A recent report published in the Journal of Medical Ethics has argued that doctors should be able to take sperm from men who have passed away if they have consented to becoming post-mortem donors.

The authors state that doing so is both feasible and morally permissible, as it may help to ensure that sufficient quantities of sperm are made available to individuals who wish to become parents through sperm donation.

So where does the law in the UK currently stand with regards to sperm donation? Here is everything you need to know.

Sharing the full story, not just the headlines

According to the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA), sperm donors are usually aged between 18 and 41.

Thousands of 999 patients in England are being told to get a taxi to hospital, figures have showed. The number of patients outside London who were refused an ambulance rose by 83 per cent in the past year as demand for services grows

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A vaping-related lung disease has claimed the lives of 11 people in the US in recent weeks. The US Centre for Disease Control and Prevention has more than 100 officials investigating the cause of the mystery illness, and has warned citizens against smoking e-cigarette products until more is known, particularly if modified or bought off the street

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Researchers in the US claim to have overcome one of the major hurdles to cultivating human follicles from stem cells. The new system allows cells to grow in a structured tuft and emerge from the skin

Sanford Burnham Preybs

A study in the journal Scientific Reports suggests that a dose of nature of just two hours a week is associated with better health and psychological wellbeing

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Exposure to air from traffic-clogged streets could leave women with fewer years to have children, a study has found. Italian researchers found women living in the most polluted areas were three times more likely to show signs they were running low on eggs than those who lived in cleaner surroundings, potentially triggering an earlier menopause

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Junk food adverts on TV and online could be banned before 9pm as part of Government plans to fight the "epidemic" of childhood obesity.Plans for the new watershed have been put out for public consultation in a bid to combat the growing crisis, the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) said

On migrating from Africa around 70,000 years ago, humans bumped into the neanderthals of Eurasia. While humans were weak to the diseases of the new lands, breeding with the resident neanderthals made for a better equipped immune system

The breath biopsy device is designed to detect cancer hallmarks in molecules exhaled by patients

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By their 10th birthdy, children have on average already eaten more sugar than the recommended amount for an 18 year old. The average 10 year old consumes the equivalent to 13 sugar cubes a day, 8 more than is recommended

While there is not enough evidence of harm to recommend UK-wide limits on screen use, the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health have advised that children should avoid screens for an hour before bed time to avoid disrupting their sleep

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A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine has found that many elderly people are taking daily aspirin to little or no avail

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A study by the University of Minnesota's Masonic Cancer Centre has found that the carcinogenic chemicals formaldehyde, acrolein, and methylglyoxal are present in the saliva of E-cigarette users

Reuters

There has been a 41% increase in children with type 2 diabetes since 2014, the National Paediatric Diabetes Audit has found. Obesity is a leading cause

Reuters

The majority of antidepressants are ineffective and may be unsafe, for children and teenager with major depression, experts have warned. In what is the most comprehensive comparison of 14 commonly prescribed antidepressant drugs to date, researchers found that only one brand was more effective at relieving symptoms of depression than a placebo. Another popular drug, venlafaxine, was shown increase the risk users engaging in suicidal thoughts and attempts at suicide

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Researchers at the Baptist Health South Florida Clinic in Miami focused on seven areas of controllable heart health and found these minority groups were particularly likely to be smokers and to have poorly controlled blood sugar

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A major pressure group has issued a fresh warning about perilously high amounts of sugar in breakfast cereals, specifically those designed for children, and has said that levels have barely been cut at all in the last two and a half decades

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New guidance by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), the body which determines what treatment the NHS should fund, said lax road repairs and car-dominated streets were contributing to the obesity epidemic by preventing members of the public from keeping active

A new class of treatments for women going through the menopause is able to reduce numbers of debilitating hot flushes by as much as three quarters in a matter of days, a trial has found.The drug used in the trial belongs to a group known as NKB antagonists (blockers), which were developed as a treatment for schizophrenia but have been sitting on a shelf unused, according to Professor Waljit Dhillo, a professor of endocrinology and metabolism

REX

Research from Oxford University found that more than one million extra people suffering from mental health problems would benefit from being prescribed drugs and criticised ideological reasons doctors use to avoid doing so.

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The family of a teenager who died from flu has urged people not to delay going to A&E if they are worried about their symptoms. Melissa Whiteley, an 18-year-old engineering student from Hanford in Stoke-on-Trent, fell ill at Christmas and died in hospital a month later.

Just Giving

The Government has pledged to review tens of thousands of cases where women have been given harmful vaginal mesh implants.

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The NHS will be asked to go further to prevent the deaths of patients in its care as part of a zero suicide ambition being launched today

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Human trials have begun with a new cancer therapy that can prime the immune system to eradicate tumours. The treatment, that works similarly to a vaccine, is a combination of two existing drugs, of which tiny amounts are injected into the solid bulk of a tumour.

Nephron

Mothers living within a kilometre of a fracking site were 25 per cent more likely to have a child born at low birth weight, which increase their chances of asthma, ADHD and other issues

Getty

Thousands of cervical cancer screening results are under review after failings at a laboratory meant some women were incorrectly given the all-clear. A number of women have already been told to contact their doctors following the identification of procedural issues in the service provided by Pathology First Laboratory.

Rex

Most breast cancer patients do not die from their initial tumour, but from secondary malignant growths (metastases), where cancer cells are able to enter the blood and survive to invade new sites. Asparagine, a molecule named after asparagus where it was first identified in high quantities, has now been shown to be an essential ingredient for tumour cells to gain these migratory properties.

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A record number of nursing and midwifery positions are currently being advertised by the NHS, with more than 34,000 positions currently vacant, according to the latest data. Demand for nurses was 19 per cent higher between July and September 2017 than the same period two years ago.

REX

CBD has a broadly opposite effect to delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the main active component in cannabis and the substance that causes paranoia and anxiety.

Getty

Mr Bransons company sued the NHS last year after it lost out on an 82m contract to provide childrens health services across Surrey, citing concerns over serious flaws in the way the contract was awarded

The numbers of people accepted to study nursing in England fell 3 per cent in 2017, while the numbers accepted in Wales and Scotland, where the bursaries were kept, increased 8.4 per cent and 8 per cent respectively

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The paper found that there were 45,000 more deaths in the first four years of Tory-led efficiencies than would have been expected if funding had stayed at pre-election levels.On this trajectory that could rise to nearly 200,000 excess deaths by the end of 2020, even with the extra funding that has been earmarked for public sector services this year.

Reuters

Hours of commuting may be mind-numbingly dull, but new research shows that it might also be having an adverse effect on both your health and performance at work. Longer commutes also appear to have a significant impact on mental wellbeing, with those commuting longer 33 per cent more likely to suffer from depression

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It is not possible to be overweight and healthy, a major new study has concluded. The study of 3.5 million Britons found that even metabolically healthy obese people are still at a higher risk of heart disease or a stroke than those with a normal weight range

Getty

When you feel particularly exhausted, it can definitely feel like you are also lacking in brain capacity. Now, a new study has suggested this could be because chronic sleep deprivation can actually cause the brain to eat itself

Shutterstock

David Lloyd Gyms have launched a new health and fitness class which is essentially a bunch of people taking a nap for 45 minutes. The fitness group was spurred to launch the napercise class after research revealed 86 per cent of parents said they were fatigued. The class is therefore predominantly aimed at parents but you actually do not have to have children to take part

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Tobacco and alcohol companies could win more easily in court cases such as the recent battle over plain cigarette packaging if the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights is abandoned, a barrister and public health professor have said

Getty

A major new study into the side effects of the cholesterol-lowering medicine suggests common symptoms such as muscle pain and weakness are not caused by the drugs themselves

Getty

New research has found that babies born to fathers under the age of 25 or over 51 are at higher risk of developing autism and other social disorders. The study, conducted by the Seaver Autism Center for Research and Treatment at Mount Sinai, found that these children are actually more advanced than their peers as infants, but then fall behind by the time they hit their teenage years

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Commuters who swap their car or bus pass for a bike could cut their risk of developing heart disease and cancer by almost half, new research suggests but campaigners have warned there is still an urgent need to improve road conditions for cyclists.Cycling to work is linked to a lower risk of developing cancer by 45 per cent and cardiovascular disease by 46 per cent, according to a study of a quarter of a million people.Walking to work also brought health benefits, the University of Glasgow researchers found, but not to the same degree as cycling.

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Scientists conducted the research on 71 car crash victims as they were waiting for treatment at one hospitals accident and emergency department. They asked half of the patients to briefly recall the incident and then play the classic computer game, the others were given a written activity to complete. The researchers, from Karolinska Institute in Sweden and the University of Oxford, found that the patients who had played Tetris reported fewer intrusive memories, commonly known as flashbacks, in the week that followed

Rex

Getty

Researchers in the US claim to have overcome one of the major hurdles to cultivating human follicles from stem cells. The new system allows cells to grow in a structured tuft and emerge from the skin

Sanford Burnham Preybs

A study in the journal Scientific Reports suggests that a dose of nature of just two hours a week is associated with better health and psychological wellbeing

Shutterstock

Getty/iStock

The breath biopsy device is designed to detect cancer hallmarks in molecules exhaled by patients

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What are the laws for sperm donation in the UK? - The Independent

Embryology

It’s OK for dead men to donate their sperm, according to medical ethics study – Yahoo Lifestyle

January 22, 2020 medical

A new study argues that men should be allowed to donate sperm to strangers after their death.

The January 20 study in the Journal of Medical Ethics raises similarities to organ donation, which allows people to donate life-saving tissue to those in need of transplants. If it is morally acceptable that individuals can donate their tissues to relieve the suffering of others in life-enhancing transplants for diseases, wrote the study authors, we see no reason this cannot be extended to other forms of suffering like infertility, which may or may not also be considered a disease.

The study suggests that allowing men to donate after death would help address the U.K. sperm donor shortage: between 2011 and 2013, the average number of newly-registered sperm donors per year was 586 (an increase of about 300 from 2004). But a portion of that increase also reflects donations used directly by mens partners, not strangers.

Postmortem sperm can be collected after death through surgery (by extracting sperm through a cut in the scrotum) or electroejaculation, aprocedure that delivers electric shocks to the prostate and stimulates ejaculation. Collected sperm would be cryopreserved in fertility clinics and thawed when ready for use.

Sperm harvesting after death has been technically possible for many years, and there is evidence that it can be used in reproduction, wrote the study authors. Case series have demonstrated that sperm retrieved from dead men can result in a viable pregnancies and healthy children, even when retrieved 48 hours after death.

Study co-author Joshua Parker, an education fellow in ethics and law at Wythenshawe Hospital in Manchester, England, tells Yahoo Lifestyle: Were suggesting that men could voluntarily donate their sperm to fertility clinics to alleviate pain for those suffering from infertility. But it raises ethical questions what preferences should people have when choosing donors? Whats the psychological impact on a child knowing that he or she was born from a deceased donor? And how does postmortem sperm donation affect grieving families and their relationship with a potential child?

Organ transplants benefit recipients with conditions that are life-threatening or life-enhancing, says the study, pointing to corneal transplants as an example of the latter. Infertility is not life-threatening, however, wrote the authors. There is also debate over whether infertility is a disease,which we cannot settle here and so will set aside. Nevertheless, as we argue below, infertility certainly causes suffering, some of which can be ameliorated by access to donor sperm....

Standards for postmortem sperm donations should equal those applied to living donations, says Parker, with quality of sperm being a high priority. However, that speaks to the quality of consent, he adds. Men would need to be aware of the possibility that their donations may not result in a pregnancy after they die.

A spokesperson from the Human Fertilization and Embryology Authority, which regulates fertility clinics in the U.K., did not return Yahoo Lifestyles request for comment. A spokesperson told CNN that donors must be medically screened, counseled and give consent. "None of these requirements could be satisfied if donation was only undertaken after death. Essentially, this means that harvesting sperm from a donor after death is currently illegal," the spokesperson said.

Some might feel that using sperm from a dead person is disturbing, a notion acknowledged by Parker. But we dont decide whats right or wrong based on that gut reaction, he tells Yahoo Lifestyle. Medical ethics are determined by reason, argument and evidence not whether we feel sick about it.

Quest Diagnostics Acquires Blueprint Genetics to Broaden Access to Actionable Insights for Genetic and Rare Diseases – P&T Community

January 22, 2020 medical

SECAUCUS, N.J. and HELSINKI, Finland, Jan. 22, 2020 /PRNewswire/ --Quest Diagnostics (NYSE: DGX), the world's leading provider of diagnostic information services, today announced that it has acquired Blueprint Genetics in an all-cash equity transaction. Blueprint Genetics is a leading specialty genetic testing company with deep expertise in gene variant interpretation based on next generation sequencing (NGS) and proprietary bioinformatics. Together, Quest and Blueprint Genetics will broaden access to actionable insights in genetic and rare diseases, improving patient care and pharmaceutical drug research and development. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

"The great challengewithgenetic testingisgeneratingquality,actionable and broadly accessible insights from vast quantities of sequenced genetic data," said Steve Rusckowski, Chairman, President and CEO, Quest Diagnostics. "Blueprint Genetics has developed a proven modelfor deliveringhighly specializedgenetic insightsthat we believe we can scale toservenew patient populations with unmet clinical needs.The addition of Blueprint Geneticsstrengthensand extends the Questvalue proposition ingenetics,delivering on our Accelerate growth strategyand vision of a healthier world."

Founded in 2012, Blueprint Genetics grew rapidly, and now serves customers in over 70 countries. The company's growth is based largely on proprietary guideline-supported methods of gene variant interpretation of data generated from next generation sequencing, backed by high-touch consultative service. The company provides 3,900 targeted single gene and over 200 panel tests spanning 14 medical specialties. Gene variant interpretation involves identifying associations between gene variants and disease or treatment response.

Blueprint Genetics has increased its focus and presence in the United States through a recently established hub facility in Seattle, Washington. The acquisition provides a platform for Blueprint Genetics to leverage Quest's capabilities in next generation sequencing and national infrastructure serving half the health systems and physicians in the United States. Blueprint Genetics is expected to continue to operate largely independently from its base laboratory in Helsinki, Finland, and a presence in other countries.

Through its Advanced Diagnostics offerings, Quest specializes in combining state-of-the-art technologies, such as next generation sequencing, with higher-order interpretative expertise and digital customer enablement. Blueprint Genetics brings to Quest high-touch service in variant interpretation and reporting and associated sequencing and bioinformatics, which complement and extend its existing genetics leadership.

"As the leader in Advanced Diagnostics, Quest Diagnostics understands that robust bioinformatics and consultative expertise are essential to fast, accurate and cost-efficient data interpretation," said Carrie Eglinton Manner, Senior Vice President, Advanced Diagnostics, Quest Diagnostics. "Blueprint Genetics brings to Quest a proven platform in specialty genetics -- especially gene variant interpretation and reporting -- that powerfully differentiates our Advanced Diagnostics offering."

Over time, the acquisition is expected to yield new capabilities to serve providers specializing in rare disease and neurology, particularly pediatric and academic hospitals. The two organizations also envision that members of the Quest Diagnostics Global Diagnostic Network and its pharmaceutical and in vitro diagnostic collaborators will benefit from Blueprint Genetics' capabilities.

"Blueprint Genetics prides itself on resolving the most challenging genetic and rare disease cases to improve patient outcomes," said TommiLehtonen, who has agreed to continue to lead the company as Vice President and General Manager, reporting to Ms. Eglinton Manner. "Teaming up with Quest will allow us to extend our capabilities in the United States as well as in Canada and other countries where we already have strong and growing client relationships. While we considered joining forces with several organizations, Quest's genetics leadership, national infrastructure and strong cultural fit made it the perfect partner from which to extend our reach to new providers and patients."

Genetic testing can aid in diagnosing many rare diseases as well as identifying future risk of and treatment for certain cancers and other conditions. According to the National Institutes of Health, as many as 7,000 rare diseases exist and as many as 30 million Americans have a rare disease.

About Quest DiagnosticsQuest Diagnostics empowers people to take action to improve health outcomes. Derived from the world's largest database of clinical lab results, our diagnostic insights reveal new avenues to identify and treat disease, inspire healthy behaviors and improve health care management. Quest Diagnostics annually serves one in three adult Americans and half the physicians and hospitals in the United States, and our 46,000 employees understand that, in the right hands and with the right context, our diagnostic insights can inspire actions that transform lives.

View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/quest-diagnostics-acquires-blueprint-genetics-to-broaden-access-to-actionable-insights-for-genetic-and-rare-diseases-300990571.html

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Quest Diagnostics Acquires Blueprint Genetics to Broaden Access to Actionable Insights for Genetic and Rare Diseases - P&T Community

Genetics

David Hogness, Revolutionary of 20th Century Genetics, Dies – The Scientist

January 22, 2020 medical

David Hogness

courtesy stanford medicine

David Hogness, a biochemist, geneticist, and developmental biologist at Stanford University, died at his home on December 24. He was 94 years old.

Hogness is well known for a series of experiments during the 1970s and 1980s that were instrumental in launching both molecular genetics and genomics, according to a university statement.

His lab brought molecular biology to Drosophila, discovered the first core promotor element in eukaryotes, cloned the Hox genes, studied the basis of steroid hormone signaling, the list goes on and on. He was a giant, says biologist Mark Peifer of the University of North Carolina in a tweet.

Hogness was born in Oakland, California, on November 17, 1925, and grew up in Chicago. In 1949, he received his bachelors degree in chemistry from Caltech, where he also earned his PhD in biology and chemistry in 1952.

While a faculty member at Washington University in St. Louis, Hogness studied bacteriophage lambda and created the first physical maps of genes along DNA, according to the statement. He joined Stanfords newly formed biochemistry department in 1959, and during a sabbatical in 1968, shifted his focus to Drosophila.

In a 1972 grant proposal, Hogness described the concept of chromosomal walkingnow known as positional cloninga technological breakthrough that many consider to be the founding of genomics, according to Stanfords statement.Hognesss 1975 paper published in PNAS detailed colony hybridization, a novel method of isolating cloned DNA. Three years later, Hogness discovered the Goldberg-Hogness box, now called the TATA box, a non-coding promoter sequence where transcription is initiated in archaea and eukaryotes (prokaryotes have a homolog called the Pribnow box). Another landmark study published in the early 1980s demonstrated the ability to clone the gene underlying any genetic trait, and simultaneously proved there were genes specifically devoted to regulating normal development, says Richard Lifton, the president of Rockefeller University and a former student of Hogness, in the press release. Its one of the great papers in the history of biology.

Daves genius was to realize that the recombinant DNA technologies newly developed at Stanford, which allowed researchers to isolate and replicate to very high copy numbers distinct segments of DNA, could be used to map the locations of the DNA segments to specific bands on the polytene chromosomes, developmental biologist Philip Beachy says in the statement.

Hognesss awards include the March of Dimes Prize in Developmental Biology in 1997, the Lifetime Achievement Award of the Society for Developmental Biology in 2002, the Thomas Hunt Morgan Medal in 2003, and the Warren Alpert Foundation Prize in 2013.

Hogness is survived by his sons.

Amy Schleunes is an intern atThe Scientist. Email her ataschleunes@the-scientist.com.

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David Hogness, Revolutionary of 20th Century Genetics, Dies - The Scientist

Genetics

Seattle Genetics Up More Than 40% in the Past Year: Here’s Why – Yahoo Finance

January 22, 2020 medical

Shares of Seattle Genetics, Inc. SGEN have surged 48% in the past year against the industrys decline of 3.5%.

Solid performance of its lead marketed drug Adcetris and the recent approval of Padcev (enfortumab vedotin-ejfv) might have been driving the stock price of late. Other pipeline candidates are also making good progress.

Adcetris is approved for relapsed Hodgkin lymphoma and relapsed systemic anaplastic large cell lymphoma (sALCL) in the United States, the EU and Japan. The drug generated sales of $461.5 million in the first nine months of 2019, reflecting a year-over-year surge of 34%.

Improved sales of the drug were owing to its label expansions for frontline CD30-expressing PTCL and frontline HL.

In December 2019, the FDA granted accelerated approval to Padcev for the treatment of patients with advanced/metastatic urothelial cancer, who had received treatment with both a checkpoint inhibitor (PD-1/PD-L1) and platinum-based chemotherapy.

Following this nod, Padcev became the first FDA approved drug for treating the given patient population.

Notably, the nod came much before the scheduled Prescription Drug User Fee Act (PDUFA) action date of Mar 15, 2020. The company is developing Padcev in collaboration with Japanese partner Astellas Pharma, Inc.

The approval for Padcev should reduce Seattle Genetics heavy dependence on Adcetris and significantly boost its top line in the future quarters.

Apart from Adcetris and Padcev, the companys other antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) candidates including tucatinib, tisotumab vedotin, ladiratuzumab vedotin and SEA-BCMA are progressing well.

Notably, last month, Seattle Genetics and Astellas signed a collaboration agreement with pharma giant Merck MRK to begin a phase III study on the combination of Padcev and the latters PD-1/L1 inhibitor Keytruda (pembrolizumab) to address patients with previously untreated metastatic urothelial cancer.

Also, in the same period, Seattle Genetics submitted a new drug application (NDA) to the FDA for its oral tyrosine kinase inhibitor tucatinib in combination with Roche's RHHBY Herceptin (trastuzumab) and Xeloda (capecitabine). The company is seeking approval for tucatinib combo to treat patients with locally advanced/metastatic HER2-positive breast cancer including those with brain metastases who have received at least three prior HER2-directed agents separately or in combination in the neoadjuvant, adjuvant or metastatic setting.

However, sole reliance on Adcetris, which constitutes majority of the company's top line, remains a concern. It is also to be seen whether the newly-approved Padcev is able to make an impact and drive revenues in the long run.

Seattle Genetics, Inc. Price

Seattle Genetics, Inc. price | Seattle Genetics, Inc. Quote

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Seattle Genetics currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). A better-ranked stock in the biotech sector is Epizyme, Inc. EPZM, which sports a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). You can seethe complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

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Seattle Genetics Up More Than 40% in the Past Year: Here's Why - Yahoo Finance

Genetics

Red Angus Genetics – AG INFORMATION NETWORK OF THE WEST – AGInfo Ag Information Network Of The West

January 22, 2020 medical

Its so funny how good things can occur if you keep your ears open. The other night I was at the butcher counter in a local grocery store when I overheard two people talking about issues involving beef packaging and marketing. It turns out that one of them, named Logan Peters works for Agribeef in Boise and the other named Katie Ochsner is a marketing specialist for the Red Angus Association. We had a nice chat and I asked Katie specifically what she did. This time of year, our marketing team is traveling to a lot of bull sales which we attend all over the United States in order to promote our marketing programs. We generally give a pre-sale speech and then just interact with the commercial producers that are there buying in order to inform them about how they can use red Angus genetics in combination with our marketing programs to bring premiums for their calves. We have an age source and genetics verification program called the feeder calf certification program. As long as they are using registered bulls and the calves are at least 50% red Angus genetics, they can qualify for that program.

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Red Angus Genetics - AG INFORMATION NETWORK OF THE WEST - AGInfo Ag Information Network Of The West

Genetics

Genetic risk markers and misrepresentation – The Medium

January 22, 2020 medical

The Medium recently had the chance to sit down with Dr. EstebanParra, a molecular anthropologist and anthropology professor at the Universityof Toronto Mississauga (UTM).

Parra has hada long and far-reaching journey in science which began in one of the oldestuniversities in Spain, the University of Santiago de Compostela. He began hisstudies in biology and like many students everywhere [he] discovered what [hewas] really passionate about while completing his undergraduate degree.

For Parra, thediscovered passion was anthropology and genetics. After completing his Ph.D.degree, he completed a postdoctoral fellowship at a molecular anthropology labin Spain. He was also a post-doctoral fellow in Rome, Italy, and Pittsburgh,USA, before joining UTM in 2002. Parra advises those interested in graduatestudies to be willing to follow the opportunities that arise. For him, it hasbeen incredibly exciting to see how the UTM campus has changed and grown inthe past seventeen years. We have been attracting incredible new faculty, notonly to anthropology but to many other programs, which has been nice to see,he says.

Parra hascontinued his research at UTM. One of the focuses of his research is toidentify some of the genetic risk markers of traits and diseases such asobesity, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and cancer. This is doneusing a genome wide association study to identify variants that are associatedwith these traits. Parra uses a consortiaa large group of samplesto haveaccess to as much data as possible. The more samples there are, the higherchance there is of finding a common link between the genetics of an individualand the ailments they suffer from.

Parra doesmention that genetics are often not the only cause. For diseases such as cysticfibrosis, ones genes are the primary factor in causing the condition. Thesediseases are termed Mendelian disorders. However, for complex conditions likeobesity and diabetes, ones environment and lifestyle play a huge role.Modifications in your lifestyle, your diet, and physical activity, are thebest way to combat conditions such as obesity and diabetes, said Parra.

An excitingdevelopment Parra is looking forward to is the advancement of precisionmedicine. Precision medicineor personalized medicine as it is sometimesreferred tois when an individuals genetic profile can be used to develop atailor-made treatment program for the individual. Precision medicine is a newfield because it has only recently been made possible by technologicaladvancements, which have also lowered the cost of genetic studies dramatically,and, in turn, opened many doors in the field of genetics.

Parraemphasizes the importance of collecting as much data as possible. The best wayto approach this is to collaborate with other scientists [] there are somestudies that are done with many participating research groups, and they havebeen able to use samples of up to a million individuals.

One of theadvantages of collecting a large number of samples is balanced representationof diverse ethnic groups, which for Parra is very important. He explains thatgenetic studies in the past have primarily been conducted in European countrieswhich is problematic for the future of precision medicine. When you primarilywork in just one population group, it may not be as helpful for the rest of theworld, he says.

In fact, foralmost all non-European groups, underrepresentation is a significant issuewhich is only improving slowly. Underrepresentation can be attributed to avariety of factors such as biasness and the location of the research groups whogenerally choose to perform their research in their own areas. Parra encouragesthose conducting research to overcome these factors since it is absolutelycritical to do more studies and represent these groups.

Parra hascontributed in his own right to the growth of the sample pool. One of thestudies he participated in was part of a large collaboration with researchersfrom around the world. Together, the researchers collected samples from overeighteen thousand individuals of various ethnicities. Since very few studieshad been previously conducted on non-European populations, they focused onlooking for genetic markers of obesity in children. Ultimately, they discovereda new locusa fixed position on a chromosome where a genetic marker is located.The locus they had discovered had not been found in significant numbers inpurely European groups, but appeared consistently in the diverse sample pool,exemplifying the need for more diverse sources.

Despite theshortcomings, Parra is hopeful about the future of the field and its growth. Heencourages greater awareness of the disparity of samples and urges efforts torectify the misrepresentation. He is immensely passionate about anthropologyand genetics and finishes off by stating, DNA is an open bookyou just need toknow how to read it.

Biochemistry

Chemistry and biochemistry professor recognized for strength of teaching, research – UMSL Daily

January 22, 2020 medical

The National Society of Leadership and Success recognized Distinguished Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry George Gokel for the quality of his teaching at the end of last year. (Photo by August Jennewein)

When George Gokel opened the email informing him that hed won a teaching award from the National Society of Leadership and Success, the University of MissouriSt. Louis professor was grateful but surprised.

I didnt know the organization, Gokel said. I sent a message to the chair, asking him if he knew the organization. You can imagine how stunned I was when I saw a couple of hundred people assembled there when we got to the actual meeting.

Gokel, a distinguished professor of chemistry and biochemistry and former director of the Center for NanoScience, has accomplished a long list of achievements, which includes 16 patents and becoming a Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors. Hes also been recognized with the American Chemical Society Midwest Award, the James B. Eads Award of the Academy of Science, the UMSL Chancellors Award for Excellence in Research and Creativity and more.

A faculty member as distinguished as Gokel could justifiably focus on research and not on teaching, but he cares deeply about giving his students a quality education. Thats what makes this award especially poignant for Gokel.

It means a great deal to me because I put a great deal of effort into teaching, he said. People are sometimes surprised that I teach undergraduates, but I think undergraduates deserve to have experienced scientists teaching them. Theres a lot of new language in organic chemistry. It can be befuddling, but it doesnt need to be. Its actually a very logical discipline. But most students come in being scared of the course, so you need to start off simply and explain that theres nothing mystical or unreasonable.

Gokel rotates between teaching Organic Chemistry, Advanced Physical Organic Chemistry and a graduate seminar.

Gokel values presenting his students with material in a manner that is contemporaneous and engaging. For Gokel, that means no teaching from notes but instead focusing on key topics during each lesson. He believes in helping students learn unfamiliar terms and concepts by comparing them to familiar ones.

Hearing from students whove found his courses valuable is the best reward in Gokels mind.

I know that Ive had a positive effect on peoples lives, he said. I get a lot of satisfaction out of that. I think part of the reason we should be in a university is we should be teaching. My research has been very important to me, and Ive done OK. But teaching is important, and I like it.

Gokel is known at UMSL and beyond for his work in synthetic organic chemistry. In November, the United States Patent Office once again recognized the value of Gokels research by issuing his most-recent patent, Molecules that Inhibit Efflux Pumps in Multi-drug Resistant Bacteria and Uses Thereof. Gokels group includes Mohit Patel, research associate in chemistry; Saeedeh Negin, post-doctoral fellow in chemistry; and Michael R.Gokel, an electrical engineer who holds a courtesy appointment at UMSL and is Gokels son.

They started their research with the goal of making an artificial ion channel. Thats a protein that helps pass things, such as nutrients or waste, through a cell membrane. When they accomplished that goal, the group began thinking about how that invention might be useful.

The current patent application uses that artificial channel to help antibiotics get into bacterial cells, which increases the medicines potency. Gokel believes their invention could help combat antibiotic resistance, a growing problem identified by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

It also has a property we did not anticipate of blocking the proteins that would ordinarily push antibiotics out of a cell, he said. More gets in, less antibiotic gets pushed out, so you have a more potent antimicrobial, and were trying to develop that. We have some that have very high activity against several organisms, like pneumonia and tuberculosis. We know that our compounds are quite active against a number of bacteria that are resistant to drugs like Vancomycin, which is a drug of last resort.

Gokels group formed a startup company, Upaya Pharmaceuticals, and has done tests in mice for toxicity and bioavailability, and it is working on developing a way for the molecule to be taken orally in conjunction with antibiotics. By the time the drug is ready for clinical trials, Gokel hopes to sell the company and has already begun to see interest on that front.

Until then, hell be focusing on investigating molecule analogues and other testing with a contract research organization. This work has been supported in part by University of Missouri System FastTrack Funding Awards.

Were still interested in all of the peripheral questions, like how do these compounds actually work? Gokel said. How do they enter membranes? How do they foster ion transport and regulation? But those are the academic questions that we need to answer to better understand the biological activity because the truth is there are lots of interesting materials. There are lots of interesting compounds, but many of them dont have any particular purpose. And these compounds could potentially be lifesaving.

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Chemistry and biochemistry professor recognized for strength of teaching, research - UMSL Daily

Biochemistry

Malang’s new songs & # 039; Hamarah & # 039; But get ready to dancing, may be circulated about this time – Sahiwal Tv

January 22, 2020 medical

new Delhi. After wooing fans with all the groovy lyrics of Mohit Suri's film 'Malang', the producer is currently prepared to win the minds associated with the market with all the most recent track 'Humraah'.

'Humraah' tune of 'Malang' may be circulated the next day 'Hamarah' into the sound of Sachet Tandon is created by Kunal Verma which is circulated the next day and remember the motif associated with the movie, it is an exciting and colorful vibe tune.

->In 'Humrah', people are certain to get a deeper glance at the sizzling biochemistry between Aditya Roy Kapoor and Disha Patani.

Aditya and Disha may be seen performing adventure recreations Aditya and Disha may be seen playing plenty of adventure recreations like sky scuba diving, sub wing, liquid kitesurfing, driving quad bicycles etc. in this tune. While the present launch subject tabs on 'Malang' is showing become a chartbuster hit, the movie's debut tune 'Chala Ghar Chalen' is a soulful tune which has created an unique invest the minds associated with the market.

The film 'Malang' is likely to be circulated about this time 'Malang' is perhaps all set to discharge on 7 February 2020, which was shot in Mauritius, Goa and elements of Mumbai. The exact same, the secret and biochemistry noticed in the truck has actually certainly made it probably the most awaited truck associated with the period.

Malang is directed by Mohit Suri and created by Bhushan Kumar, Krishna Kumar of T-Series, Luv Ranjan, Ankur Garg of Love Films and J Shevakramani of Northern Lights Entertainment.

Biochemistry

Study reveals new mechanism involved in the pathogenesis of IBD – News-Medical.net

January 22, 2020 medical

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a category of refractory inflammatory disease, of which ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn's disease (CD) are the main types.

Current studies suggest that IBD is a complex autoinflammatory disease determined by genetic and environmental factors, and is the major cause of gastrointestinal cancer. Because of its complex and refractory character, researchers have focused on determining the detailed pathogenesis of IBD and finding an effective therapy for it.

In a study published online in PNAS on Jan. 20, Prof. SUN Bing's team from the Center for Excellence in Molecular and Cellular Science, Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, in collaboration with Prof. LIU Jie from Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, revealed a new mechanism involved in the pathogenesis of IBD and suggested therapeutic targets for clinical trial.

Among the identified IBD-susceptibility genes (NOD2, IL-23, etc.), extracellular matrix protein-1 (ECM1) gene was found to be strongly related to UC in 2008. Since 2011, several studies from SUN's lab have reported the disease-related functions of ECM1 in Th2, Th17 and Tfh cells. However, no available evidence suggested that ECM1 plays a direct role in IBD.

In this study, the researchers analyzed tissue samples from patients with ulcerative colitis and a DSS-induced IBD mice model.

They found that ECM1 was highly expressed in macrophages, particularly tissue-infiltrated macrophages under inflammatory conditions, and ECM1 expression was significantly induced during IBD progression. The macrophage-specific knockout of ECM1 resulted in increased arginase 1 (ARG1) expression and impaired polarization into the M1 macrophage phenotype after lipopolysaccharide (LPS) treatment.

Further study showed that ECM1 protein could regulate M1 macrophage polarization through the GM-CSF/STAT5 signaling pathway. Pathological changes in mice with dextran sodium sulfate-induced IBD were alleviated by the specific knockout of the ECM1 gene in macrophages.

These results reveal a role for the IBD-susceptibility gene ECM1 in colitis and the possible existence of a GM-CSF/STAT5 regulatory axis in macrophages, indicating that the attenuation of ECM1 function in macrophages is a potential strategy for IBD therapy.