Cell Biology

New clues on why pregnancy may increase risk of organ transplant rejection – Newswise

Newswise A research study at the University of Chicago has found that in pregnancy, while the T cell response to a fetus becomes tolerant to allow for successful pregnancy, the part of the immune system that produces antibodies (known as the humoral response) becomes sensitized, creating memory B cells that can later contribute to the rejection of a transplanted organ.

The results help to clarify why it is that the immune system can tolerate a fetus during pregnancy, but later may be more likely to become sensitized to and reject an organ transplant. The study was published on January 4, 2021 in the Journal of Clinical Investigation.

The immune system is designed to respond to and protect against foreign invaders; it does this by recognizing molecules on foreign cells, known as antigens, and mounting an immune response that produces T cells to target and attack foreign cells directly, as well as memory B cells that produce antibodies to tag foreign cells for destruction by other blood cells.

In most cases, this system is extremely beneficial but in pregnancy, some adaptation is required to prevent the rejection of a fetus, which only shares half its genes with the mother and therefore presents foreign antigens to the mothers immune system.

This also has the paradoxical effect of increasing the risk of a rejection for a transplanted organ (or allograft) after a person has given birth, particularly if the transplanted organ such as a kidney is from the father of their children.

This new research was inspired by prior work showing that T cells become tolerized during pregnancy, meaning they dont respond to fetal antigens. This was paradoxical to the transplant field, where we consider pregnancy a sensitizing event, said co-senior author Anita Chong, PhD, a professor of surgery at UChicago. I wanted to know why it was that pregnancy resulted in sensitization to an allograft (transplanted organ) from the male partner, but enhanced tolerance to a fetus expressing the same antigens.

In the study, the investigators examined the immune response of female mice after receiving a transplanted heart from one of their offspring. By tracking both the T cell response and the humoral response, they could follow both arms of the immune response and study their effects on transplant rejection. They saw that the T cells did not react to the allograft, but the memory B cells did, producing antibodies against foreign antigens from the transplanted heart.

Our assumption was that both arms of the immune system would be sensitized to the offspring-matched transplanted organ, said Chong, But theres something about the fetus promoting T cell tolerance that is also preserved for the allograft. On the other hand, the antibodies that are produced to the fetus do not harm the fetus, but cause the rejection of the allograft.

Given the biology of pregnancy, the investigators say, these results make sense.

Pregnancy cannot evolve to completely eliminate the humoral response because its critical for a mother to be able to produce antibodies against infectious pathogens during pregnancy and breastfeeding; its the only immunity a mother can pass to their child. So, the immune system is primed to make antibodies against anything foreign during this period, including those expressed by the fetus, said Chong. As a result, the placenta has evolved ways to handle these antibodies in order to prevent fetus rejection in subsequent pregnancies.

These results are a promising start for preventing transplant rejection in people after pregnancies in the future.

There is potential for applying therapies that would eliminate memory B cells and antibodies that now make it more difficult for these women to accept a transplant, said co-senior author Maria-Luisa Alegre, MD/PhD, a professor of medicine at UChicago. This would level the playing field for women with children. We could eliminate antibodies and B cells before transplantation and eliminate the problem, while T cell responses to antigens shared by the fetus and the transplant would already be spontaneously partially suppressed.

What is not yet clear is how the sensitized humoral response overrides the T cell tolerance to reject an allograft in people after pregnancy, or how the T cell tolerance might be induced in non-mothers in order to prevent rejection in other populations.

As part of their ongoing collaboration, Chong and Alegre hope to continue working on this puzzle. One aspect of future research is to see if we can exploit this ability of pregnancy to tolerize T cells to have better acceptance not only in people who have been pregnant, but in everybody, said Alegre. Outside of pregnancy, people can get sensitized prior to transplantation in different ways, from disease or environmental antigens, and it can be difficult to protect the transplant from cross-reactive memory T cells. Now were looking at how pregnancy can tolerize these memory T cells that are otherwise difficult to immunosuppress with current drugs.

The study, Pregnancy-induced humoral sensitization overrides T cell tolerance to fetus-matched allografts in mice, was supported by NIH/NIAID grants R01AI142747 and P01AI097113. Additional authors include Ashley N. Suah, Dong-Kha V. Tran, Stella H.W. Khiew, Michael S. Andrade, Jared M. Pollard, Dharmendra Jain, James S. Young, and Dengping Yin of UChicago; and Geetha Chalasani of the University of Pittsburgh.

###

About the University of Chicago Medicine & Biological Sciences

The University of Chicago Medicine, with a history dating back to 1927, is one of the nations leading academic health systems. It unites the missions of the University of Chicago Medical Center, Pritzker School of Medicine and the Biological Sciences Division. Twelve Nobel Prize winners in physiology or medicine have been affiliated with the University of Chicago Medicine. Its main Hyde Park campus is home to the Center for Care and Discovery, Bernard Mitchell Hospital, Comer Childrens Hospital and the Duchossois Center for Advanced Medicine. It also has ambulatory facilities in Orland Park, South Loop and River East as well as affiliations and partnerships that create a regional network of care. UChicago Medicine offers a full range of specialty-care services for adults and children through more than 40 institutes and centers including an NCI-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center. Together with Harvey-based Ingalls Memorial, UChicago Medicine has 1,296 licensed beds, nearly 1,300 attending physicians, over 2,800 nurses and about 970 residents and fellows.

Visit UChicago Medicines health and science news blog at http://www.uchicagomedicine.org/forefront.

Twitter @UChicagoMed Facebook.com/UChicagoMed

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Biochemistry

Biochemists Switch DNA Functions on and Off Using Light – SciTechDaily

Biochemists use protein engineering to transfer photocaging groups to DNA.

DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) is the basis of life on earth. The function of DNA is to store all the genetic information, which an organism needs to develop, function and reproduce. It is essentially a biological instruction manual found in every cell.

Biochemists at the University of Mnster have now developed a strategy for controlling the biological functions of DNA with the aid of light. This enables researchers to better understand and control the different processes which take place in the cell for example epigenetics, the key chemical change and regulatory lever in DNA.

The results have been published in the journal Angewandte Chemie.

The cells functions depend on special molecules, the enzymes. Enzymes are proteins, which carry out chemical reactions in the cell. They help to synthesize metabolic products, make copies of the DNA molecules, convert energy for the cells activities, change DNA epigenetically and break down certain molecules.

A team of researchers headed by Prof. Andrea Rentmeister from the Institute of Biochemistry at the University of Mnster used a so-called enzymatic cascade reaction in order to understand and track these functions better. This sequence of successive reaction steps involving different enzymes makes it possible to transfer so-called photocaging groups chemical groups, which can be removed by means of irradiation with light to DNA. Previously, studies had shown that only small residues (small modifications such as methyl groups) could be transferred very selectively to DNA, RNA (ribonucleic acid) or proteins.

As a result of our work, it is now possible to transfer larger residues or modifications such as the photocaging groups just mentioned, explains Nils Klcker, one of the lead authors of the study and a PhD student at the Institute of Biochemistry. Working together with structural biologist Prof. Daniel Kmmel, who also works at the Institute of Biochemistry, it was also possible to explain the basis for the changed activity at a molecular level.

Using so-called protein engineering a method for which a Nobel prize was awarded in 2018 the Mnster researchers engineered one enzyme in the cascade, making it possible to switch DNA functions on and off by means of light. With the aid of protein design, it was possible to expand the substrate spectrum of enzymes in this case, methionine adenosyltransferases (MATs). In their work, the researchers examined two MATs. The modifications carried out offer a starting point for developing other MATs with an expanded substrate spectrum.

Combining these MATs with other enzymes has potential for future cellular applications. This is an important step for implementing in-situ generated, non-natural substances for other enzymes in epigenetic studies, says Andrea Rentmeister.

Reference: Engineered SAM Synthetases for Enzymatic Generation of AdoMet Analogs with Photocaging Groups and Reversible DNA Modification in Cascade Reactions by Dr. Freideriki Michailidou, Nils Klcker, Nicolas V. Cornelissen, Dr. Rohit K. Singh, Aileen Peters, Anna Ovcharenko, Prof.Dr. Daniel Kmmel and Prof.Dr. Andrea Rentmeister, 5 October 2020, Angewandte Chemie.DOI: 10.1002/anie.202012623

Funding: The study received financial support from the German Research Foundation (DFG), the European Research Council (ERC) and the IRTG Mnster-Toronto network.

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Biochemists Switch DNA Functions on and Off Using Light - SciTechDaily

Biochemistry

Nautilus Biotechnology Expands Executive Team – BioSpace

Jan. 5, 2021 14:00 UTC

Proven leaders in product, finance, and marketing to accelerate the development of Nautilus next-generation, single-molecule proteomics analysis platform

SEATTLE & SAN CARLOS, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Nautilus Biotechnology, a company pioneering a high-throughput, low-cost platform for quantifying the human proteome, today announced the addition of three new members to its executive leadership team: Subra Sankar, SVP of Product Development; Anna Mowry, VP of Finance and Business Operations; and Chris Blessington, VP of Corporate Marketing and Communications. These additions bolster the companys existing leadership team as Nautilus accelerates the development and ultimate commercialization of its platform.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210105005126/en/

Anna Mowry

Im incredibly excited to welcome Subra, Anna, and Chris to our team as each brings the type of seasoned operational leadership experience Nautilus will need for the next stages of our development, said Sujal Patel, co-founder and CEO of Nautilus Biotechnology. This expansion complements our already strong team and provides additional leadership in key functional areas.

Subra Sankar, SVP of Product Development Subra joins Nautilus from GenapSys where, as SVP of Product Development, he led the company's R&D efforts including Engineering, Assay, System Integration, Consumable Development, Informatics and a variety of chemistry and molecular biology groups. Subra has held many senior roles over the last 15 years, notably at Solexa/Illumina where, from 2006 to 2012, he led instrument and consumable development efforts for next gen sequencers and related products.

Anna Mowry, VP of Finance & Business Operations Anna joins Nautilus from Igneous where she served as VP of Finance and Operations with responsibility for finance, accounting, people, legal, and operations. Previously, Anna held a variety of roles at companies including Amazon Web Services, and Isilon Systems, where she ultimately led the finance and sales operations organization. Anna has an undergraduate degree in Biochemistry and started her career at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Institute.

Chris Blessington, VP of Corporate Marketing and Communications Chris joins Nautilus from Smartsheet where he served as VP of Marketing and Communications with responsibility for creating markets, building awareness, and driving revenue. Prior to that, he led marketing and communications teams at ExtraHop Networks and Isilon Systems through the company's acquisition by EMC. At EMC/Isilon, he also served as executive sponsor of the companys Life Sciences and Genomics markets, leading product evangelism, market research, and sales preparedness.

ABOUT NAUTILUS BIOTECHNOLOGY

Based in Seattle, Washington with scientific development San Carlos, California, Nautilus is a biotechnology company who is developing a proteomics platform that aims to deliver superior sensitivity far more quickly, more completely, and less expensively than is currently possible. By breaking through the limitations of existing technologies, and effectively democratizing proteomics, Nautilus strategic mission is to enable a dramatic acceleration of basic science research, significantly improve the success rate of therapeutic development, and enhance opportunities for personalized and predictive medicine.

Learn more at: http://www.nautilus.bio

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Biochemistry

Autobahn Therapeutics Strengthens its Team to Support its Continued Growth – BioSpace

Jan. 5, 2021 13:30 UTC

Scott Giacobello Appointed to Board of Directors

Scott Forrest, Ph.D., Promoted to Chief Financial Officer

SAN DIEGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Autobahn Therapeutics, a biotechnology company focused on restoring hope for people affected by CNS disorders, today announced that industry veteran Scott Giacobello, chief financial officer of GW Pharmaceuticals, has been appointed to Autobahns board of directors and will serve as the chair of the companys audit committee. In addition, Scott Forrest, Ph.D., has been promoted to the role of chief financial officer from his current position as chief business officer.

Autobahns tunable brain-targeting chemistry platform and strong pipeline have the potential to transform the future of treatments for CNS disorders. I look forward to partnering with the exceptional leadership team and board to support a strong financial organization that will ensure the advancement of this important science, said Mr. Giacobello.

We are excited to welcome Mr. Giacobello to our board of directors. His extensive financial management and capital raising experience will prove valuable to our future growth and evolution, said Kevin Finney, chief executive officer of Autobahn. In addition, Dr. Forrest has played an instrumental role in the progress we have made across both our brain-targeting chemistry platform and pipeline addressing devastating CNS disorders, including adrenomyeloneuropathy and remyelination in multiple sclerosis. Following the completion of a successful pre-IND meeting for our lead program, ABX-002, his business strategy and financial leadership will be critical as we advance toward becoming a clinical-stage company.

Mr. Giacobello is an accomplished executive with more than 25 years of experience leading finance organizations. Prior to GW, he served as chief financial officer for Chase Pharmaceuticals Corporation, until it was acquired by Allergan, Inc. Earlier, Mr. Giacobello held senior level finance positions at Allergan, Inc., most recently serving as vice president of finance for global research & development. His previous experience includes financial positions at the Black & Decker Corporation and Ernst & Young, LLP. Mr. Giacobello holds a B.A. in business administration from the University of Notre Dame and is a Certified Public Accountant.

Prior to joining Autobahn as chief business officer in July 2020, Dr. Forrest was chief operating officer and chief financial officer at Inception Therapeutics, a Versant Ventures discovery engine focused on building and operating transformative biotech companies. Earlier, he was a co-founder and vice president of operations and corporate development at BlackThorn Therapeutics and served as vice president of business development at The Scripps Research Institute. Dr. Forrest started his career at the University of North Carolina (UNC) where he led the restructuring, expansion and management of the life sciences licensing team. He also served as an entrepreneur in residence at UNC and was a central part of the successful launch of multiple startup companies, such as Epizyme. Dr. Forrest holds a B.S. in biochemistry from the University of Calgary and a Ph.D. in pharmacology from the University of Virginia.

About Autobahn Therapeutics Autobahn Therapeutics is focused on restoring hope for people affected by CNS disorders. Autobahn is leveraging its brain-targeting chemistry platform to unlock new therapeutic opportunities through precision tuning of the central exposure of its molecules. The companys pipeline is led by ABX-002, a thyroid hormone receptor beta agonist for the treatment of adrenomyeloneuropathy (AMN), a rare genetic disorder. Autobahn Therapeutics is based in San Diego. For more information, visit http://www.autobahntx.com.

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Autobahn Therapeutics Strengthens its Team to Support its Continued Growth - BioSpace

Biochemistry

Valinda Shirley Appointed as Executive Director Navajo Nation Environmental Protections Agency – lakepowelllife

Valinda Shirley Appointed as Executive Director Navajo Nation Environmental Protections Agency

Valinda Shirley

WINDOW ROCK, Ariz. Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez and Vice President Myron Lizer announced the appointment of Valinda Shirley as the new Executive Director for the Navajo Nation Environmental Protection Agency. She replaces Oliver B. Whaley, who resigned in December to spend more time with his family.

Shirley resides in Rock Point, Ariz. with her husband and children. She is Tchiinii and born for Tz n. Her maternal grandfather is Bitahnii and her paternal grandfather is Taneeszhahnii. Prior to her appointment, she served as the Senior Remedial Project Manager for the Navajo Nation EPA Superfund Program coordinating on-site activities for environmental cleanup or remediation projects to ensure compliance with Navajo Nation and federal environmental laws, standards, regulations, and requirements including Din Fundamental Law.

With her upbringing, education, and professional experience, we are excited and confident that she will do a great job leading the Navajo Nation EPA. Her traditional upbringing combined with her formal education in biochemistry provides for a unique and very knowledgeable perspective on many issues related to protecting our environment for generations to come. We welcome her to our administration and look forward to working alongside her, said President Nez.

Shirley earned a Bachelors Degree in Biochemistry from the University of New Mexico and graduated as the valedictorian from Rock Point High School. Her previous professional experience also includes serving as an Environmental Compliance Technician with SWCA Environmental Consultants, Acting Business Manager and business consultant with Rock Point Community School, Environmental Specialist with the Navajo Nation EPA Waste Regulatory, Community Involvement Coordinator for the Phase 2 Removal Site Evaluation Trust, and the School Board Vice President for Rock Point Community School.

Shirley has a well-rounded background that will serve the Navajo Nation EPA and the Navajo people very well. Her scientific, environmental, and traditional knowledge have proven to be a strong foundation in the previous work she has done for the Navajo Nation. She also has expertise and experience in bridging partnerships and collaborations between the Navajo Nation and federal EPA. We commend her and look forward to working with her, said Vice President Lizer.

In her previous role with the Abandoned Uranium Mines projects, Shirley spearheaded the Northeast Church Rock Mine Site and the Tronox sites in Cove and Tse Tah, Ariz. She also advised the U.S. EPA concerning Navajo Nation laws and Din Fundamental Law as Applicable or Relevant & Appropriate Requirements (ARARs) used in the clean-up standards at the Mariano Lake, Mac and Black Mine Sites located in New Mexico. She also coordinated with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission on a Source Material License amendment for the United Nuclear Corporation mill site in the Eastern Navajo Agency.

I hold the Office of the Executive Director of the Navajo EPA in the highest regard, and I have the utmost respect for the agency and its employees. Since 1992, Navajo EPA has been the regulatory authority that safeguards Din bikyah d Nihookaa Dine. In my experience working with the agency, it has served as an integral part of government by ensuring Nihim Nahasdzaan d Nihitaa Ydihi are kept clean to the highest of standards for our seventh-generation grandchildren, said Shirley.

As the new Executive Director, Shirley said her goals include strengthening direct lines of communication with the Navajo people through community involvement and K, ensuring that currently funded AUMs progress to a level of clean-up with tangible results, and strategizing a way for the Navajo Nation to address the illegal dumping of refuse.

I will accomplish these goals by exercising stable leadership to create a team environment in the agency. Communication and k are also crucial in fulfilling these goals. I know this because these ideals are ingrained in me and practiced as a school board member representing four Navajo communities in the Northern Navajo Agency. I am familiar with fiduciary trust responsibilities and passionately believe that projects, legislation, and meaningful change can happen through teamwork and collaboration from all government branches, Shirley stated.

I view U.S. EPA and other federal agencies as partners of the Navajo EPA, and I also believe in the inviolability of our Navajo Nation laws. Navajo Nation laws and regulations are in place to protect the Din, especially when federal regulations become lax in their standards. In the past, only federal laws were used as across-the-board clean-up standards that failed in protecting the Din. Therefore, it is imperative to safeguard affected communities by ensuring that Navajo Nation laws and regulations are adhered to, she added.

Valinda Shirleys appointment is effective immediately and subject to confirmation by the Navajo Nation Council, in accordance with the Navajo Nation Code. Council Delegate Kee Allen Begay, Jr. will sponsor the bill for confirmation.

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Valinda Shirley Appointed as Executive Director Navajo Nation Environmental Protections Agency - lakepowelllife

Biochemistry

Global Calorimeters Market : Industry Analysis and Forecast (2019-2027) By Type, Industry, and Region. – LionLowdown

Global calorimeters marketsize was US$ XX Bn in 2019 and is expected to reach US$ XX Bn by 2027, at a CAGR of 11% during the forecast period.

The report study has analyzed the revenue impact of COVID -19 pandemic on the sales revenue of market leaders, market followers, and market disrupters in the report, and the same is reflected in our analysis.

Market Definition

Calorimeter is an object, or a device used to measure the heat developed during chemical, electrical or mechanical reaction and is also used to calculate the heat capacity of materials. These devices are widely used in calorimetry science, which is the process of measuring specific heat capacity or enthalpy for both physical changes and chemical reactions in a certain system.

Market Dynamics

A growing use of calorimeter device for the study and research of chemistry, biochemistry and thermodynamics is major driving factor behind the growth of the market. The continuous advancements and developments in the instrumentation field, huge availability of specialized and advanced calorimeter in the market, rising demand for calorimeter from the industry professionals and academic researchers, escalating investments in the chemical and biochemical research sector and surge in the adoption advanced calorimeters in aerospace, automotive, nanotechnology, biomedical and biochemical, pharmaceutical and geology industries are expected to improve growth of the market during the forecast period.

However, the possibility of errors in measurements and high initial cost of the calorimeter are the major restraining factors that could hinder the growth of the market.

Global Calorimeters Market: Segmentation Analysis

By type, bomb calorimeter segment dominated the market in 2019 and is expected to keep its dominance at a CAGR of XX% during the forecast period. A bomb calorimeter is one of the most common and widespread types of constant-volume calorimeter which is generally used to measure combustion heat of a particular reaction. These calorimeters are usually tough and made of steel and they mostly make use of an oxygenated atmosphere for combustion purposes. Also, these calorimeters have capability to resist the explosive effects of both the exothermic release and the induced pressure during the reaction process, which make them the most ideal choice of variety of applications.

Alternatively, isothermal titration calorimeter segment is projected to witness fast growth at a CAGR of XX% during the forecast period. An increasing significance of these calorimeters in the field of biochemistry and pharmaceutical industry is expected to propel growth of the market during the forecast period.

By industry, biochemistry segment is projected to witness fast growth at a CAGR of XX% during the forecast period. From the past few years, the calorimetry technique is playing the most important historical role in the expansion of the chemical systems and is one of the oldest techniques in chemistry field. The surge in the adoption of calorimeters in biochemistry applications as it can facilitate purpose of substrate required for enzymes is accredited to the growth of the market.

Global Calorimeters Market: Regional Analysis

Region-wise, North America dominated the market in 2019 and is expected to maintain its dominance at a CAGR of XX% during the forecast period. The US and Canada are the major contributors behind the growth of the market in the region. The growth is attributed to the high adoption of calorimeters in chemical and medical applications.

Growing demand for bomb and differential scanning calorimeters for various applications, rising significance of calorimeters in waste-water analyzing equipment and processes and increasing need to measure heat capacity of materials in various industries are driving the growth of the market in NA region.

The objective of the report is to present a comprehensive analysis of the Global Calorimeters Market including all the stakeholders of the industry. The past and current status of the industry with forecasted market size and trends are presented in the report with the analysis of complicated data in simple language. The report covers all the aspects of the industry with a dedicated study of key players that includes market leaders, followers and new entrants. PORTER, SVOR, PESTEL analysis with the potential impact of micro-economic factors of the market has been presented in the report. External as well as internal factors that are supposed to affect the business positively or negatively have been analyzed, which will give a clear futuristic view of the industry to the decision-makers. The report also helps in understanding Global Calorimeters Market dynamics, structure by analyzing the market segments and projects the Global Calorimeters Market. Clear representation of competitive analysis of key players by Application, price, financial position, Product portfolio, growth strategies, and regional presence in the Global Calorimeters Market make the report investors guide.

Global Calorimeters Market Request For View Sample Report Page :@https://www.maximizemarketresearch.com/request-sample/74321

The Scope of Global Calorimeters Market

Global Calorimeters Market, By Type

Adiabatic Calorimeters Reaction Calorimeters Bomb Calorimeters Combustion of Non-Flammables Calvet-Type Calorimeters Constant-Pressure Calorimeter Differential Scanning Calorimeter Isothermal Titration CalorimeterGlobal Calorimeters Market, By Industry

Power Industry Biochemistry Coal & Petrochemical OthersGlobal Calorimeters Market, By Region

North America US Canada Europe UK France Germany Italy Spain Norway Russia Asia Pacific China India Japan South Korea Australia Malaysia Indonesia South America Brazil Mexico Argentina Middle East and AfricaGlobal Calorimeters Market, Key Players

Hanna Instruments, Inc TA Instruments METTLER TOLEDO Shimadzu Corporation Setaram Instrumentation Parr Instrument Company NETZSCH Instruments, Inc Yokogawa Electric Corporation ABB Malvern Panalytical Ltd Swan Analytische Instrumente AG Columbus Instruments COSMED Hitachi High-Technologies IKA MGC Diagnostics PhenoSys XX XX

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Global Calorimeters Market : Industry Analysis and Forecast (2019-2027) By Type, Industry, and Region. - LionLowdown

Genetics

Based on genes, nearly everyone is likely to have an atypical response to at least one drug – Scope

Every drug, from morphine to ibuprofen, has a standard dose -- a sort of one-size-fits all recommendation. But a new study suggests that when it comes to drug doses, "one size fits all" rarely applies.

Stanford Medicine professor Russ Altman, MD, PhD, and a team of scientists found that almost everyone (99.5% of individuals) is likely to have an abnormal or "atypical" response to at least one therapeutic drug. This, at least, is the case for people in the United Kingdom, as the study's data came from the UK Biobank, a project that collects, studies and shares data.

The research found that nearly a quarter of the study's participants had been prescribed a drug for which they were predicted to have an atypical response, based on their genetic makeup. On average, participants were predicted to have an atypical response to 10 drugs.

"Ultimately, the hope is that we can show how pervasive drug response variability is and encourage more doctors to rethink the standard prescription protocols that are largely used today and use genetic testing to predict and adjust forthis variability," said Altman, who is an expert in pharmacogenetics, a field that studies the intersection of drugs and genetics.

An "atypical" drug response encompasses a lot of things; but generally speaking, it means a certain drug might not affect one person the way it does another.

For instance, someone who has an atypical metabolic response might process that drug more efficiently, strengthening its initial effects but decreasing its efficacy over time. On the flip side, it could mean that that person is unable to metabolize the drug at all, leaving them without therapeutic aid, or even with dangerous side effects.

These differences in response to a drug are partially due to our genetics. Specific proteins -- workhorse molecules in the body -- break down drugs in order for the body to benefit from the therapeutic. Those proteins are regulated by a specific group of genes. Natural variation in those genes leads to differences in how an individual's body reacts to a given drug molecule.

Altman and his team, including graduate students and first authors of the study Greg McInnes and Adam Lavertu, analyzed data from nearly 500,000 participants.

For 230,000 participants in the study, the team had primary care data going back about 30 years. That includes which drugs had been prescribed, the dose, and all of the patient's different diagnoses. The researchers also had access to detailed genetic information about each patient. They paid special attention to genetic variations in a group of genes that are known to influence the human drug response.

By comparing an individual's genetics against the variations known to exist in the group of drug-response-associated genes, the researchers could predict how any given patient might respond to a drug.

"Pharmacogenetics as a field has been around for a long time, but it hasn't really been adopted into clinical use," McInnes told me. "It's been growing in the last few years as more people realize the impact that it could have on personalized health. For a long time, it's been this overlooked aspect of genetics that I think is actually one of the most clinically actionable advances that has come out of human genetics."

What's more, he said, the wide variability in the human drug response applies to common therapeutics most everyone has encountered or is familiar with -- ibuprofen, codeine, statins and beta blockers among others.

Moving forward, Lavertu says that the goal is to expand drug-gene variant interaction analyses into more diverse populations. The data from the UK Biobank provided critical insight, but it was largely only representative of a British population, where the majority shares European ancestry. A next step for the researchers is to investigate the same genes in the Million Veteran Program, a government research program with a more diverse study population, that is examining how genes, lifestyle and military exposures affect health and illness.

"Our hope is that doing more of these studies will help us find new relationships between genetic variants and drug response, so that pharmacogenetics can benefit more people," Lavertu said.

Photo byMicha Parzuchowski

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Based on genes, nearly everyone is likely to have an atypical response to at least one drug - Scope

Genetics

Stocks making the biggest moves after the bell: Cal-Maine Foods, Myriad Genetics & more – CNBC

Cases of eggs from Cal-Maine Foods, Inc., await to be handed out by the Mississippi Department of Agriculture and Commerce employees to several hundred families along with over 1,400 boxes of meat products from Merchants Foodservice and 2,200 gallons of milk from Borden Dairy, at the Mississippi State Fairgrounds in Jackson, Miss., Aug. 7, 2020.

Rogelio V. Solis | AP

Check out the companies making headlines after the bell on Tuesday:

Cal-Maine Foods Cal-Maine Foods reported a surprise profit for its fiscal second quarter, sending the stock up more than 2% after-hours trading. The company posted earnings per share of 25 cents on revenue of $347.3 million. Analysts polled by FactSet expected a loss of 8 cents pre share on revenue of $333.5 million. The company's egg-dozen sales grew by 4.6% on a year-over-year basis.

Myriad Genetics Shares of the biotechnology company rose nearly 2% on news Myriad will explore "strategic alternatives" for its autoimmune business. The company is also restructuring its international operations.

Smart Global Holdings Smart Global posted fiscal first-quarter earnings per share that were better than expected, lifting the computer-memory manufacturer's stock up by 2.4%. Smart Global reported adjusted earnings per share of 78 cents, topping a FactSet estimate of 70 cents per share. The company also issued better-than-expected revenue guidance for the current quarter.

Nektar Therapeutics Nektar shares slipped about 1% after the company announced Dr. Brian Kotzin will take over as interim chief medical officer, effective immediately, replacing current CMO Wei Lin.

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Stocks making the biggest moves after the bell: Cal-Maine Foods, Myriad Genetics & more - CNBC

Genetics

What is Genetic Cancer Testing and How Do Patients Get Tested? – Curetoday.com

At the molecular level all cancers are genetic, they start as your normal breast cell or ovaries and overtime pick up small genetic changes. When talking about inherited testing or hereditary testing only a small portion of cancer can be passed down in a family. We roughly quote 5-10% can be due to hereditary reasons or something we might find in an inherited genetic test, explained Dr. Tong at the CURE Educated Patient Womens Cancer Summit.

Genetic testing is a critical part of understanding these cancers, as well as how to treat, and Ill be discussing today about how we think about how genetics fits in cancer development, how genetic testing plays a role and how genetic counseling can help induvial and families come to decisions around genetics, says Dr. Tong.

Some exceptions include, up to 20% of negative breast cancers that can be hereditary and up to 25% of ovarian cancers can be hereditary, which is why genetic testing is recommended for all ovarian cancers.

When talking about hereditary cancer Dr. Tong says clinicians and genetic counselors are thinking about if that person has a higher chance of developing cancer, because nobody is at a 0% of developing cancer. Genetic testing will look at to see if they can identify what is elevating the persons risk of developing cancer, and can you potentially explain why a person developed certain cancer.

Part of what we learn from genetic testing, is not only could it have been due to a hereditary cause, such as a mutation in a gene, but which gene mutation and how can we differentially take care of people depending on which gene mutation did cause that, says Dr. Tong.

Guidelines recommend that all women diagnosed with epithelial ovarian cancer and breast cancer should be offered genetic testing.

Beginning in 2015 technology has brought three different types of gene testing or as they call it, Multi-Gene Panel Testing. Then there is a decision about how much genetic testing to do. For genes that they know are associated with inherited risk, those are high and moderate risk genes, they have actionable guidelines for treatment, risk reduction or prevention.

As technology develops you think about if the low-risk genes should also be looked at, the most likely have no impact on your health, such as a recessively inherited cancer risk, the information from these genes may be relevant to your family members or future generations. Some panel offers looking at newly described genes, they have limited evidence that they may impact inherited cancer risk, and they dont have actionable guidelines yet but could in the future.

We think that pretest counseling with a genetic counselor can help an induvial better understand how genetics impacts or plays a role in their cancer diagnosis or in their family history. Genetic counselors will take a look at family history and go many generations to look at distant relatives to see if there is a pattern to the cancers of that family that can be inherited, or does it look more like sporadic risks, then that counselor can discuss what the testing options are, how much testing to have or if its even right for you or not, says Dr. Tong about genetic testing counseling.

Types of results include a negative, the most important to be working with a genetic counselor, meaning there was no change found in the gene, it is considered a normal result and cancer treatment, screening and prevention decisions can be based on personal and family history of cancer. The next is a variant or uncertain significance, also considered a normal result, a change was found but is most likely due to normal human variation. The last result is positive result, where they find a change or genetic mutation that is associated with cancer, cancer treatment, screening and prevention decisions will be based on the risks specific to the change found.

Some may fear that they may be discriminated against due to their genetic testing results. There are laws in place that will protect you and your family members from employment or health insurance discrimination such as the Genetic Information Non-Discrimination Act of 2008, or GINA. In addition, there is the Americans with Disabilities Act, ADA, and the Health Information Portability and Accountability Act, HIPPA. However, there are limitations, how these laws dont protect against other types of discrimination such as life insurance, disability or long-term care, which would be discussed in your genetic counseling session.

Genetic testing can help thinking about what the path forward is for you and your family when we do learn the results, Dr. Tong concludes. He says going to a genetic counselor can help medically keep you healthy and also emotionally, connecting you with different resources and support organizations.

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What is Genetic Cancer Testing and How Do Patients Get Tested? - Curetoday.com

Neuroscience

EdUHK Partners with NNU to Conduct Research on Neuroscience and Education Technology in Special Education – QS WOW News

The Integrated Centre for Wellbeing (I-WELL) of The Education University of Hong Kong (EdUHK), in collaboration with Nanjing Normal University of Special Education (NNU), and supported by the Tin Ka Ping Foundation (TKP), conducted research on neuroscience and education technology in special education.

The project was completed in 2020, and a presentation was conducted in November of the same year at the Heep Hong Society.

In the presentation, Professor Leung Chi-hung, Co-Director of I-WELL and Professor (Practice) at the Department of Special Education and Counselling of EdUHK, summarized three stages of professional training to benefit students with autism, hearing impairment or intellectual disabilities in the mainland, especially those living in remote areas.

NNU professors and in-service teachers who participated in the program shared their experience, along with their respective research topics, led by Professor Leung, Dr Liu Duo, Associate Head and Associate Professor at the Department of Special Education and Counselling of EdUHK, and Dr Angus Wang Li-chih, Assistant Professor, at the same department.

The topics covered the areas of music and information science, early childhood education, applied hearing impairment teaching, and sports and rehabilitation.

A special education e-manual, comprising concise knowledge about neuroscience and e-learning, was also developed. This knowledge can be transferred into applied research plans, addressing the learning needs of children with special educational needs in Nanjing. NGOs and special schools in Hong Kong will be invited to download the e-manual, together with the training manual, for reference.

I-WELL recently received another funding grant from TKP for a new engagement, titled Research, Development and Application of Educational Materials on Neuroscience and Education Technology in Special Education, which is a continuation of this project.

With NNU as the same partnering university, the new project will focus on the production of educational materials, training and applications related to neuroscience and education technology in special education to cultivate special education in the mainland.

The rest is here:
EdUHK Partners with NNU to Conduct Research on Neuroscience and Education Technology in Special Education - QS WOW News