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Newswise Scientists atSanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institutehave shown that pancreatic cancer metastasiswhen tumor cells gain the deadly ability to migrate to new parts of the bodycan be suppressed by inhibiting a protein called Slug that regulates cell movement. The study, published in theJournal of Experimental Medicine, also revealed two druggable targets that interact with Slug and hold promise as treatments that may stop the spread of pancreatic cancer.

Pancreatic cancer cells are notorious for their ability to escape from a tumor. Even when pancreatic cancer is caught early, tumor cells are already found circulating throughout the body, saysCosimo Commisso, Ph.D., an associate professor in Sanford BurnhamPrebysNCI-designated Cancer Centerand senior study author. Our study suggests that we may be able to create treatments that stop pancreatic cancer cells from untethering in the first place, which could reduce metastasis and help more people survive this deadly cancer.

Stopping the migration of hungry cancer cells

Pancreatic cancer cells, like all cancer cells, grow rapidly and quickly deplete the nutrients in their surrounding environment. To meet their energy needs, tumor cells boost metabolic pathways that normal cells dont use.Commissois working to understand how pancreatic cancer cells respond to nutrient deprivationfocusing on themost commonly depletednutrient, glutaminewith the goal of finding treatments that stop the growth of cancer cells without harming healthy cells.

In the study, the scientists used a mouse model of pancreatic cancer to show that, in response to glutamine deficiency, a protein called Slug drives metastasis by activating the epithelial-mesenchymal transition, or EMTthe process cells use to free themselves from tightly packed tissue. Inhibiting Slug reduced the cancers ability to spreaddemonstrated by a reduction in the number and size of secondary lung tumors. The scientists also established that patient samples with higher levels of Slug were linked to a poor prognosisfurther indicating that blocking the protein may be beneficial.

The field of pancreatic cancer research is still working to understand the role of EMT in metastasis. Our study shows that glutamine deficiency indeed activates EMT, through Slug, to allow pancreatic cancer cells to escape and look for nutrient-rich grounds, says Maria VictoriaRecouvreux, Ph.D., a staff scientist in theCommissolab at Sanford BurnhamPrebysand the first author of the study. In addition to revealing new therapeutic avenues that may halt pancreatic cancer metastasis, these findings might also apply to other tumors that rapidly consume glutamine, including lung and colon cancers.

Because Slug is considered undruggable due to inherent biological properties, the scientists continued to search for proteins that interact with Slug and could be targeted with a drug. Their research identified two promising targets: ERK and eIF2 alpha. ERK inhibitors are currently under evaluation in clinical trials for pancreatic and other cancers; and an eIF2 alpha inhibitor has completed animal testing.

New hope for a deadly cancer

Once pancreatic cancer metastasizes, the number of people who are alive five years later drops from 37% to only 3%. Of the57,000 Americansexpected to be diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2020, about10% are diagnosed at an early stageand may benefit from a drug that prevents metastasis. For unknown reasons, pancreatic cancer is on the rise and predicted to become the second-leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the U.S.

Now that the researchers have established the important role of Slug in driving metastatic pancreatic cancer, they plan to expand their research to determine Slugs role in pancreatic cancer overall, including impact on disease aggressiveness and survival.

To make progress in the fight against pancreatic cancer, it is critical that we have a strong scientific understanding of what is driving the tumors growth and metastasis, says LynnMatrisian, Ph.D., chief science officer at thePancreatic Cancer Action Network(PanCAN), who wasnt involved in the study. Todays findings reveal new insights into how pancreatic cancer metastasizes, providing both hope and important new directions for research that might be able to help more people survive the worlds toughest cancer.

The studys DOI is 10.1084/jem.20200388.

Research reported in this press release was supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) (R01CA207189 and P30CA030199).

Additional study authors include Matthew Moldenhauer, Koen M.O.Galenkamp, Michael Jung, Brian James,YijuanZhang and AnindyaBagchiof Sanford BurnhamPrebys; and Andrew Lowy of UC San Diego.

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About Sanford BurnhamPrebysMedical Research Institute

Sanford BurnhamPrebysis a preeminent, independent biomedical research institute dedicated to understanding human biology and disease and advancing scientific discoveries to profoundly impact human health. For more than 40 years, our research has produced breakthroughs in cancer, neuroscience, immunology and childrens diseases, and is anchored by our NCI-designated Cancer Center and advanced drug discovery capabilities. For more information, visit us atSBPdiscovery.orgor on Facebook atfacebook.com/SBPdiscoveryand on Twitter@SBPdiscovery.

Cell Biology

Add ear gene therapy company Akouos to the ever-growing list of IPOs amid Covid-19 – Endpoints News

June 8, 2020 medical

For investors looking to cash in on a burgeoning ear therapy space, the latest biotech angling for a public debut could be music to their ears.

Fresh off a $105 million raise in March, ear gene therapy company Akouos is looking for another $100 million for a chance to dance on the Nasdaq well before its lead product enters the clinic.

Hearing aids and cochlear implants do address ear damage caused by genetics, noise, aging, or drugs, but nothing quite cures or indeed targets the biological underpinnings of hearing loss this is the gap Akouos and a handful of others in the space want to bridge.

I think some of the early efforts in the hearing space have been drawn to the largest affected populations where there happens to be less clarity on the underlying biology mechanism, chief Manny Simons said in a previous interview with Endpoints News. So were focusing our attention on forms of hearing loss that we feel are well-understood, well-characterized, where we can potentially address the underlying cause.

The companys lead experimental therapy AK-OTOF is engineered to treat hearing loss due to mutations in the gene that encodes otoferlin, a protein that enables the sensory cells to activate auditory neurons that carry electronically encoded acoustic information to the brain, which allows us to hear.Akouos plans to submit an application to take the drug into human studies next year, and generate early-stage data in 2022.

Simons, who founded the company in 2016, initially flirted with the idea of becoming a musician, growing up playing the piano and the trumpet. He met his wife at a glee club at Harvard. For his bachelors degree, he had the opportunity to essentially create his own course of study: to understand how the brain processes music, on the basis of imaging studies. That path led to the ear to decipher how sound is encoded into a neural impulse that can extend deep into the brain.

After getting his first taste of entrepreneurship in the prolific lab of drug delivery researcher Bob Langer, he got his biopharma training wheels off with stints at Third Rock backed-Warp Drive Bio and Voyager Therapeutics (neither of which were ear focused). But when he learned that AAV vectors with potential applications for the ear were being developed in a laboratory at Massachusetts Eye and Ear, Simons seized the opportunity to get a hearing-focused gene therapy company off the ground.

After securing a sweet $7.5 million in seed funding in 2018, Akouos scored $50 million in a Series A round in 2018, led by 5AM and New Enterprise Associates.

Akouos, akin to some others in the gene and cell therapy space, is investing heavily in manufacturing infrastructure having taken note that the complex manufacturing process for these kinds of therapies has become something of an Achilles heel in the field when it comes to adoption if the production apparatus is not up to scratch. For instance, the uptake of CAR-T therapies Novartis Kymriah and Gileads Yescarta underwhelmed initial expectations, despite their abundant promise. The uptake of Kymriah was plagued by manufacturing problems, and despite Novartis attempt to expand its capacity, sales have disappointed commercially, giving Yescarta an edge in the market.

Akouos is building its own infrastructure to manufacture vectors for its slate of experimental therapies, which also include genetic medicines for the most common forms of hearing loss, such as age-related and noise-induced hearing loss. The company is also planning on building a plant to process gene therapy batches to support activities through Phase I/II clinical trials for product candidates beyond AK-OTOF partner Lonza will help manufacture AK-OTOF while it is shepherded through clinical development.

The company plans to list on the Nasdaq under the symbol AKUS amid a broader rush of biopharma companies that are making their way to the public markets despite the disruption of Covid-19. Indeed, investor appetites have appeared seemingly insatiable given the raft of splashy IPOs in recent weeks, including a $424 million debut for a J&J-partnered Chinese biotech Legend Biotech, marking one of the largest public raises in biotech history.

Meanwhile, there are a host of rivals in the broader ear-focused space. Also in Boston, Akouos home, is Decibel Therapeutics, working on regeneration by targeting tiny hairs that grow in the inner ear to address congenital hearing loss or age-related balance disorders. Frequency Therapeutics has a mid-stage hair cell regeneration program using progenitor cells.

Across the Atlantic, UK-based Rinri Therapeutics is working on treating hearing loss by transplanting otic neural progenitor cells into the inner ear. Amsterdam-based Audion Therapeutics has a compound in-licensed from Eli Lilly, which is designed toturn on a chemical switch to produce new sensory hair cells from other cells in the inner ear to improve hearing.

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Add ear gene therapy company Akouos to the ever-growing list of IPOs amid Covid-19 - Endpoints News

Cell Biology

Ability to ‘Create’ Astrocytes Supports Their Damaging Role in MS… – Multiple Sclerosis News Today

June 8, 2020 medical

An inflammatory environment can turn astrocytes, key supportive cells for neurons, into their killers, fostering the progression of neurodegenerative diseases like multiple sclerosis (MS), a new study shows.

This work, led by researchers at the New York Stem Cell Foundation(NYSCF), created for a first time astrocytes derived from human induced pluripotent stem cells (hIPSCs). The group then placed these cells in an inflammatory environment, and observed what happened.

Now that we can create this critical brain cell type from any individuals stem cells and capture its errant behaviors, we can better understand its role in diseases like multiple sclerosis, Parkinsons, and Alzheimers, Susan L. Solomon, the CEO of theNYSCF, said in a press release.

This will shed new light on the devastating process of neurodegeneration, pointing us towards effective treatments for this growing group of patients, Solomon added.

The study CD49f Is a Novel Marker of Functional and Reactive Human iPSC-Derived Astrocytes was published in the journal Neuron.

Astrocytes compose more than half of the cells of the central nervous system (brain and spinal cord), and work as support cells. They help to maintain brain homeostasis (stable equilibrium), provide neurons with metabolic support, enhance the connectivity of neural circuits, and control the brains blood flow.

Yet, these cells are also thought to be key players in the onset and progression of neurodegenerative diseases such as MS.

Knowledge on astrocyte biology has mostly come from animal models, namely rodents, since scientists struggle to obtain astrocytes from people.

NYSCF researchers developed a method to generate functional astrocytes that are derived from human IPSCs. (IPSCs themselves arederived from either skin or blood cells that have been reprogrammed back into a stem cell-like state, which allows for the development of an unlimited source of almost any type of human cell.)

They based their work on a previous protocol, which they developed to produce oligodendrocytes one type of cell capable of producing myelin, the protective layer covering nerve fibers and whose loss triggers MS.

Here, the researchers generated a mix of astrocytes and neurons.

They then conducted a screen to identify a surface protein that could be used to specifically purify astrocytes.

The marker CD49f was found to distinguish astrocytes from neuronal progenitors and neurons. At the genetic level, cells isolated using this marker showed activity of genes characteristic of both mature and immature astrocytes. However, when researchers looked at individual cells, they saw that CD49f was more enriched in mature astrocytes.

The hIPSCs-derived astrocytes expressing CD49f helped in neuronal growth, neural communication, provided metabolism support including glutamate uptake, and secreted molecules (called cytokines) in response to inflammation triggers.

We were excited to see that our stem-cell-derived astrocytes isolated with CD49f behaved the way typical astrocytes do: they take up glutamate, respond to inflammation, engage in phagocytosis which is like cell eating and encourage mature firing patterns and connections in neurons, said Valentina Fossati, PhD,the studys lead author.

CD49f expression was found to be specific for astrocytes in samples from both healthy and diseased human brains.

We looked at human brain tissue samples from both a healthy donor and a patient with Alzheimers disease and found that these astrocytes also expressed CD49f suggesting that this protein is a reliable indicator of astrocyte identity in both health and disease, Fossati added.

Researchers next focused on addressing the question of how astrocytes misbehave in disease.

They stimulated hIPSCs-derived cells with interleukin (IL)-1b and TNF-a, two molecules known to trigger the transition of astrocytes into a neurotoxic state (called A1 reactive astrocytes) in animal models. Cells reacted by secreting pro-inflammatory cytokines, including IL-6, IL-1 alpha, and ICAM-1.

Theseastrocytes lost their capacity to uptake (absorb) glutamate, a metabolite that is toxic to neurons. They also changed their morphology, becoming constricted instead of spreading out with long arms.

To assess whether reactive A1 astrocytes would damage neurons, the team grew neurons with stimulated and unstimulated astrocytes, or treated neurons with molecules produced by astrocytes.

Astrocytes in a reactive state were seen to decrease the electric activity of neurons and to increase their apoptosis a programmed process of cell death thats a form of suicide.

These findingsdemonstrate the specific neurotoxicity of A1 hiPSC-derivedastrocytes, the researchers wrote.

They also confirmprevious work in mice, where researchers observed that inflammation turns astrocytes neurotoxic. This work was led by Shane Liddelow, PhD, an assistant professor at the NYU Grossman School of Medicine and an author of the current study.

We observed in mice that astrocytes in inflammatory environments take on a reactive state, actually attacking neurons rather than supporting them, Liddelow said.

The latest work, the researchers concluded, showed that CD49f is a reactivity-independent,astrocyte-specific cell surface antigen that is present at allstages of astrocyte development in hiPSC-derived cultures.

Astrocytes isolated with this marker recapitulatein vitrocriticalphysiological functions, they continued, and following inflammatory stimulationbecome reactive, dysfunctional, and toxic, triggering neuronaldeath all of which opens a window for the study of their role in neurodegenerative disorders.

What we saw in the dish confirmed what Dr. Liddelow saw in mice: the neurons began to die, Fossati said. Observing this rogue astrocyte phenomenon in a human model of disease suggests that it could be happening in actual patients.

She and the others now look forward to using our new system to further explore the intricacies of astrocyte function in Alzheimers, multiple sclerosis, Parkinsons, and other diseases, in the hope it will point us toward new treatment opportunities that might slowor prevent neurodegeneration.

Patricia holds her Ph.D. in Cell Biology from University Nova de Lisboa, and has served as an author on several research projects and fellowships, as well as major grant applications for European Agencies. She also served as a PhD student research assistant in the Laboratory of Doctor David A. Fidock, Department of Microbiology & Immunology, Columbia University, New York.

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Patrcia holds her PhD in Medical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases from the Leiden University Medical Center in Leiden, The Netherlands. She has studied Applied Biology at Universidade do Minho and was a postdoctoral research fellow at Instituto de Medicina Molecular in Lisbon, Portugal. Her work has been focused on molecular genetic traits of infectious agents such as viruses and parasites.

Cell Biology

Potential biomarker identified to screen quality of donor’s stem cells before harvesting – 7thSpace Interactive

June 8, 2020 medical

Potential biomarker identified to screen quality of donor's stem cells before harvesting

Durham, NC - A new study released today in STEM CELLS addresses a significant problem that has been confronting human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) therapy. While hundreds of clinical trials involving thousands of patients are under way to test hMSCs' ability to treat everything from heart disease to brain injury, there has been no way to determine prior to the donor undergoing a painful and expensive surgical harvesting of bone marrow whether or not it would be worth the effort. However, this new study, conducted by scientists at the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore, identifies a potential biomarker for prescreening donors for their MSCs' growth capacity and potency.

"With the global stem cell market predicted to reach over US$270 billion by 2025 (according to a report published by Transparency Market Research), there is a pressing need for effective biomarkers to be used in the screening of stem cells from prospective donors. This need is boosted by the rapid growth of regenerative medicine, with its pallet of cells, genes and engineered tissues," said Dr. Simon Cool, of A*STAR's Institute of Medical Biology and co-corresponding author of the study. That is what sparked this new investigation.

In an earlier study, this same laboratory had classified hMSCs from age and sex-matched human donors into high- and low-growth capacity groups and established criteria for identifying stem cells with enhanced potency. "These hMSCs showed increased proliferative potential that correlated with enhanced clonogenicity, a higher proportion of smaller-sized cells with longer telomeres, elevated expression of certain cell surface markers, and most importantly, improved ability to mediate ectopic bone formation," said the study's co-corresponding author, Lawrence Stanton, Ph.D., who at the time of the study was a member of A*STAR's Genome Institute of Singapore (and is now with Qatar Biomedical Research Institute).

The team's latest investigation sought to build upon that information by performing molecular analyses of these cells to better understand what accounted for their improved utility. Microarray analysis revealed that hMSCs with a genomic deletion of glutathione S-transferase theta (GSTT1) -- part of a superfamily of genes that bring together glutathione and toxins to safely remove them from the body -- show high-growth capacity. The GSTT1-null hMSCs also exhibit an enhanced ability to clone themselves and grow into full colonies, and they have longer telomeres. Both of these factors are important determinants of MSC potency.

"We believe our study highlights the utility of GSTT1 as a potential biomarker for MSC scalability and may prove useful in selecting potential donors for the creation of high quality hMSC cell banks to improve stem cell therapies," Dr. Cool said.

"The ability to pre-screen donors for a marker that corresponds to better growth of MSCs in vitro is truly important", said Dr. Jan Nolta, Editor-in-Chief of STEM CELLS. "Many teams have sought screening tools like this, which could prevent lot failure for clinical batches of MSCs that don't expand robustly. Until now, there has been no way to evaluate that prior to marrow harvest."

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The full article, "A Genomic Biomarker that Identifies Human Bone Marrow-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells with High Scalability," can be accessed at https://stemcellsjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/stem.3203.

About the Journal: STEM CELLS, a peer reviewed journal published monthly, provides a forum for prompt publication of original investigative papers and concise reviews. The journal covers all aspects of stem cells: embryonic stem cells/induced pluripotent stem cells; tissue-specific stem cells; cancer stem cells; the stem cell niche; stem cell epigenetics, genomics and proteomics; and translational and clinical research. STEM CELLS is co-published by AlphaMed Press and Wiley.

About AlphaMed Press: Established in 1983, AlphaMed Press with offices in Durham, NC, San Francisco, CA, and Belfast, Northern Ireland, publishes three internationally renowned peer-reviewed journals with globally recognized editorial boards dedicated to advancing knowledge and education in their focused disciplines. STEM CELLS is the world's first journal devoted to this fast paced field of research. THE ONCOLOGIST is devoted to community and hospital-based oncologists and physicians entrusted with cancer patient care. STEM CELLS TRANSLATIONAL MEDICINE is dedicated to significantly advancing the clinical utilization of stem cell molecular and cellular biology. By bridging stem cell research and clinical trials, SCTM will help move applications of these critical investigations closer to accepted best practices.

About Wiley: Wiley, a global company, helps people and organizations develop the skills and knowledge they need to succeed. Our online scientific, technical, medical and scholarly journals, combined with our digital learning, assessment and certification solutions, help universities, learned societies, businesses, governments and individuals increase the academic and professional impact of their work. For more than 200 years, we have delivered consistent performance to our stakeholders. The company's website can be accessed at http://www.wiley.com.

This story has been published on: 2020-06-08. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.

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Potential biomarker identified to screen quality of donor's stem cells before harvesting - 7thSpace Interactive

Physiology

BSU names White as Dean of Individual and Community Health – Bemidji Pioneer

June 8, 2020 medical

BEMIDJI -- Bemidji State University recently named Jim White as the new interim Dean of Individual and Community Health.

White is a BSU alumnus, professor and chair of the department of human performance, sport and health.

Dr. Whites academic training in community health, along with his administrative skills, position him well to lead the College of Individual and Community Health as we navigate the tricky waters of the COVID-19 situation, Allen Bedford, BSU provost and vice president for academic and student affairs, said in a release. "I greatly appreciate his willingness to step forward and he has already become a valued contributor to our fall 2020 planning.

Joining BSUs faculty in 2006, White has taught a variety of classes related to exercise testing and prescription, disease prevention, nutrition, exercise physiology and community health. He has served as chair for the Department of Human Performance, Sport and Health since 2016.

Prior to his role at Bemidji State, White spent nine years working as a clinical exercise physiologist specializing in cardiovascular and pulmonary rehabilitation. He holds certifications from the American College of Sports Medicine as a Certified Clinical Exercise Physiologist and the National Strength and Conditioning Association as a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist.

As an alumni of BSU I am hopeful that I can help my alma mater through this challenging time, White said in the release. I am looking forward to working with faculty and staff to ensure BSU is able to help students be the best they can be. I have first-hand experience in how BSU changes lives for the better and I hope to contribute to this positive change for our students.

White holds a bachelors degree in sport studies and management from Bemidji State, a masters of science in exercise physiology from the University of Kentucky and holds a doctorate in human development with an emphasis in wellness from North Dakota State University.

According to the release, his appointment as Dean of BSUs College of Individual and Community Health will begin Aug. 1 and extend through June 30, 2021.

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BSU names White as Dean of Individual and Community Health - Bemidji Pioneer

Physiology

RIE Trainee, Research Assistant, Exercise Physiology Lab job with NANYANG TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY | 209345 – Times Higher Education (THE)

June 8, 2020 medical

RIE Trainee, Research Assistant (Exercise Physiology Lab) [#SGUnitedTraineeships]

Programme Summary

In conjunction with Workforce Singapore, NTU offer traineeships to support the SGUnited Traineeships Programme.The Traineeships are part of NTU's efforts to create relevant and meaningful traineeship opportunities for our nations new graduates entering the workforce during this difficult time.

About the Lab

The Exercise Physiology Laboratory conducts research to investigate the influence of habitual exercise on cardio-metabolic health and also on the promoters and inhibitors of physical work tolerance. The experiment trials are done mainly on humans and are conducted in ergometric laboratory, biochemistry laboratory and field environments.

Job Description

Requirements

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RIE Trainee, Research Assistant, Exercise Physiology Lab job with NANYANG TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY | 209345 - Times Higher Education (THE)

Physiology

Aerpio Hosting Key Opinion Leader Call on a Novel Mechanism for the Treatment of Glaucoma – GlobeNewswire

June 8, 2020 medical

CINCINNATI, June 08, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Aerpio Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Aerpio) (Nasdaq: ARPO), a biopharmaceutical company focused on developing compounds that activate Tie2 to treat ocular diseases and diabetic complications, today announced that it is hosting a key opinion leader (KOL) call on a novel mechanism for the treatment of glaucoma on Friday, June 12, 2020 at 11:30am Eastern Time.

The call will feature presentations by Dr. Paul Kaufman M.D. (University of Wisconsin) and Dr. Janey Wiggs, M.D., Ph.D. (Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary and Harvard Medical School), who will discuss the current glaucoma treatment landscape and unmet medical needs, as well as the role of the Tie2 receptor in maintaining intraocular pressure. Drs. Kaufman and Wiggs will be available to answer questions at the conclusion of the event.

Aerpio's management team will also discuss its pipeline candidate, razuprotafib (formerly AKB-9778), for treating patients with glaucoma. Razuprotafib is a small molecule inhibitor that restores Tie2 activation in Schlemms canal and lowers intraocular eye pressure (IOP) via decreasing resistance to outflow from the eye. Razuprotafib has been formulated as a once or twice-daily topical eye drop and is entering a Phase 2 clinical trial in Q3:20, with top line data expected in Q1:21.

Aerpio recently announced positive and statistically significant intraocular eye pressure (IOP) reduction in a Phase 1b trial of 43 glaucoma patients, when razuprotafib was added to prostaglandin treatment. This data set is summarized here.

Paul Kaufman, M.D. is the Ernst H. Brny Emeritus Professor of Ocular Pharmacology and past Chair of the Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, in Madison, Wisconsin. He is a physician-scientist, specializing in glaucoma and studying the mechanisms of aqueous humor formation and drainage, and the age-related loss of near vision. Dr Kaufman is a past President and past Executive Vice President of the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO), past President of the International Society for Eye Research (ISER), and has served on the US National Advisory Eye Council and numerous foundation and corporate scientific advisory boards. He has had continuous research funding from the US National Eye Institute for 40 years and from numerous private foundations, has authored over 375 original scientific articles and 75 book chapters, co-edited several textbooks including the most recent editions of Adlers Physiology of the Eye, and received numerous honors and awards including the Friedenwald Award from ARVO and the Balazs Prize from ISER. He was Editor-in-Chief of Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science from 2008 through 2012. Dr. Kaufman also holds an honorary Doctor of Medicine degree from Uppsala University in Sweden, where he was a post-doctoral research fellow.

Janey L. Wiggs, M.D., Ph.D. is a physician-scientist at the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary and Harvard Medical School. She is currently the Paul Austin Chandler Professor of Ophthalmology and is the Vice Chair for Clinical Research in Ophthalmology at Harvard Medical School. She also directs the CLIA-certified genetic testing laboratory at the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary and is a co-director of the Ocular Genomics Institute and co-director of the Glaucoma Center of Excellence. Dr. Wiggs received her B.A. and Ph.D. degrees in biochemistry from the University of California at Berkeley and her M.D. degree from Harvard Medical School. She did post-doctoral training in molecular genetics under the direction of Dr. Ted Dryja. Dr. Wiggs completed the ophthalmology residency at the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary and received fellowship training in glaucoma and also in medical genetics and is certified by the both the American Board of Ophthalmology and the American Board of Medical Genetics. Dr. Wiggs research program is focused on the discovery and characterization of genetic factors that contribute to the blinding eye disease glaucoma and is funded by the National Eye Institute (NEI) as well as other nonprofit foundations. She is investigating the genetic etiologies of both early-onset and adult forms of glaucoma and is the PI of the NEIGHBORHOOD consortium for gene discovery in primary open angle glaucoma and is a founding member of the International Glaucoma Genetics Consortium (IGGC). She has also participated in research programs funded by the US-INDO joint working group (NEI) and the NEI eyeGENE consortium. Dr. Wiggs was the inaugural chair of the Genetics Group for ARVO and is an ARVO gold fellow. She currently serves on the editorial boards of IOVS, JAMA Ophthalmology, Molecular Vision, Journal of Glaucoma, and Annual Reviews in Vision Science. She is a member of the scientific advisory boards for the Glaucoma Research Foundation, Research to Prevent Blindness and the Glaucoma Foundation, and is a past member of the Advisory Council of the National Eye Institute. She has received the Heed Award, the Heed/Knapp Award, the Research to Prevent Blindness Scholar Award, the AAO Honor Award, the Lew Wasserman Merit Award, the Alcon Research Award, the David L. Epstein award from the ARVO Foundation and was a winner of the NEI Audacious Goal competition. She is an elected member of the Glaucoma Research Society, the American Ophthalmological Society, the Academia Ophthalmologica Internationalis and the National Academy of Medicine.

About RazuprotafibRazuprotafib binds to and inhibits vascular endothelial protein tyrosine phosphatase (VE-PTP), an important negative regulator of Tie2. Decreased Tie2 activity contributes to vascular instability in many diseases including diabetes and more recently has been shown to contribute to the development of increased IOP and glaucoma. Razuprotafib activates the Tie2 receptor irrespective of extracellular levels of its binding ligands, angiopoietin-1 (agonist) or angiopoietin-2 (antagonist) and may be the most efficient pharmacologic approach to maintain normal Tie2 activation. Aerpio is studying a topical ocular formulation of razuprotafib in open angle glaucoma and exploring the utility of subcutaneous razuprotafib for diabetic complications, including diabetic nephropathy.

About Aerpio PharmaceuticalsAerpio Pharmaceuticals, Inc. is a biopharmaceutical company focused on developing compounds that activate Tie2 to treat ocular diseases and diabetic complications. Recently published mouse and human genetic data implicate the Angpt/Tie2 pathway in maintenance of Schlemms canal, a critical component of the conventional outflow tract. The Companys lead compound, razuprotafib (formerly AKB-9778), a first-in-class small molecule inhibitor of vascular endothelial protein tyrosine phosphatase (VE-PTP), is being developed as a potential treatment for open angle glaucoma, and the Company intends to investigate the therapeutic potential of razuprotafib in other indications. The Company is also evaluating development options for ARP-1536, a humanized monoclonal antibody, for its therapeutic potential in the treatment of diabetic vascular complications including nephropathy and diabetic macular edema (DME). The Companys third asset is a bispecific antibody that binds both VEGF and VE-PTP which is designed to inhibit VEGF activation and activate Tie2. This bispecific antibody has the potential to be an improved treatment for wet age-related macular degeneration and DME via intravitreal injection. Finally, the Company has exclusively out-licensed AKB-4924 (now called GB004), a first-in-class small molecule inhibitor of hypoxia-inducible factor-1 (HIF). GB004 is being developed by AKB-4924s exclusive licensor, Gossamer Bio, Inc. (Nasdaq: GOSS). For more information, please visit http://www.aerpio.com.

Forward Looking StatementsThis press release contains forward-looking statements. Statements in this press release that are not purely historical are forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements include, among other things, the Companys product candidates, including razuprotafib, ARP-1536 and the bispecific antibody asset, the clinical development plan therefor and the therapeutic potential thereof, the Companys plans and expectations with respect to razuprotafib and the development therefor and therapeutic potential thereof in addressing COVID-19 and the intended benefits from the Companys collaboration with Gossamer Bio for GB004, including the continued development of GB004 and the milestone and royalty payments related to the collaboration. Actual results could differ from those projected in any forward-looking statements due to several risk factors. Such factors include, among others, the continued development of GB004 and maintaining and deriving the intended benefits of the Companys collaboration with Gossamer Bio; ability to continue to develop razuprotafib or other product candidates, including in indications related to COVID-19; the inherent uncertainties associated with the drug development process, including uncertainties in regulatory interactions, the design of planned or future clinical trials, commencing clinical trials and enrollment of patients in clinical trials; obtaining any necessary regulatory clearances in order to commence and conduct planned or future clinical trials; the impact of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic on the Companys business operations, including research and development efforts and the ability of the Company to commence, conduct and complete its planned clinical activities; and competition in the industry in which the Company operates and overall market conditions; and the additional factors set forth in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2019, as updated by our subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and our other subsequent filings with the SEC.

These forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this press release, and the Company assumes no obligation to update the forward-looking statements, or to update the reasons why actual results could differ from those projected in the forward-looking statements, except as required by law. Investors should consult all the information set forth herein and should also refer to the risk factor disclosure set forth in the reports and other documents the Company files with the SEC available at http://www.sec.gov.

Investors & Media:Gina MarekVP Financegmarek@aerpio.comOrInvestors:Irina KofflerLifeSci Advisorsikoffler@lifesciadvisors.com

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Aerpio Hosting Key Opinion Leader Call on a Novel Mechanism for the Treatment of Glaucoma - GlobeNewswire

Physiology

Letter to the editor: How to learn more about evolution – Hays Daily News

June 8, 2020 medical

SundayJun7,2020at12:00PM

I am writing in response the John Wojakowskis editoral questioning evolution. It is easy to ask questions about and misquote articles on evolution, but it is not as easy to explain the complex science supporting it. It cant be done in an editorial, but I would like to refer your readers to several online articles that refute his propositions.

The first is Four Famous Transitional Fossils That Support Evolution by Shaena Montanari on http://www.forbes.com. Wojakowskis claim of circular reasoning is both bad science and bad logic.

The second article is The Fossil Fallacy by Michael Shermer at www. scientificamerican.com. Shermer states that we know evolution happened because of a convergence of evidence from such diverse fields as geology, paleontology, biogeography, comparative anatomy and physiology and many more. Fossils are but one line of inquiry.

The third article is Did 90% of Animal Species Appear about the Same Time as Human Beings published at the website Biologos. The conclusion Wojakowski stated is nowhere given in the article quoted by him. This article asks if the title claim is true and concludes The answer is no.

Wojakowskis report on the University of Michigans results reveal as lack of insight regarding the time frame of evolution. Evolution occurred over hundreds of millions of years, so 1.5 million is the blink of an evolutionary eye.

Science is too complex to be discussed in the editorial page, but I hope this rebuttal will be printed.

Janet Stotts, Topeka

More:
Letter to the editor: How to learn more about evolution - Hays Daily News

Human Behavior

Tobii Pro Glasses 3, a wearable eye-tracker is now lighter and more compact – Inceptive Mind

June 7, 2020 medical

The Swedish company Tobii has launched a new version of the eye-tracking glasses that were originally released about ten years ago. It is about a pair of glasses that are primarily designed for different kinds of studies where you follow users eye movements.

The next-generation of the wearable eye tracker, called Tobii Pro Glasses 3, allows you to use the eye-tracking function to capture and analyze a persons natural visual behavior in real conditions. It is equipped with eye-tracking technology with four extremely small, eye cameras and 16 illuminators into the lenses, which provides a unique combination of improved eye tracking performance.

In addition, the new version should have a better wide-angle camera than its predecessors, which ensures that the glasses film a much larger part of the users field of view. It makes a major difference when conducting wayfinding research, especially in an outdoor environment where, with a narrower field of view, we would lose track of the gaze data.

The design of Pro Glasses 3 is very comfortable, making them unobtrusive to wear, which is an important factor in collecting unbiased insights. Its robust design allows you to wear it with personal protective equipment (PPE), such as helmets and hats. Smart glasses come with a set of accessories, including add-on IR blocking safety lenses support research in outdoor/bright environments, as well as situations requiring eye protection.

Eye-tracking data is collected at 50 or 100 hertz, and slippage compensation technology enables consistent eye-tracking data throughout recordings, even if the glasses move on the users head, or are taken off and on.

Unlike the companys consumer equipment, which was sold as an accessory and integrated into a mixed reality headset, Tobii Pro Glasses 3 glasses are designed specifically for corporate use.

Scientific researchers can use them to get a unique vantage point into human behavior and a deeper understanding of a persons cognitive process. Consumer insight professionals and UX researchers can visualize and measure the true customer experience in any scenario. Operational managers, team leads, and operators can see each others reality from a first-person perspective.

For businesses, this means more informed decisions on design and marketing investments and a deeper understanding of the workplace for improved productivity and safety.

Tobii has not released any price information on Tobii Pro Glasses 3, but if they are priced as their predecessors, then they can probably be quite expensive.

Neuroscience

Neuroscience Market 2019 Break Down by Top Companies, Countries, Applications, Challenges, Opportunities and Forecast 2026 – Cole of Duty

June 7, 2020 medical

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Leading Neuroscience manufacturers/companies operating at both regional and global levels:

Sales and sales broken down by Product:

Sales and sales divided by Applications:

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The market is predicted to witness significant growth over the forecast period, owing to the growing consumer awareness about the benefits of Neuroscience. The increase in disposable income across the key geographies has also impacted the market positively. Moreover, factors like urbanization, high population growth, and a growing middle-class population with higher disposable income are also forecasted to drive market growth.

According to the research report, one of the key challenges that might hinder the market growth is the presence of counter fit products. The market is witnessing the entry of a surging number of alternative products that use inferior ingredients.

Key factors influencing market growth:

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Neuroscience Market 2019 Break Down by Top Companies, Countries, Applications, Challenges, Opportunities and Forecast 2026 - Cole of Duty