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Immunology

What You Need to Know About the First Peanut Allergy Treatment Approved by the FDA – Benzinga

MILWAUKEE, Feb. 01, 2020 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ --The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the very first peanut allergy treatment: Palforzia, a standardized oral immunotherapy (OIT) product for peanut allergy. This is the first treatment for any food allergy to be approved by the FDA. In light of this groundbreaking approval, the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (AAAAI) is here to share information about OIT to help patients understand this therapy and what it means for their treatment options.

"Most allergists trained at a time when we never thought we'd see a treatment for food allergy. Previously we recommended carrying injectable epinephrine and strict avoidance, which in some cases leads to serious or even life-threatening allergic reactions with inadvertent food exposures. Now, we have the first FDA approved treatment for food allergy, that when used in combination with avoidance measures, can reduce the possibility that an inadvertent exposure will lead to a serious allergic reaction," said AAAAI President David M. Lang, MD, FAAAAI, who is also Chair of the Allergy/Immunology Department in the Respiratory Institute at Cleveland Clinic.

What is OIT? OIT involves feeding an increasing amount of an allergen to an individual allergic to that specific allergen. The goal of OIT is to increase the threshold that triggers an allergic reaction.

For example, the newly approved Palforzia is a capsule filled with peanut powder that can be mixed into food. Patients taking this capsule are therefore exposed to controlled doses of peanut protein. Over time, the dose will gradually increase with the hopes that higher doses will induce a level of tolerance that prevents allergic reactions to accidental peanut exposure.

It is important to remember that OIT is not a cure for peanut allergy, and it is likely an individual starting this therapy will need to remain on it indefinitely. Patients utilizing this therapy will still be expected to avoid dietary peanut and carry an epinephrine auto-injector.

Who Will Benefit From This Treatment? OIT will not be right for every patient. It is not a "one size fits all" approach. How to predict which individuals will respond to OIT and which individuals will be at highest risk of side effects (including anaphylaxis) has not been clearly determined, and there are many other important questions about OIT that require ongoing study.

The AAAAI encourages patients and families to engage with an allergist/immunologist to discuss the risks, benefits, and alternatives of OIT and all other emerging treatments for food allergy. Ultimately, the choice of treatment, including that of active non-intervention, will be based on individual and family factors after careful discussion with one's physician.

"Patients and their families will need to understand the realities of these new therapies. As physicians, we must invest the time to explain the potential for benefit compared with the potential for harm/burden, and permit patients and families to express their values and preferences, allowing them to participate in the medical decision making process to determine whether they desire to proceed with food oral immunotherapy," said Dr. Lang.

Who Can Provide More Details? Food allergy experts from the AAAAI are available to speak about this new therapy and what it means for patients. If you're a reporter looking to speak with an expert, please email media@aaaai.org. If you're a patient, the AAAAI's Find an Allergist/Immunologist service will allow you to find a trusted AAAAI member specialist close to home.

You can learn more about the current state of OIT at the AAAAI's website, aaaai.org.

The American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (AAAAI) represents allergists, asthma specialists, clinical immunologists, allied health professionals and others with a special interest in the research and treatment of allergic and immunologic diseases. Established in 1943, the AAAAI has nearly 7,000 members in the United States, Canada and 72 other countries.

SOURCE American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology

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What You Need to Know About the First Peanut Allergy Treatment Approved by the FDA - Benzinga

Immunology

When Flight 752 was shot down, Canadian schools lost some of their best and brightest – Yahoo News Canada

The tragic loss of Ukrainian International Airlines Flight 752, shot down near Tehran killing all 176 on board, has had a terrible impact on friends and family, and also on Canada's academic community.

At least 19 universities in six provinces lost researchers, professors and students in the disaster. Their expertise ranged across diverse fields, from engineering to medicine, and business to biology.

CBC News spoke to colleagues of three of those individuals about what they were like, and the incredible contributions they were making through their work.

Forough Khadem

Forough Khadem's research had immense promise.

The 36-year-old moved from Tehran to Winnipeg in 2010 to pursue a PhD in immunology at the University of Manitoba, after a chance encounter with a Canadian researcher visiting Iran.

Jude Uzonna, a professor of immunology and medical microbiology, met Khadem 10 years ago at a conference in Tehran. He says he was so impressed by her energy and intelligence, he offered her the chance to study in Winnipeg.

Khadem's background was in plant biotechnology, but working in a completely different field didn't seem to faze her. She jumped at the opportunity.

"She excelled," said Uzonna, who became her PhD adviser. "She was a very bright student."

Khadem's PhD focused on visceral leishmaniasis a deadly parasitic disease that affects people in nearly 100 countries. She discovered where and how the parasite hides in the body, including inside liver cells.

This research could be life saving, according to Uzonna.

"The type of disease she worked on is lethal. It's fatal if not treated," said Uzonna. "She was able to find this pathway, and that if you block this pathway and target these particular cells, you can cure it."

Khadem's findings were featured on the cover of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases' Hepatology journal in 2016.

"How many people get their work on the cover of the journal?" said Uzonna. "I've trained seven or eight PhD students only her work has made it onto the cover of a journal."

After graduating, Khadem worked at MITACS, a Canada-wide non-profit that makes connections between industry and researchers. But her link to the University of Manitoba stayed strong, and on Jan. 17 a vigil for Khadem was held on campus.

Story continues

"She loved the university and she loved science," said Saeid Ghavami, her friend and colleague. "She was so connected to her professional life that she always felt that university was her second home."

Uzonna says Forough's work lays the foundation for another person to continue with it. "When that person moves forward, she's always going to get the credit."

"That's the beauty of science," he said. "She lives on that way."

Mohammad Asadi Lari

Mohammad Asadi Lari was in his second year of an eight-year MD/PhD program at the University of Toronto when he was killed on Jan. 8.

Fewer than 10 students are accepted into the program each year.

"You can imagine, in a program where we're training the next generation of physician scientists that are going to make new discoveries and change health care, there are lots of amazing students," said Dr. Nicola Jones, the program's director.

"Within that group, Mohammad was exceptional. He really stood out."

At 23, Asadi Lari had already accomplished so much.

He started a STEM fellowship five years ago when he was an undergraduate student at the University of British Columbia. The program, which provides youth with tools and skills to help them excel in STEM fields, now has 20 university branches and 15 high school chapters in eight provinces.

He gave a TedX Talk in 2019, urging young people to find what they're passionate about and take action on it.

"He had a way of connecting people and making other people feel great," said Dr. Vipan Nikore, an assistant professor at the University of Toronto.

At a Toronto vigil for victims of the crash, deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland remembered meeting Mohammad just a few months earlier.

"He cornered me," recalled Freeland, "and said 'Minister, the government has to do more about this! And I need to meet with you and talk to you about it.'"

Asadi Lari was to decide on his PhD research focus the week after he died. For his friends, teachers and mentors, the loss of his enormous potential in their community is immeasurable.

"People like Mohammad don't come around that often. And to me, there's no question he was going to change the world," said Dr. Nikore.

Zahra Naghibi

Zahra Naghibi, a thermodynamicist, was just about to launch two new projects. She was in her third year of a PhD at the University of Windsor when she died.

Naghibi's work in the university's turbulence and energy lab focused on energy consumption in greenhouses. She had just completed the delicate and painstaking task of creating a model of a micro-climate.

"Zahra's model could tell you minute to minute what the energy consumption would be in a greenhouse at any time," said her PhD supervisor, Rupp Carriveau.

"She could also show what was going to happen in the future, which enables you to do things like design a better or more innovative energy supply system."

Carriveau said it was Naghibi's work that facilitated the acquisition of the two large projects for the university. With Naghibi gone, the turbulence and energy lab faces the challenge of carrying on and developing them without her.

"We'll never be the same. The lab won't be the same," said Carriveau. "The research won't be the same."

Naghibi lived in Windsor, Ont., with her husband, Mohammad Abaspour Ghadi, who also died in the crash.

Carriveau said Naghibi was being courted for various positions in the agriculture and energy industries, and would have had her pick of opportunities when she graduated a year from now.

"As a country we lost so much, when you consider what one life can do," said Carriveau.

"I think we lost a lot as a nation. I can't imagine the collective impact."

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WATCH | The National's feature on some of the people Canada's academic community lost whenUkrainian International Airlines Flight 752 was shot down in Tehran:

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When Flight 752 was shot down, Canadian schools lost some of their best and brightest - Yahoo News Canada

Immunology

What we’re learning about infectious disease from bats and mosquitos – Source

We know surveillance is used to keep an eye on convenience stores and homes; it is also used to monitor the spread of infectious diseases. Of course, video cameras wont work to spot viruses or bacteria, so researchers at Colorado State University are working to create other methods that allow us to watch out for infectious disease harmful to humans.

Anna Fagre, Ph.D. student in CSUs Department of Microbiology, Immunology, & Pathology, investigates how bats might be useful for disease surveillance. In Uganda, Fagre studies bats in caves visited by humans for recreational or religious purposes to determine what diseases or viruses might be present in that area.

We look at the potential for bats to act as reservoirs for these viruses, Fagre said.

Through non-lethal sampling, Fagre collects blood, saliva and fecal samples to find out what diseases exist in the bats. This information allows the researchers to determine if a particular disease might spread via blood through arthropod vectors like mosquitoes, or through the bats own fluids.

As the first veterinarian to receive the $25,000 Robert E. Shope International Fellowship, Fagre specializes in understanding the parasites found on bats, such as ticks and bat bugs, to study how these arthropods might transfer diseases from bats to humans.

But her team intends to take data collection a step further.

When we trap the bats, well be microchipping them, kind of like you would a dog or a cat, so we can identify the bats moving forward, Fagre said.

With GPS technology, the team will be able to track individual bats, view where they have been, and examine whether theyve picked up a disease between samplings. This can be extremely valuable in pinpointing where a virus is spreading from or what population of bats has been infected.

It allows us to get a step ahead of the virus, Fagre explained. If we know which viruses are present in the bat populations, and we know that humans are interacting with these bats by coming into these caves, then we know exactly which pathogens or viruses to be monitoring for in the human population.

This information can help doctors to diagnose the problem more quickly in patients with unknown illnesses.

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What we're learning about infectious disease from bats and mosquitos - Source

Immunology

Hundreds of frontline NHS staff in Salisbury don’t have flu jab – Spire FM

The Society for Acute Medicine says it's concerning that many NHS staff across England who deal with patients have not been vaccinated.

According to Public Health England:

On Friday (31 Jan 2020) Lorna Wilkinson, Director of Nursing at Salisbury NHS Foundation Trust told Spire FM News:

"Staff flu vaccination forms a key part of our overall plans to protect staff and patients in hospital and through our staff flu campaign we put in place a number of measures to encourage and make it as easy possible for staff to get the flu vaccination."

"80% of our frontline staff have now received the flu vaccination. This is an improvement on our uptake rate compared to this time last year and we have not only met but are now likely to exceed the 80% target, which is a great achievement."

"We are continuing to offer all our staff the flu vaccination and would encourage anyone who hasn't yet to contact their Peer Vaccinator/Occupational Health to arrange a convenient time."

The NHS's own guidelines say the flu vaccine reduces the risk of catching flu, as well as spreading it to others. The best time to have the vaccine is before the start of the flu season, usually December to March.

Doctors, nurses, clinical staff and support workers involved in direct patient care are encouraged to have the jab. Trusts have financial incentives for staff uptake, receiving full payment if at least 80% have it, and a decreasing amount down to 60% coverage, below which they get nothing.

The target is measured between September and February, and the payment varies depending on the size of the trust's contract. The proportion of staff who had the vaccine by the end of December differed widely across the 235 trusts that submitted figures.

Dr Nick Scriven, President of the Society for Acute Medicine, said:

"The NHS has enough to worry about without further issues with staff being unwell when it may have been prevented. We know there is a financial incentive for NHS trusts to get their staff vaccinated but I would hope the health need and protection it offers would be more than enough to persuade people."

Across England, the 68.5% uptake rate at the end of December was better than at the same point a year earlier, when it stood at 65.8%.

Dr Doug Brown, chief executive of the British Society for Immunology, said

"The flu vaccine is the best protection we have against a virus that can lead to serious illness in vulnerable groups. It is extremely important to continue to increase seasonal flu vaccine uptake among frontline healthcare workers to reduce the risk of spreading the virus and causing serious illness in at-risk groups."

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Hundreds of frontline NHS staff in Salisbury don't have flu jab - Spire FM

Immunology

Operations Officer job with KINGS COLLEGE LONDON | 195056 – Times Higher Education (THE)

We are seeking an enthusiastic Operations Officer to join the professional services team supporting the School of Immunology & Microbial Sciences. We are one of seven Schools in the Faculty of Life Sciences & Medicine at Kings College London. The School is based across three Campuses, and the successful candidate will be expected to work across these locations, as and when required.

This post will work closely with the two School Senior Operations Officers as well as with staff and students across the School, Faculty and University, to ensure that the Schools Operations are fully supported, including research grant management, staffing and financial processes, oversight of local estates and facilities, supporting the day-to-day administration of the School.

The post is responsible for a variety of tasks and the successful candidate must be:

versatile, adaptable, with the capacity to deal with competing requests and priorities, for action;

highly motivated;

approachable and confident in liaising with colleagues in the University and with external partners, including the NHS, to ensure a smooth exchange of information and collaboration to meet deadlines.

This post will be offered on an indefinite contract.

This is a full-time post - 100% full time equivalent.

The selection process will include a panel interview, an assessment, a test.

For an informal discussion about the role, please contact:

Denise Jamieson denise.jamieson@kcl.ac.uk

To apply, please register with the Kings College London application portal and complete your application online.

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Operations Officer job with KINGS COLLEGE LONDON | 195056 - Times Higher Education (THE)

Anatomy

Greys Anatomy Season 17: Release Date, Cast, Story, And Other Details – OtakuKart

Greys Anatomyis a long-running TV series that first premiered on 27 March 2005, ABC, which as amid-season replacement. There has been a lot of season of this show, and it is still going strong to this day. The show has a total of 16 seasons, and it was recently renewed for a 17 season. Here is everything you need to know about it.

The show is developed by Shonda Rhimes and, to this day, continues to write for the series. Furthermore, she is also an executive producer alongside Betsy Beers,Mark Gordon,Krista Vernoff,Rob Corn,Mark Wilding, andAllan Heinberg. The show takes place in a fictional Seattle called Grace Hospital, and it is mostly filmed in Los Angeles,California.

In general, the story of the show revolves around the life of surgical interns, residents, and also attendings at the Grey-Sloan Memorial Hospital. As time goes on, these interns gradually go through many changes in their character as well as because of seasoned doctors through the mentoring of their residents, attendings, and chiefs of surgery. Each of the seasons shows us just how much the characters have developed over the season.

As for the 17th season, there hasnt been that many things revealed, but the fans of the series have a much better idea of what will have in the upcoming season. Moreover, Pompeo is very focused on the show because he doesnt want to disappoint the fans of the series. He gave the example of Game of Thrones, which enraged its fans to a point they start a petition in order to remake the last season of their beloved franchise.

The fans have a lot of questions about this, one of which is that this will be the final season of the show. Well, Pompeo was hinting that theshow couldnt go on forever. She said that the idea appeals to get, but the truth is that she has three kids and doesnt love to travel and leave them behind. She further said that she doesnt want to live in hotels and because of the network make such offers that continue to incentivize. Will this be the last season, who knows maybe it might be.

There have been many characters coming on going to the show, but some are in the show from the beginning. It hasnt been revealed who will be in the 17th season but the following members will most likely be present. Ellen Pompeo as Meredith Grey, Martin Henderson as Nathan Riggs, Giacomo Gianniotti as Andrew DeLuca, Jake Borelli as Levi Schmitt, Greg Germann as Thomas Koracick, Chris Carmack as Atticus Lincoln. Chandra Wilson as Miranda Bailey, James Pickens Jr. as Richard Webber, and many more.

So, lets talk about the episode count, Greys Anatomy is pretty unpredictable on how many episodes its season will have. According to the previous seasons, we can expect the show to have at least 20-27 episodes.

Greys Anatomy Season 17 will be released in September 2020. And I think it will drop in the middle of the month. This is it from me hope you guys enjoyed and I will see you guys in the next one.

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Greys Anatomy Season 17: Release Date, Cast, Story, And Other Details - OtakuKart

Anatomy

‘Grey’s Anatomy’: Fans Are Outraged Over the ‘Cheap Twist’ with Amelia’s Baby and Begging For A Paternity Test – Showbiz Cheat Sheet

Fans of televisions longest-running medical drama should beused to the twistsby now. However, the latest plot-line turn of events withAmelia Shepherd(Caterina Scorsone) has viewers distraught. Lets take a look at the new surprising details onGreys Anatomythis week.

[Warning: Greys Anatomy Season 16 spoilers ahead]

Viewers found out in the midseason finale back in November 2019 thatAmelias baby might not be Lincs(Chris Carmack). However, a new turn of events happened when she broke the news to the excited soon-to-be father this week.

Linc, I hate this, Amelia began. I promise you that no blood test can change the way I feel about you. I am more pregnant than I thought, which means there is a chance that you arent the father. It took me a few days to work up the nerve to tell you.

Fans were pleasantly surprised that she didnt drag out the news until the end of the episode. However, that gave Linc more time to think about the entire situation. Amelia does not want to get a paternity test, and at first, Linc is on board with that.

I dont need a paternity test to know I want to be with you, Amelia tells him. I love what we have. I love your kindness. I love our ease. I love that you make me laugh all the time and you have let me cry. Im in love with you, and genetics dont matter.

After the colossal bomb Amelia dropped on Linc, he confides in his longtime friend, Jo Wilson (Camilla Luddington). She cannot believe that he would agree not to get a paternity test. Jo also cannot believe how calmly Linc is taking the entire thing.

You can love her and be mad at her at the same time, Jo tells Linc. Both things can be true.

Linc thinks about what Jo said to him and came to the conclusion that he does want to know whether or not he is the father.

There are a bunch of people involved in this, and they deserve to know. Linc tells Amelia. I deserve to know.

The surgeon continues by telling her that he wants to be the guy who doesnt care who the father is, but he cant predict how he is going to react when he hears the truth. The bottom line is that he wants her to get a paternity test.

I am pissed that they ruined Amelias storyline by making the baby possibly her exs,one fan wrote on Reddit. Linc is SO excited, and so was she. Let her have that damnit!

Many other fans of Greys Anatomy agree. They wish the producers could give Amelia a chance to be happy.

Totally agree. Cheap is the right word, another Redditor added. I will never understand why and how these writers start potentially good storylines and completely ruin them by cheap twists. They HAVE to know this is not only very unpopular but also completely useless.

Viewers have come up with an excellent idea for how they would like Amelia and Linc to determine who the father is. Fans are also committed to making sure that Owen is not the father of Amelias baby.

Being Owens is not an option,one fan insists. Telling Owen it might be his is not an option. Therefore Amelia has to steal Owens DNA to get her paternity test done. OK, it would be easier to just test Linc, but where is the fun in that?

Fans agree that with Jo that Linc needs to find out the true paternity of the baby. However, they hope it is not Owens baby. Find out next week when Greys Anatomy returns on Thursday at 9 p.m. ET on ABC.

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'Grey's Anatomy': Fans Are Outraged Over the 'Cheap Twist' with Amelia's Baby and Begging For A Paternity Test - Showbiz Cheat Sheet

Anatomy

A Retooled CBS Pilot That Starred This ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ Actress Lands at The CW – Showbiz Cheat Sheet

After it was in development at CBS and passed over last year, a television project that was set to be fronted by a former Greys Anatomy star is back in the works at a new network.

During the 2019 pilot season, The Republic of Sarah was ordered as a pilot at CBS.

The logline of the series reads: A small New Hampshire town is thrust onto the world stage when the discovery of a valuable resource within its borders compels the residents to declare themselves an independent nation, setting the unlikely young mayor and her cabinet of inexperienced locals on the path of running a brand new country.

Sarah Drew of Greys Anatomy fame was the lead and titular Sarah. The main cast also included Kirsten Nelson, James Lesure, Kimberly Guerrero, Daniel Ings, Annie Funke, Jonathan Slavin, Carlos Leal.

CBS ended up passing on the series and it did not move forward. The shows that did get series orders at the network included Mike Colter in Evil and Simone Missick in All Rise.

A year after the initial pilot was ordered at CBS, The Republic of Sarah is back in development. This time, it is in the works at CBSs sibling network, The CW. Both networks are under ViacomCBS, along with other ones like Showtime, MTV, BET, and more.

While the general theme of the show is the same, several key components of the original pilot script have been changed.

Deadline reports, The Republic of Sarahis said to have aNorthern Exposurefeel. Faced with the destruction of her town at the hands of a greedy mining company, rebellious high school teacher Sarah Cooper utilizes an obscure cartographical loophole to declare independence. Now Sarah must lead a young group of misfits as they attempt to start their own country from scratch.

As far as we know, Drew will not be in this new pilot. The new Sarah, as well as the main cast, should be announced in the coming weeks.

We will find out around May if The Republic of Sarah will get picked up to series at The CW.

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A Retooled CBS Pilot That Starred This 'Grey's Anatomy' Actress Lands at The CW - Showbiz Cheat Sheet

Anatomy

Harvey Weinstein Rape Accuser Reveals Graphic Details About His Anatomy: I Thought He Was Deformed – The Inquisitr News

One of Harvey Weinsteins rape accusers shared graphic details about his anatomy on the witness stand, telling a jury that the disgraced movie mogul does not have testicles and appeared deformed.

Actress Jessica Mann testified against Weinstein during his rape trial, telling members of the jury about alleged instances where he forced her into sex. During this testimony, Mann claimed that Weinstein had a very distinct anatomy.

The first time I saw him fully naked, I thought he was deformed and intersex, she said, via Vulture. He has an extreme scarring that I didnt know, maybe [he] was a burn victim

Mann went on to add that it appeared Weinstein does not have testicles. As the report noted, Weinstein held his head down as he listened to the testimony. Prosecutor Joan Illuzzi went on to ask more embarrassing questions, including ones about the movie producers personal hygiene.

It was very bad, Mann testified. He smelled like sh*t excuse me, sorry, like poop. He just was dirty.

As the BBC reported, Mann testified that Weinstein subjecting her to degrading abuse, including urinating on her. She detailed a time that he trapped her in a hotel bedroom and raped her.

Weinsteins trial has stretched into the fourth week, with a number of women accusing him of forcing them into sex. Mann told the court that she entered into what she believed to be a real relationship with Weinstein as she had ambitions of becoming an actress. Mann explained that after the instances where Weinstein forced her into sex, she stayed with him out of fear, describing his short temper.

If he heard the word no, it was like a trigger for him, she said.

There was plenty of drama leading up to the trial as well, the BBC reported, with prosecutors accusing his defense team of systemically eliminating young white women from the jury pool. Model Gigi Hadid was also selected as a potential juror, though she was eliminated.

Judge James Burke also instructed the jury to not look beyond the accusations against Weinstein, saying that the trial was not a referendum on the #MeToo movement or on sexual harassment but only the allegations facing the movie mogul.

At the same time, Weinsteins defense team has been accused of playing up his physical ailments in a bid to seek sympathy, showing him using a walker to help him enter the courtroom. As the Los Angeles Times reported, prosecutors are trying to overcome the image of him as harmless.

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Harvey Weinstein Rape Accuser Reveals Graphic Details About His Anatomy: I Thought He Was Deformed - The Inquisitr News

Anatomy

Big Bang Theory cast: Who is Kelli Goss? Meet the Greys Anatomy star – Express.co.uk

The episode, which was the 21st of the series, was aired back in April 2015.

She has now landed a new role in a CBS comedy pilot called United States of Al.

She said she was beyond excited to be a part of the project.

The move comes as her series on Netflix, The Ranch, comes to an end.

The Big Bang Theory is available to view on Netflix and E4

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Big Bang Theory cast: Who is Kelli Goss? Meet the Greys Anatomy star - Express.co.uk