Category Archives: Molecular Genetics

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When it comes to fashion, professional designers need a rare blend of personal drive, creative sparks, educational direction, and entrepreneurial opportunity. Students who enroll in the School of Fashion at Academy of Art University bring their unique vision and talent to cultivate under leading faculty who are also artists and creatives in their own right. The result is a stand-out curriculum designed for hands-on learning that prepares students for specific industries and professions.

Fashion designer and Academy of Art University graduate Eden Slezin experienced this firsthand. As a student in the Academys School of Fashion, Slezin benefited from numerous opportunities to develop his skills in an environment that encouraged learning by doing. From practical classes in design to a full-scale fashion show put on by the School of Fashion, Slezin developed a firm foundation for a successful career ripe with creativity and celebrity collaborations.

No matter where Eden Slezin finds himself in his journey, he brings with him the passion and desire to achieve his goals. He is also quick to follow his changing interests, which allows him to pivot careers as his interests evolve.

Starting out in plant molecular genetics, Slezin found his undergraduate experience was just one of many career adventures. After a stint with the U.S. Marines, he returned to civilian life in outdoor guiding and retail management roles before deciding on fashion design as the next step.

At 39 years old, Slezin was hesitant to return to school. I didnt have a design background, said Slezin. I think I have always loved fashion, but I didnt think it was a career possibility. But with the right mentors and supports, his drive found the opportunity he needed with Academy of Art University.

Slezin earned his Master of Fine Arts (MFA) in Fashion with the Academy and got to work growing his own mens clothing line. He also worked with his sister, a budding designer in her own right, on her Etsy shop offerings ranging from loungewear to home dcor. Before the duo knew it, Nicole Ritchies House of Harlow 1960 came calling and invited the D and E Discovered brand to collaborate on a limited Etsy line.

How did Slezin go from a creative with zero fashion experience to designing a collection with House of Harlow? He credits his time at Academy of Art University with giving him the foundation he needed to operate a business and learn to make his ideas a reality.

Since most masters programs limit who can apply based on past experience in the field they desire, entrance is restricted to the few who already fit the mold. Academy of Art University, however, operates with an open admission policy and encourages applicants to share their personal goals as part of the admission process. The acknowledgment that life experience, passion, and hard work are important factors in pursuing a higher education enables students like Slezin to chase their academic and professional dreams at Academy of Art University.

Specifically in the Academys School of Fashion, faculty guide students through the development of their own, personal vision. Coursework is structured to create awareness of industry standards and the ins and outs of market operations while creating room for students to establish their own design philosophy.

Slezin shared, I went back to school and started really digging into the craft of it all. The MFA in Fashion establishes a clear foundation with courses in construction, design, editing, and presenting ready-to-wear collections. Courses place these topics within the framework of historical, global, and current industry influences to help students contextualize their own aesthetic.

Technology also plays a role in design at Academy of Art University. Fashion design students learn how to use 3D design platforms to draft fabrics, garments, and storyboards that have a practical purpose in the businesses they hope to run one day. Everything I feel like I need to be a successful designer, Ive gotten from the Academy of Art University, said Slezin.

Academy of Art University also gave Slezin the opportunity to show at New York Fashion Week, one of the biggest platforms for designers to present their work. That is the grand showcase, and its where you make your mark, said Slezin. The show was a culmination of six semesters of hard work including directed study with hands-on instruction from faculty and an internship to practice skills in real-world settings.

The flexible curriculum at Academy of Art University encourages every creative to pursue what makes them unique, acting as a catalyst rather than a conformist for success. Coursework is also comprehensive. To graduate, students are required to demonstrate fundamentals in design, technical specifications, and business practice in the context of their personal goals and their chosen field.

Ever committed to following his dreams and going where his passions take him, Slezins work reflects his understanding of the global marketplace, design trends, and designer personas. During the Etsy collaboration with House of Harlow 1960, he demonstrated his design and business acumen in spades. I essentially took over as lead designer for the collection, explained Slezin.

Armed with a mood board, he set to work to create a design presentation by drawing from his MFA experience. This training helped me understand the assignment. I couldnt have done any of that without the Academys training, said Slezin. The result was a collection of soft textures and flowing garments that matched the vibe House of Harlow desired.

Slezin hasnt left his roots behind, either. He incorporates inspiration from his six years in the military in many of his designs for his own line. Sustainability is also important to him, and he reuses textiles as well as uses organic fabrics and natural dyes. Academy of Art University has allowed me to transition from a career which I was not that excited about to my dream career of being a fashion designer, said Slezin.

Academy of Art University instructors encourage students like Eden Slezin to pursue their passion with a solid foundation of translatable skills. Rather than requiring students to commit to a single aesthetic or brand persona, instructors help creatives learn to channel their talents in meaningful ways that can be practically applied.

For Academy students and graduates like Slezin, there is no limit to where their creativity can take them. The next big thing can always be around the corner, and it can be completely different than their last pursuit or have a completely different look, feel, or objective. Academy of Art University students can start out with a dream and no experience, only to soar to new creative heights.

Established in 1929, Academy of Art University has a storied history of providing industry-based curriculum learning to artists, designers and creatives. Students can choose from more than 120 accredited degree options, all taught by instructors who are experienced professionals in a course of study. Academy coursework is a hands-on experience that combines a solid foundation of core skills with the freedom for students to express themselves creatively. To learn more about the bachelors, masters, certificate and continuing education programs available, visit http://www.academyart.edu.

More:
Eden Slezins Path to Success: From Academy of Art University to House of Harlow and Beyond - TechBullion

Faculty who arrived during the pandemic study cell function, genetics and symplectic geometry, among other topics. [4 min read]

The natural sciences faculty across departments welcomed new members who arrived at USC Dornsife during the pandemic lockdown. (Composite: Dennis Lan.)

A new group of natural sciences faculty arrived at the USC Dornsife College of Letters Arts and Sciences in 2020 and didnt let the COVID-19 pandemic stop them from setting up labs, engaging with students and conducting important scientific research.They recently shared their academic work and personal interests.

Xianrui Cheng| Assistant Professor ofBiological Sciences

Academic focus:Im researching how the spatial pattern of a living cell is assembled and how it contributes to cellular functions. We have recently discovered that in a plastic dish, the juice (cytoplasm) from frog eggs can spontaneously re-organize into patterns seen in living cells.

More strikingly, these patterns recapitulate cellular functions; they can repeatedly self-replicate like cells do. My lab is using this egg extract system as a model to study the mechanism of pattern formation within cells.

What do you like to do in your spare time?Gardening and photography.

What inspires you?Nature, people and art.

Peter Chung| Assistant Professor ofPhysics and Astronomy

Academic focus:I study proteins that do not fold into stable structures but rather behave structurally like spaghetti in boiling water (adopting many conformations over time). Using a framework of polymer physics, I aim to understand the physiological function and diseased dysfunction of these proteins. The latter is especially important, as nearly every major neurodegenerative disease is unequivocally linked to these unstructured proteins.

What do you like to do in your spare time?Financially sustaining every nearby food truck within a two-block radius of my apartment.

If you could invite one person to dinner, living or dead, who would you select? What would be on the menu?Robert Oppenheimer lived a fascinating life that spanned theoretical physics and leadership in the Manhattan Project, the government program that led to the deployment of the most terrible weapons to ever exist. As he loved his adopted home state of New Mexico, Im sure wed both enjoy tacos.

What inspires you?The students I see at USC. Theyre full of energy and enthusiasm!

Michael Doc Edge| Assistant Professor ofQuantitative and Computational Biology

Academic focus:I develop and use new ways to analyze genetic data with an eye toward understanding our evolutionary history. People who work in my lab are also interested in ways we can use evolutionary thinking to do other jobs that require genetic data, such as finding disease-associated genetic variants or protecting privacy in forensic genetics.

Where is your favorite place to travel?I didnt realize my feelings about the American Southwest could be embarrassing until I saw them embodied in Will Ferrells character onThe Office. But Ive never had a bad trip anywhere.

If you could invite one person to dinner, living or dead, who would you select? What would be on the menu?I cant narrow it down. I will give you a top three among those who use the first name George: Eliot (aka Mary Ann Evans), Saunders, Clinton (the musician, not the U.S. founding father). They can eat whatever they want.

What food or condiments will we always find in your kitchen?Paprika is my favorite crutch.

Geoffrey Fudenberg| Assistant Professor of Quantitative and Computational Biology

My work aims to connect molecular-scale mechanisms with their genome-wide consequences and uses machine-learning and biophysical modeling approaches to decode connections between 3D genome organization and function.

Cornelius Gati| Assistant Professor of Biological Sciences

Academic focus:Im interested in neurotransmission at the atomic scale. Our group focuses on the structure determination of membrane proteins involved in synaptic transmission using the powerful technique ofcryo-electron microscopy.

What inspires you?I get my best ideas while driving (coincidentally something I spend a lot of time doing).

What do you like to do in your spare time?I like to spend time outdoors; hiking and camping are some of my favorites.

Where is your favorite place to travel?Hawaii.

Kyler Siegel| Assistant Professor of Mathematics

Academic focus:I work in symplectic geometry, a relatively young branch of mathematics that aims to understand the fundamental properties of various geometric structures from theoretical physics. It lies at the crossroads of a number of subfields of mathematics including algebraic geometry, topology and differential geometry and also has interactions with string theory.

What do you like to do in your spare time?Jazz guitar, rock climbing, hiking, tinkering, reading and exploring cities by bike.

Favorite book youve read lately?The Code Breakerby Walter Isaacson

Harold Williams| Assistant Professor ofMathematics

Academic focus:I study geometric and algebraic structures that appear in high energy physics.

What do you like to do in your spare time?I like to play my guitars.

If you could invite one person to dinner, living or dead, who would you select? What would be on the menu?Brian May. Whatever happens to be on the menu at Noma that night.

What inspires you?How interesting the universe is.

Learn about other faculty who joined USC Dornsife during the 202021 academic year >>

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A new group of natural sciences professors brings cutting-edge science research and instruction to USC Dornsife > News > USC Dornsife - USC...

Scientist, Richard Rhodess biography of Wilson, born in 1929, however, does not begin with those formative years. Instead, it depicts him on his hands and knees collecting and classifying ants, many previously unknown to science, in the jungles of New Guinea. Despite the oppressive heat and mosquitoes, hes an elated Indiana Jones of insect hunters.

As fascinating as this material is, its all been conveyed to much better effect in Wilsons 1994 autobiography, Naturalist. In fact, Rhodes relies almost entirely on quotations from that book, supplemented by letters Wilson wrote to his sweetheart and eventual wife, Irene Kelley. Oddly enough, Wilsons lively, vivid prose, at the heart of every chapter, consistently outshines that of the professional writer, whose best-known work is the prize-winning The Making of the Atomic Bomb.

Except for his bio-nerd leanings, Wilson led a typical Southern boyhood. He briefly attended a military school. At 14, he was born again at First Baptist Church of Pensacola, though a bit later he decided his faith lay more in science than Christianity. He loved to fish, at least until an accident with a pinfish left him blind in the right eye. Though skinny and underweight, he managed a brief flirtation with football.

In Wilsons autobiography, he claimed that perennial football power the University of Alabama had saved him. The truth is, this whiz-kid saved himself. When he first arrived on campus, he knocked on the biology department chairs door and showed him his large insect collection. He was given lab space and became a sort of departmental mascot.

Wilson would make Harvard, possessor of the largest ant collection in the world, his professional home. As a young assistant professor, he was almost lured away to Stanford by a visit from its dean and president! until Harvard matched the poachers offer and granted him tenure. In this first phase of his career, he concentrated on linking insect field work and classification to evolutionary theory. Looming on the horizon, though, lay a challenge from the hot new field of molecular biology. To his credit, Rhodes conveys useful background information on what Wilson termed the molecular wars.

When James Watson, co-discoverer of the structure of DNA, joined the Harvard faculty, the battle was on. Wilson remembers this brilliant but arrogant and rude man as the most unpleasant human being I have ever met. Watson, a Nobel Prize winner, harrumphed that Wilson was nothing but an old-fashioned stamp collector? (Ironically, Wilson previously had helped persuade the department to hire this adversary, despite his abrasive personality.) Eventually, in a win-win decision, evolutionary biology and molecular biology split into separate departments.

Wilsons focus on evolution, however, would prove troublesome in the wider public arena. His previous work on insect social behavior had been lauded, but his 1975 book, Sociobiology: The New Synthesis, provoked a firestorm. He was accused of giving a green light to eugenics, racism, and the socio-economic status quo. This time, Harvard geneticist Richard Lewontin led the charge. At a scientific conference in Washington, protesters doused him with ice water, chanting Wilson, youre all wet!

Rhodes implicitly sides with Wilson, arguing that the scientists effort to root all animal behavior, including that of humans, in genetics was misunderstood. But it seems to me that Wilsons theorizing in this classic nature-nurture debate clearly weights the scales toward something close to genetic determinism. Likewise, the author fails to subject Wilsons On Human Nature, in which the biologist explores the connections between genetic and cultural evolution, to tough-minded scrutiny.

An unabashed Wilson enthusiast, Rhodes reveals that he was the primary advocate for Wilson on the Pulitzer jury that recommended the general nonfiction prize go to The Ants, a comprehensive tome intended for scientists. (Wilson had won previously in the same category for On Human Nature his two awards an astonishing triumph for a scientist.)

Toward the end of the century, Wilson achieved renown in the newly ascendant field of ecology. He pleaded for conservation efforts to preserve wildlife habitats and halt the extinction of species. Millions upon millions of species, he warned, remained unidentified yet potentially lost forever. In Half-Earth he recommended setting aside half the worlds land to assure survival of our yet undiscovered genetic treasures.

In this effort, citizens were more likely to garland him with roses rather than drench him in cold water. Indiana Jones had become the Grand Old Man of ecological advocacy.

Researching this book, Rhodes conducted numerous interviews with Wilson, now in his 90s living outside Boston. Yet the effort hasnt yielded much, a few details but no major insights. The autobiographer has trumped the biographer. Naturalist was a pleasure, Scientist a disappointment.

Dan Cryer is author of the biography Being Alive and Having to Die: The Spiritual Odyssey of Forrest Church and the memoir Forgetting My Mother: A Blues from the Heartland.

Scientist: E.O. Wilson: A Life in Nature

Richard Rhodes

Doubleday, 288, $30

Read this article:
E.O. Wilsons wars - The Boston Globe

By Brian McNeill

An analysis of data from 1.5 million people has identified 579 locations in the genome associated with a predisposition to different behaviors and disorders related to self-regulation, including addiction and child behavioral problems.

With these findings, researchers have constructed a genetic risk score a number reflecting a persons overall genetic propensity based on how many risk variants they carry that predicts a range of behavioral, medical and social outcomes, including education levels, obesity, opioid use disorder, suicide, HIV infections, criminal convictions and unemployment.

[This study] illustrates that genes dont code for a particular disorder or outcome; there are no genes for substance use disorder, or for behavior problems, said joint senior authorDanielle Dick, Ph.D., Distinguished Commonwealth Professor of Psychology and Human and Molecular Genetics at Virginia Commonwealth University. Instead, genes influence the way our brains are wired, which can make us more at risk for certain outcomes. In this case, we find that there are genes that broadly influence self-control or impulsivity, and that this predisposition then confers risk for a variety of life outcomes.

The study, Multivariate Analysis of 1.5 Million People Identifies Genetic Associations with Traits Related to Self-Regulation and Addiction, was published today in the journal Nature Neuroscience and was conducted by a consortium of 26 researchers at 17 institutions in the United States and the Netherlands.

It was led by Dick;Philipp Koellinger, Ph.D., professor of social science genetics at the University of Wisconsin Madison and Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam;Kathryn Paige Harden, Ph.D., professor of psychology at the University of Texas at Austin; andAbraham A. Palmer, Ph.D., professor of psychiatry at the University of California, San Diego.

The study is one of the largest genome-wide association studies ever conducted, pooling data from an effective sample size of 1.5 million people of European descent. The researchers genetic risk score has one of the largest effect sizesa measurement of the prediction powerof any genetic risk score for a behavioral outcome to date.

It demonstrates the far-reaching effects of carrying a genetic liability toward lower self-control, impacting many important life outcomes, said Dick, a professor in the Department of Psychology in the College of Humanities and Sciences and the Department Human and Molecular Genetics in the School of Medicine at VCU. We hope that a greater understanding of how individual genetic differences contribute to vulnerability can reduce stigma and blame surrounding many of these behaviors, such as behavior problems in children and substance use disorders.

The identification of the more than 500 genetic loci is important, the researchers said, because it provides new insight into our understanding of behaviors and disorders related to self-regulation, collectively referred to as externalizing and that have a shared genetic liability.

We know that regulating behavior is a critical component of many important life outcomesfrom substance use and behavioral disorders, like ADHD, to medical outcomes ranging from suicide to obesity, to educational outcomes like college completion, Dick said.

Characterizing the genetic contributions to self-regulation can be helpful in myriad ways, she said.

It allows us to better understand the biology behind why some people are more at risk, which can assist with medication development, and it can allow us to know who is more at risk, so we can put early intervention and prevention programs in place, she said. Identifying genetic risk factors is a critical component of precision medicine, which has the goal of using information about an individuals genetic and environmental risk factors to deliver more tailored, effective intervention specific to that individuals risk profile.

The researchers noted, however, that having a higher risk profile isnt necessarily a bad thing.

For example, CEOs, entrepreneurs and fighter pilots are often higher on risk taking, Dick said. DNA is not destiny. We all have unique genetic codes, and were all at risk for something; but understanding ones predisposition can be empoweringit can help individuals understand their strengths, and their potential challenges, and act accordingly.

For more information about the study and its findings, please visit thisFAQ.

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Study identifies 579 genetic locations linked to anti-social behavior, alcohol use, opioid addiction and more - VCU News

DUBLIN--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The "PD-1 Resistant Head and Neck Cancer (HNC) - Market Insight, Epidemiology and Market Forecast 2030" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

The report provides current treatment practices, emerging drugs & their market share of the individual therapies and current & forecasted market sizes from 2018 to 2030 segmented by the major markets.

The report also covers current PD-1 Resistant Head and Neck Cancer symptoms treatment practice/algorithm, market drivers, market barriers, and unmet medical needs to curate the best opportunities. It assesses the underlying potential of the market.

Country-wise PD-1 Resistant Head and Neck Cancer Epidemiology

The epidemiology segment also provides the PD-1 Resistant Head and Neck Cancer epidemiology data and findings across the United States, EU5 (Germany, France, Italy, Spain, and the United Kingdom), Japan, China, South Korea, and Taiwan.

The total incident cases of PD-1 refractory patients of PD-1 Resistant Head and Neck Cancer-associated in the mentioned countries was 11,940 in 2020.

PD-1 Resistant Head and Neck Cancer Drug Chapters

The PD-1 Resistant Head and Neck Cancer report's drug chapter segment encloses the detailed analysis of PD-1 Resistant Head and Neck Cancer's early-stage (Phase I, II, and III) pipeline drugs. It also helps understand the PD-1 Resistant Head and Neck Cancer clinical trial details, expressive pharmacological action, agreements and collaborations, approval and patent details, advantages and disadvantages of each included drug, and the latest news and press releases.

PD-1 Resistant Head and Neck Cancer Emerging Drugs

Monalizumab (IPH2201): AstraZeneca/Innate Pharma

Monalizumab (IPH2201) is a potentially first-in-class immune checkpoint inhibitor targeting NKG2A receptors expressed on tumor-infiltrating cytotoxic CD8+ T-cells and NK cells. NKG2A is an inhibitory checkpoint receptor for HLA-E. By expressing HLA-E, cancer cells can protect themselves from killing by NKG2A+ immune cells. HLA-E is frequently overexpressed on cancer cells of many solid tumors and hematological malignancies.

Buparlisib: Adlai Nortye Biopharma

Buparlisib is an oral pan-PI3K inhibitor that targets all class I PI3K isoforms and is active in both hematologic malignancies and solid tumors. Buparlisib significantly inhibited tumor growth in the animal model and showed a dose-response trend in anti-PD-1 refractory tumor-bearing mice. The dose range of buparlisib was consistent with previous preclinical studies conducted with BKM120 (Buparlisib, AN2025) by Novartis.

PD-1 Resistant Head and Neck Cancer Market Outlook

The PD-1 Resistant Head and Neck Cancer market outlook helps build a detailed comprehension of the historical, current, and forecasted PD-1 Resistant Head and Neck Cancer market trends by analyzing the impact of current therapies on the market, unmet needs, drivers and barriers, and demand for better technology.

This segment gives a thorough detail of PD-1 Resistant Head and Neck Cancer market trend of each marketed drug and early-stage pipeline therapy by evaluating their impact based on the annual cost of therapy, inclusion and exclusion criteria's, mechanism of action, compliance rate, growing need of the market, increasing patient pool, covered patient segment, expected launch year, competition with other therapies, brand value, their impact on the market and view of the key opinion leaders. The calculated market data are presented with relevant tables and graphs to give a clear view of the market at first sight.

Although ICI is a successful new approach in cancer therapy, these checkpoint inhibitors may also lead to a loss of immune tolerance of healthy tissue, which results in various side effects, referred to as immune-related adverse events (irAEs). According to few references, up to one-fourth of patients on ipilimumab monotherapy and about the same percentage of patients on combined therapy suffer from severe (grade 3 or 4) enterocolitis. According to Burla (2020), overall, 15-25% of patients on single immunotherapy and about 65% of patients on combined immunotherapy suffer from grade 3 or grade 4 irAEs.

Immuno-oncology agents, including immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs), have revolutionized the treatment of a range of cancer types. Checkpoint molecules suppress T-cell function through various mechanisms and are exploited by tumor cells to evade the host immune attack. ICIs counteract this immunosuppression and restore immune responses against cancer.

Key Topics Covered:

1 Key Insights

2 Report Introduction

3 PD-1 Resistant Head and Neck Cancer Market Overview at a Glance

3.1 Patient Share (%) Distribution of PD-1 Resistant Head and Neck Cancer in 2018

3.2 Market Share (%) Distribution of PD-1 Resistant Head and Neck Cancer in 2030

4 Executive Summary of PD-1 Resistant Head and Neck Cancer

5 Disease Background and Overview

5.1 Pathogenesis

5.2 Molecular Genetics of Head and Neck Cancer

5.3 Types of Head and Neck Cancer

5.4 Symptoms

5.5 Risk factors

5.6 Histopathology

5.7 Diagnosis

5.8 Staging

5.9 NCCN Guidelines

5.10 EHNSe-ESMOe-ESTRO Clinical Practice Guidelines for Squamous cell carcinoma

5.11 ESMO-EURACAN Clinical Practice Guidelines for Nasopharyngeal carcinoma

6 Epidemiology and Patient Population

6.1 Key Findings

6.2 PD-1 refractory patients in 7MM, China, South Korea, and Taiwan

6.3 Epidemiology of Checkpoint Inhibitors refractory cancer

6.4 The United States

6.4.1 Head and Neck cancer diagnosed patients in the United States

6.4.2 PD-1 treated patients in the United States

6.4.3 PD-1 refractory patients in the United States

6.5 EU5

6.5.1 Germany

6.5.2 France

6.5.3 Italy

6.5.4 Spain

6.5.5 United Kingdom

6.6 Japan

6.7 China

6.8 South Korea

6.9 Taiwan

7 Organizations contributing towards PD-1 Resistant Head and Neck Cancer

8 Case Reports

9 Emerging Therapies

9.1 Key Cross Competition

9.2 NT219: TyrNovo Ltd./Purple Biotech Ltd.

9.3 ASTX727 (Decitabine and cedazuridine): AstraZeneca/Astex Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

9.4 Monalizumab: AstraZeneca/Innate Pharma

9.5 Buparlisib: Adlai Nortye Biopharma

9.6 Enfortumab Vedotin: Astellas Pharma/Seattle Genetics

9.7 Cetuximab sarotalocan: Rakuten Medical

9.8 Afatinib: Boehringer Ingelheim

9.9 Nemvaleukin alfa/ALKS 4230: Alkermes

9.10 Anktiva/N-803: Alkermes

9.11 Tisotumab vedotin: Seagen Inc./Genmab

9.12 Eftilagimod alpha: Immutep S.A./Merck Sharp & Dohme Corp.

9.13 Voyager V-1 (VSV-IFN-NIS): Vyriad, Inc.

9.14 Sacituzumab govitecan: Immunomedics, Inc.

9.15 Ladiratuzumab vedotin: Seagen Inc.

9.16 Durvalumab + Other Therapy: AstraZeneca

9.17 KY1044: Kymab Limited

9.18 Copanlisib: Bayer

9.19 Feladilimab: GlaxoSmithKline/MedImmune LLC

9.20 BMS-986315: Bristol-Myers Squibb

9.21 Etigilimab: Mereo BioPharma

9.22 Xevinapant (Debio 1143): Debiopharm International SA

9.23 NKTR-255: Nektar Therapeutics

9.24 ABI-009: Aadi Bioscience

9.25 Relatlimab: Bristol-Myers Squibb

9.26 Lenvatinib: Merck Sharp & Dohme Corp. and Eisai

9.27 Aldesleukin: Clinigen

9.28 Avelumab: Pfizer

9.29 exoSTING: Codiak BioSciences

9.30 OC-001: Ocellaris Pharma

9.31 Atezolizumab: Genentech

10 PD-1 Resistant Head and Neck Cancer: 7 Major Market Analysis

10.1 Key Findings

10.2 Market Size of PD-1 Resistant Head and Neck Cancer in 7MM, China, South Korea, and Taiwan

10.3 Market Outlook

11 KOL Views

12 Market Drivers

13 Market Barriers

14 SWOT Analysis

15 Unmet Needs

16 Appendix

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/9wagma

Continued here:
PD-1 Resistant Head and Neck Cancer (HNC) Market Insights, Epidemiology and Forecast 2030: Focus on Germany, France, Italy, Spain, United Kingdom,...

By Dr Leora Fox August 30, 2021 Edited by Dr Sarah Hernandez

A team of scientists recently created an innovative genetic system where a drug taken by mouth could be used to control the action of a gene editor, like those used in CRISPR systems. This has useful applications for research studies in cells and animals, and perhaps most importantly, could lead to improvements in the safety and accuracy of future gene therapies in humans. The technology can be applied broadly for studying genes and diseases, and was developed by researchers with HD expertise, incorporating a drug that is relevant to HD. Though actual clinical trials are a long way off, the company that has recently licensed the technology has an existing interest in HD.

Although the methods for delivery of gene therapies have improved vastly in recent years, it hasnt yet been possible to control the actions of those therapies once they reach their targets in the brain or other parts of the body. Ideally, when modifying human genetics, wed want to be able to fine-tune things like the location of the genetic change, the amount of change that occurs at once, and the ability to stop the change in surrounding cells if it proves harmful those last two have proved to be a particular challenge in gene editing, until now.

A recently developed genetic switch system, dubbed Xon, addresses some of these challenges in a novel way. It was created by a team of scientists led by Beverly Davidson at the Childrens Hospital of Philadelphia, joined by researchers at the pharmaceutical company Novartis. The idea behind Xon was to create a gene editing technology that could be precisely delivered and then controlled over time using a drug that acts like an on/off switch.

Imagine a red traffic light that is on all the time, and can only be disabled with a special tool. Theres no way to move forward until the red light turns off. With the Xon system, scientists can put a stoplight in front of any gene, by inserting the gene and the stoplight together into a genetic package and delivering it to cells in a dish or in a living animal. The new gene is present but inactive, meaning it cant produce messages or proteins, until the stoplight is removed. But when a particular drug reaches the cell, it acts as the tool that turns off the genetic stoplight, activating the gene.

The reason that this is an exciting scientific innovation is that the Xon system allows researchers to insert a gene and turn it on and off by simply adding a drug to a dish of growing cells, or by giving the drug to a research animal. This could be a new way to understand what happens when there is too much or too little of a given gene or protein, or to create a disease model to easily explore genetic interventions at different time points during aging.

In a recent publication in the journal Nature, Davidsons team tested the technology using a variety of genes involved in neurodegenerative diseases and cancers to show that their levels could be controlled based on when and how much of the stoplight-disabler drug was given.

Even more interesting is the potential application of the Xon system to technologies like CRISPR and the future of gene editing as a therapeutic. This recent paper demonstrates the ability of the Xon system to be combined with CRISPR-Cas9 technology, for more precise control of CRISPR editing using a drug fed to mice. Davidsons team demonstrated this using an artificial gene that can make a mouses liver cells glow green. But ultimately the hope is that it could be applied to human therapies.

A system that can help us gain better control of CRISPR gene editing is an exciting prospect because it provides more hope of safely adapting this technology for future medicines. This is not currently possible for most diseases, because direct, irreversible changes to human DNA can have drastic consequences. We wrote recently about the first ever successful safety trial of a CRISPR drug for a human disease that commonly affects the liver. Although it would be marvelous in theory to cut out or correct the HD gene in people, the knife-like CRISPR system almost always leads to additional unwanted changes in other genes. This is why weve so often emphasized that gene editing needs to come a long way before we can apply it to the treatment of human brain cells, which cant be regenerated like cells in the liver.

Coupling Xon with a CRISPR-Cas9 system that targets a disease gene (like the HD gene) would mean that an oral drug could turn the gene editor on and off. The dose could also be adjusted to control the amount of gene editing not just acting as a tool to disable the red stoplight, but also acting as a dimmer switch for precise regulation. Most importantly for safety, if anything went awry, the treatment could be stopped to prevent further changes to their DNA. Right now this is all theoretical, because the Xon system and other gene editing dimmer switches are in early developmental stages. Nevertheless, this publication hints at the possibility of applying it to therapies in people, and Novartis has licensed the Xon technology.

First and foremost, we know that HD is caused by a change to a single gene, so it has always been a prime candidate for genetic therapies, and dozens of researchers and companies worldwide are developing innovative solutions to treat HD at its source. HDBuzz (and HD researchers) always have an eye out for new technologies that improve upon existing methods. Furthermore, the leaders of the team that published the recent Nature paper are respected HD researchers who have devoted much of their careers to the development of gene therapies.

However, the main reason this publication has popped up as news for the HD community is that the Xon system actually relies on an existing drug to flip the gene editing switch and that drug is none other than branaplam. Yep, branaplam, the oral drug developed to treat children with SMA, which Novartis will soon be testing in clinical trials for adults with Huntingtons disease.

This does not mean that Xon gene editing has any part in upcoming trials for HD. It simply means that branaplam, a drug with genetic cut-and-paste abilities, forms part of an elegant new system that can be adjusted to control the activity of any gene scientists want to study. Dimmer switch systems for gene editing could potentially be designed to use a completely different drug, but in these early experiments, Xon and its precise control with branaplam has stood up to many tests of flexibility and accuracy.

The Xon system is a really cool early-stage technology, and though its not ready to be applied to human treatments, it is a novel element of the gene editing toolbox. Furthermore, it was created by researchers with HD expertise, and has now been licensed by a major pharmaceutical company which is already invested in HD therapeutics. That bodes well for its continued development in the study and potential treatment of HD and related genetic disorders.

Go here to read the rest:
Another tool in the box: Creation of a molecular dimmer switch advances gene editing - HDBuzz

Presently over 5.6 million people have been fully vaccinated against Covid in the Czech Republic, which is more than 50 percent of the population of 10.7 million.

In addition to that, a study conducted by Masaryk University in Brno concluded that around half of the adult Czech population may already have been infected with the virus and developed antibodies.

However, another study, carried out by the organization Podan ruce, suggests that six months after vaccination, up to 60 percent of Czech seniors have significantly lower or no antibodies.

In view of the accelerated spread of the more contagious Delta variant of Covid expected in the autumn, the Czech Vaccinology Society and other expert medical groups are strongly recommending that all high-risk groups to get a booster shot.

That includes not only seniors, but also people with a weakened immune system, such as cancer patients or those who have had organ or stem cell transplants.

Ilja St is the vice-president of the Czech Society of Allergy and Clinical Immunology:

The elderly are definitely one of the risk groups. Therefore, the strategy everywhere in the world has been to vaccinate this group as soon as possible. This also means that they have the longest time between vaccinations.

We still have no idea how long the protection against a severe infection will last. It could be a year or possibly longer, but for some individuals, the period could be significantly shorter.

Jan Paes|Photo: archive of Jan Paes

However not all experts agree that the Covid-19 booster shots are a priority right now. Jan Paes from the Institute of Molecular Genetics of the Academy of Sciences told Czech Radio that the state should rather focus on the unvaccinated:

Here in the Czech Republic we still have quite a lot of people from the high risk groups who havent been vaccinated at all. That is a more pressing problem than administering the third dose.

According to the plan outlined by Health Minister Adam Vojtch, seniors and other high-risk people will received one of the mRNA vaccines produced either by Pfizer/BioNTech or Moderna. This type of vaccine makes up more than 80 percent of all doses administered in the Czech Republic.

People vaccinated with the AstraZeneca vaccine will receive the mRNA as a third dose, while people vaccinated with Johnson & Johnson's single-dose vaccine will receive it as a second dose.

According to the health ministrys plan, the third dose should be administered by GPs and at vaccination points in hospitals. People can receive it no sooner than eight months after their last jab.

The Covid-19 re-vaccination is expected to cover about three million people in the Czech Republic and will continue to be voluntary.

The rest is here:
Health experts: third Covid vaccination strongly recommended for high-risk groups - Radio Prague

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Read more:
A comparative recombination analysis of human coronaviruses and implications for the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic | Scientific Reports - Nature.com

Meet the life sciences, physical sciences and mathematics faculty joining USC Dornsife this fall. [3 min read]

Scholars in the natural sciences and mathematics join USC Dornsife this fall to teach and conduct research. (Composite: Dennis Lan.)

Four new faculty members join the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences life sciences, physical sciences and mathematics divisions for the fall 2021 semester. They recently shared their academic work and personal interests.

Michael Campbell | Assistant Professor of Biological Sciences

Academic focus:Current genetic and paleontological evidence tells us that anatomically modern humans evolved in Africa about 300,000 years ago and then migrated around the globe within the last 100,000 years. Demographic events along with natural selection, have shaped the patterns of genetic diversity in contemporary populations.

One of the grand challenges now that weve sequenced the human genome is to better understand the interplay between evolutionary history, genomic variation and the development of human traits. My research explores the use of statistical, computational and field-based approaches to identify polymorphisms places where DNA on one chromosome differs from the matching spot on another chromosome favored by evolution but that contribute to variable traits, including disease susceptibility, in diverse human populations.

What do you like to do in your spare time? Although I dont have a lot of spare time these days, whenever it arises, I like to play trivia games. Im a die-hardJeopardy!fan.

If you could invite one person to dinner, living or dead, who would you select? What would be on the menu? While technically not one person, I would invite former President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama. (I consider them an inseparable marital unit.) This would be a very informal dinner with barbecue chicken and steak on the menu.

What food or condiments will we always find in your kitchen? Avocados, bread and ketchup (not necessarily eaten together).

Derrick Morton | Assistant Professor of Biological Sciences

Academic focus:My research focuses on incorporating genetic approaches to understand key pathways that control an organisms growth and development, and how alterations in gene expression contribute to neurological disease.

What inspires you? The greats of the civil rights movement inspire me. I stand on the shoulders of giants, and their collective sacrifices are a constant reminder of what it took for me to achieve. There are no words to adequately express my gratitude.

If you could invite one person to dinner, living or dead, who would you select? What would be on the menu? This is a tough one. I would likely choose to have Barack Obama over for dinner for the obvious reasons hes the former President of the U.S. and seems to be a pretty cool guy. I am a southern guy; my dinner menu would likely include a southern dish with dessert old fashioned banana pudding!

What food or condiments will we always find in your kitchen? Chicken, seafood (ingredients for a seafood boil: snow crab legs, shrimp, potatoes, sausage and corn my husband is from Florida), unsweetened tea (I know, not very southern of me) and wine.

Morton is teachingBISC 502a: Molecular Genetics and Biochemistrythis fall.

Cris Negron| Assistant Professor of Mathematics

In my work, I focus on the intersections between abstract algebra and mathematical physics.

What do you like to do in your spare time?Skateboard.

Where is your favorite place to travel?Oaxaca, Mexico.

Favorite book youve read lately?Noopimingby Leanne Betasamosake Simpson

Negron is teaching the graduate courseMATH 510a: Algebrathis fall.

Kate White| Assistant Professor (Research) ofChemistry

Academic focus:My labs goal is to help bridge the gap between structural biology how biological molecules are built, function and interact and physiology by pioneering new experimental and computational tools for multi-scale structural biology, from the atomic scale up to the level of cells. Our lab is investigating insulin chemistry and multiscale organization of pancreatic beta cells and applying new approaches to modeling entire cells.

If you could invite one person to dinner, living or dead, who would you select? What would be on the menu?Elon Musk. I wouldnt care what we ate, just interested in the discussion.

Where is your favorite place to travel?Yosemite.

What inspires you? The unknown.

Learn about other faculty joining USC Dornsife this fall here >>

Read the original here:
New faculty bring expertise in abstract algebra, insulin chemistry and more to USC > News > USC Dornsife - USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts...

NUTLEY, N.J., Aug. 24, 2021 /PRNewswire/ --Hackensack Meridian Healthis proud to announce that David S. Perlin, Ph.D., chief scientific officer and senior vice president of the Hackensack Meridian Center for Discovery and Innovation (CDI), has been recognized by Modern Healthcare as one of this year's Top 25 Innovators.

The complete ranking is featured in the August 16 issue of MH magazine, and profiles of the honorees are available at ModernHealthcare.com/awards/top-25-innovators-2021.

The nomination of Perlin focused on the CDI's achievements during the COVID-19 era, which included testing, tracking, and therapeutic breakthroughs to benefit patients across Hackensack Meridian Health, New Jersey's largest and most comprehensive health network.

"Dr. David Perlin and the CDI have been a crucial resource for our health network during the pandemic," said Robert C. Garrett, FACHE, CEO, Hackensack Meridian Health. "Dr. Perlin's clear-eyed vision, and his experience with previous infectious disease outbreaks, has saved lives. This latest award is just further validation of his leadership."

"This award is a great honor," said Dr. Perlin. "The CDI aims to improve lives through real-time application of science, and I believe this distinction shows that our whole team here is making that difference, by responding to unmet needs."

The award nomination focused on the CDI's COVID-19 response, which played a critical role by impacting clinical care through development of novel diagnostics, improved antiviral therapy, and support of numerous clinical trial regimens.

The achievements include:

CDI scientists are also studying the biology of the virus, host factors that impact disease progression, and discovery and development of novel drug candidates.

"Dr. Perlin and his colleagues at the CDI have brought a new dimension of science to our research programs at Hackensack Meridian Health," said Ihor Sawczuk, M.D., FACS, the chief research officer and president of the Northern Region of Hackensack Meridian Health. "The future for our patients is bright."

Dr. Perlin joined the Center for Discovery and Innovation in January 2019. In May 2020, he received a $33.3 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to develop new antibiotics to overcome deadly bacteria in hospitals that have become resistant to current treatments.

One of Perlin's chief areas of expertise is drug resistant fungal pathogens, which includes Candida auris, a deadly fungal infection that is currently one of the most high-profile emerging threats in health care. Dr. Perlin and his colleagues developed one of the first comprehensive rapid diagnostic test for this pathogen and helped elucidate the principal mechanisms of drug resistance. His group has worked closely with the CDC on this epidemic in New York and New Jersey, and other global health departments.

Over a period of about 30 years, Dr. Perlin has been at the forefront of scientific research into combatting high-threat bacterial, viral and fungal pathogens. He helped develop a number of novel therapeutics and diagnostics, some of which are now commercial products. He also developed a wide range of domestic and global programs addressing both hospital- and community-associated drug resistance. His team of researchers has developed molecular diagnostic products for the CDC and local hospitals for multidrug resistant outbreak pathogens including drug-resistance determinants. He has worked with numerous device manufacturers and pharmaceutical companies, as well as with the FDA and EMA. He also serves as an advisory board member to numerous pharmaceutical, biotech and diagnostic companies for development of novel therapeutics and diagnostics targeting drug-resistant pathogens.

Prior to joining the Center for Discovery and Innovation, Dr. Perlin spent nearly 20 years as executive director of the Rutgers New Jersey Medical School's Public Health Research Institute (PHRI), an 80-year-old specialized center for global infectious diseases. He was also director of the Rutgers Regional Biocontainment Laboratory (RBL), one of 13 NIH-designated national centers for high-threat pathogen research, and was also a professor of microbiology, biochemistry and molecular genetics at the school. At PHRI, he oversaw programs to address multidrug resistant bacterial and fungal pathogens, both locally and abroad. He has published more than 300 papers and book chapters and co-authored two books.Dr. Perlin's awards include being named a Fellow of the New York Academy of Sciences and a Fellow of the American Academy of Microbiology.

This year's Top 25 Innovators for Modern Healthcare championed solutions to reshape the industry in big and small ways, pushing boundaries to help solve healthcare's greatest challenges.

"There's never been a more urgent time for the industry to experiment with innovations that can reshape how care is delivered. The members of this year's class of Top 25 Innovators have introduced ideas that engage consumers in new ways, lower healthcare costs and take unique approaches to managing population health. The honorees were selected for their work in one of four areas: consumerism, cost reduction, population health and quality/safety. They were selected from nearly 200 nominations. We congratulate this class of honorees and look forward to following their careers," said Aurora Aguilar, editor of Modern Healthcare.

ABOUT HACKENSACK MERIDIAN HEALTHHackensack MeridianHealthis a leading not-for-profit health care organization that is the largest, most comprehensive and truly integrated health care network in New Jersey, offering a complete range of medical services, innovative research and life-enhancing care.

Hackensack MeridianHealthcomprises 17 hospitals from Bergen to Ocean counties, which includes three academic medical centers Hackensack University Medical Center in Hackensack, Jersey Shore University Medical Center in Neptune, JFK Medical Center in Edison; two children's hospitals - Joseph M. Sanzari Children's Hospital in Hackensack, K. Hovnanian Children's Hospital in Neptune; nine community hospitals Bayshore Medical Center in Holmdel, Mountainside Medical Center in Montclair, Ocean Medical Center in Brick, Palisades Medical Center in North Bergen, Pascack Valley Medical Center in Westwood, Raritan Bay Medical Center in Old Bridge, Raritan Bay Medical Center in Perth Amboy, Riverview Medical Center in Red Bank, and Southern Ocean Medical Center in Manahawkin; a behavioral health hospital Carrier Clinic in Belle Mead; and two rehabilitation hospitals - JFK Johnson Rehabilitation Institute in Edison and Johnson Rehabilitation Institute in Brick.

Additionally, the network has more than 500 patient care locations throughout the state which include ambulatory care centers, surgery centers, home health services, long-term care and assisted living communities, ambulance services, lifesaving air medical transportation, fitness and wellness center, rehabilitation centers, urgent care centers and physician practice locations. Hackensack MeridianHealthhas more than 36,000 team members, and 7,000 physicians and is a distinguished leader in health care philanthropy, committed to the health and well-being of the communities it serves.

The network's notable distinctions include havingmore top-ranked hospitals than anyone in New Jersey, as recognized byU.S. News & World Report. Hackensack University Medical Center is the only hospital in New Jersey with the #1 adult and children's hospital rankings.

John Theurer Cancer Center at Hackensack University Medical Center is New Jersey's best cancer center, as recognized by U.S. News & World Report. This premier cancer center is also the largest and most comprehensive center dedicated to the diagnosis, treatment, management, research, screenings, and preventive care as well as survivorship of patients with all types of cancers. John Theurer Cancer Center is part of Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, an NCI designated comprehensive cancer center.

Additionally, the network partnered with Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center to ensure that patients have access to the highest quality, most individualized cancer care when and where they need it.

The Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine, the first private medical school in New Jersey in more than 50 years, welcomed its first class of students in 2018 to its campus in Nutley and Clifton. The Hackensack Meridian Center for Discovery and Innovation (CDI), housed in a fully renovated state-of-the-art facility, seeks to translate current innovations in science to improve clinical outcomes for patients with cancer, infectious diseases and other life-threatening and disabling conditions.

Hackensack MeridianHealthis a member of AllSpire Health Partners, an interstate consortium of leading health systems, to focus on the sharing of best practices in clinical care and achieving efficiencies. To learn more, visitwww.hackensackmeridianhealth.org.

About the Center for Discovery and InnovationThe Center for Discovery and Innovation, a newly established member of Hackensack MeridianHealth, seeks to translate current innovations in science to improve clinical outcomes for patients with cancer, infectious diseases and other life-threatening and disabling conditions. The CDI, housed in a fully renovated state-of-the-art facility, offers world-class researchers a support infrastructure and culture of discovery that promotes science innovation and rapid translation to the clinic.

For additional information, please visitwww.hmh-cdi.org.

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SOURCE Hackensack Meridian Health

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CDI Director Perlin Named to Modern Healthcare's Class of Top 25 Innovators - Markets Insider