Category Archives: Transhuman News

With each passing day, technology continues to advance. With technological advances comes advances in healthcare. In the past few years alone, there have been major breakthroughs in treating and detecting diseases in ways that weve never been able to before. Machine-learning, smart devices, and artificial intelligence (AI) are rising in the biomedical field ranks, and its implementation in healthcare has only just begun. Below is a list of a few of the biggest health industry news of 2022 (so far!):

Among the various types of cancer, pancreatic cancer has the lowest five-year survival rate. Its projected to become the second leading cause of cancerous death in the US by 2030. As with all types of cancer, early detection can be key in successfully treating the disease. Computed tomography (CT) is the method most commonly used in detecting pancreatic cancers, but it is not without its drawbacks. CT scans have only modest sensitivity in detecting small tumors; they miss approximately 40% of tumors smaller than 2 cm. CT scanning is also interpreter-dependent, which may be limited by availability and expertise of radiologists.

A nationwide, population-based study, published in the September issue of Radiology, sought to develop a tool to combat the acknowledged inefficiencies in CT scanning. Researchers in Taiwan developed a computer-aided detection (CAD) tool which included a segmentation convolutional neural network (CNN) to identify the pancreas on CT scans. Researchers also created an ensemble classifier, comprising five classification CNNs that predict whether pancreatic cancer is present. Researchers tested this tool on 669 patients with pancreatic cancer and a control group of 804 patients without pancreatic cancer. The deep learningbased tool demonstrated 90% sensitivity and 93% specificity in real-world subjects. Furthermore, tests showed satisfactory sensitivity for tumors smaller than 2 cm at around 75%. The CAD tool may serve as a supplement for radiologists to enhance the detection of pancreatic cancer, said co-senior author, Wei-Chi Liao, MD, PhD, from National Taiwan University and National Taiwan University Hospital.

Sources: https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/963876 ; https://pubs.rsna.org/doi/10.1148/radiol.220152

Messenger RNA (mRNA) is a single-stranded RNA molecule that complements DNA. The mechanisms of mRNA within the cell are complex and vitally important, but put simply, mRNA is genetic material that tells your body how to make proteins. The growth of mRNA technology has been monitored and reported on due to its prominent role in the creation of COVID-19 vaccines. mRNA is emerging as a promising alternative to previously implemented vaccination methods as it offers several advantages. mRNA vaccines have proven to be safe for immunocompromised patients, are relatively cheap and easy to produce, and have demonstrated upwards of 95% efficacy.

As is the way with almost all technological advances, development of mRNA technology has captured the attention of leading biotech companies around the world. mRNA technology seems to be ushering in a new era of vaccinology and the future of medical advancements is exciting. Because of its success in combating COVID-19, there is a lot of clinical research being done to develop mRNA therapies to treat other viruses, such as HIV, Lyme disease, Ebola, Zika virus, and many more. Moreover, researchers are studying mRNAs effect in the production of proteins and how they may be able to combat diseases in which proteins are missing (e.g., cystic fibrosis, diabetes, sickle cell anemia) which would radically alter costly treatments that are associated with care.

Sources: https://www.atlantichealthpartners.com/immunization-insights-1/the-rise-of-mrna-vaccines-a-new-era-of-vaccinology ; https://www.yalemedicine.org/news/covid-19-vaccine-comparison

Adoptive cell therapy is a method of treatment for many types of cancers. It is a type of immunotherapy in which an individuals immune system is trained to destroy their tumor. Adoptive cell therapy involves genetically engineering T cells, which are lymphocytes that act in the immune response. The problem, however, is that its challenging to even identify T cell receptors that can recognize cancer-specific alterations.

Researchers at the National Institutes of Health tackled this challenge, identifying unique expression profiles in 55 genes that help identify rare anti-tumor lymphocytes that can infiltrate and destroy metastatic epithelial tumors. Researchers designed sensitive assays that identify tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) which recognize the products of mutations that can cause cancer. By identifying these TILs, researchers can develop personalized and effective cancer immunotherapies for patients who dont respond to standard treatments.

Steven Rosenberg, MD, PhD, chief of the Surgery Branch at the Center for Cancer Research and National Cancer Institute, spearheaded a study published in the February issue of Science. Researchers looked at every potential mutation in a tumor that could be a target. Over the course of several years, Dr. Rosenbergs study team developed this new assay that identifies the gene expression profiles of a few rare lymphocytes that recognize mutated cell surface proteins of cancerous cells. This development in cell-based immunotherapy encourages tumor shrinkage in patients with stomach, esophageal, ovarian, and breast cancers, among other types of metastatic cancers.

Sources: https://www.cancer.gov/news-events/press-releases/2022/gene-expression-profile-personalized-immunotherapy ; https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.abl5447

In a study published in the February issue of Nature Medicine, researchers at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Lausanne, hypothesized that an arrangement of specialized epidural electrical stimulation targeting a cluster of dorsal roots involved in leg and trunk movements would result in superior effectiveness after severe spinal cord injury (SCI). To test their hypothesis, researchers developed software supporting the rapid configuration of activity-specific stimulation programs. The stimulation programs reproduced the natural activation of motor neurons that make activities such as standing, walking, cycling, and swimming possible.

Included in the study were three paralyzed patients, men who had no sensation or control over their legs after suffering SCIs in motorcycle accidents. In the ongoing clinical trial, the men were able to take supported steps after one day. After a few months, they were able to walk on their own with a walker. Researchers reported that neurorehabilitation supported sufficient improvement to restore these activities in community settings. While this nerve-stimulating device doesnt cure SCIs, it nevertheless provides patients and medical professionals hope and excitement for further developments in this kind of assistive technology.

Sources: https://www.science.org/content/article/next-generation-spinal-implants-help-people-severe-paralysis-walk-cycle-and-swim ; https://www.nature.com/articles/s41591-021-01663-5

Type 2 diabetes, the most common type, is a chronic and progressive condition in which the body cannot make or utilize insulin normally. This leads to high levels of glucose in the blood (hyperglycemia) and can damage the vessels that supply blood to vital organs, which in turn increases the risk of heart disease, stroke, kidney disease, vision problems, and nerve problems. While there are many types of medications to treat type 2 diabetes, many people still have difficulties maintaining normal blood sugar levels. In May, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved tirzepatide (brand name Mounjaro) injections to improve blood sugar control in adults with type 2 diabetes, in addition to a healthy diet and regular exercise. According to the FDA, tirzepatide was proven to be more effective in improving blood sugar levels than other diabetic therapies when compared in clinical trials.

In five separate clinical trials, three different doses of tirzepatide (5mg, 10mg, and 15mg) were evaluated as either a stand-alone therapy or as an add-on to other diabetic medicines. The outcome measurement in the studies was the measure of blood control, otherwise known as hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) levels. Used as a stand-alone therapy, patients that were randomized to 15mg of tirzepatide had an average lowering of their HbA1c level 1.6% more than placebos. When compared to other commercially used diabetes medications, tirzepatide resulted in a lowering of HbA1c up to 1.0%. Additionally, as many individuals with type 2 diabetes are obese, tirzepatide resulted in more weight lost in patients when compared with placebo and other diabetes medications.

Source: https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/fda-approves-novel-dual-targeted-treatment-type-2-diabetes

Sepsis is a life-threatening medical emergency that results from the bodys extreme chain reaction to an infection already in the body, most often originating in the lungs, urinary tract, skin, or gastrointestinal tract. If not treated quickly, sepsis can swiftly lead to tissue damage, organ failure, and even death. Sepsis is easy to miss because symptoms, such as fever and confusion, are common in other conditions. According to the CDC, 1 in 3 people who die in a hospital had sepsis sometime during that hospitalization. Traditional methods of testing for sepsis can include blood cultures looking for bacterial infections or testing for viral infections.

A team of researchers at Johns Hopkins University have developed a new AI system to detect sepsis nearly six hours earlier in patients when compared with traditional methods. Their findings suggest patients are 20% less likely to die thanks in part to this early detection. Published in the July issue of Nature Medicine, the studys early detection tool boasted a high sensitivity rate; among the 9,805 retrospectively identified sepsis cases, over 80% of were identified. The adaptive technology has even been tailored to identify patients at risk for pressure injuries (i.e., bed sores), bleeding, acute respiratory failure, and cardiac arrest. Its adaptive and takes into consideration the diversity of the patient population, the unique ways in which doctors and nurses deliver care across different sites, and the unique characteristics of each health system, allowing it to be significantly more accurate and to gain provider trust and adoption, Suchi Saria, research director of the Malone Center for Engineering in Healthcare at Johns Hopkins University and lead author of the study, said.

Sources: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41591-022-01895-z ; https://hub.jhu.edu/2022/07/21/artificial-intelligence-sepsis-detection/ ; https://www.cdc.gov/sepsis/what-is-sepsis.html#:~:text=Sepsis%20is%20the%20body%27s%20extreme,%2C%20skin%2C%20or%20gastrointestinal%20tract.

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Here Are the Biggest Health Industry News Items of 2022 So Far - DocWire News

Belgian investigators have improved the flavor of contemporary beer by identifying and engineering a gene that is responsible for much of the flavor of beer and some other alcoholic drinks. The research appears in Applied and Environmental Microbiology, a journal of the American Society for Microbiology.

For centuries, beer was brewed in open, horizontal vats. But in the 1970s, the industry switched to using large, closed vessels, which are much easier to fill, empty, and clean, enabling brewing of larger volumes and reducing costs. However, these modern methods produced inferior quality beer, due to insufficient flavor production.

During fermentation, yeast converts 50 percent of the sugar in the mash to ethanol, and the other 50 percent to carbon dioxide. The problem: the carbon dioxide pressurizes these closed vessels, dampening flavor.

Johan Thevelein, Ph.D., an emeritus professor of Molecular Cell Biology at Katholieke Universiteit, and his team had pioneered technology for identifying genes responsible for commercially important traits in yeast. They applied this technology to identify the gene(s) responsible for flavor in beer, by screening large numbers of yeast strains to evaluate which did the best job of preserving flavor under pressure. They focused on a gene for a banana-like flavor because it is one of the most important flavors present in beer, as well as in other alcoholic drinks, said Thevelein, who is also founder of NovelYeast, which collaborates with other companies in industrial biotechnology.

To our surprise, we identified a single mutation in the MDS3 gene, which codes for a regulator apparently involved in production of isoamyl acetate, the source of the banana-like flavor that was responsible for most of the pressure tolerance in this specific yeast strain, said Thevelein.

Thevelein and coworkers then used CRISPR/Cas9, a revolutionary gene editing technology, to engineer this mutation in other brewing strains, which similarly improved their tolerance of carbon dioxide pressure, enabling full flavor. That demonstrated the scientific relevance of our findings, and their commercial potential, said Thevelein.

The mutation is the first insight into understanding the mechanism by which high carbon dioxide pressure may compromise beer flavor production, said Thevelein, who noted that the MDS3 protein is likely a component of an important regulatory pathway that may play a role in carbon dioxide inhibition of banana flavor production, adding, how it does that is not clear.

The technology has also been successful in identifying genetic elements important for rose flavor production by yeast in alcoholic drinks, as well as other commercially important traits, such as glycerol production and thermotolerance.

Reference:Souffriau B, Holt S, Hagman A, et al. Polygenic Analysis of Tolerance to Carbon Dioxide Inhibition of Isoamyl Acetate Banana Flavor Production in Yeast Reveals MDS3 as Major Causative Gene. App Enviro Micro. 2022;88(18):e00814-22. doi:10.1128/aem.00814-22

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Microbiologists Improve the Flavor of Beer - Technology Networks

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BUFFALO, N.Y., Oct. 06, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) 22nd Century Group, Inc. (Nasdaq: XXII),a leading agricultural biotechnology company dedicated to improving health with reduced nicotine tobacco, hemp/cannabis, and hops advanced plant technologies,announced today that James A. Mish, Chief Executive Officer, will present and host investor meetings at the 7th Annual Dawson James Small Cap Growth Conference being held Wednesday, October 12, 2022, at the Wyndham Grand Hotel in Jupiter, Florida.

The Company will host a group presentation at 10:30 am Eastern Time on October 12. A live and archived webcast of the presentation will be available for viewing under the Events Link at 22nd Century Groups Investor Relations website.

Institutional investors participating in the conference can request a meeting with management through their Dawson James representative or by contacting 22nd Century Groups investor relations team via investorrelations@xxiicentury.com.

About 22nd Century Group, Inc.22nd Century Group, Inc. (Nasdaq:XXII) is a leading agricultural biotechnology company focused on tobacco harm reduction, reduced nicotine tobacco and improving health and wellness through plant science. With dozens of patents allowing it to control nicotine biosynthesis in the tobacco plant, the Company has developed proprietary reduced nicotine content (RNC) tobacco plants and cigarettes, which have become the cornerstone of theFDAs Comprehensive Planto address the widespread death and disease caused by smoking. The Company received the first and only FDA MRTP authorization of a combustible cigarette in December 2021. In tobacco, hemp/cannabis, and hop plants, 22nd Century uses modern plant breeding technologies, including genetic engineering, gene-editing, and molecular breeding to deliver solutions for the life science and consumer products industries by creating new, proprietary plants with optimized alkaloid and flavonoid profiles as well as improved yields and valuable agronomic traits.

Learn more atxxiicentury.com, onTwitter, onLinkedIn, and onYouTube.

Learn more about VLNattryvln.com.

Investor Relations & Media Contact:Mei Kuo22nd Century Group, Inc.Director, Communications & Investor Relationsmkuo@xxiicentury.com

Darrow Associates Investor RelationsMatt KrepsT: 214-597-8200mkreps@darrowir.com

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22nd Century Group (Nasdaq: XXII) to Participate in the Dawson James Small Cap Growth Conference on October 12 - Financial Post

Century Therapeutics, Inc.

PHILADELPHIA, Oct. 03, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Century Therapeutics (NASDAQ: IPSC), an innovative biotechnology company developing induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived cell therapies in immuno-oncology, today announced the appointment of Daphne Quimi and Timothy Walbert to the Companys Board of Directors. Ms. Quimi is currently Chief Financial Officer of Amicus Therapeutics and brings experience in public accounting and financial reporting to Century. Mr. Walbert is currently Chairman, President, and Chief Executive Officer of Horizon Therapeutics, and brings expertise in product portfolio building and commercialization. In conjunction with these new appointments, Century also announced that Eli Casdin, Chief Investment Officer of Casdin Capital, has resigned from the Board of Directors, effective as of October 1, 2022.

I am thrilled to welcome both Daphne and Tim to our Board. They will each play critical roles as we accelerate our next-generation cell therapy platform, said Lalo Flores, Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer, Century Therapeutics. Daphnes strong financial background and experience at both biotechnology and large pharmaceutical companies will be a tremendous asset as we enter the next transformative years for Century. Tims background, which includes numerous product launches, will be instrumental to our continued evolution, particularly as we progress our pipeline candidates with the ultimate goal of delivering innovative cancer therapies. Additionally, on behalf of the management, Board and all of our employees, we would like to thank Eli for his contributions to Centurys rapid growth and his leadership in our early formative years, where he was a key strategic thought partner.

Before serving as Amicuss Chief Financial officer, Ms. Quimi was Amicuss Senior Vice President, Finance and Corporate Controller. Ms. Quimi is currently a member of the Board of Directors at Amylyx Pharmaceuticals. Prior to Amicus, Ms. Quimi served as Director of Consolidations and External Reporting at Bristol-Myers Squibb. She also held roles of increasing responsibility in the finance department at Johnson & Johnson. Earlier in her career she worked for KPMG. Ms. Quimi received a B.S. in Accountancy from Monmouth University and an M.B.A from the Stern School of Business of New York University.

In addition to his current role of President and Chief Executive Officer of Horizon Therapeutics, Mr. Walbert has served as Chairman of Horizons Board of Directors since 2010. Before joining Horizon, Mr. Walbert served as President, Chief Executive Officer and Director of IDM Pharma Inc., and also held prior senior roles at NeoPharm Inc., Abbott (AbbVie), G.D. Searle & Company, Merck & Co. Inc. and Wyeth. Mr. Walbert received a B.A. in Business from Muhlenberg College.

About Century Therapeutics

Century Therapeutics (NASDAQ: IPSC) is harnessing the power of adult stem cells to develop curative cell therapy products for cancer that we believe will allow us to overcome the limitations of first-generation cell therapies. Our genetically engineered, iPSC-derived iNK and iT cell product candidates are designed to specifically target hematologic and solid tumor cancers. We are leveraging our expertise in cellular reprogramming, genetic engineering, and manufacturing to develop therapies with the potential to overcome many of the challenges inherent to cell therapy and provide a significant advantage over existing cell therapy technologies. We believe our commitment to developing off-the-shelf cell therapies will expand patient access and provide an unparalleled opportunity to advance the course of cancer care. For more information on Century Therapeutics please visit http://www.centurytx.com.

Century Therapeutics Forward-Looking Statement

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of, and made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of, The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by terms such as may, might, will, should, expect, plan, aim, seek, anticipate, could, intend, target, project, contemplate, believe, estimate, predict, forecast, potential or continue or the negative of these terms or other similar expressions. These statements are not guarantees of future performance These risks and uncertainties are described more fully in the Risk Factors section of our most recent filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission and available at http://www.sec.gov. You should not rely on these forward-looking statements as predictions of future events. The events and circumstances reflected in our forward-looking statements may not be achieved or occur, and actual results could differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. Except as required by applicable law, we do not plan to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements contained herein, whether as a result of any new information, future events, changed circumstances or otherwise.

For More Information:

Company: Elizabeth Krutoholow investor.relations@centurytx.com

Investors: Melissa Forst/Maghan Meyers century@argotpartners.com

Media: Joshua R. Mansbach century@argotpartners.com

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Century Therapeutics Announces Appointment of Daphne Quimi and Timothy Walbert to its Board of Directors - Yahoo Finance

The 2022 study, published in Gastroenterology, evaluated whether fermentable fiber increased the risk of liver cancer in mice with a specific congenital defect. 90% of the mice showed no signs of cancer when fed a standard diet. But the mice who ate diets enriched with the fermentable fiber inulin became more likely to develop liver injury and liver cancer. The mice also had elevated bile acid (BA) levels, a marker that predicts liver cancer.

Inulin is a soluble fiber that occurs naturally in plant foods like raw onion, garlic, wheat, barley, and chicory root(per Medical News Today). When eaten in its natural form, inulin is considered safe for most people. But inulin is also artificially manufactured, either as chicory inulin or as high-performance (HP) inulin, which is made by removing some molecules from natural inulin. Food manufacturers add inulin to processed foods like protein bars, drinks, yogurt, and baked goods to replace sugar and fat and to improve texture.

WebMD considers inulin a beneficial prebiotic fiber that helps good bacteria grow in the gut, helping to maintain a healthy gut biome. But the 2022 study, along with another 2018 study by researchers at the University of Toledo, shows inulin increases the risk for liver cancer in some mice (via Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News). Human studies are needed to determine if inulin has similar effects on people, but for now, it may be safer to limit your consumption of processed foods.

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Study Finds Not All Fiber Is The Same And Some Can Be Hazardous To Your Health - Health Digest