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Genetics

Significance of genetic mutations in toxic tort cases – Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly

The primary question in many toxic tort cases is what caused the disease? When defending these cases, one necessarily asks: (1) is the product/substance I am defending capable of causing the disease in question; and (2) was the plaintiff exposed to enough of it to have done so.

With cases involving cancer, particularly mesothelioma, genetic science is adding to the mix and providing information that, in the right case, changes the equation entirely.

Generally, cancer is a genetic disease caused by gene mutations that control how cells grow and multiply (NIH The Genetics of Cancer, 2022). While cells are the bodys building blocks, genes are sections of DNA in each cell that provide instructions to make required proteins and control cell growth. Hundreds of DNA and genetic changes (variants, mutations or alterations) have been discovered that help cancer form, grow and spread.

My experience with these issues arises from the defense of asbestos cases. The principles raised, however, may well apply to other toxic torts involving cancer.

It is now recognized that there are multiple causes for malignant mesothelioma, a number of which are unrelated to asbestos. Diffuse malignant mesotheliomas are variably associated with prior asbestos exposure, and the strength of the association varies with anatomical tumor site, gender and asbestos fiber type.

The relationship between asbestos and mesothelioma has also evolved and shows significant geographic variation. The epidemiological evidence correlating time trends, incidence by gender, and commercial asbestos use indicates that a majority of pleural mesotheliomas in women, and almost all peritoneal mesotheliomas in women and men, in the United States, appear unrelated to asbestos.

In July 2019, many of the worlds foremost experts on the subject detailed the current state-of-the-art knowledge on the development of mesothelioma. See Carbone, et al., Mesothelioma: Scientific Clues for Prevention, Diagnosis, and Therapy, CA Cancer J Clin., 69:402-429 (2019).

Among the co-authors of the publication were preeminent researchers and practitioners from the University of Hawaii Cancer Center, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Brigham and Womens Hospital, Mayo Clinic, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, and MD Anderson Cancer Center. Under a section of the publication entitled The Role of Genetics, the authors state:

When examining a toxic tort/cancer case, it may not always be the environment or the toxin that is the culprit. If a plaintiff has an appropriate family history of cancer, genetic testing may provide a viable defense.

Cancer is caused by the accumulation of genetic damage. Genetic damage can be inherited, can develop spontaneously, can be caused by exposure to carcinogens and oncogenic infectious agents, or can be caused by the interplay of a combination of these factors. Currently, there is a very active debate about the relative contribution of these factors to human cancer . [A] growing percentage of cancers are attributed to inherited mutations of DNA repair genes and of other genes that, when mutated, accelerate the accumulation of DNA damage and/or the percentage of cells carrying DNA damage . These concepts apply to mesothelioma.

In broad strokes, there are two types of genetic cases: (1) cases involving somatic or random genetic mutations; and (2) cases involving a germline genetic mutation.

Somatic random mutations develop because of DNA changes that occur during stem cell divisions. These mutations arise naturally and accumulate as a person ages. Age is a significant risk factor for almost all forms of cancer, including spontaneous or naturally occurring mesothelioma.

The basis for age-induced tumorigenesis relates to the hosts generation of critical driver mutations within cells and the subsequent formation of clonally expanded proliferation of mutated cells to form tumors. Stem cell division occurs continuously and requires a faithful replication of the highly complex genetic information contained within the genome and cell nucleus.

Random mistakes or mutations (replication errors) occur continuously and with increasing frequency over time, with the capacity of the host to efficiently identify and correct such mutations diminishing with age.

Because mutation accumulation occurs spontaneously and continuously over time, the risk of spontaneous or naturally occurring mesothelioma, either pleural or peritoneal, increases continuously with age.

Random mutations account for two-thirds of the risk of getting many types of cancer. In such cases, no exposure to an exogenous agent (such as asbestos or therapeutic radiation) is required for tumor initiation. Replicative mutations can be responsible for either initiating the process or driving tumor progression.

The current best available scientific evidence is that some mesotheliomas are linked to inherited germline mutations. Overall, at least 12 percent of mesotheliomas occur in carriers of germline genetic mutations. These germline genetic-induced mesotheliomas typically occur in persons of younger age and are often peritoneal rather than pleural mesotheliomas.

As the cohorts of asbestos workers vanish due to old age, increasing percentages of mesotheliomas, especially peritoneal mesotheliomas, occur in individuals who are not occupationally exposed to asbestos. These mesotheliomas may be caused by environmental exposure, genetic predisposition or both.

Pathogenic germline mutations of BAP1 and, less frequently, of other tumor suppressor genes have also been detected in approximately 12 percent of patients. This subgroup of genetically linked mesotheliomas occurs in younger individuals who rarely report asbestos exposure, and with a M:F ratio of 1:1 and survival ranging from five to 10 or more years.

While heritable gene mutations can predispose an individual to cancer (i.e., lower the amount of exposure necessary to cause disease), they can also be sufficient to cause cancers, including mesothelioma, in and of themselves.

Put another way, the presence of a heritable germline mutation, absent or independent of extrinsic factors such as asbestos exposure, can be a cause of mesothelioma.

While the import of these findings may be largely self-evident, there are some takeaways worth considering. First, when examining a toxic tort/cancer case, it may not always be the environment or the toxin that is the culprit. If a plaintiff has an appropriate family history of cancer, genetic testing may provide a viable defense.

Second, genetic germline mutations do not automatically turn a plaintiff into an eggshell plaintiff. While that argument may work in some cases, given that the mutation can be independently causative, it should not apply in all of them.

Anthony J. Sbarra is a shareholder at Segal McCambridge in Boston and focuses his practice on product liability and toxic tort cases.

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Significance of genetic mutations in toxic tort cases - Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly

Genetics

Mayo Clinic Q&A: Weight loss and genetics – Chicago Tribune

DEAR MAYO CLINIC: It seems like no matter what I do, I cant lose weight. Most of my family members struggle with their weight too. Do our genetics play a part in this?

ANSWER: Its important to understand that we are all unique and gain weight for many different reasons. When trying to understand weight gain and why some of us have difficulty losing weight, there are factors such as gut and brain connections, how we control our sensation of hunger and fullness and how long we stay full. Over a decade of studies at Mayo Clinic have helped identify characteristics that can be associated with groups of people called obesity phenotypes.

Each phenotype has a single genetic predisposition (an increased likelihood of developing obesity based on a persons genetic makeup) and interacts differently with their environment. In many environments we see today, there is an excess of food, and were less active than before. Some people may feel hungry between meals, while others only have one big meal a day our genetics drives this. Your genetic makeup determines which phenotype youre going to have. These phenotypes can help guide treatment for weight loss. Each of these genetic phenotypes, or genotypes, identifies the type of obesity and which medication would work best.

The first phenotype is what we call hungry brain. These patients start eating and dont feel full even after consuming large meals with second and third helpings. Usually, this runs in families. The other phenotype is what we call hungry gut. These patients start eating and feel full after their usual portion, but the gut does not send those signals to the brain. Because of that, they feel hungry between meals. Signals from the gut to the brain are hormones, such as glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1). Semaglutide medications such as Wegovy, Ozempic and Rybelsus work on behalf of the GLP-1 hormone. They connect between the gut and the brain, and they signal to the brain that youre full.

Patients who have emotional hunger are another group. Whether having a good or bad day, these patients look to cope with life by eating food. The fourth group is patients with a slow burn or abnormal metabolism where the body does not burn all the calories they consume.

Looking at these four phenotypes can help individualize obesity therapy. How genes correlate with an obesity phenotype can help determine which medications should be prescribed. Each of us also should have a unique diet approach based on our genotype and phenotype. Many diets have mainly focused on obesity-related complications, such as managing Type 2 diabetes or preventing heart risk, but none have been customized to phenotypes. The concept of the phenotype-tailored diet came from multiple studies that showed metabolic benefits during and after the diet plan began. These findings were then matched to each phenotype to define recommended diets.

At Mayo Clinic, we work closely with our colleagues in bariatric surgery through endoscopic procedures to find out, based on our genetics, how we can identify who will be the most responsive to each course of action. We want to bring precision medicine as we have for any other disease, and I think its time we do the same for obesity. Andres Acosta, M.D., Ph.D., Bariatrician, Gastroenterologist, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota

(Mayo Clinic Q & A is an educational resource and doesnt replace regular medical care. For more information, visit http://www.mayoclinic.org.)

2024 Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research. All rights reserved. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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Mayo Clinic Q&A: Weight loss and genetics - Chicago Tribune

Genetics

Development of a human genetics-guided priority score for 19365 genes and 399 drug indications – Nature.com

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Development of a human genetics-guided priority score for 19365 genes and 399 drug indications - Nature.com

Genetics

Biotechnology and Genomics: Illuminating the Path to Scientific Breakthroughs – Reliable Plant Magazine

Biotechnology and genomics, the intersection of biology and technology, have been at the forefront of scientific advancements for decades. However, recent years have witnessed an unprecedented surge in breakthroughs and innovations in these fields, revolutionizing how we understand, diagnose, and treat diseases, engineer organisms, and explore the fundamental building blocks of life.

In this article, we will explore some of the latest advancements in biotechnology and genomics that are reshaping the landscape of science and medicine, and how AI and machine learning, in particular, are impacted by machine reliability and a proper lubrication program.

CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing stands as one of the most remarkable and groundbreaking advancements in the realm of biotechnology in recent memory. This revolutionary system has upended the traditional methods of gene modification, offering scientists an unprecedented level of precision, efficiency, and versatility when it comes to manipulating DNA.

The CRISPR-Cas9 system, often likened to a genetic "scissor" and "tape," enables researchers to precisely target specific DNA sequences and either delete or insert genetic material with unparalleled accuracy. This precision has far-reaching implications across various fields of science and medicine, unlocking new possibilities for addressing genetic disorders, engineering organisms, and deepening our understanding of the intricate world of genetics.

The potential applications of CRISPR-Cas9 are nothing short of staggering. In the realm of medicine, this technology holds the promise of revolutionizing the treatment of genetic disorders that were once considered incurable. By correcting faulty genes responsible for conditions like cystic fibrosis or sickle cell anemia, CRISPR-based therapies offer newfound hope to patients and their families.

Furthermore, the system's versatility extends beyond human health, with implications for agriculture, as it allows for the development of genetically modified organisms designed for improved crop yields, disease resistance, and environmental adaptability. Additionally, CRISPR-Cas9 has become an indispensable tool for researchers seeking to uncover the mysteries of genetics, facilitating the exploration of gene functions and interactions, paving the way for scientific breakthroughs that were previously unimaginable.

CRISPR-Cas9's precision and versatility have opened doors to genome editing therapies that were once the stuff of science fiction. Recent breakthroughs, such as the successful treatment of sickle cell anemia and beta-thalassemia using CRISPR-based approaches, demonstrate the transformative potential of this technology. These therapies offer hope to individuals afflicted with previously untreatable genetic conditions, potentially providing them with a cure or significantly improved quality of life.

As scientists refine and expand the applications of CRISPR-Cas9, the prospects for addressing a wide array of genetic diseases continue to grow.

Single-cell genomics is a cutting-edge technique that has unlocked the ability to analyze individual cells within complex mixtures, shedding light on the cellular diversity that underpins life. This technology has provided profound insights into the heterogeneity of tissues and organisms, offering a better understanding of diseases like cancer and neurodegenerative disorders. Researchers can now explore genetic variations at the most granular level, unraveling the intricate mosaic of genetic signatures within a single organism.

Single-cell genomics holds significant implications for precision medicine, as it allows for the identification of unique cellular profiles, paving the way for tailored treatments and a deeper comprehension of complex biological systems.

Metagenomics has emerged as a groundbreaking field that is redefining our comprehension of the microbial world. It involves the study of the collective genetic material of entire microbial communities, transcending the limitations of traditional microbiology, which often focused on culturing individual microorganisms.

Through metagenomics, scientists can explore the intricate genetic diversity of these complex microbial ecosystems, gaining unprecedented insights into their functions and interactions. This transformative approach has profound implications for various domains, including human health, agriculture, and environmental science.

In the realm of human health, metagenomics has unveiled the crucial role of microbiomes in maintaining our well-being. These microbial communities residing in and on our bodies influence everything from digestion and immunity to mental health. By deciphering the genetic makeup of these microbiomes, researchers are uncovering links between microbial composition and various diseases, paving the way for personalized medicine approaches that leverage the microbiome to enhance health outcomes.

Additionally, in agriculture, metagenomics is driving sustainable practices by helping to optimize soil microbiomes, enhance crop health, and reduce the need for harmful chemical interventions. This holistic understanding of microbial ecosystems is reshaping our approach to both health and agriculture, with metagenomics as the guiding light toward a more harmonious coexistence with the microbial world.

Synthetic biology represents the fusion of biology and engineering, offering a dynamic platform to design and build biological components and systems with unprecedented precision. Recent advancements in this field have yielded remarkable creations, including synthetic organisms engineered with custom-designed genomes tailored for specific purposes. Notably, these synthetic organisms have been harnessed for environmentally impactful applications, such as the biodegradation of plastics, offering innovative solutions to address pollution and the production of biofuels, contributing to the quest for sustainable energy sources.

Synthetic biology's ability to engineer organisms for tailored functions extends beyond environmental applications. It holds promise in diverse domains, from medicine to industry, enabling the development of novel drugs, biosensors, and bio-based materials. As this interdisciplinary field continues to evolve, synthetic biology stands at the forefront of scientific innovation, redefining our capabilities to engineer life itself for the betterment of society and the environment.

AI and machine learning have become pivotal in the realm of genomics, reshaping the landscape of genetic research and its applications. These advanced technologies are adept at handling vast datasets, a characteristic especially crucial in the genomics field where genetic information is abundant and intricate. Through sophisticated algorithms, AI and machine learning are capable of identifying subtle patterns and associations within this data, making them invaluable tools in predicting disease risks and unraveling the genetic underpinnings of complex disorders.

In the realm of diagnostics and treatment planning, AI and machine learning offer an unprecedented level of precision. By analyzing an individual's genetic makeup alongside other clinical data, these technologies can identify genetic markers and biomarkers associated with specific diseases.

This not only aids in early disease detection but also informs healthcare professionals about potential treatment strategies tailored to a patient's unique genetic profile. The result is a more personalized and effective approach to healthcare, where treatments are optimized based on a patient's genetic susceptibilities and therapeutic responses.

AI and machine learning are at the forefront of genomics, providing researchers and healthcare professionals with powerful tools to analyze genetic data, predict disease risks, and identify critical genetic markers. This data-driven approach not only enhances our understanding of genetics but also transforms diagnostics and treatment planning by offering personalized, precise, and informed medical interventions.

As these technologies continue to evolve, they hold the promise of further revolutionizing the field of genomics and improving patient outcomes in the realm of healthcare.

Maintenance and reliability play a pivotal role in genomics' AI and machine-learning applications. Consistent upkeep of equipment ensures uninterrupted functionality, reducing downtime that can impede crucial data analysis and interpretation. Reliable systems and regular maintenance foster accurate genetic sequencing, allowing AI algorithms to derive precise insights that impact planning & scheduling, along with preventive maintenance procedures. This reliability also enables advancements in disease understanding, personalized medicine, and efficient drug development by providing consistent and dependable genomic data for AI-driven analyses.

A proper machinery lubrication program is also paramount in genomics for AI and machine-learning applications in a few remarkable ways. Firstly, lubrication obviously ensures the smooth and longterm operation of the intricate equipment and technologies utilized in genetic sequencing. Along with the intended benefits of preventing friction-induced damage and maintaining optimal performance, lubrication also safeguards sensitive machinery components, thereby reducing the risk of inaccuracies in interpreting results or research and ensuring consistent data output.

Practicing proper standards and safeguards for longterm asset reliability contributes to precise genomic analyses, aiding AI algorithms in deciphering genetic patterns that are crucial for timely disease identification, safe and responsible drug development, and advancing genomic research with enhanced accuracy and efficiency.

Epigenetics explores changes in gene expression that are not caused by alterations in the DNA sequence itself. Recent studies have revealed the critical role of epigenetics in cancer, aging, and various diseases. Understanding epigenetic modifications may lead to new therapeutic strategies and personalized medicine approaches.

With the exponential growth in genomic data availability, concerns regarding the privacy and security of this sensitive information have understandably risen. Genomic data contains highly personal and potentially sensitive details about an individual's genetic makeup and susceptibility to diseases, making it paramount to safeguard this data against unauthorized access or misuse.

To address these challenges, the field of genomics has seen remarkable innovations in secure data sharing and encryption. These advancements ensure that researchers can collaborate effectively while upholding the utmost protection of individuals' sensitive genetic information.

Secure data-sharing protocols in genomics involve robust encryption techniques that render genomic data unintelligible to anyone without the proper decryption keys. This ensures that even in the event of data breaches or unauthorized access attempts, the genomic information remains protected.

Furthermore, secure data sharing frameworks often include strict access controls and authorization mechanisms, allowing only authorized individuals or entities to access and utilize the data.

These privacy-enhancing measures strike a balance between enabling scientific collaboration and respecting individuals' rights to keep their genetic information confidential. As genomics continues to advance, the development and implementation of state-of-the-art privacy and security measures remain integral to maintaining the trust of individuals who contribute their genetic data for scientific research, ultimately fostering a secure and ethical genomic research environment.

Drug discovery and targeted therapies have entered a new era with the integration of genomics. This transformative approach enables researchers to delve into the genetic intricacies of diseases, unveiling potential drug targets and biomarkers that drive the development of highly precise, personalized treatment strategies. By analyzing the genomes of affected individuals, researchers can pinpoint specific genes or genetic mutations at the root of disease, paving the way for innovative therapeutic interventions.

The emergence of precision medicine, guided by genomics, tailors treatments to individual patients based on their unique genetic makeup and disease characteristics. This tailored approach not only maximizes treatment effectiveness but also minimizes side effects, improving patient outcomes and quality of life. Targeted therapies, designed to disrupt specific disease-related molecules or pathways, exemplify the power of genomics in minimizing collateral damage to healthy cells, leading to more efficient and safer treatments.

With genomics shaping the drug discovery process, clinical trials becoming more tailored, and adverse events reduced, patients are benefiting from treatments that are not only more effective but also less intrusive, marking a significant stride toward the future of medicine.

Environmental genomics is a cutting-edge field that leverages genomic technologies to investigate the intricate relationship between the environment, biodiversity, and genetic diversity within ecosystems. It plays a vital role in understanding how environmental changes, particularly those linked to climate change, influence the genetics and adaptability of species. This knowledge is pivotal for biodiversity conservation and offers insights into species' resilience in the face of changing environments.

Key aspects of environmental genomics include assessing biodiversity comprehensively, recognizing the significance of genetic diversity for adaptability, identifying keystone species' genetic makeup, monitoring genetic responses to climate change, informing conservation strategies, predicting species vulnerability, and assessing ecosystem health. In essence, environmental genomics illuminates the genetic underpinnings of ecosystems and their responses to environmental shifts, emphasizing the importance of genetic diversity in environmental adaptation and sustainability.

Biotechnology and genomics are propelling us into an era of unprecedented scientific discovery and medical breakthroughs. The recent advancements mentioned above are just a glimpse of the incredible potential these fields hold. As technology continues to evolve, biotechnology and genomics will play an increasingly central role in shaping the future of science and medicine.

With responsible and ethical applications, these innovations have the power to improve human health, address environmental challenges, and deepen our understanding of the biological world. As researchers and innovators continue to push the boundaries of what is possible, we can look forward to a brighter and healthier future.

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Biotechnology and Genomics: Illuminating the Path to Scientific Breakthroughs - Reliable Plant Magazine

Biology

Physics, Chemistry Couldnt Give Rise to Biology – Discovery Institute

Photo credit: Rmi Walle, via Unsplash.

The laws of nature provide stable conditions and physical boundaries within which biological outcomes are possible. Laws are, in effect, a chessboard. They provide a stable platform and non-negotiable boundaries. But they do not determine the movement of pieces or the outcome of the game.

Or do they? Rope Kojonen, a theologian at the University of Helsinki, argues for the compatibility of design and evolution. My colleagues Steve Dilley, Brian Miller, Casey Luskin, and Ipublished a reviewof Kojonens thoughtful book,The Compatibility of Evolution and Design, in the journalReligions.In a series atEvolution News, we have been expanding on our response to Dr. Kojonen. Here, I will shift gears to analyze his claims about the laws of nature and their role in the origin of biological complexity and diversity.

The laws of nature are at the heart of Kojonens model. They are the mechanisms of design, the linchpin of Kojonens project to wed design and evolution. To evaluate his model, however, we need to be clear about what exactly his position is. Kojonen is not entirely clear about how the laws of nature (and initial conditions) are said to bring about the origin of life, the diversification of life, and human cognition. However, there seem to be at least three possible ways to interpret Kojonens model:

Lets discuss point one, namely, that the laws of nature (and the like) have causal power or limit the possibility space enough that the diversity of plant and animal species observed today emerged from unicellular organisms. While I am personally convinced that design is evident in the very fabric of the universe and yes, in the laws of physics and chemistry, these material mechanisms do not have sufficient causal power or limit the possibilities sufficiently to explain how the diversity of organisms came to be (if these laws have stayed the same over time). To support this point, Ill talk about the capabilities of the laws of physics and chemistry and give examples of how they currently interact with biology.

In Kojonens model, the laws of nature do the heavy lifting in terms of creating biological complexity. While Kojonen cites an array of other factors e.g., environmental conditions, structuralism, convergence, and evolutionary algorithms its also clear that these factors are undergirded by the laws of nature themselves. But there are limits to the creative power of the laws of nature. If it turns out that the laws have limited ability to produce biological complexity, then other factors (such as the environment, convergence, etc.) thatdependupon the laws of nature likewise have limits. If Kojonen thinks that these other factors have creative powers thattranscendthe limits of the laws of nature, then the burden is on him to show that.Is it possible for the laws of nature to be a causal force or sufficiently constrain the possibility space?

According to one definition, a mechanism is a process that acts on objects to produce an outcome. Here I will define a material mechanism as a process by which a physical object is acted upon by one of the physical laws. Material objects are built from the elements of the periodic table, and the laws of physics and chemistry are the constant processes that constrain how material objects behave. To understand materialistic mechanisms, lets look at a few illustrations.

Definition:The law of universal gravitation says an object will attract another object proportionally to the product of their masses and inversely related to the square of their distance from each other.

This law tells us how objects behave toward one another. Gravity constrains motion, whether that motion is human, planetary, or light. A complex system may also be able to detect gravity and use it as a cue. Lets look at an example of plant growth. Leaves grow in the opposite direction of gravitational pull, but roots grow downward in the direction of gravitational pull. What causes this? Is it gravity? Definitely not. Root growth occurs through the division of stem cells in the root meristem, located at the tip of the root. Thus, root stem cells rely on gravity as a cue to be detected by their sensors, so that they know where to direct their growth. But gravity is not the mechanism that creates plant morphology. Rather, plants work within the constraints of gravity and exploit it via sensors to scaffold their architecture.

Definition:The electrostatic laws state that charges attract or repel with a force that is proportional to the product of their charges and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them, depending on whether they are alike or different.

Electrostatic laws describe the attraction of positively charged ions to negatively charged ions. These laws constrain (but do not cause) the way an electrochemical gradient can be formed and work across a membrane. The charge and concentration differential across a membrane creates an electrical field. The cell then uses the potential energy of the electrical field to generate energy, convey electrical signals, and power the delivery of nutrients into the cell. The crucial point here is that electrochemical gradients are not an emergent property of the electrostatic laws. Instead, they are caused by molecular machinery. As Elbert Branscomb and Michael J. Russell say in a recent BioEssays paper, to function, life has to take its transformations out of the hands of chemistry and operate them itself, using macromolecular mechano-chemical machines, requiring one machine (roughly) for each transformation; life must, in Nick Lanes evocative phrasing, transcend chemistry.(Branscomb and Russell 2018)

How do electrostatic laws interface with organisms body plans? Organism body patterning is formed in part by bioelectrical networks, which operate across cell fields to integrate information and mediate morphological decision-making. (Djamgoz and Levin 2022) The bioelectrical networks play critical roles by regulating gene expression, organ morphogenesis, and organ patterning. This is, of course, exactly what would be necessary as an emergent property from electrostatic laws for them to have generative capacity. But these bioelectric networks no more emerge from the electrostatic laws than do cellular networks; rather, these bioelectric networks are information rich networks which carry information in a bioelectric code which can be understood by the sender and receiver.(Levin 2014)

Now the electrostatic laws, in conjunction with the design of the periodic table of elements, constrain the possible chemical space of molecule bonding arrangements. For example, based on the chemical characteristics of hydrogen and oxygen as well as the electrostatic laws, H2O has a specific bonding configuration. These mechanisms can thus explain the origin and ready formation of some simple molecules. But what about more complex molecules like those used in life? According to a paper in the journalNature, Chemical space and biology, The chemical compounds used by biological systems represent a staggeringly small fraction of the total possible number of small carbon-based compounds with molecular masses in the same range as those of living systems (that is, less than about 500 daltons). Some estimates of this number are in excess of 1060.(Dobson 2004)This statement is consistent with our observation that complex molecules like glucose and nucleic acids result from enzymes. If one thinks that electrostatic laws and the periodic table limit the search space so that molecules like nucleic acids form on their own, then nucleic acids should form spontaneously from phosphate, nitrogen, carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen, just like water does. But this is not something that is observed. Instead, complex molecules in an appreciable quantity can only be built using enzymes (which are built using information in DNA) or in highly controlled laboratory synthesis environments. Not to mention the fact that there must be something in the natural laws that forces the chemistry of life to use only left-handed molecules. And if that is true, then why arent all molecules left-handed as this would seem to require a rule in the laws.

If one grants the first cell (supposing the origin of life is a miraculous event), there remain thousands of unique molecular compounds essential for the diversity of life to be selected from the chemical space. We know that many of these molecular structures are multipurpose, recyclable, and essential to other ecosystem members. The design of these molecules and the enzymes that make and break them down appears to have required foresight for the needs and functions of the ecosystem as well as an in-depth understanding of chemistry and biochemistry. Is this type of information and causal power available in the electrostatic laws or the other laws of nature?

Definition:The first law of thermodynamics says that matter and energy cannot be created or destroyed but can only change form. The second law of thermodynamics says that closed systems always move toward states of greater disorder. Open systems move toward equilibrium, where the disorder (aka entropy) of the universe is at its maximum.

The laws of thermodynamics place constraints on what biological organisms must do to remain alive. That is, organisms must capture, harness, and expend energy to maintain a state far from equilibrium. To do this, organisms must/do have incredibly designed architectures that reflect a highly advanced understanding and exploitation of the laws of nature. For example, in central carbon metabolism, energy is extracted from the molecule glucose in the most efficient way possible. But just because this biochemical pathway exhibits an architecture that is amazingly designed to leverage the constraints imposed by thermodynamics does not mean that the laws provide a mechanism by which these complex systems arose in the first place. In other words, simply because a vehicle is highly efficient does not imply that the laws of thermodynamics designed it. More likely, it means whoever designed the vehicle had a thorough understanding of thermodynamics.

Definition:Quantum physics describes the physical properties at the level of atoms and subatomic particles using the wave function, which is determined by the Schrdinger equation. The Schrdinger equation is the quantum counterpart of Newtons second law, describing what happens in the quantum realm to systems of subatomic particles.

Schrdinger equations are linear equations, so when added, the outcome is also linear. This is very different from what is observed in the real world. For biology and complex systems, conditional branching occurs, as in the example:

If {antibiotic is detected} then (express antibiotic efflux pump). If {antibiotic decreases} then (decrease expression of antibiotic efflux pump).

This type of branching found in complex systems cannot be boiled down to a wave function. Thus, as George Ellis, a leading theorist in cosmology and complex systems, says [T]here is no single wave function for a living cell or macroscopic objects such as a cat or a brain. In short, the complex nonlinear world is unable to arise from a single wavefunction.

Definition:The behavior that an organism programmatically/cognitively undertakes to avoid death.

The laws of physics and chemistry do NOT include natural selection. Natural selection is an outcome of the programming of a specific goal:desire to survive. As such, I define natural selection as the change in populations that depends upon their programmed and, in some cases, cognitive capacity to survive and the environmental factors they face. Please note that this definition is different from how most people might think of natural selection, but one hopes it is more accurately aligned with how it actually works. To support this goal, the desire to survive, organisms have a variety of mechanisms that may include both voluntary and involuntary responses. For example, in humans, the immune system would be an example of an involuntary response (programmatically compiled) where the defenses of the body fight off invaders. An example of a voluntary response (a cognitive response) in humans might be when someone runs for their life from a bear or kills a poisonous snake. Another example of an involuntary mechanism is natural genetic engineering. In case you arent familiar with natural genetic engineering, it just means that cells have the capability to actively reorganize and modify their own genomes to enable survival. This involves mechanisms like transposition (movements of genetic elements within the genome), gene duplication, horizontal gene transfer (transfer of genetic material between different organisms), and other forms of genetic rearrangement. Another important example is phenotypic plasticity, which has frequently been confused for natural selection but is the ability of an individual organism to exhibit different phenotypes (observable characteristics or traits), for example, in response to changes it senses in the environment. Phenotypic plasticity occurs too rapidly to be driven by mutation and selection; thus, it is recognized as an innate adaptation algorithm embedded within an organism.

So, the desire to survive, coupled with environmental conditions and random mutations that favor some individuals over others, is natural selection. As natural selection relies on the agent- or life-specific mechanism of a desire to survive, it cannot account for anything related to the origin of life, only the diversification of life. The degree to which natural selection can account for the diversification of life is an active area of research, but ID proponents Douglas Axe and Brian Miller have discovered some important limits. Miller summarized decades of research on the topic of protein evolution, which relies on natural selection, in our response to Rope Kojonen. In short, they have shown that natural selection is not capable of creating a high-complexity enzyme from a random sequence of amino acids or of transforming one protein fold into a different fold without guidance. This is effectively an upper bound for what natural selection can accomplish, which bears not only on origin-of-life scenarios but also on the ability of life to diversify from a single organism into the diversity we see today.

The emergent properties of physics and chemistry are necessary, but not sufficient to explain the origin or diversification of biological organisms. Gravity can be used as a cue by biology to determine directionality, but gravity doesnt make a leaf grow up or a root grow down that happens only because a complex system is sensing, interpreting, and acting on the gravitational cue. The design of the periodic table of elements constrains the bonding pattern between hydrogen and oxygen and bestows upon water its life-giving properties, but these constraints on chemical bonding do not cause the formation of DNA or other complex molecules. Enzymes are necessary for more complex molecules to be formed at the rate required for life. The electrostatic laws describe how positive and negative charges attract one another, but these laws do not cause the formation of an electrochemical gradient across a membrane that only happens because molecular machines harness energy to push a system away from equilibrium. In quantum physics, the linear wave function describes the wave-particle duality of matter, but it cannot account for the conditional branching observed in complex systems.

In short, the best way to summarize the capacity of all these material mechanisms is in George Elliss words from his recent article, Quantum physics and biology: the local wavefunction approach: The laws of physics do not determine any specific outcomes whatsoever. Rather they determine the possibility space within which such outcomes can be designed.(Ellis 2023)

Tomorrow we will look at the second interpretation of Kojonens model for how the laws of nature and initial conditions could bring about life and its diversification.

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Physics, Chemistry Couldnt Give Rise to Biology - Discovery Institute

Neuroscience

Navigating the neuroscientific landscape with Dr Judy Illes – Drug Target Review

In a world grappling with the growing spectre of eco-anxiety and the pressing challenges posed by climate change, Dr Judy Illes, a distinguished figure in the field of neuroscience, sheds light on the role neuroscientists play in contributing to the discourse on environmental issues and their profound impact on individual and collective well-being. In this interview, Judy emphasises the need for evidence-based neuroscience to address the mental health implications of environmental changes, urging a departure from geographical silos to foster global collaboration. The discussion extends to strategies for disseminating neuroscientific research across diverse cultural landscapes and the practical implications of bridging the gap between research and public awareness.

I dont think it is a question of neuroscientists having to shoulder the responsibility of responding to and addressing questions of eco-anxiety, climate change, and environmental change, but rather a matter of upping the interest in this space and delivering more evidence through great research. We need more good neuroscience discovery and meaningful clinical translation to address the issues that were seeing and that are being debated. On the mental health side, there is anxiety around climate change Eco-Anxiety. On the neurologic side, there are findings about neurotoxins and environmental contaminants showing correlations with a variety of neurologic diseases across the lifespan from children to adults. Good study design, solid evidence, and good information dissemination with explicit evidence-based mitigation of misinformation will really contribute to climate change and environmental decision-making, policymaking, and improvements in brain-related health systems and care.

That is such an important question and it speaks directly to the global movement in neuroscience today. Global neuroscience cross-national, cross-geographic collaboration is so important to bring the kind of evidence about which I spoke in response to your first question. There is no point in addressing climate change, environmental change, contaminants from neurotoxins and so on in geographic silos. These affect all people across all nations. We have so much to learn from each other. We have different perspectives, different languages, and potentially different belief systems. When we combine these into an integrated, concerted collaborative program, we will be able to advance the kind of neuroscience that I hope that my lecture at the Society for Neuroscience inspired and also help to propel forward the work of the International Brain Initiative whose headquarters reside with me now in Canada. This is precisely what were trying to achieve: geopolitically conscious, border-free global cooperation in neuroscience.

This question is a good segue from the previous one. Thank you. First, let me say that I am a person of European background and I have had the privilege and the honour of working with indigenous peoples across Canada to learn about indigenous ways of knowing, of knowledge, of methods. My team has done empirical work through systematic literature reviews, scoping reviews, and a variety of research collaborations with indigenous Canadian people. I am also currently working around questions about portable MRI, for example, with colleagues across the USA, led by the University of Minnesota, to understand the important relationships and ethical considerations that come into play when were talking about work, research, and clinical translation that has to do with expanded access to MRI scanning with people from multiple cultures, and many who are in rural and remote regions of North America and the world.

With that preamble, to respond, I respectfully refer to Elder Albert Marshall and to what he called two-eyed seeing, which is a powerful way to bring together traditional belief systems, rooted in the medicine wheel, holism, relationships with the land and the earth, sky, water, air and fire, with biomedical explanations of mental health and neurologic disease. On the neuroscience side, we think about cells to systems: genes, brain development, demyelination, degeneration. It is equally meaningful to integrate this thinking with learnings and knowledge that preceded our understanding about genes and neuroanatomy and neurophysiology. In the past, we to dismissed traditional forms of belief systems. Today, we are seeing through the work of people in neuroscience, health sciences, ethics and law, anthropology and sociology that coupling the two can really bring wellness to an understanding of some of the major burdens of brain and mental health that affect people and societies today.

Again, a wonderful question, Taylor. So there are innumerable strategies. I will only mention three that immediately come to mind.

The first is about data and evidence. Evidence, good science, and design that takes into account not only Western approaches but approaches from different people of different backgrounds and ways of knowing and doing that might date back to time immemorial. That is number one: data, and irrefutable evidence that are respectful of all methods of doing.

The second is working collaboratively in a very engaged way with people of different cultures and different geographies, whether they are Elders from communities or whether they are neuroscientists from different communities and geographic locations. In this way, the maximum breadth and potential of neuroscience discovery will be realised.

The third is collaboration among people who have expertise in the ethics of communication and dissemination of results, or with science communicators to maximize not only what results or findings are disseminated but how they are disseminated. That takes the form of K-12 teaching, undergraduate teaching, graduate teaching, postdoctoral teaching, teaching and communicating throughout the academic ranks, and equally importantly, through public outreach. I think what weve seen over the past 25 years of neuroethics is a tremendous improvement in the way that science reporting is taking place around brain and mind around neuroscience. There really is a commitment, I believe, to working in a far more reciprocal way between the communication side and the science side to ensure that what gets out there is meaningful and appropriately-tailored to distinct audiences. It is multi-layered. It starts well before data collection, at the design and planning phases of research, and then all the way through engaging with the public as I mentioned, and with students of all ages.

I think the responsible way to answer your question is to speak to the importance of systematic neuroscience discovery and systematic engagement. A very small study pharmacologic, behavioral, whatever that is robust can have a huge impact on changing the way health and policymakers think about an aspect of climate change, or a neurotoxin. For example, in my lecture, I spoke about glyphosates. I talked about methylmercury. Neuroscientists could not possibly take on the whole scope of neurotoxic contaminants for a research platform. The challenge is to choose one, choose an important one, and help decode and disentangle why there seems to be still controversies and debates around harms versus benefits that are leading to heterogeneous and conflicting international policies. Solve critical questions for one neurotoxin. Then move on to the next.

I talked a lot about fracking and how data show that the pushing hydrochloric acid into the earth to create fissures not great for the environment, for keeping the land and water clean, or for ensuring that traditional relationships with the land are preserved. The risk of fracking have to be taken in balance though with the economic benefits to communities that dont have a lot of resources, for example, and may even be faced with food and water security. We must look at harms and benefits always, always in balance. We have to take these problems and tackle them bit by bit. Climate change, too big as a whole. But finding ways to protect children with severe brain disorders such as epilepsy whose condition might be exacerbated by extreme heat that can be tackled. Environmental change with respect to neurotoxins too big. Discovering and addressing differential proximate and epigenetic effects of different neurotoxins that can be tackled.

Neuroscience requires patience and systematic, rigorous deliberate methods. Today there is a new openness to thinking about all aspects of what results may suggest and how they may inform how people behave, govern, and invest in each other going forward.

About the author

Dr Judy Illes, CM, PhD, FCAHS, FRSC

University of British Columbia (UBC)

Dr Judy Illes is Professor of Neurology at the University of British Columbia (UBC),Distinguished University Scholar, UBC Distinguished Scholar in Neuroethics, and Director of Neuroethics Canada. She is a pioneer of the field of neuroethics through which she has made groundbreaking contributions to cross-cultural ethical, legal, social and policy challenges at the intersection of the brain sciences and biomedical ethics. Among her many commitments, she is Chair of the International Brain Initiative and co-Lead of the IBIs Canadian Brain Research Strategy. She serves as Director-at-Large of the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences,and is a member of the Ethics, Law and Humanities Committee of the American Academy of Neurology.

Dr Illes is the immediate past Vice Chair of the Advisory Board of the Institute for Neuroscience, Mental Health and Addiction of the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), and of CIHRs Standing Committee on Ethics.Her recent books, a series calledDevelopments in Neuroethics and Bioethics, focus on pain, global mental health, neurotechnology, transnational laws, environmental neuroethics, neurodevelopment, and neuroAI. Dr Illes was awarded the Order of Canada, the countrys highest recognition of its citizens, in 2017.

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Navigating the neuroscientific landscape with Dr Judy Illes - Drug Target Review

Family Medicine

Kathryn Buchanan joins PVCH Family Medicine team – GREAT BEND TRIBUNE – Great Bend Tribune

It didnt take long for Kathryn Buchanan to notice that the Pawnee Valley Community Hospital (PVCH) team is patient-oriented with a real sense of community spirit.

Buchanan is the new family nurse practitioner at PVCH Family Medicine, 713 W. 11th in Larned. She began seeing patients Dec. 11.

I specialize in family medicine and look forward to meeting my new patients in the coming weeks and months, Buchanan said. I will care for and treat patients with acute and chronic diseases and conditions from age 2 and older.

Buchanan, an Ellinwood resident, noted she is impressed with the wide variety of PVCH services and up-to-date equipment. This illustrates to me that one of the hospitals priorities is offering as much quality health care as possible close to home.

In addition, from day one, the environment here has been welcoming. There is a genuine sense of community among staff members who are always willing to help patients and their colleagues. This is important to me.

Buchanan, who is originally from Mississippi, earned an associates degree in nursing in 2019 and bachelors degree in nursing the following year. Both degrees were awarded by Mississippi University for Women.

Next came her masters in nursing/family nurse practitioner earlier this year at The University of Mississippi Medical Center.

Buchanans professional background includes serving the Intensive Care Unit and Emergency Department as a registered nurse at North Mississippi Medical Center; registered nurse at Mississippi HomeCare; and med-surg nurse at The University of Kansas Health System.

Melanie Urban, PVCH administrator, noted that in the brief time Kathryn has been here, she is already demonstrating her practitioner skills, as well as her compassion towards her patients. Kathryns talents mesh well with our mission to provide high-quality health care right here at home.

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Kathryn Buchanan joins PVCH Family Medicine team - GREAT BEND TRIBUNE - Great Bend Tribune

Cell Biology

Seattle Hub for Synthetic Biology plans to transform cells into tiny recording devices – GeekWire

Jay Shendure, a professor of genome sciences at UW Medicine, will be executive director of the Seattle Hub for Synthetic Biology. (UW Medicine Photo)

The Allen Institute, the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative and the University of Washington have launched a collaboration called the Seattle Hub for Synthetic Biology, with the goal of using genetically modified cells to capture a DNA-based record showing how they change over time.

If the project works out as hoped, it could lead to a deeper understanding of the mechanisms behind cellular processes including, for example, how tumors grow and point to new methods for fighting disease and promoting healthy cell growth.

Over the next five years, the Seattle Hub for Synthetic Biology will receive $35 million from the Allen Institute, and another $35 million from the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, founded by Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg and his wife, Priscilla Chan.

Jay Shendure, a professor of genome sciences at UW Medicine, will serve as the hubs executive director. Other members of the leadership team include Marion Pepper and Cole Trapnell, researchers at UW Medicine; and Jesse Gray, a veteran of Ascidian Therapeutics and Harvard Medical School. The collaboration will build on technology pioneered at the Allen Discovery Center for Cell Lineage Tracing and the Brotman Baty Institute for Precision Medicine.

Shendure compared the genetically modified cells to flight recorders on airplanes. He said such cells could, for example, be combined with CAR-T cells to track the progress of cancer therapy.

You could imagine layering them into CAR-T cells to provide a record of what happened, in the context of trying to deliver a certain therapeutic, he told GeekWire. And then you could imagine components of these cells, or more sophisticated versions, actually being used as part of the therapy where, when and how a therapeutic turns on or off is modulated at some level by a much more sophisticated set of machinery.

That sort of application is far down the road. In the nearer term, SeaHubs researchers aim to develop a new channel for chronicling the changes that cells go through. This channel would take an approach thats different from existing methods that depend on microscope imaging or sequencing a cells entire genome.

Shendure and his colleagues at UW have already created two techniques that could help turn elements of the genetic machinery inside cells into tiny time-lapse recording devices.

One of the techniques, known as DNA Typewriter, was the subject of a research paper in the journal Nature last year. The system makes use of gene-editing tools to lay down short snippets of DNA in chronological order, moving along a molecular string like the clicks of the carriage on an old-fashioned typewriter.

If you insert a five-base-pair sequence, thats four to the fifth, or 1,024. So there are 1,024 possible symbols that we could insert, Shendure said. When you punch a key, so to speak, you write a symbol one of those 1,024 possible insertions. Thats like the recording of information. And the same edit moves the type head one unit down the tape. Youre not just firing letters at a piece of paper, youre actually typing them in some coherent order.

The second technique is Engram. Without Engram, DNA Typewriter is like a monkey at a typewriter, just hitting keys, Shendure said. But with Engram, at least for some of the keys, we can say youre more likely to type this key if this particular signaling pathway is active, or youre only going to type this key if youre this particular cell type. So, were starting to learn how to assign meanings to keys, and to build a vocabulary of triggers between biological signals and symbols on our keyboard.

To read the recording, researchers could extract some of the recorder cells and check the sequence of DNA letters that were inserted over time.

Early practical applications of the cell-recording technologies are likely to focus on studying how cells multiply and develop into tissues under normal conditions, and how things go wrong due to disease.

Studying the growth of a cancerous tumor would be a great example, Shendure said. If you want to probe the history of one tumor obviously this would be in a model organism, but it could be a human cell transplanted in a mouse trying to accumulate that history over time is something that you would want to do, he said.

Researchers could track the development of different tumors on the cellular level, and study how different treatment strategies affect their growth. For that scenario, a strain of mice could be genetically engineered with cell-recording capability.

We make a mouse line that essentially has all this stuff stably, and the recording device can be turned on at any point, Shendure said. You could have it constituently on, so it switches on at the beginning, or you could use a small chemical to turn it on, like doxycycline.

Such methods could also be used to fine-tune tissue engineering. If were trying to make skin in a dish, or something like that, whats working? Whats not working? And how do you modulate it to improve the process? Shendure said.

Using such techniques for clinical treatment in humans is a long-term strategy. But how long-term? I dont think theyre as futuristic as they might seem, given everything thats going on, Shendure said.

Findings from the research effort will be shared widely within the scientific community. Its all going to be open science, fitting with the philosophy of the Allen Institute and CZI, Shendure said.

The Chan Zuckerberg Initiatives backing for the Seattle Hub for Synthetic Biology builds on the philanthropic organizations history of supporting big-picture biotech projects including a $3 billion effort aimed at curing, preventing and managing all diseases within a generation, and $15 million in grants that were awarded in 2018 to support a global research effort called the Human Cell Atlas.

By developing new technologies to measure and understand the history of our cells over time, including how they are impacted by the environment around them, genetic mutations and other factors, we can expand scientists understanding of what happens at the cellular level when we go from healthy to sick, and help pinpoint the earliest causes of disease, CZI co-founder and co-CEO Priscilla Chan said in a news release.

Rui Costa, president and chief executive officer of the Allen Institute, said he and his colleagues are incredibly excited to enter this new era of collaboration to tackle big moonshot projects in partnership with others.

UW President Ana Mari Cauce said the project demonstrates the enormous potential impact of values-driven partnerships, and it represents a new way of thinking about how we can solve problems more quickly and effectively through scientific collaboration.

Our shared values, paired with our complementary perspectives and strengths, are a recipe for success, and I cant wait to see what this team will accomplish together, Cauce said.

The effort should yield noticeable results within five years, Shendure said.

It could lead to basically a library of tools for engineering cell types, specific expression, et cetera. I think therell be these deliverables that are broadly useful for the field, he said.

Shendure hopes researchers at the Seattle Hub for Synthetic Biology will come up with specific bodies of information relating to cell lineages, including cancer cell lineages, that would be impossible to obtain using more conventional technologies. But he also has a bigger goal in mind: Gaining acceptance for a new modality of measuring things over time, using DNA as a recording medium.

Thats been kind of a niche interest of technology development groups, Shendure said. Were trying to really move that toward the mainstream.

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Seattle Hub for Synthetic Biology plans to transform cells into tiny recording devices - GeekWire

Immunology

Annals of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology Examines Effects of Climate Change on Allergic Conditions – Newswise

Newswise ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. (December 13, 2023) As we head into the new year, some issues may be coming into sharper focus for those involved in allergy-immunology issues. The current issue of Annals of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology, the scientific journal of the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, focuses its attention on a key problem affecting those with allergic conditions and the world today: climate change.

We recognize that climate change affects the global population, and that many people feel they as individuals dont have much control, says allergist Donald Leung, MD, PhD, Senior Executive Editor of Annals. But we also wanted to highlight the role of allergists in working with patients whose allergic diseases might be affected by global warming and climate change. There is evidence that the environment affects those living with asthma, seasonal allergic rhinoconjunctivitis, atopic dermatitis, and other allergic conditions. Our goal was to address the effects of climate change on those conditions through a series of well-researched articles by highly respected allergists.

The articles on this topic in the December issue are as follows:

These five articles highlight how climate change has affected diseases such as atopic dermatitis, asthma, allergic rhinitis and allergies in general. One example of the effect of climate change is that pollen seasons are lasting longer and starting earlier due to environmental warming. The CME review by Seastedt and Nadeau discusses how global fires and dust storms have increased atopic disease and worsened allergies. Global warming also has been shown to lead to disruption of the epithelial barrier, and as a result, alarmins can be induced, which leads to increasing T2 inflammation in allergy. An editorial by Dr. David Stukus stresses the important role that allergists can play in helping patients who are being affected by the effects of global warming and climate change.

About ACAAI

ACAAI is a professional medical organization of more than 6,000 allergists-immunologists and allied health professionals, headquartered in Arlington Heights, Ill. The College fosters a culture of collaboration and congeniality in which its members work together and with others toward the common goals of patient care, education, advocacy, and research. ACAAI allergists are board-certified physicians trained to diagnose allergies and asthma, administer immunotherapy, and provide patients with the best treatment outcomes. For more information and to find relief, visit AllergyandAsthmaRelief.org.Join us on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram and Twitter/X.

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Annals of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology Examines Effects of Climate Change on Allergic Conditions - Newswise

Immunology

Medical Breakthroughs Fueling Infection Prevention Market: Immunology and Modern Medicine Advancements to … – PR Newswire

A new report from FMI highlights key factors propelling the growth of the infection prevention market. The report identifies rising surgical procedures, environmental sustainability trends, the development of biodegradable solutions, and growing awareness of health and hygiene as major drivers of market expansion.

NEWARK, Del., Dec. 12, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The global infection prevention market is estimated to be over US$ 40,845.2 million in 2024. Between 2024 and 2034, the market is predicted to grow at 3.1%, reaching a valuation of US$ 55,379.1 million by that year. The infection prevention and control market is expanding globally due to rising outsourcing efforts, healthcare spending, impressive healthcare standards, and infrastructural advances.

Request Exclusive Sample Report: Infection Prevention Market Strategic Insights: https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-13950

The number of surgical operations performed globally has increased. This is due to a rise in the frequency of lifestyle illnesses, increased obesity, and other factors. Aside from that, numerous athletes suffer from severe injuries, including spinal injuries and elbow injuries. As a result, many operations have increased the need for infection prevention kits.

Growing public consciousness of environmental sustainability opens up lucrative growth opportunities for the industry. Biodegradable gloves, eco-friendly packaging, and environmentally friendly production methods are just a few of the environmentally friendly and recyclable infection control items that are becoming increasingly popular. Manufacturers are trying to reduce the amount of garbage they produce and their carbon footprints.

Biodegradable infection control solutions from plant-based polymers derived from sustainable resources such as cornstarch, sugarcane, or cellulose are becoming increasingly popular. These polymers can create gloves, aprons, packing materials, and disposable gowns. Eco-friendly and biodegradable infection control solutions have propelled market expansion.

The growth in infection incidence indicates an increasing global need for efforts to address the underlying cause of sickness and reduce the risk of transmission. Revenues from reimbursement are expected because of the growing demand for consumables, disinfectants, and sterilizing equipment in the healthcare sector.

Customers are expected to demand infection-prevention products as they become more conscious of their hygiene and health. The aging population's growing desire for better healthcare is predicted to result in increasing sales potential.

Infection Prevention Industry Overview, 2024-2034:

Attributes

Infection Prevention Market

CAGR (2024 to 2034)

3.1%

Expected Base Year Value (2024)

US$ 40,845.2 million

Anticipated Forecast Value (2034)

US$ 55,379.1 million

Growth Factors

Growing prevalence of chronic disorders all over the world.

Future Opportunities

Key Companies profiled

Understand global, regional, and country-level parameters with growth opportunities, historical data (2019-2023), and forecasts (2024-2034).Buy this report today!

Sabyasachi Ghosh(Associate Vice President at Future Market Insights, Inc.), States, "The main factor driving the market is the growing demands for efficient cleaning and awareness of the need to clean and disinfect the environment. Furthermore, the market for infection prevention is poised for significant expansion because of the coronavirus outbreak."

Key Takeaways from the Infection Prevention Market:

Key Strategies:

The global infection control market is highly competitive, with several companies participating. Market rivalry is fierce, with businesses contending for customers' attention by introducing new, high-quality products. Infection control is a highly competitive sector with many small and medium-sized establishments.

These businesses often focus on specific service or product categories within a given market. Many industry participants focus on organic market expansion through product debuts, approvals, and other variables such as patents and events. The inorganic growth tactics were partnerships, acquisitions, and collaborations.

Recent Developments:

About Healthcare Division at Future Market Insights (FMI)

Future Market Insights (FMI) facilitates corporates, government, investors, and associated audiences in the healthcare sector to identify and accentuate vital aspects applicable to product strategy, regulatory landscape, technology evolution, and other crucial issues to achieve sustainable success. Our unique approach to gathering market intelligence equips you to devise innovation-driven trajectories for your business. Know more about our sector coverage here.

About the Author:

Sabyasachi Ghosh(Associate Vice President at Future Market Insights, Inc.) holds over 12 years of experience in the Healthcare, Medical Devices, and Pharmaceutical industries. His curious and analytical nature helped him shape his career as a researcher.

Identifying key challenges clients faces and devising robust, hypothesis-based solutions to empower them with strategic decision-making capabilities come naturally to him. His primary expertise lies in areas such as Market Entry and Expansion Strategy, Feasibility Studies, Competitive Intelligence, and Strategic Transformation.

Holding a degree in Microbiology, Sabyasachi has authored numerous publications and has been cited in journals, including The Journal of mHealth, ITN Online, and Spinal Surgery News.

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About Future Market Insights (FMI)

Future Market Insights (FMI) is a leading market intelligence and consulting service provider, serving clients in over 150 countries. FMI is headquartered inDubaiand has delivery centers in theUnited Kingdom,the United States, andIndia. FMI's latest market research reports, and industry analysis helps businesses navigate challenges and make critical decisions with confidence and clarity amidst breakneck competition.

Our customized and syndicated market research reports deliver actionable insights that drive sustainable growth. A team of expert-led analysts at FMI continuously tracks emerging trends and events in a broad range of industries to ensure that our clients prepare for the evolving needs of their consumers.

Contact Us

Nandini Singh Sawlani Future Market Insights Inc. Christiana Corporate, 200 Continental Drive, Suite 401,Newark, Delaware- 19713,USA T: +1-845-579-5705 For Sales Enquiries:[emailprotected] Website:https://www.futuremarketinsights.com LinkedIn|Twitter|Blogs|YouTube

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SOURCE Future Market Insights

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