgery, in Morgantown.

McClellan completed his plastic and reconstructive surgery training at the world-renowned Lahey Clinic Foundation, a Harvard Medical School and Tufts Medical School affiliate in Boston, Massachusetts. While in Boston, he worked at Lahey Medical Center, Brigham and Womens Hospital, as well as at the Boston Childrens Hospital. McClellan is board certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery.

In addition to his practice and role at Serucell, McClellan utilizes his surgical skills through pro bono work with InterplastWV, a non-profit group that provides comprehensive reconstructive surgery to the developing world. He has participated in surgical missions to Haiti, Peru and the Bahamas.

McClellan lives in Morgantown with his family.

All three doctors here have strong connections to West Virginia, and we didnt want to leave, Neto said. We all want to give back to West Virginia, so that is the main reason we have our business here in Huntington.

We are building a company we believe can make a difference in the community, Hessel added. Our goal is to grow Serucell and build our brand right here in Huntington. There is a pool of untapped talent here in Huntington. When we expand our business here, we can provide another reason for young people to be able to stay and grow their careers, whether it is in science, operations or manufacturing. The team is a pretty excited to make an impact in the community where it all started.

Hessel decline to give sales numbers, but said the business has been growing each year since the product was introduced. She also declined to give the number of employees at the facility, but did say it has sales representatives across the country.

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Firm adds a new wrinkle to anti-aging products - Williamson Daily News

Welcome to the 21st century. We might not be able to fly on smart hoverboards yet, but brilliant tech luminaries of our time have brought plenty of wishful devices and tech to our everyday life. It has become increasingly difficult to get a handle on with the pace at which the tech industry moves, but that doesnt mean we lose track of any phenomenal progress that will change our lives for the better. Here are the ten breakthrough technologies of 2019 that will likely be a part of our daily lives in the years to come.

A list of 10 emerging technologies of the year would be incomplete without NASA. When it comes to space, theres a fundamental problem that comes in our way to conquer it. Its big. Even traveling at the speed of light would take us years to reach our nearest neighboring star.

NASA engineer David Burns has developed a conceptual new spaceship thruster he calls the helical engine a concept which could theoretically accelerate to 99 percent the speed of light.

Burns concept has caused quite a buzz New Scientist says it may violate the laws of physics. It utilizes Einsteins theory of special relativity, which states that objects gain mass as they approach the speed of light. The conceptual spaceship could cause forward motion without traditional propellants.

But, theres a long way to go from here. The helical engine is 200 meters long and would generate as much force as throwing lint in the air. For it to achieve the speed of light, it would need to generate 165 megawatts of energy to produce 1 newton of thrust. This is quite inefficient when youre putting so much input for just a tiny bit of output. But, in the vacuum of space, this might just work.

"The engine itself would be able to get to 99 per cent the speed of light if you had enough time and power,"Burns toldNew Scientist.

Humans have been toying with the idea of an invisibility cloak since early civilization. From Athenas Cap of Invisibility to Harry Potters Invisibility Cloak, the notion of making oneself invisible to destroy enemies has always tickled our fancy.

Hyperstealth, a Canadian camouflage design company has patented a new invisible material, called Quantum Stealth, which easily disguises soldiers, or even its tanks, ships, or aircraft. This invisible material is as thin as paper, inexpensive, and requires no source of power. Its not exactly an invisibility cloak but it does a pretty good job of concealing military equipment.

The material uses an approach called a lenticular lens. This material can bend light in such a way that that only things which are very close or quite far off can be seen. Thus, any object or person placed behind this thin material will not appear to the naked eye. Thus light can be in the visible spectrum, or it can be infrared, ultraviolet, or shortwave infrared light, making the material a broadband invisibility cloak.

For years, researchers have been working to grow simplified versions of human organs, also known as lab-grown organoids, which could be used to model disease or test out new pharmaceuticals.

Now, a team of Japanese neuroscientists has grown lumps of human brain in a lab. These cells were grown from cultured pluripotent stem cells - cells that have the ability to undergo self-renewal. After growing lumps of cells, the researchers separated them and placed them individually into a petri dish, where they developed their own neural networks. In another study at Harvard, researchers showed that neural networks in the brain organoids were sparked with activity and responded when light was shone on them. In one study, Fred Gage and his colleagues at the Salk Institute in San Diego transplanted human brain organoids into mouse brains and found that they connected up to the bodys blood supply and developed fresh connections.

Brain organoids are a landmark medical advancement as they allow us to better study neurological conditions. This breakthrough, however, has opened up a hot debate on a new ethical dimension of research. Are these brains sentient? If they are, then it means they feel pain and other sensations.

For the first time, neuroscientists have crossed the Rubicon of conscious existence by growing mini-brain in the lab. Some have even been successful in transplanting the brain tissue into animals.

At the worlds largest annual meeting of neuroscientists on October 21, 2019, researchers warned that neuroscientists working on brain organoids are dangerously close to crossing the ethical line. Some worry that researchers may have already done so by growing a brain in the lab.

If theres even a possibility of the organoid being sentient, we could be crossing that line, said Elan Ohayon, the director of the GreenNeuroscienceLaboratory in San Diego, California. We dont want people doing research where there is potential for something to suffer.

Early organoids were used by researchers to study what happens to the brain when it exposed to fatal diseases, like the Zika virus which causes malformations.

Marc Stieglers 1989 short story The Gentle Seduction maintains the idea of a technological Singularity in a rate-of-change sense, with one of the characters superimposing the idea as a time in the future. It'll occur when the rate of change of technology is very great - so great that the effort to keep up with the change will overwhelm us. The heroine of the story lives in a timeline where a majority of mankind is more willing to swallow a pill to restore ones youthful state or take a pill to boost ones mental acuity. An unimaginative, outdoorsy woman, who is hopelessly petrified of technology, she is forced to live a technologically-impaired, forsaken life she doesnt want. One day, the woman ends up taking a new pill robot and transmutes from a techno-neophyte to an organic intelligence. The woman stops aging as the centuries go by, she no longer needs her physical body and can choose to leave it behind and explore the universe as a type of pure mental-energy state.

The reality now seems pretty close to this piece of fiction from 1989. Guillermo Tearney, a pathologist and engineer at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) in Boston, is developing small ingestible pills that can be used to inspect the gut for signs of environmental enteric dysfunction (EED) and even obtain tissue biopsies. Studying gut illnesses of young children often requires anesthetizing them and inserting a tube called an endoscope down the throat. Its uncomfortable, expensive and not to mention, impractical in poorer parts of the world where gut illnesses are prevalent.

EED is one of the most expensive illnesses to treat. Its widespread in poor countries and is one of the reasons why children and adults there are malnourished, and never reach a normal body proportion. While we dont exactly know what causes EED and how it could be treated, this pill would make screening easier for medical workers.

The ingestible pill may not promise ever-lasting youth but it has come pretty close to extending ones life in poorer countries. At MGH its being used for practical screening for Barretts esophagus, a precursor of esophageal cancer. Its also being tested on adolescents and infants in Pakistan, where EED is prevalent.

What good are robots if they cant take care of themselves in the physical world? Todays robots can hardly move an object half a meter, let alone replace humans on the assembly line. Weve programmed robots to pick an object but it cant yet figure out how to grasp any object just by looking at it, regardless of its size.

OpenAIs Dactyl is different. Its edge comes from reinforcement learning using which the robot learns how to grasp and turn the block in a simulated environment before it even tries it out for real in the physical environment.

OpenAIs technology is open-source which would make the latest findings evenly and widely distributed, rather than in the hands of a few working closely on Dactyl.

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) asserts that limiting global warming to 1.5C could avert the most cataclysmic effects of climate change. To prevent a dangerous rise in temperatures, the UNs climate panel concludes, the world will need to remove as much as 1 trillion tons of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere this century.

In Switzerland, a giant machine is at bay sucking carbon dioxide directly from the air. The plant can easily capture about 900 tons of CO2 annually or approximate level released from 200 cars.

The Climeworks AG facility near Zurich sits on top of a waste heat recovery facility that powers the process. Fans push air through a filter system that collects carbon dioxide. When the filter is saturated, carbon dioxide is separated at temperatures above 100 degrees Celsius.

Global Thermostat of New York, captures carbon dioxide and hydrogen to produce methane. It built its first commercial plant in Alabama in 2018. So will Carbon Engineering, a Canadian startup co-founded by Harvard climate scientist David Keith in 2009, plans to produce synthetic fuels using the captured carbon dioxide as a key ingredient.

With enough economic data from these plants, we can make accurate calculations for other larger projects to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

At 24, Thomas Larsson thought he was in the best shape he could be. But his heart rate on the Fitbit tracker told a different story: it was 142 beats per minute (bpm), way above the normal resting rate of 60 bpm.

Todays fitness trackers come with a single sensor, whereas one equipped with ECG has twelve. ECG-enabled smart-watches have made it easier to get precise measurements of heart rate. Todays fitness trackers can quickly detect abnormalities before they cause a stroke or heart attack saving you a visit to the emergency room.

An Apple Watch-compatible tracker from AliveCor can easily detect atrial fibrillation, stroke, and a frequent cause of blood clots. Last year, Apple released its own FDA-approved ECG feature embedded on the Apple Watch itself. Popular health-device maker Withings also plans to roll out an affordable ECG-equipped watch. Todays wearables come with a single sensor, whereas a real ECG has twelve.

Googles Sycamore Quantum Computer has achieved Quantum Supremacy. Meaning, it can perform a calculation way faster than a regular binary computer.

Sycamore completed a random number generation-related calculation in 200 seconds in contrast, the worlds most powerful supercomputer would take 10,000 years to calculate.

Google CEO Sun Pichai has compared this feat to when Wright brothers took off their first plane ride in 1903.

The megacorps biggest rival IBM isnt quite happy with this achievement. IBM argues Googles experimental quantum computer didnt account for plentiful disk storage and other optimization methods. And so, Googles experiment is an excellent demonstration of the progress in superconducting-based quantum computing, IBM researchers wrote, but it shouldnt be viewed as proof that quantum computers are supreme over classical computers.

The head of the Pentagon Joint Artificial Intelligence Center recently declared that deepfake technology poses a grave danger to our national security. So, what is deepfake?

Deepfake is AI-based top emerging technology used to produce or alter video footage so it presents something that never occurred in the first place. Currently, deepfake technology is being misused to edit the faces of celebrities onto people in pornographic videos. This certainly paints a troubling picture where national security is compromised due to AI-generated fake clips.

We saw strong indications of how this could play out in the 2016 election, and we have every expectation that if left unchecked it will happen to us again, Shanahan said at the panel, per C4ISRNET. As a department, at least speaking for the Defense Department, were saying its a national security problem as well. We have to invest a lot in it. A lot of commercial companies are doing these every day. The level of sophistication seems to be exponential.

Its also unfair to assume that this technology will only bring out the worst of humanity. Samsungs AI lab recently made Mona Lisa smile and created a living portrait of Marilyn Monroe, Salvador Dali, and others to create hyper-realistic videos out of a single image.

AI Assistants were supposed to make our lives smarter but theyre found to be lacking the smarts. Alexa, Siri, Cortana, and many others still lack the ability to understand natural language.

OpenAI, a nonprofit, San Francisco-based AI research company backed by Elon Musk, Reid Hoffman, and Peter Thiel, unveiled a neural network called GPT-2, which generates coherent paragraphs of text one word at a time. Googles BERT can predict missing and does a job as well as humans at filling in gaps.

Recent advancements, coupled with better speech synthesis, are allowing us to move from giving AI Assistants like Alexa simple commands to having proper conversations with them. In a few years, Alexa and Siri would deal with daily tasks such as taking meeting minutes, shopping online, or finding information.

Googles Duplex is already there. It can pick up your calls to screen for telemarketers and spammers. The Google Assistant can also make calls for you to make salon appointments or schedule restaurant reservations. AliMe in China can coordinate package deliveries over the phone and haggle prices of goods over chat.

AI Assistants are getting better at figuring our human needs. All we need now is for them to understand a sentence.

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Top Emerging Technologies of the Year - Technowize

Asymmetrex Sponsors Podcast on "Counting Stem Cells for a New Era of Medicine"

BOSTON (PRWEB) November 06, 2019

In October, Massachusetts stem cell biotechnology company Asymmetrex launched a new podcast to provide information to patients about a poorly disclosed deficiency in stem cell treatments. Throughout stem cell medical practice, stem cell treatments are given without knowing the dose of the treating stem cells. This problem affects all patients receiving stem cell treatments, including patients receiving approved treatments in routine clinical practice, patients volunteering for experimental treatments in FDA-authorized clinical trials, and patients obtaining unapproved treatments in private stem cell clinics.

The costs and dangers of unknown stem cell dose in treatments are significant. Stem cell clinical trials cannot be interpreted without knowing the treatment dose, leading to huge wastes of both federal and private clinical research dollars. In the case of manufactured stem cells, many treatments may contain very few or no stem cells at all. It is impossible for doctors to improve treatments without knowing the stem cell dose. Stem cell donors for approved treatments like blood stem cell transplantation are scarce. Knowing the stem cell dose would allow doctors to know when a treatment sample has enough stem cells to treat more than one patient; or when it does not have enough to treat even a single patient. In the second case, not knowing the stem cell dose can result in the death of children treated for leukemia when unknowingly they receive an umbilical cord blood transplant with too few blood stem cells to save them.

Earlier this year, the FDA recognized the pressing need for stem cell dose in stem cell medicine. The agencys Standards Coordinating Body for Regenerative Medicine (SCB) listed stem cell dose determination as a priority for needed standards for stem cell medicine. Dose is a fundamental principle for the discovery, development, and administration of quality medicines. Asymmetrex Director James L. Sherley, M.D., Ph.D., who is featured in the new podcast, says that, Dose is essential for stem cell medicine as well. The new podcast has the goal of informing the end users of stem cell treatments: the patients, their doctors, their families, and their advocates, including the FDA. When the people most impacted by these treatments understand that knowing the dose of stem cells is just as important as knowing the dose of their other medicines, they will be empowered to demand this essential certification of the integrity of their stem cell treatments.

The first episode of the podcast, Counting Stem Cells For A New Era Of Medicine, aired online on October 17. The third episode of the biweekly, 6-episode series is scheduled for airing November 12. Each episode features an interview of Asymmetrex Director Sherley by podcast producer Jordan Rich. Mr. Rich guides Dr. Sherley through a discussion of questions that reveal the current challenges that Asymmetrex is addressing to achieve full adoption of stem cell dose as a routine practice in stem cell medicine. The series also highlights other significant applications for stem cell counting in drug development and environmental health science. In conjunction with this educational effort, the company is also sponsoring a study on its website to evaluate the current state of public, academic, and industry knowledge of coming changes in stem cell medicine related to the adoption of stem cell dose.

About Asymmetrex

Asymmetrex, LLC is a Massachusetts life sciences company with a focus on developing technologies to advance stem cell medicine. Asymmetrexs founder and director, James L. Sherley, M.D., Ph.D. is an internationally recognized expert on the unique properties of adult tissue stem cells. The companys patent portfolio contains biotechnologies that solve the two main technical problems production and quantification that have stood in the way of successful commercialization of human adult tissue stem cells for regenerative medicine and drug development. In addition, the portfolio includes novel technologies for isolating cancer stem cells and producing induced pluripotent stem cells for disease research purposes. Asymmetrex markets the first technology for determination of the dose and quality of tissue stem cell preparations (the AlphaSTEM Test) for use in stem cell transplantation therapies and pre-clinical drug evaluations.

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New Podcast Sponsored by Asymmetrex Increases Awareness to the Need for Stem Cell Dose in Stem Cell Treatments - PR Web