Category Archives: Nano medicine

Cancer is one of the most chronic ailments that affect peoples lives as a whole. By employing NP (nanoparticles) technology, the drug-delivery system aims at bringing possible changes to a progressive life in the upcoming years.

FREMONT, CA:Administering maximum tolerated doses of anticancer agents results in severe cytotoxic effects on cancer patients. This might lead to the discontinuation of treatments, increasing the risks of life threats. Injecting anticancer agents via intravenous delivery cannot be considered a good alternative as the efficacy of the drugs is comparatively low, along with the need for hospitalising patients, frequent administration, and high cost. By maintaining effective intracellular connections, the therapeutic window of anticancer agents can be widened with the administration of lower doses of drugs. That is, nano polymers, with high drug-loading proportions, capacitate smaller doses with the same efficacy and minimised side effects. Similarly, smart-NP formulations increase tumour accumulation and its specificity via coordinated strategies and confer a therapeutic option for reducing systemic side effects.

The recent success in cancer nano-medicine can be recapitulated by Tran et al. A case study of nanomedicines clinical success highlighted the trials of irinotecan liposomal (Onivyde) employing stimuli-responsive properties. Doxorubicin liposomal (Doxil), a passive targeting FDA-approved liposomal NP encapsulating doxorubicin, is deployed for treating ovary cancer. The half-life of liposomal doxorubicin equals cent times that of free doxorubicin, along with NP formulation, reducing cardiotoxicity, and significant dose-limiting toxicity associated with free doxorubicin. It decreases the need for hospitalisation, enabling the continuation of life-saving treatment.

A sustainable and extended-release drug delivery facilitated by smart NPs has significant advantages from both clinical and psychological standpoints. Further, studies have begun to circle out the importance of localising treatments and prolonged drug release through which therapeutic benefits with minimal side effects, especially due to drug interactions and reduced drug-level fluctuations, can be attained. Hence, research on modifying NPs to exhibit extended-release and targeting properties should be intensified for crystal solutions.

Advances in NP design in recent times have extended to the development of drug-delivery systems to overcome several physiological and clinical barriers associated with the traditional administration of chemotherapeutic agents. By reducing cytotoxicity to enhance the therapeutic index via multifunctional strategies, tumour treatments can be localised along with the employment of the drug-delivery system. Though older formulations, such as the EPR effect, were primarily concerned, employing a three-level targeting using advances such as FA-DABA-SMA stirs a chemical-free process of drug encapsulation and non-invasive drug delivery and release, as well as cytotoxicity against pancreatic cells. Thus, future innovations should be aimed at examining the encapsulation of conventional chemotherapeutic drugs into the FA-DABA-SMA polymer, expanding its application toward other cancers that overexpress FA, and improving its extended-release profile. As IPEs represent a promising NP formulation for extended-drug release, modifying them to include active targeting properties successfully combines the concepts of smart delivery with extended-release to achieve more significant therapeutic responses, minimal side effects, and improved patient adherence. Thus, the domain is coming up with innovative methods for clinical implementation of personalised medicines as NP-delivery systems and requires a deep understanding of patients tumour pathophysiology for an effective treatment.

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Nanoparticles' Role in Eliminating Cancer Cells - MedTech Outlook

Tunisian President Kais Said, Tunisian Prime Minister Najla Buden and National Defence Minister Imed Memmiche have agreed with the private technology group Telnet that Tunisia's major national project is to send a woman into space.

After winning the 25 July referendum that endorsed the new constitutional text, which gives him enhanced presidential powers, Kais Said and his government team aim to keep the country's social forces as united as possible. In collaboration with Telnet, they are committed to raising the hopes of the country's more than 11 million inhabitants and taking a military woman to the International Space Station (ISS) in 2024, a year and a half after the successful launch of Challenge One, the first Tunisian satellite, into orbit.

To realise the public-private project, the air force under the command of Air Chief of Staff General Mohamed El Hajjam has shortlisted eight experienced female officers, aircraft and helicopter pilots and aeronautical engineers, who have already passed the preliminary tests.

Presented to the public on 13 August at the headquarters of the Tunisian engineering group, the little that is known about the eight nominees are their faces, their names - Hala Awassa, Ibtihal Youssef, Wafa El-Baldi, El-Yomna Dalali, Olfa Lajnef, Rahma Trabelsi, Hind Safferi and Malika Mabrouk - and that they are captains and commanders trained at the Bordj El-Amri Aviation Academy, 23 kilometres from the capital. Telnet's CEO Mohamed Frikha anticipated that the goal is "to fly the selected one to the ISS in March 2024".

The day chosen for the presentation of the eight astronaut nominees is no coincidence. Women's Day is celebrated in Tunisia every 13 August - and not on 8 March, which is International Women's Day - because on that date in 1956, the Personal Status Code was adopted, granting women in the country legal equality with men in the field of private life.

They will be trained at the Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Centre

Tunisia lacks the means to transport astronauts to the ISS and return them to Earth. To do so requires the cooperation of the United States or Russia, the only countries with manned transport means to access the orbital complex. The Carthage government has therefore turned for a second time to the Kremlin and its space agency, Roscosmos, for support.

The cost of the aid is not prohibitive, but it is not granted to just anyone. However, as chance would have it, on 31 July Vladimir Putin signed Russia's new national naval doctrine, which calls for a 'sufficient and permanent naval presence in the Mediterranean'. Therefore, it cannot be ruled out that time and good relations between the two countries will work in Moscow's favour. However, Tunisia is reluctant to cede logistical bases to any foreign military force.

For the time being, the immediate plans of the Ministry of National Defence and Telnet are for the eight candidates to undergo second medical tests in the country and an intensive Russian language course. The results will pave the way for six of them to travel to the Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Centre (TsPK) in Moscow at the end of the year or early 2023, where they will undergo a thorough final selection process.

Over several weeks, they will undergo numerous interviews, clinical analyses, medical, physical, psychological and intellectual tests. Before pronouncing their final verdict, the Russian instructors will also assess their ability to work as part of a team, their strength to cope with extreme situations, as well as their spatial vision and mechanical comprehension skills.

Once the selection stage has been completed, two of them will be admitted to the cosmonaut course, which will last for about one academic year. Although both will receive exactly the same theoretical and practical training, the more suitable of the two will be the titular candidate and the other will be her alternate, in case she has to be replaced in the event of a last-minute incident.

The agreement with Russia dates back to the summer of 2021

In mid-August 2021, Tunisia's ambassador to Russia, Tarak Ben Salem, the then director general of the Russian Space Agency, Dimitri Rogozin, and Mohamed Frikha from Telnet signed an agreement in Moscow to train in Russia the astronaut candidates proposed by the Tunisian authorities. President Kais Said himself was present via video conference.

The Tunisian administration has ruled out the possibility of the military astronaut travelling to the ISS as a tourist. She is expected to "stay on board the ISS for 10 days and carry out scientific experiments in the fields of physics and medicine," said Mohamed Frikha.

The North African nation does not have a space agency, unlike neighbouring Algeria. This is why the orbital research project "is in the study phase and will be unveiled in March", according to the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, which is headed by physicist Moncef Boukthir.

It should be recalled that the North African country's first space milestone was reached on 22 March 2021, when the Challenge One nano-satellite built by a team of 20 Tunisian engineers from Telnet was launched into orbit at an altitude of 550km by a Russian Soyuz rocket from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. Taking the Tunisian cosmonaut to the ISS will be the second major achievement of public-private cooperation.

By the way, are there any space links between Spain and Tunisia? None that I know of. And this despite the fact that Spain is the fourth largest client of the North African country, after France, Italy and Germany. Moreover, the arrival to power in October 2019 of the politician and jurist Kais Said has increased the nation's interest in space affairs, as is evident. Given that Spain is in the process of creating its space agency, this is an opportunity for the two nations to consider closer ties at the institutional and industrial levels.

Continue reading here:
The first female astronaut from a North African nation will be a Tunisian military aviator - Atalayar

For the GeNose C19 sensor array, the sensitivity of each sensor during exposure to varying VOC concentrations depends on the used active material. Moreover, the sensor behaviors might be slightly altered when they were tested to the breath samples from different patients, although they were from the same group (either positive or negative COVID-19). This occurrence could be understood because the content and complexity of the exhaled VOCs are diverse, as discovered in another breath analysis study using GCIMS24. Several VOC biomarkers could be identified as the discriminants for distinguishing between positive and negative COVID-19 patients (e.g., ethanal, acetone, acetone/2-butanone cluster, 2-butanone, methanol monomer and dimer, octanal, feature 144, isoprene, heptanal, propanol, and propanal)24. Nonetheless, the compounds observed from two different hospitals (i.e., Edinburgh, the United Kingdom (UK), and Dortmund, Germany) in their study were dissimilar for the same case of COVID-19 patients, which then added more complexity in analyzing the obtained breath data. These limitations were due to uncertainties in the instrument setup, operating conditions, and background contamination levels.

Thus far, a detailed study in those matters has not been performed. Meanwhile, another clinical GCIMS study conducted by researchers in Beijing, China, suggested several other potential breath-borne VOC biomarkers for COVID-19 (i.e., acetone (C3H6O), ethyl butanoate, butyraldehyde, and isopropanol)72. They found that the decrease and increase in acetone (C3H6O) and ethyl butanoate levels, respectively, due to the changes in metabolites resulting from SARS-CoV-2 infections, are distinctive for COVID-19 patients72,73. Moreover, the average measured isopropanol and butyraldehyde for the COVID-19 patients were lower than those for the healthy control and lung cancer and non-COVID-19 respiratory infection patients. The metabolomics of exhaled breaths in critically ill COVID-19 patients were also investigated from a research consortium in France using a proton transfer reaction quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometer74. They observed four prominent VOCs (i.e., methylpent-2-enal, 2,4-octadiene, 1-chloroheptane, and nonanal) that could discriminate between COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 acute respiratory distress syndrome patients74. Overall, the reported MS studies in several different countries (i.e., UK, Germany, France, and China) indicate that the distinctive VOC biomarkers for COVID-19 may vary across the world and should be further investigated based on the community, race, and cases with large cohorts75.

In contrast to the MS method that attempts to quantitatively find and identify the exact VOC biomarkers from exhaled breaths, our technique used in GeNose C19 focuses more on the AI-based pattern analysis of integrated sensor responses to complex VOCs, qualitatively resulting from the combined extra-pulmonary metabolic and gastrointestinal manifestations of COVID-1976. Thus, the breath data analysis and decision-making procedure can be performed in a simple way and short time, respectively, with a high detection accuracy. To enable this, besides having a high sensitivity, chemoresistive sensors should ideally be designed to possess a high selectivity to a specific analyte in a gas mixture and zero cross-sensitivity to other compounds in the operating background. Such sensors were normally constructed in hybrid organic/inorganic structures with 3D nano-architectures (e.g., nanofibers, nanowires, and nanofins), enhancing the active surface-area-to-volume ratios77,78. Here, the surfaces of semiconductor nanostructures were often functionalized with certain self-assembled monolayers or polymers to specifically detect the target gas molecules32,34,79. Nevertheless, these organic materials suffer from low robustness. They are all well-known to degrade within a short duration of use (i.e., their chemical compositions will alter downgrading the sensor performance). As a result, pure inorganic materials (metal oxide semiconductors) are still preferably manufactured by sensor companies and widely used in gas sensing applications, including in the GeNose 19 system. Here, a single sensor alone is not sufficient for performing a specific breath pattern recognition because exhaled VOCs might have similar characteristics. This selectivity drawback could be alleviated by employing an array of 10 sensors with different sensitivities and integrating the machine learning-based breath pattern recognition algorithms.

Furthermore, to demonstrate the proof of concept ability of GeNose C19 for detecting VOCs in human breaths, we performed additional sensing assessments for acetone vapors in a modified test setup (see Supplementary Fig. 2). However, COVID-19 itself cannot be detected by simply sensing or measuring the acetone alone. This testing was mainly dedicated to demonstrate that the GeNose C19 sensor array can detect one of the VOCs normally contained in human breaths and exhibits different sensitivity levels when exposed to various gas concentration levels, which also mimics the real case of exhaled breaths from different persons or patients. The gas sensing configuration for the acetone testing, which utilizes a microsyringe for vapor injection, has already been used in our former experiments for other VOC sensor types (e.g., nanofiber-functionalized QCMs for sensing trimethylamine and butanol gases)35,80,81. Acetone was chosen as a VOC model in this additional study because it is not only produced in the rebreathed breath (0.8 to 2.0 ppm)82, along with other VOCs (alcohol) and CO, but is also one of the significant breath-borne COVID-19 biomarkers based on the study by Chen et al.72. Moreover, in clinical practices, breath-containing acetone has been extensively examined to diagnose other diseases (i.e., lung cancer, diabetes mellitus, starvation, and ketogenic diet)83.

As shown in Supplementary Fig. 2b, c, the S3 and S7 sensors (or their extracted features of F3 and F7) demonstrated the poorest responses toward acetone vapors. Conversely, the S2, S8, and S9 sensors exhibited higher sensitivities than the others. The sensor output signals given by the GeNose C19 data acquisition system agree well with those measured by a calibrated digital voltmeter. Increasing the acetone vapor concentrations from 0.04 to 0.1L with 0.02 intervals resulted in higher responses of the three sensors (S2, S8, and S9), whereas the S3 and S7 sensors were irresponsive (see Supplementary Fig. 2d). In particular, each vapor concentration was measured 10 times to acquire quantitative results. Lastly, as depicted in Supplementary Fig. 2e, LDA discriminated the output voltages produced by the sensors during their exposures to four different acetone concentrations (i.e., 0.040.1L).

In terms of ambient conditions, temperature and humidity might influence the performances of metal oxide semiconductor sensors84. Thus, to investigate their effect, we also performed cross-sensitivity assessments in respect to the two parameters for all the employed GeNose C19 sensors (see Supplementary Figs. 3 and 4). This testing is important because depending on the sensitivities of the sensors toward temperature and humidity, the obtained sensor results during the breath analysis can be disturbed, leading to a difficult interpretation of the data. Moreover, if the sensors are too reactive to the two ambient parameters, the measured data can then be unreliable to analyze the effect of VOCs in the human breath because changes in the signals were mainly affected by the temperature and humidity, not the target gases. Such a cross-sensitivity is a common reliability test for gas sensors. For GeNose C19, the environmental effect can be minimalized and controlled by performing two main procedures. First, environmental checking needs to be conducted while placing GeNose C19 in the measurement room/area. Here, the selection of the machine placement (analysis on air circulation, humidity, and temperature) plays a key role in maintaining good-quality results. GeNose C19 could sense the environmental humidity and temperature levels by utilizing humidity and temperature sensors integrated inside the system. The measurement was displayed in the program interface. Hence, the user or operator could notice the condition. In a real situation during breath sampling, the machine could only be operated if the humidity and temperature inside the chamber were in the ranges of 3050% and 2642C, as defined by the AI-based program in the system. Such a setting is adjustable to meet future demand and placement environments. Second, after checking the environmental condition, the baseline normalization protocol during the sample analysis can be done (see Methods on the GeNose preconditioning). During the AI interpretation of the VOC patterns, several protocols were employed, including signal baseline normalization. By performing baseline normalization, all the sensors that behaved and started from different baselines in different environments can always be calibrated to the standard normalization. Hence, the adaptability of the machine can be improved in new foreign environments.

In the case of acetone testing, the sensors yielded similar responses from three repeated measurements, indicating their reliable sensing results. The sensor resistance decreased (i.e., a higher output voltage was obtained) when the temperature was ramped up from 40C to 46C, and the humidity was kept stable at (30%1%) RH (see Supplementary Fig. 3). Different from silicon micromechanical resonant sensors that have frequency shift interferences caused by the temperature-induced Youngs modulus change (material softening)37,85, the resistance decrease in the employed metal oxide semiconductor sensors (e.g., n-type SnO2 with a bandgap of 3.6eV) at high temperatures was caused by the increasing number of electrons that have sufficient energy crossing to the conduction band and thus contributing to the conductivity86. Because this is a natural characteristic of semiconductor materials, we could overcome this effect in GeNose C19 by controlling the temperature inside the test chamber at relatively stable values (i.e., (42C2C)) during the sensing phase of the exhaled breath.

Similar to the trend shown in the cross-temperature test, the sensor resistance also dropped to a lower value, resulting in a higher output voltage when the relative humidity was raised from 30% to 35% and the temperature was set constant at (40C1C) (see Supplementary Fig. 4). The electrical characteristics of metal oxide semiconductors changed due to the water adsorption on their surface while being exposed to humid air. Two different mechanisms of chemisorption and physisorption processes took place to create the first layer (i.e., chemisorbed layer) and its subsequent films of water molecules (i.e., physisorbed water layers), respectively87. If the first chemisorbed layer has been formed, then the successive layers of water molecules will be physically adsorbed on the first hydroxyl layer. Because of the high electrostatic fields in the chemisorbed layer, the dissociation of physisorbed water can easily occur, producing hydronium ion (H3O+) groups. Here, the conduction mechanism relies on the coverage of adsorbed water on the metal oxide semiconductor. First, in the event only hydroxyl ions exist on the metal oxide surface, the charge carriers of protons (H+) resulting from hydroxyl dissociation will hop between adjacent hydroxyl groups. Second, after the water molecules have been adsorbed but not fully covered the oxide surfaces, the charge transfer will be dominated by H3O+ diffusion on hydroxyl groups, despite the occurring proton transfer between adjacent water molecules in clusters. Finally, once the continuous film of the first physisorbed water has been formed (i.e., full coverage of metal oxide by the physisorbed water layer), proton hopping between neighboring water molecules in the continuous film will be responsible for the charge transport88. More detailed explanations of the sensing mechanism and adsorption of water molecules on metal oxide semiconductor surfaces are described elsewhere84,87,88. Again, in the conducted cross-sensitivity measurements (Supplementary Fig. 4), the signal changes of the GeNose C19 sensors affected by humidity are relatively lower (i.e., <100mV) compared to those exposed to exhaled breaths (i.e., ~1V, as shown in Fig. 3a, b). Thus, temperature and humidity will insignificantly influence the system performance during breath measurements, when GeNose C19 has been well preconditioned.

To confirm the performance of our GeNose C19, RT-qPCR was used as the reference standard on the basis of the health service standard protocol underlined by the Indonesian Ministry of Health. Based on the analysis of the RT-qPCR protocol using Bayes theorem, RT-PCR tests cannot be solely relied upon as the gold standard for SARS-CoV-2 diagnosis at scale. Instead, a clinical assessment supported by a range of expert diagnostic tests should be used. Here, although our study mentioned that RT-qPCR was used as the reference standard, clinical data from each patient were also collected and analyzed.

According to a recently published systematic review study, the need for repeated testing in patients with suspicion of SARS-Cov-2 infection was reinforced because up to 54% of COVID-19 patients might have an initial false-negative RT-qPCR89. Meanwhile, in the case of false-positive rates of RT-qPCR, much lower values (i.e., 016.7% with an interquartile range of 0.84.0%)90,91 were exhibited in several studies, which were affected by the quality assurance testing in laboratories. Public Health England also reported that RT-qPCR assays showed a specificity of over 95%, so up to 5% of cases were false positives91. Moreover, the overall false-positive rate of high throughput, automated, sample-to-answer nucleic acid amplification testing on different commercial assays was only 0.04% (3/7,242, 95% CI, 0.01% to 0.12%)92. False-positive SARS-CoV-2 RT-qPCR results could originate from different sources (e.g., contamination during sampling, extraction, PCR amplification, production of lab reagents, cross-reaction with other viruses, sample mix-ups, software problems, data entry errors, and result miscommunication)93. In our case, all the bought and used reagents were checked and calibrated daily to avoid false positives (i.e., no false positive of RT-qPCR result was found in this study). Meanwhile, the false-negative of the RT-qPCR result was found in three patients in their first examination, but positive results were revealed on the second examination the next day. Again, the detailed test procedure can be found in the Methods.

Currently, diagnostic methods used to screen COVID-19 are antigen test, rapid molecular test, and chest CT scan. Antigen tests have an average sensitivity of 56.2% (95% CI: 29.579.8%) and average specificity of 99.5% (95% CI: 98.199.9%)94. The average sensitivity and specificity for the rapid molecular tests are 95.2% (95% CI: 86.798.3%) and 98.9% (95% CI: 97.399.5%), respectively94. Meanwhile, chest CT scan possesses an average sensitivity and specificity of 87.9% (95% CI: 84.690.6%) and 80.0% (95% CI: 74.984.3%), respectively95. Nonetheless, these diagnostic methods have their drawbacks. The average sensitivity of antigen tests is not high, as shown by the study above, and it declines when the viral load decreases, which often happens to COVID-19 patients. Moreover, the sample collection is invasive (by a nasopharyngeal or oropharyngeal swab). Rapid molecular testing also employs an invasive sample collection method (by a nasopharyngeal or oropharyngeal swab), and the turnaround time of point-of-care rapid molecular tests still takes at least 20 min96. Moreover, chest CT scan exposes patients to radiation and is not specific.

Compared to these diagnostic methods, GeNose C19 has the potential to be a screening test. A breath test with the portable GeNose C19 is noninvasive and easy to use because it only requires patients to breathe into a sampling bag with minimal preparation, has a fast analysis time, and does not have radiation concerns. Similar to other biological samplings in several laboratory examinations (e.g., blood glucose sampling and chemical blood analysis), GeNose C19 also requires preparation of subjects before breath sampling, such as fasting (i.e., refraining from eating, smoking, or drinking anything other than water at minimum 1h before sampling). However, the duration of the analysis starting from the breath sampling to the test result decision only takes ~3min. The sensitivity and specificity results of GeNose C19 from the profiling tests show that combining GeNose C19 with an optimum machine learning algorithm can accurately distinguish between positive and negative COVID-19 patients. Hence, it opens an opportunity for using this developed breathalyzer as a rapid, noninvasive COVID-19 screening device based on exhaled breath-print identification.

Several factors may influence breath-prints, i.e., pathological and disease-related conditions (smoking, comorbidities, and medication), physiological factors (age, sex, food, and beverages), and sampling-related issues (bias with VOCs in the environment)97. A previous study revealed that older age altered breath-prints in patients with lung cancer98. There were concerns that several other respiratory diseases may present similar VOC patterns to those from the COVID-19. Several studies reported that several comorbid and confounding factors (e.g., chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, asthma, tuberculosis, and lung cancer) might affect the composition of VOCs99,100. Thus, patients with other respiratory diseases can have different patterns of VOCs that result in different sensor signals, suggesting that the electronic nose may still determine the COVID-19 infection to a certain degree by continuing to train its AI database in reading VOCs from confirmed positive COVID-19 patients. Our studies showed no significant difference in the detected sensor signal patterns of patients with comorbidities compared to those without comorbidities. Nonetheless, due to the few comorbid cases obtained in our subjects, which could be considered the limitation in our current study, the influence of existing comorbidities on the VOC pattern cannot be concluded and will be further evaluated in the next research.

Food and beverages (e.g., poultry meat and plant oil) can influence breath-prints, whereas smoking may increase the levels of benzene, 2-butanone, and pentane and simultaneously decrease the level of butyl acetate in exhaled breaths101,102,103. In our study, none of the patients was smoker. The comorbidities were also comparable between the case and control groups. There was no significant difference in the consumption of food and beverages between the two groups. The measurements were conducted in the same environment for all the participants. Thus, there was no bias with other interfering VOCs.

However, the possible presence of physiological variations resulting from physiological and biochemical changes in the body due to alterations in the respiratory rhythm affected by the manipulated breathing technique should also be considered61. Therefore, in our work, breath sampling was performed in such a defined protocol to collect only the third exhaled end-tidal breath. Accordingly, the natural breathing pattern and rhythm can be preserved, resulting in minimal changes in VOCs. We avoided excessive effort or repeated sampling in each breath collection as previous studies reported that it might alter the quality of collected VOCs104. The disturbance from other factors to breath test results is minimal. However, such confounding factors are most likely present in the real implementation and can affect at least breath-prints to a certain degree. Further study is now being conducted to reveal the effects of various confounders.

Our study using GeNose C19 did not evaluate the distinctive concentration of each VOC found in breath samples of patients with positive or negative COVID-19. However, to investigate the types of VOCs produced in exhaled breaths of the positive and negative COVID-19 patients, we conducted another characterization based on GCMS for several exhaled breaths of patients (see Supplementary Table 3). In the extracted results, there was no significant difference in the composition of VOCs between patients with positive and negative COVID-19, suggesting that the difference in the breath-print pattern may be contributed by the variation in the concentration or proportion of several VOCs rather than the presence of one or two signature VOCs. For example, acetone was reported to be one of the VOCs with the highest concentration emitted by healthy humans104. However, in COVID-19-positive patients, acetone was reported to be in a lower proportion, compared to the healthcare worker or healthy control group72. Meanwhile, another VOC (i.e., ethyl butanoate) has been reported as one of the signature VOCs in COVID-19 patients, whose concentration is slightly higher compared to the healthy control72.

Anosmia (i.e., the olfactory system cannot accurately detect or correctly identify odors) is one of the most frequently identified COVID-19 symptoms45,105. CO has been linked with this issue because it is an olfactory transduction byproduct related to the reduction of cyclic nucleotide-gated channel activity that causes a loss of olfactory receptor neurons45,106. In our GCMS results (Supplementary Table 3), six sensors in GeNose C19 (i.e., S1, S3, S4, S5, S6, and S8) could detect CO. Aside from CO, the GCIMS studies in Dortmund, Germany, and Edinburgh, UK indicated that aldehydes (ethanol and octanal), ketones (acetone and butanone), and methanol are biomarkers for COVID-19 discrimination24. This result is however different from the finding from another research group in Garches, France, using the proton transfer reaction quadrupole time-of-flight MS, where four types of VOCs (i.e., 2,4-octadiene, methylpent-2-enal, 1-chloroheptane, and nonanal) could discriminate between COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 acute respiratory distress syndrome74. Studies conducted in two cities in the USA (Detroit, Michigan and Janesville, Wisconsin) by Liangou et al. reported another set of eight compounds (i.e., nitrogen oxide, acetaldehyde, butene, methanethiol, heptanal, ethanol, methanol-water cluster, and propionic acid) as key biomarkers for the COVID-19 identification in human breath. Moreover, in Leicester, UK, seven exhaled breath features (i.e., benzaldehyde, 1-propanol, 3,6-methylundecane, camphene, beta-cubebene, iodobenzene, and an unidentified compound) measured by the desorption coupled GCMS were employed to separate RT-qPCR-positive COVID-19 patients from healthy ones107. In our measurement, camphene was detected only in the negative COVID-19 breath sample by S10.

Furthermore, Chen et al. reported two sequential GCMS studies in Beijing, China, that resulted in totally different breath-borne biomarkers for COVID-19 screening, despite using the same measurement approach72,108. Their first measurement reported in 2020 indicated that COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 patients could be differentiated by solely monitoring three types of VOCs (i.e., ethyl butanoate, butyraldehyde, and isopropanol)72. Nonetheless, in their second report in 2021, acetone was detected as the biomarker among many VOC species because its levels were substantially lower for COVID-19-positive patients than those of other conditions73. In our GeNose C19 sensor array, acetone can be detected in S8109. Recently, ammonia has also been proposed as another biomarker for COVID-19, whose relation to complications stemming from the liver and kidneys was affected by the SARS-CoV-2 infection110.

In all the already described examples of MS studies worldwide, the identification and determination of specific COVID-19 biomarkers in breath clearly remain challenging. Here, different discriminant compounds can be yielded depending on several parameters (e.g., measurement technique, filtering approach, location, and breath sample type). Nonetheless, we can still extract some information from our GCMS results (Supplementary Table 3). A hydrocarbon of ethylene was sensed by S10 in the positive COVID-19 breath sample. Meanwhile, for the negative COVID-19 breath samples, other hydrocarbons (i.e., butyl aldoxime, decane, and benzene) were detected by S10. Furthermore, S2 and S9 could measure a few specific esters (i.e., benzoic acid, 3-hydroxymandelic acid, and acetic acid) in the negative COVID-19 samples. Generally, the appearances of the three sensors (S2, S9, and S10) were dominant as compared to those of the others. For instance, S2 and S9 were highly sensitive toward aldehydes and esters, whereas S10 was likely to be reactive toward hydrocarbons.

Regardless of the successful compound extraction and its association with GeNose C19 sensor array, our GCMS characterization was only performed in a low number of samples. Therefore, a further investigation with a larger number of breath samples still requires to be carried out in the near future to correlate the measurement results of GeNose C19 and GCMS methods in a more thorough way, especially in Indonesia. This method also includes more investigations on the possible influence from other respiratory-related viruses (e.g., influenza, respiratory syncytial virus, and rhinovirus). The presence of viruses other than SARS-CoV2 will affect the VOC profile in breaths to a certain degree. However, in our current setup, it will be mostly recognized by the AI algorithm in GeNose C19 as non-reactive, which means that it contains VOC-based breath-prints not typical to a SARS-CoV2 infection. Influenza and rhinovirus infections manifest a high amount of heptane, nitric oxide, and isoprene111. Consistently, our preliminary study on breath samples from a few patients confirmed to have rhinovirus based on RT-qPCR and showed a high response on S8, suggesting a high amount of isoprene or isopropanol. However, further comparison analysis with more numbers of validated breath samples data will be definitely necessary to obtain a solid conclusion on this matter.

In terms of the enhanced sensing technology, once the VOC biomarkers can be clearly determined, a molecular imprinting method could be applied to generate highly selective sensors that target these specific VOC markers. Hence, the sensitivity and specificity of GeNose C19 and its overall accuracy can be further improved. Another critical step for the system development is to conduct a diagnostic test with a large cohort to strongly elucidate its potential as a diagnostic tool in the near future.

Other limitations of our study are that a direct correlation between the level of the virus gained from the swab and the amount of VOC concentration could not be drawn. These conditions are partly caused by the fact that VOCs were not directly produced by the virus, but rather by host cells infected by the virus as a part of their metabolic response to the infection. GeNose C19 could only predict the presence of the virus based on the resulting VOCs in the breath produced by respiratory tract epithelial cells and immune cells that were infected by the SARS-CoV2 virus. Nevertheless, a study on the correlation between the positivity rate of breath results and level of the cycle threshold value (Ct value) gained from RT-qPCR examination has been of interest for the next research. Here, more insights into the performance of GeNose C19 will be gained in terms of sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy levels correlated with the level of Ct value of RT-qPCR. The Ct value itself is currently accepted as an alternative parameter to determine the level of the viral load in each individual on the basis of the minimum cycle threshold necessary to duplicate the viral component to be read. Nonetheless, GeNose C19 combined with RT-qPCR using the Ct value has a limitation for estimating the exact number of the viral load. It was also a question of whether a person with a positive PCR test result for SARS-CoV-2 is automatically infectious or infectious only if the Ct value is below a certain limit (e.g., Ct value of <35)112,113. In another study, knowing the typical viral load of SARS-CoV-2 in bodily fluids and host tissues, the total number and mass of SARS-CoV-2 virions in an infected person could be estimated114. Each infected person carries the total number and mass of SARS-CoV-2 virions of 1091011 virions and 1100g, respectively, during the peak infection114.

Again, this study was meant to demonstrate a proof of concept that breath sampling and detection can be used to predict COVID-19 infection. Essentially, the calculated performance values in our study show the reliability of the DNN algorithm in predicting the training and testing data of breath samples, suggesting the great potential of the GeNose technology, fortified by the DNN algorithm to be used as a COVID-19 screening tool. Here, we performed the study using a so-called open-label design, where we already knew the COVID-19 status of the subjects before conducting sampling and classifying the sampled data into case and control groups. Using this method, we read, found, and compared the breath sample pattern profiles in each respected group and employed them as training data to build our first AI database, in which all data were validated by the test results of RT-qPCR supported with clinical data. A combined measurement of GeNose C19 with GCMS will be conducted in the near future to answer questions related to distinctive VOCs for COVID-19.

Lastly, another critical step for the system development is to confirm the usability and performance in the clinical setting, where a study on the clinical diagnosis of COVID-19 with a larger number of exhaled breath samples is currently performed to prove the potential of GeNose C19 as a rapid COVID-19 screening tool using a cross-sectional design and double-blind randomized sampling. Here, breath samples and nasopharyngeal swab specimens are taken in the situation where the operator or sampler does not know the true condition of patients. A double-blind fashion means that neither the sampler nor subjects know their true condition during the sampling process. The breath samples were analyzed by GeNose C19 without knowing the result of RT-qPCR, and swab samples were examined by RT-qPCR without prior knowledge of the GeNose C19 result. Both results were then compared to each other to draw a conclusion. In this approach, RT-qPCR will still be used as the reference standard.

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Fast and noninvasive electronic nose for sniffing out COVID-19 based on exhaled breath-print recognition | npj Digital Medicine - Nature.com

Now and again, it can be beneficial to mix up your workout environment. Whether swapping your garage gym workouts for driveway sweat sessions, hitting the trails over hitting the treadmill or just adding a few outdoor medicine ball tosses, getting fit outside can make for interesting yet motivating training.

To keep the pace and make the most of these wilder workouts, you need gear that's up for the trek. Outdoor training, depending on how adventurous you get, can mean aggressive surfaces, potential obstacles or debris, and worst of all, no comfortable air conditioning.

Reebok, the performance brand who knows a thing or two about indoor training, has seemingly answered these outdoor calls with the latest Nano iteration the Nano X2 Adventure. With added durability and protection from the elements, these vibrant, functional kicks can offer plenty of support to meet the needs of varying terrains and training demands.

"As the Nano franchise evolves, we continue to focus on versatility and style while keeping performance benefits at Nano's core," says Reebok Design Group Senior Product Manager Tal Short. "Whether you're taking on a driveway workout, or on a weekend hike, the Nano X2 Adventure is built to support athletes wherever their workouts take them."

Debuting in 2021 with the Nano X1 Adventure, this latest Nano X2 model continues the outdoor-inspired lineup with key upgrades built to withstand the rigors of outdoor training. A nylon ripstop upper boosts protection and durability against the elements while still retaining breathable comfort. A redesigned, more rugged outsole provides plenty of grip and traction to maximize every adventurous step as well. Lastly, screen prints and reflective style notes serve as a nod to the outdoors, taking inspiration from the natural wonders you'd see when out in the wild.

Of course, not all the elements are new and improved. After all, the Nano X2 already provides plenty of performance-ready qualities, like the Floatride Energy Foam midsole, which brings its energetic, responsive feel to this latest outdoor silhouette. A more defined heel clip is also carried over for optimal support and stability during heavy lifts and weighted exercises.

Unfortunately, your bold exploration of newfound training terrains will have to wait for a few weeks, at least, as the Nano X2 Adventure will be available on August 24 for $140 just $5 more than the typical Nano X2 cost. If you can't wait to embark on outdoor training, there is hope, however. Reebok UNLOCKED members will be granted early access to this adventurous new trainer beginning Thursday, August 18.

We're anxious to pursue this inspired outdoor training trend. Stay tuned for more coverage as we map out just how adventurous these new Nanos prove to be.

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Reebok's Nano X2 Adventure Helps You Take Your Workouts Anywhere - Gear Patrol

Jason McLellan was confident he was on his way to creating the first vaccine for human metapneumovirus, a respiratory disease that is common among children and the elderly, and could be dangerous to those with weakened immune systems. One small problem: He had some data, but likely not enough to grab the attention of federal funders like the National Institutes of Health.

This phenomenon is a Catch 22 researchers are all too familiar with -- Its difficult to get funding without data, but working unfunded makes it difficult to collect data.

Enter the Welch Foundation. In 2019, McLellan, while at the University of Texas, received $80,000 per year for three years from the Houston charity to fund his research. That funding went to research by McClellan and his colleagues that proved a vaccine technology used in the rapid development of COVID-19 vaccines.

For close to 70 years, the Welch Foundation has taken chances on scientists like McLellan, funding research at its earliest stages based on one major criterion: its a good idea. Since its founding in 1954, the foundation has provided some $1.1 billion in seed money for basic research that has led to breakthroughs in medicine, vaccines, and materials.

On HoustonChronicle.com: Houston could be a biotech hub, but its missing a key ingredient

But whether the research ever results in a commercial product has no bearing on the projects that the Welch Foundation funds, said Adam Kuspa, the charitys president. The only goal is to allow scientists in chemistry and related fields to pursue their own interests, with no expectations of where it might lead.

Its funding to allow basic science researchers in chemistry and related fields to follow their curiosity, Kuspa said, with no thought that there has to be a product in the end.

McLellans case, however, shows the many directions in which basic research can lead. In addition to its contribution to COVID vaccines, the research yielded a metapneumovirus vaccine that has been licensed by a pharmaceutical company and will enter clinical trials later this year. Human metapneumovirus affects more than 11 million people a year, according to a 2018 study.

Ultimately, taking on earlier stage research often means as many failures as successes, Kuspa said. But even failures advance knowledge perhaps more so than success and the successes, as McLellans vaccine work shows, can change the world for the good.

His story is an object lesson in why you fund basic research, Kuspa said.

The Welch Foundation was created when federal funding for research was a novel idea. One of the first major pushes by the federal government to fund the sciences came in 1940s, with efforts such as MITs Radiation Laboratory or Rad Lab, which was a private-public partnership that resulted in the creation of various radar systems used in World War II. It ultimately inspired the creation of the National Science Foundation, a government agency that supports fundamental research and education in science and engineering, in 1950. This showed the possibilities of funding research.

The foundation was created by the estate of Robert Welch in the 1950s. Welch came to Houston from South Carolina when he was 14 years old with almost no money in his pocket. He was quickly able to find a job at a local drugstore in Houston and then eventually worked as a bookkeeper and salesman, for the Bute Company, a paint firm.

It was the late 1800s, not long before the Spindletop gusher launched the first Texas oil boom. He would listen to businessmen come into the shop and talk about the oil and gas industry, and soon began buying and selling land and mineral rights for oil and gas development, earning his fortune.

He wanted to use his wealth to do good, and first considered a foundation to fund cancer research. But already coming out were the first chemotherapies, which he thought might cure cancer in a decade or two. Its unclear why Welch left his fortune to advance chemical research, but before he died in 1952, he created a trust of $25 million now valued at about $1 billion to support the foundation, which was formed in 1954.

The foundation usually has 300 grants going at a time, and provides researchers up to $100,000 a year for three years. This funding allows chemists to hire researchers, maintain their labs, buy chemical supplies, travel and cover any other expenses, Kuspa said.

In 2001, the Welch Foundation funded James Tour, a chemistry professor at Rice University, who was experimenting with nanotechnology, which manipulates materials at the molecular level to make functioning machines. He was developing nano cars, devices with four wheels an axles, but so tiny that 50,000 of them could be parked across the diameter of a human hair.

It was purely intellectual curiosity, Tour said. We didnt know what they would end up being good for.

But that curiosity ended up paying off. Throughout the 2000s Tour continued his research. He adapted the technology he created to build his nano cars to create nano machines that drill into cancerous cells and super bacteria bacteria becoming resistant to antibiotics. Welch Foundation funded research for the technology in 2019.

The nano machines proved successful in animal trials. Tour is now applying to the FDA to begin clinical trials.

On HoustonChronicle.com: MD Anderson launches joint venture with biopharma manufacturer, creating a potential launching pad for Houstons biotech ambitions

Often times, the foundation is among the first to back research projects. Livia Schiavinato Eberlin, an associate professor at Baylor College of Medicine, is developing a handheld device called the MasSpec Pen to tell surgeons whether issue has cancerous cells while they operate.

Doctors can easily tell where cancerous cells are concentrated, but, closer to the margins of tissue, it's difficult to determine where to stop cutting, Eberlin said. They dont want to risk leaving cancerous cells in the patient, but they also want to preserve as much normal tissue as possible.

Welch funded the research for the chemistry that makes the device work. The pen uses solvents to chemically extract molecule samples from living tissue. Once she had research understanding how the device could work, she was able to get funding to create prototype from the National Institutes of Health and then The Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas, a state agency that funds cancer research. Additional funders came on recently.

The device is in pilot studies, which precede FDA clinical trials. It has been tested by more than 20 surgeons at MD Anderson Cancer Center and Baylor College of Medicine, and Eberlin estimates it could win FDA approval within 5 years.

Having a continuous source of stable funding makes a huge difference, Eberlin said, especially for early career investigators like me.

Basic research is a matter of economic and international security, said Yousif Shamoo, former vice provost for Research at Rice University.

Historically, the United States has led the world in investing in research and development, but other countries are challenging that lead. U.S. investment in research and development, as a percentage of the economic output, has remained stagnant for nearly half a century, while China has increased research funding at about 2 percent a year, relative to its economy, according to a 2020 report from Rice Universitys Baker Institute and the American Academy of Arts & Sciences.

China is on track to surpass the United States in total research and development spending by 2030, according to a 2020 report from the National Science Board.

Investing in basic research is how the great nations become great, Shamoo said. They have this ability to see into the future by investing in things that 20 or 30 years from now produce big wins and really disruptive technologies that change everybody's lives.

Early funding also can help disruptive technologies come to fruition faster. Eberlins MasSpec Pen was just an idea in 2016, but is now undergoing multiple trials supersonic speed for academia, she said. Without early funding from the Welch foundation, she doesnt think her device would be so far along.

Without would have been a lot more difficult time consuming, stressful, Eberlin said, and we probably would have wouldn't have accomplished what we did in just a few years.

becca.carballo@chron.com

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How Houston's nonprofit funds early research that leads to breakthroughs like the COVID vaccine - Houston Chronicle

MIAMI, July 25, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Ponce Therapeutics, Inc., a company leveraging the growing scientific knowledge surrounding the aging process to develop anti-aging technologies, announced today that it had executed a worldwide, exclusive license to Speratum'sproprietary Nano-inand No-Pass Mimictechnologies to advance its lead product, ReBeaut, a state-of-the-art biotechnology platform to restore the youthful balance of aged or "senescent" and young, vital cells in the skin, targeting the senescent cells for elimination, providing a "reboot" of the skin's composition back to its youthful exuberance. Speratum's Nano-in is a proprietary, biocompatible polymer, LGA-PEI, that can condense with nucleic acids to form nanoparticles for drug delivery that can be used in vivo with a favorable pre-clinical toxicity profile. Nano-inwill be used to deliver Ponce's ApoptiCIDecell elimination technology into the skin via a proprietary dissolvable microneedle delivery platform. Ponce's exclusive license allows it to utilize the licensed technology to extend its gene therapy clinical portfolio to include any disorder of the skin, benign and malignant, including all dermatologic and cosmetic applications, skin-mediated gene therapy and skin-mediated delivery of small peptides, peptide-like molecules and other small molecules, and all anti-aging indications, whether delivered locally or systemically.

PONCE Therapeutics, Inc. (https://poncetherapeutics.com), a biotech company leveraging the growing scientific knowledge surrounding the process of aging to develop products to arrest or reverse the aging process, was founded by Kevin Slawin, MD, Chairman and CEO and David Spencer, PhD., Chief Technology Officer, reuniting the team that founded Bellicum Pharmaceuticals and took it public in 2014 with a $55 million crossover Series C and a $161 million IPO. The team is retooling their original cell control technology with state-of-the-art advances ("ApoptiCIDe") towards their new goal of creating anti-aging products with a solid underlying scientific basis. Ponce Therapeutics began operations in January 2021 and operates in laboratory space in K2 Biolabs (https://k2-biolabs.com) in Houston, TX. Dr. Slawin is a founding Board Member of K2 Bio and both Drs. Slawin and Spencer are investors. Drs. Slawin and Spencer are also joined by Damian Young, Ph.D., CSO, and Kayvon Namvar, CFO, as the founders of DELIVER Therapeutics, Inc. (https://deliverthera.com)a company that plans to applynovel, high-throughput screening technologiescombinedwith chemical innovation to DELIVER therapeutics, including novel anti-aging therapeutics, that address the most difficult problems in clinical medicine and that is also situated at K2 Bio.

Ponce's founding lead investor, Rapha Capital, is an investment management firm focused on making strategic investments in early stage, non-public biotechnology companies, through special purpose, joint venture entities which it manages. Rapha Capital was founded by its President, Kevin Slawin, M.D., a successful and experienced oncologic and robotic surgeon. In addition to founding Bellicum Pharmaceuticals, Inc.("Bellicum"), a publicly traded company listed on NASDAQ, he also plays a guiding role in several of the investments managed by Rapha Capital in certain companies, serving as Board Chairman of Imagin Medical, Inc. (https://imaginmedical.com), a publicly traded company (OTC: IMEXF), and FIZE Medical, Inc. (https://fizemedical.com), and a board member at 3DBio Therapeutics, Inc. (https://3dbiocorp.com/), and Demeetra AgBio, Inc. (http://demeetra.com). Together with Dr. Mitch Steiner, CEO of Veru, Inc., he is the Founder, CEO and Chairman of Miami MediCo.s (https://miamimedicos.com), a network of physicians, founders, executives and investors working to expand the entrepreneurial healthcare ecosystem in Miami.

"The science of aging has continued to mature and can now provide a scientific basis for technologies to reverse the aging process in humans. Proof of concept data in animal models demonstrates that removal of senescent cells from organs improves their function and imbues them with a more youthful profile," said Dr. Slawin. "I'm excited to be taking another important step towards the clinic in the anti-aging space, which I believe will quickly rival oncology in both value and interest" he added. "With this license, we are building the necessary technology platform to deliver our first product, beginning with the skin, allowing us to leverage an increasingly detailed, mechanistic understanding of aging to arrest or even reverse it," added Dr. Spencer.

"We are gratified to begin this collaboration with the team at Ponce that utilizes our novel technologies as part of their therapeutic platform," said Dr. Christian Marin-Mueller, the founder and CEO of Speratum and the inventor of Nano-inand No-Pass Mimic technologies. Dr. Thilo Bayrhoffer, Speratum Biopharma lead investor, treasurer, and member of the board added "Our patented technologies, combining synthetic biology with nanotechnology, are needed to develop modifiable and adaptable therapeutic platforms for targeted nucleic acid delivery. Following a research collaboration with Roche in 2021, this is the first commercial license for our technologies, and it reinforces our commitment to further Speratum' s therapeutic programs, including MiR198 targeting pancreatic cancer, which is expected to be in the clinic by 2024."

About Ponce Therapeutics, Inc.

Ponce Therapeutics "Anti-aging Technologies Based on Real Science and Developed by Real Scientists" Ponce Therapeutics is leveraging the growing scientific knowledge surrounding the process of aging to develop its first state-of-the-art biotechnology platform to restore the youthful balance of aged or "senescent" and young cells in the skin, targeting senescent cells for elimination. This provides a "reboot" of one's genetic program to turn the clock on one's skin back to its youthful exuberance. While initially focused on skin, Ponce is planning to develop a wide-ranging portfolio of anti-aging products based on the best science in the nascent anti-aging field. Ponce is headquartered in Miami, Florida with research facilities located in Houston, TX.

For more information about PONCE Therapeutics, email [emailprotected]or visit https://poncetherapeutics.com

About Speratum Biopharma, Inc.

Speratum Biopharma, Inc. ("Speratum") is an innovative biotechnology company focused on research and development of targeted oligonucleotide delivery systems and nucleic acid therapeutics, including No-Pass MimicmicroRNA ("miRNA) for the treatment of cancer. The company was founded in 2014 with technologies licensed from Baylor College of Medicine ("Baylor"). Since then, Speratum has combined these with best-in class, proprietary nanotechnologies to generate a ground-breaking oligonucleotide and cell therapy platform. Speratum is currently in final pre-clinical stages of development for its first therapeutic, a small RNA tumor suppressor against pancreatic, ovarian, and other cancers that includes a proprietary RNA interference ("RNAi")-inducing mimic of miR-198, a naturally occurring microRNA involved in the pathogenesis of a number of solid cancers. Speratum's Nano-inand No-Pass Mimictechnologies are also being studied in other oligonucleotide research areas and therapeutic modalities such as circular RNA ("circRNAs").

For more information about Speratum Biopharma, please visit https://speratum.comor e-mail [emailprotected]

About Rapha Capital Management, LLC and Rapha Capital BioVentures Fund I, LP Rapha Capital Management, LLC is an investment management firm located in Miami, Florida, focusing on strategic investments in early stage, non-public biotechnology companies. Rapha Capital was founded by its President, Kevin Slawin, MD, a successful and experienced oncologic and robotic surgeon, biotech consultant, investor, and founder focusing on technologies in oncology, T cells and immunotherapy, as well as other breakthrough healthcare technologies. Rapha Capital Management manages thirteen legacy SPIVs, Rapha Capital Investment I XIII. Rapha Capital Management offers alternative asset management services to the RCBV Fund, which has more recently been the vehicle for both new and follow-on investments managed by Rapha Capital Management.

For more information about Rapha Capital Management, email [emailprotected]or visit https://www.raphacap.com

SOURCE Ponce Therapeutics, Inc.

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Ponce Therapeutics Executes Worldwide Exclusive License to Speratum Biopharma's Nano-in and No-Pass Mimic Nanoparticle Technologies in Anti-Aging and...

Nanorobots Marketare also utilised in the maintenance and assembly of complex systems. Nanorobotics widespread use in the medical field is also propelling market revenue growth. In individuals with sickness or weakened immunity, nanorobots can act as antiviral or antibody agents. In addition to cancer detection and treatment, the technique is also being employed in gene therapy.

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A nano robot is a new technology for designing, programming, and controlling nanoscale robots. Nanorobots are capable of doing specified jobs with components that are on the nanometer size (10-9 meters). Nanorobots are capable of diagnosing certain types of cancer and serve a critical role in human pathogen protection and treatment.Biomedicalinstrumentation, pharmacokinetics, surgical procedures, diabetes monitoring, and other healthcare services can all benefit from nano robots. Data Bridge Market Research analyses that the nanorobots market was valued at USD 7739.19 in 2021 and is further estimated to reach USD 19576.43 million by 2029, and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 12.23% during the forecast period of 2022 to 2029.

Some of the major players operating in the nanorobots market are

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NanorobotsMarket Dynamics

Drivers

In the healthcare industry, advances in molecular robot technology are increasingly being used to execute complex tasks and eliminate human error.

Recent research in DNA nanotechnology supports the use of nanorobots inregenerative medicineon a big scale which is further anticipated to contribute to the market growth.

Nanotechnology will be used in the medical field to aid in the detection and treatment of diseases such as diabetes.

Opportunities

In addition, the growing application areas of microscopes and incorporation of microscopy with spectroscopy are further estimated to provide potential opportunities for the growth of the nanorobots market in the coming years.

GlobalNanorobotsMarket Scope and Market Size

The nanorobots market is segmented on the basis of type and application. The growth amongst these segments will help you analyze meager growth segments in the industries and provide the users with a valuable market overview and market insights to help them make strategic decisions for identifying core market applications.

Type

On the basis of type, the nanorobots market is segmented into microbivore nano robots, respirocyte Nano robots, clottocyte Nano robots, cellular repair Nanorobots and others. The others segment is further sub segmented into Nano swimmers and bacteria powered robots.

Application

On the basis application, the nanorobots market is segmented into nano medicine, biomedical, mechanical and other applications.

NanorobotsMarket Regional Analysis/Insights

The nanorobots market is analysed and market size insights and trends are provided by country, type and application as referenced above. The countries covered in the nanorobots market report are U.S., Canada and Mexico in North America, Germany, France, U.K., Netherlands, Switzerland, Belgium, Russia, Italy, Spain, Turkey, Rest of Europe in Europe, China, Japan, India, South Korea, Singapore, Malaysia, Australia, Thailand, Indonesia, Philippines, Rest of Asia-Pacific (APAC) in the Asia-Pacific (APAC), Saudi Arabia, U.A.E, South Africa, Egypt, Israel, Rest of Middle East and Africa (MEA) as a part of Middle East and Africa (MEA), Brazil, Argentina and Rest of South America as part of South America.

North America dominates the nanorobots market due to the rise in the adoption of nano robotics technology. Furthermore, the presence of sophisticated healthcare infrastructure will further boost the growth of the nanorobots market in the region during the forecast period. Asia-Pacific is projected to observe significant amount of growth in the nanorobots market due to the rise in the attention of the manufacturers.

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Nanorobots Market to close to USD 19576.43 million with CAGR of 12.23% during the forecast period to 2029 - Digital Journal

CAMBRIDGE, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aviceda Therapeutics, Inc. a private biotechnology company located in Cambridge MA with a proprietary nano-technology HALOS platform (High-Affinity Ligands Of Siglecs), announced today the appointment of Tarek S. Hassan, MD, FASRS as Chief Development Officer and Senior Vice-President. He joins other leaders in the fields of retina and immunologic-based science and therapeutics, Drs. Mohamed Genead, David Callanan, Michael Tolentino, Derek Kunimoto, and Christopher Scott, as part of the executive management team.

Aviceda Therapeutics is an innovative clinical stage biotechnology company focused on developing transformative glyco-therapeutic drugs that modulate dysregulated inflammation in a diverse range of diseases that affect large unserved and underserved populations. Avicedas short-term focus is the initiation of the clinical trial for its lead product, AVD-104, a Ph II ready ophthalmic lead product for geographic atrophy (GA) secondary to dry AMD (dAMD). Dr. Hassan is ideally suited to manage the development of AVD-104 and move the company forward to bring its breakthrough therapies to the clinic, address significant unmet medical needs, and ultimately transform lives.

Aviceda is honored to have one of the most renowned and successful leaders in retina and strategic drug development join the Aviceda team in this key position. We believe that we have assembled the top team in ophthalmology and beyond. With our lead product about to enter clinical trials for GA associated with dry AMD, this is an ideal time for Tarek to join our management team. Given the broad potential of our HALOS technology pipeline, todays announcement marks a major step forward in advancing Aviceda as leading company in the field of retina and beyond, said Dr. Genead, co-founder and CEO of Aviceda Therapeutics.

I am honored to join the outstanding team of thought leaders in the fields of retina, glycobiology, and immune therapy at Aviceda, said Dr. Tarek Hassan. I am excited to complete the planning and oversee the execution of the Phase 2 trial for AVD-104 for GA associated with AMD. This critical indication affects a large patient population and has no current treatment. We have an outstanding opportunity to make major contributions towards finding a treatment for patients with this serious blinding disease, particularly through our innovative approach of developing immune modulators that act on the switches that turn pathologic mechanisms on and off. We see glyco-immune modulation as a powerful next generation mechanism for the treatment of many acute and chronic diseases of degeneration and inflammation, as well as diseases resulting from immune evasion.

About Tarek Hassan

Tarek S. Hassan, MD is Professor of Ophthalmology at Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine, Director of the Vitreoretinal Fellowship Training Program and Senior Partner at Associated Retinal Consultants in Royal Oak, Michigan. He is the current President of the Retina Hall of Fame, Immediate Past President of the Retina World Congress (RWC), Past President of the American Society of Retina Specialists (ASRS), and Past President of the Foundation of the ASRS. He has been on the Executive Board of Directors of the RWC for the past 6 years. He served on the Executive Committee of the ASRS and the Foundation of the ASRS for 12 years and on the Board of Directors of the ASRS for 22 years. He is a Founder and Director of the Retina Fellows Forum (22 years), Club Vit (24 years), and Retina Hall of Fame (6 years).

Dr. Hassan has an active academic clinical practice in which he is extensively involved in a wide variety of clinical vitreoretinal research studies. He has been principal investigator or co-investigator in more than 150 randomized clinical trials, authored and co-authored more than 230 papers in peer-reviewed journals, and written 9 books and/or book chapters for medical texts. He is Senior Associate Editor of the Journal of Vitreoretinal Diseases, as well as an editorial board member and scientific reviewer for other leading journals within ophthalmology and retina. He has given over 760 national and international presentations on many retinal topics and been awarded the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) Achievement Award, the ASRS Senior Honor Award, and the AAO Senior Achievement Award. He was elected as an inaugural member of the Retina Hall of Fame in 2017. He founded, or co-founded several medical device and educational companies, and been granted numerous government-issued device patents.

Born in Houston, Texas, Dr. Hassan obtained his undergraduate, medical school, and residency training at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan and then completed a vitreoretinal diseases and surgery fellowship at Associated Retinal Consultants in Royal Oak.

About Aviceda Therapeutics Inc.

Aviceda is a private biotechnology company located in Cambridge MA with a proprietary nano-technology HALOS platform and an IND-ready ophthalmic lead product for (GA) secondary to dAMD.

Avicedas lead product, AVD-104, is an intravitreal nanoparticle using HALOS technology with a dual mechanism of action (MOA) for GA/dAMD on critical complement and inflammatory pathways.

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Aviceda Therapeutics Announces Key Opinion Leader in Ophthalmology Drug Development Tarek S. Hassan, MD to Join Management Team as Chief Development...

LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Second Sight Medical Products, Inc. (NASDAQ: EYES) (the Company or Second Sight), a leading developer of implantable visual prostheses that are intended to create an artificial form of useful vision for blind individuals, today announced that the Company received notice from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) of the release of year four funding for its Early Feasibility Clinical Trial of a Visual Cortical Prosthesis (the Orion Trial), grant 5UH3NS103442. The NIH released $1.1 million of the $6.4 million planned five-year grant. The Company uses the funds primarily to pay UCLA and Baylor College of Medicine to conduct the Orion Trial. The funding supports continuation of this important research and testing of the Orion Visual Cortical Prosthesis.

About the Orion Visual Cortical Prosthesis System

Leveraging Second Sights 20 years of experience in neuromodulation for vision, the Orion Visual Cortical Prosthesis System (Orion) is an implanted cortical stimulation device intended to provide useful artificial vision to individuals who are blind due to a wide range of causes, including glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy, optic nerve injury or disease, and eye injury. Orion is intended to convert images captured by a miniature video camera mounted on glasses into a series of small electrical pulses. The device is designed to bypass diseased or injured eye anatomy and to transmit these electrical pulses wirelessly to an array of electrodes implanted on the surface of the brains visual cortex, where it is intended to provide the perception of patterns of light. An early feasibility study of the Orion is currently underway at the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles and the Baylor College of Medicine in Houston. No peer-reviewed data is available yet for the Orion system.

About Second Sight Medical Products, Inc.

Second Sight Medical Products, Inc. (Nasdaq: EYES) develops implantable visual prostheses that are intended to deliver useful artificial vision to blind individuals. A recognized global leader in neuromodulation devices for blindness, the Company is committed to developing new technologies to treat the broadest population of sight-impaired individuals. The Companys headquarters are in Los Angeles, California. More information is available at secondsight.com. On February 4, 2022, Second Sight entered into a merger agreement with Nano Precision Medical, Inc. (NPM), and, following approval by shareholders of the Company, anticipates concluding the merger in August 2022.

Safe Harbor

This press release contains certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the US Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements can be identified by words such as: target, believe, expect, will, may, anticipate, estimate, would, positioned, future, intended and other similar expressions that predict or indicate future events or trends or that are not statements of historical matters. Examples of forward-looking statements include, among others, statements made in this press release regarding the amount of NIH grant proceeds expected to be received. Forward-looking statements are neither historical facts nor assurances of future performance. Instead, they are based only on Second Sights current beliefs, expectations and assumptions. Because forward-looking statements relate to the future, they are subject to inherent uncertainties, risks and changes in circumstances that are difficult to predict and many of which are outside of our control. Actual results and outcomes may differ materially from those indicated in the forward-looking statements. Therefore, you should not rely on any of these forward-looking statements. Important factors that could cause actual results and outcomes to differ materially from those indicated in the forward-looking statements include, among others, the following: (1) legal claims or proceedings relating to Second Sights termination of the Memorandum of Understanding with Pixium Vision and costs relating thereto; (2) changes in applicable laws or regulations; (3) the possibility that Second Sight may be adversely affected by other economic, business, and/or competitive factors; (4) the impact of COVID-19 on Second Sights business; (5) the possibility that shareholders of the Company may not approve the merger with NPM or that the merger may not be completed for any other reason; and (6) various other risks and uncertainties. Some of these risks and uncertainties may in the future be amplified by the COVID-19 outbreak, including subvariants thereof and there may be additional risks that Second Sight considers immaterial or which are unknown. A further list and description of risks and uncertainties can be found in Second Sights Annual Report on Form 10-K filed on March 29, 2022, and in the Companys Forms 10-K/A filed on May 2, 2022, S-4 filed on May 13, 2022, and 10-Q filed on May 16, 2022, and as thereafter amended. Any forward-looking statement made by us in this press release is based only on information currently available to Second Sight and speaks only as of the date on which it is made. Second Sight undertakes no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement, whether written or oral, that may be made from time to time, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise, except as required by law.

Additional Information and Where to Find It

This communication, among other things, relates to a proposed business combination of the Company and NPM. The Company filed the registration statement on Form S-4 with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the SEC), which included a document that serves as a prospectus and proxy statement of the Company. The SEC declared the registration statement effective on June 24, 2022, and the proxy statement/prospectus was first mailed to shareholders of the Company on or about June 29, 2022. The proxy statement/prospectus described above contains important information about the Company, NPM, proposed merger, and related matters. This communication is not a substitute for the proxy statement/prospectus described above. Investors and securityholders are urged to carefully read the proxy statement/prospectus and all other relevant documents filed by the Company with the SEC because they contain important information about the merger and related matters. All documents are available free of charge at the SECs website (www.sec.gov). You may also obtain these documents by contacting Companys Investor Relations department at investors@secondsight.com.

Participants of Solicitation

The Company and its respective directors and executive officers may be deemed to be participants in any solicitation of proxies in connection with the proposed merger. Information about the Companys directors and executive officers is available in the Companys Annual Report on Form 10-K, as amended, for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2021. Other information regarding the participants in the proxy solicitation and a description of their direct and indirect interests, by security holdings or otherwise, is contained in the proxy statement/prospectus and all other relevant materials filed with the SEC regarding the proposed merger when they become available. This document is available from the Company free of charge as described in the preceding paragraph.

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Second Sight Medical Products Announces Year Four NIH Funding of its Orion Study - Business Wire

20-month program to provide students with critical skill set to meet evolving business demands

NEW YORK, July 18, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- As part of a commitment to prepare the business leaders of tomorrow, Columbia Business School and Columbia University's School of Engineering and Applied Science will offer a new dual-degree program that pairs the foundational skill sets of business with those of engineering. Students in the 20-month program will receive two degrees: a Master of Business Administration and an Executive Master of Science in Engineering and Applied Science. The program will officially launch in September 2023 and interested students can beginapplying now.

Designed to meet the evolving needs of leaders in technology, product managers, entrepreneurs, and other roles associated with technology and business, the Dual MBA/Executive MS in Engineering and Applied Science curriculumwill cover core engineering, areas of "tough tech," and applied science foundations, as well as essential business courses in leadership, strategy, finance, economics, and marketing. Students will take courses with both Columbia Business School and Columbia Engineering faculty, spend a summer pursuing an entrepreneurial venture or interning at a technology company, and complete a capstone project.

"Today's business challenges are multidisciplinary, and their solutions often lean on technological innovations. Students need, on one hand, a broad exposure to and understanding of how technology and engineering breakthroughs are shaping our lives today and the world of tomorrow. And, on the other hand, they need a deep understanding of business and, importantly, how to manage and lead in this dynamic environment," said Columbia Business SchoolDean Costis Maglaras, the David and Lyn Silfen Professor of Business. "In this competitive marketplace, Columbia's new MBAxMS: Engineering & Applied Science equips students with both the management skills and the science and technology core that enables them to move seamlessly from the classroom to product development to large-scale innovation and ultimately help create and grow companies and drive change."

The MBAxMS: Engineering & Applied Science core curriculum will focus on the creative application of technology and will include a variety of new and existing courses, including Digital Disruption & Tech Transfer, Business Analytics, Human-Centered Design and Innovation, and more. Students will also choose from an extensive array of electives designed to stimulate innovation, strengthen analytical skills, and bolster critical knowledge for their specific entrepreneurial or enterprise path.

"Technology, data, and analytics are transforming every aspect of modern businesses, especially those prized by the ambitious and entrepreneurial students who come to Columbia University," said Columbia Engineering Dean Shih-Fu Chang, the Morris A. and Alma Schapiro Professor of Engineering. "We recognize how important it is to provide students with broad exposures to emerging technology breakthroughs, the comprehensive training of business leadership skills, the unique experience in applying the human-centric design approach to innovative products and solutions, and importantly the ability to apply these unique skills in confronting major challenges facing our society and business world today. We look forward to partnering with Columbia Business School to launch an unprecedented program that can give our students a major boost."

The dual degree program, which is based in New York City, provides students with unmatched access and opportunities to work with and learn from the world's leaders in business, technology, data, analytics, and more. This includes opportunities to learn from guest speakers, meet with in-house mentors, and pursue internship opportunities that extend beyond the summer months. With one of the largest tech and entrepreneurial ecosystems in the country, the NYC location provides a unique, one-of-a-kind experience for the Dual MBA/Executive MS in Engineering and Applied Science students and graduates.

To learn more about the program, please visit https://academics.gsb.columbia.edu/mbaxms.

About Columbia Business SchoolColumbia Business School is the only world-class, Ivy League business school that delivers a learning experience where academic excellence meets with real-time exposure to the pulse of global business. The thought leadership of the School's faculty and staff members, combined with the accomplishments of its distinguished alumni and position in the center of global business, means that the School's efforts have an immediate, measurable impact on the forces shaping business every day. To learn more about Columbia Business School's position at the very center of business, please visitwww.gsb.columbia.edu.

About Columbia Engineering Columbia Engineering, based in New York City, is one of the top engineering schools in the U.S. and one of the oldest in the nation. Also known as The Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science, the School expands knowledge and advances technology through the pioneering research of its more than 250 faculty, while educating undergraduate and graduate students in a collaborative environment to become leaders informed by a firm foundation in engineering. The School's faculty are at the center of the University's cross-disciplinary research, contributing to the Data Science Institute, Earth Institute, Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, Precision Medicine Initiative, and the Columbia Nano Initiative. Guided by its strategic vision, "Columbia Engineering for Humanity," the School aims to translate ideas into innovations that foster a sustainable, healthy, secure, connected, and creative humanity. To learn more about Columbia Engineering, please visit engineering.columbia.edu.

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Columbia Business School and Columbia Engineering to Offer New "Dual MBA/Executive MS in Engineering and Applied Science" Program - Yahoo...