Goodbye, Celgene. Hello, Bristol-Myers Squibb (NYSE:BMY).

With Bristol-Myers Squibb's acquisition of Celgene closing on Wednesday, one of my favorite biotech stocks is now gone. Celgene became a subsidiary of BMS and is no longer a publicly traded company on its own. Like many former Celgene shareholders, I now own Bristol-Myers Squibb stock.

I've thought quite a bit about what I would do when the buyout deal concluded. My final conclusion: Do nothing. Here's why I plan to hold on to my new Bristol-Myers Squibb shares.

Image source: Getty Images.

I agree with market researcher EvaluatePharma that BMS's cancer immunotherapy Opdivo and its blood-thinning drug Eliquis are likely torank among the world's top-selling drugs over the next few years. But to be honest, the growth prospects for Opdivo and Eliquis alone wouldn't be enough to make me want to keep my newfound BMS shares. However, now that the big drugmaker owns Celgene's pipeline, it's a different story altogether.

Ozanimod appears to have very good chances of winning FDA approval for treating relapsed multiple sclerosis early next year. I expect the drug will generate peak annual sales in the ballpark of $5 billion if approved.

Celgene's cancer cell therapies liso-cel and ide-cel should also be in a pretty good position to secure regulatory approvals. These two drugs could tack on another $4 billion or so in combined peak annual sales. There could also be additional indications for recently approved Reblozyl (luspatercept) on the way that could help the drug achieve peak sales of close to $2 billion.

Looking farther down the road, I have high hopes for Celgene's CelMOD therapies that are currently in early stage clinical studies targeting blood cancers. I also think bb21217, a cell therapy that Celgene is developing with bluebird bio, could be a big winner.

These pipeline candidates make me excited about BMS's growth prospects. Yes, the company will have to offset the inevitable sales declines for Revlimid as generic rivals enter the market beginning in 2022. However, sales of those generics will be volume-limited at first. I think that the combination of Celgene's pipeline and already-approved drugs such as Pomalyst and Inrebic along with BMS's drugs should give the "new" company a solid growth runway.

In addition to its impressive blockbusters already mentioned, Bristol-Myers Squibb claims something remarkable of its own -- its dividend. The drugmaker's dividend currently yields 2.9%. That's a level that most investors would find quite attractive.

BMS has also been consistent at increasing its dividend payout through the years. Granted, those dividend hikes haven't been awe-inspiring. Still, a growing dividend is a good dividend in my book, especially with the already great yield.

I'm not worried at all about Bristol-Myers Squibb's ability to keep the dividends flowing and growing in the future. CFO Charles Bancroft noted in the company's third-quarter conference call that BMS will be able to increase its dividend, along with paying down its debt. He added that the company has "modeled annual increases" to its dividend in its pro forma financial projections.

It also helps that BMS just received $13.4 billion from the sale of Celgene's immunology drug Otezla to Amgen. While I would have preferred that BMS have Otezla in its lineup, the divestiture was necessary to make regulators happy and ended up being a good deal for all involved parties.

Celgene shareholders didn't just receive BMS stock with the closing of the acquisition. We also received $50 in cash per share plus a contingent value right (CVR) that will pay $9 if specified regulatory milestones are achieved.

I plan on holding on to my CVR. My expectation is that these CVR shares will eventually pay out the full $9 as BMS wins FDA approvals for ozanimod, liso-cel, and ide-cel.

As for the cash that I received with the acquisition of Celgene, I plan to invest in stocks, of course. Bristol-Myers Squibb won't be one of them, though, because I want to diversify more outside healthcare. The good news is that there are plenty of great stocks to choose from.

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Why I'm Holding On to My Bristol-Myers Squibb Shares Now That the Celgene Acquisition Has Closed - The Motley Fool

BOSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Immunitas Therapeutics (Immunitas), a single cell genomics-based drug discovery company founded by Longwood Fund, today announced a $39 million Series A financing led by Leaps by Bayer and Novartis Venture Fund and joined by additional investors including Evotec, M Ventures, Alexandria Venture Investments, and other institutional investors. The company plans to use this funding to advance its first programs, monoclonal antibody therapeutics with single agent activity in preclinical models of oncology, to clinical studies.

Underlying the companys programs is the unique drug development platform crafted by the Immunitas team along with Aviv Regev (Professor of Biology and Core Member of the Broad Institute and Investigator at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute) that dissects the microenvironment of human tumors using single cell genomics-based approaches to identify novel immune targets. The Immunitas platform has generated fully humanized antibodies that act on these targets, advancing to human efficacy studies driven by specific clinical biomarkers, and a breadth of promising druggable cancer targets.

The scientific founders of Immunitas are pioneers in studying the immunobiology of human tumors, including the use of single cell genomics-based techniques and antibody-development techniques:

Single cell genomic sequencing has tremendous promise to help unravel the interactions between immune cells and cancer cells in tumors to advance cancer drug development but focusing it appropriately to discover meaningful new targets based on human biology has been challenging, said Dr. Wucherpfennig. The Immunitas platform is designed to reveal novel and important adaptive and innate immune interactions with tumor cells, which may open up new possibilities in cancer therapy. My scientific co-founders and I look forward to continuing to work with the Immunitas team as they advance this powerful science.

Our scientific founders are pioneers in the field of single cell sequencing and analysis. They have extensive expertise in deep computational biology, which has enabled us to discover novel therapeutic targets directly from human immunology, said Lea Hachigian, Ph.D., co-founder, director and President of Immunitas Therapeutics. The data from this platform have also provided us with biomarkers for patient selection, which has potential to accelerate our development plans and provides improved chances for efficacy for individual patients.

Immunitas was founded to directly address the challenge of translating findings from laboratory research in model organisms to meaningful clinical advances in humans. Immunitas focuses on human samples, allowing the company to start with and stay closer to the most relevant and translatable biology for patients.

One of todays biggest challenges in oncology is how to efficiently and effectively move preclinical research into human therapies while avoiding the false signals often seen in animal models, said Dr. Jrgen Eckhardt, Head of Leaps by Bayer, Bayer AGs strategic venture capital unit. The scientific founders of Immunitas have elegantly solved this problem by dissecting the biology of immune cells in human tumors directly. We are excited to support this approach which has the potential to significantly improve cancer drug development.

Longwood-founded Immunitas also announced key senior management appointments as well as the Board of Directors of the company. Dr. Lea Hachigian is co-founder, director and President of Immunitas as well as a Principal at Longwood Fund. She is also a co-founder and director of TScan Therapeutics. Tarek Samad, Ph.D. is the Chief Scientific Officer at Immunitas Therapeutics. He has over two decades of experience in academia and industry leading small molecule and antibody biologic programs into the clinic. Amanda Wagner joins the company as Vice President of Strategy and Operations with over ten years of biotech experience in similar roles. The Board of Directors includes Dr. Laura Brass, Dr. Jrgen Eckhardt, Dr. Lea Hachigian, Dr. Lucio Iannone, Dr. Christoph Westphal, and Dr. Vincent Xiang.

About Immunitas Therapeutics

Immunitas Therapeutics, founded by Longwood Fund, employs a single cell genomics platform to dissect the biology of immune cells in human tumors, thereby advancing discoveries directly from the bench into meaningful clinical improvements. Our focus on human data allows us to start with and stay closer to the biology that is most relevant in patients and greatly accelerates the pace of our research. The Immunitas team of scientific pioneers innovates around each step of the drug development process, first identifying novel targets, then designing therapeutic strategies, and developing key biomarkers to guide the selection of patients who may benefit from our new drugs. http://www.ImmunitasTx.com.

Immunitas the human approach to oncology

The rest is here:
Immunitas Therapeutics Launches with $39 Million to Advance Lead Programs to Human Efficacy Studies Based on a Unique Immunology-Focused Drug...

SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Omeros Corporation (Nasdaq: OMER) presented new GPR174 immuno-oncology data yesterday at the American Association for Cancer Research Conference on Tumor Immunology and Immunotherapy in Boston, Massachusetts. The positively received and well-attended presentation about the companys cell-based and animal studies related to its newly discovered cancer immunity axis was made by Marc Gavin, Ph.D., Omeros Director of Immunology. This data can now be accessed on the companys website at https://investor.omeros.com/presentations

About Omeros Corporation

Omeros is an innovative biopharmaceutical company committed to discovering, developing and commercializing small-molecule and protein therapeutics for large-market as well as orphan indications targeting complement-mediated diseases, disorders of the central nervous system and immune-related diseases, including cancers. In addition to its commercial product OMIDRIA (phenylephrine and ketorolac intraocular solution) 1%/0.3%, Omeros has multiple Phase 3 and Phase 2 clinical-stage development programs focused on complement-mediated disorders and substance abuse, as well as a diverse group of preclinical programs including GPR174, a novel target in immuno-oncology that modulates a new cancer immunity axis recently discovered by Omeros. Small-molecule inhibitors of GPR174 are part of Omeros proprietary G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) platform through which it controls 54 new GPCR drug targets and their corresponding compounds. The company also exclusively possesses a novel antibody-generating platform.

Source: Omeros Corporation

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Omeros' New GPR174 Immuno-oncology Data Presented at the American Association for Cancer Research Conference In Boston Now Available Online - Business...

(CNN) It's the time of year to pile the family into the car and make the trek to grandma's house.

No doubt you've got the packing down pat, as well as the best ways to entertain the kids as you travel. You've probably stashed some hand sanitizer for those thousands of restroom stops as well.

But have you thought of all of the other germs you might encounter on your journey?

Your car

Think of all the things you carry in your car -- and the germs that ride along. Not to mention the fact that most of us eat in our cars, scattering tasty bits to feed those microbes.

In fact, the study found the inside of the average car to be over 2,000 times germier than a phone, with more than 200 infectious bacteria per inch.

None of that surprises microbiologist Charles Gerba, a professor of public health, environmental science and immunology at the University of Arizona.

"I can actually tell by looking at the microbiology of a car where it is from in the US," Gerba said. Known as "Dr. Germ" for his abundant testing for germs on nearly every surface mankind might touch, Gerba's work is often commissioned by cleaning supply manufacturers to verify if their products work.

"We grew salmonella in the shop and we put them in the trucks of cars in different states," Gerba said. "In the south and Florida, it's nice and humid like a sauna so you get tons of bacteria. Michigan is like a refrigerator, so it's loaded with fungi because they grow better at the colder temperature."

However, in Arizona where Gerba lives, it's tougher for bacteria to survive: "They get toasted because it's 120 degrees in your trunk."

The solution is obvious: Clean the inside of your car with sanitizing wipes, change the air filters frequently to remove airborne particles, vacuum upholstery and sanitize floor mats. And don't forget to clean your keys.

Another germy surface you won't be able to avoid on your road trip: the gas station. The buttons you push to select and pay for gas harbor millions of bacteria, some dangerous, some not, according to the car rental survey. Gas pumps carried over 6,000 times the bacteria a public elevator button has and more than 11,000 times the germs of a public toilet seat.

Adding to my travel checklist: disposable plastic gloves.

Eating out on the road

Germs can spread through a family very quickly, as Gerba found out when he swabbed the hands of several families of four with a benign bacterium.

"Usually the germs spread to about 90% of the home's surfaces within four hours. I was actually kind of amazed," he said.

Just imagine what's happening in a restaurant that is serving one person (or family with small children in diapers) after another...

"Restaurant menus, they get pretty germy," Gerba said. "The plastic ones get really bad. Tabletops can be nasty too. We sampled tables at restaurants and asked the waiter or waitress to come over and wipe it clean."

Instead, Gerba said, "they usually put a thin layer of E. coli down on the table for us to eat off of."

"They're supposed to use disinfectants in these sponges and dish cloths, but apparently it's not effective enough," Gerba continued. "When they come to wipe my table off, I say 'Don't do it please. I'm fine.' "

Another note to self: Bring disinfectant wipes into restaurants every, single, time.

Self-checkouts

From the restaurant you just wiped down to the grocery store or quick mart you stopped at to get some snacks for the road, self-checkouts are another way to keep things moving quickly. Too bad they're so germy.

"We found a lot of fecal bacteria, antibiotic-resistant bacteria. I must say I was quite surprised," Gerba said. "They were worse than hospital screens that doctors and nurses touch. I certainly don't use the self-checkout anymore."

But here's some good news: When you pay for your items with cash, there's little chance of those dollar bills and coins passing on germs.

"We had people touch paper bills and very few bacteria, only 1%, came off," Gerba said.

"There may be bacteria but it doesn't transfer to your hands because bills tend to be porous. Coins tend to be somewhat anti-microbial; they are made of copper, silver and nickel. So, they didn't come out too bad in our studies either."

Too bad many of us don't carry much cash. Well, thank goodness for quick pay on our cell phones.

Oh, right. We carry those into the bathroom with us.

Hotel rooms

The nastiest item? The hotel TV remote.

Surprisingly, one of the least contaminated spots was the bathroom door handle.

Gerba tested hotel rooms that varied in price from $98 to $500 per night. You'd think the more expensive lodging would be less germy, but you'd be wrong. One 5-star hotel room had excessive levels of bacteria on the room service menu. Another disgusting item was the hotel hair dryer.

And when it comes to remote controls, Gerba's team found similar results as the Houston researchers, but with an extremely, uh, disturbing twist.

"Remote controls are the germiest thing in a hotel room," Gerba said. "In fact, we found semen on 30% of the remote controls we tested."

Speechless. But I can still scribble another note to myself: Next road trip bring enough plastic wrap to cover entire body.

Read more:
Road trip germs and how to avoid the grossness this holiday - CNN

An Ontario teen who was put on life support following a serious vaping-related illness may be the first known case of a form of lung damage caused by vaping, according to a study co-authored by Tereza Martinu and Andrew Steel of the University of Torontos Faculty of Medicine.

Martinu, an assistant professor in thedepartment of immunology who was part of the team of doctors who cared for the 17-year-old at Toronto General Hospital, told CBC News that the teen appeared to suffer from bronchiolitis obliterans or popcorn lung, rather than the illness dubbed EVALI (e-cigarette or vaping product use-associated lung injury).

"It was a relatively wild story; we have not seen something like this that often," said Martinu, a lung transplant respirologist who co-authored the study published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal. "The referring team was really worried that he was not going to make it."

The teens condition eventually improved after treatment with steroids, with Martinu saying he may have suffered chronic lung damage.

"If he truly does have this bronchiolitis oblitirans scarring problem that we're worried about, he will likely remain with some amount of lung disease," she said. "But we won't really know until we see how it evolves."

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Study involving U of T researchers suggests Ontario teen first case of 'popcorn lung' linked to vaping: CBC - News@UofT

A study has discovered the process behind the lung immune response, which could be used to develop treatments against pneumonia.

Researchers have revealed the process that the lungs use in the body to defend themselves against bacteria. According to the team, their findings could be used to develop treatments against pneumonia.

The study was conducted at Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM), US.

The study was designed to generate knowledge about the immune components that are useful for fighting pneumonia

Previous research has demonstrated that recovery from bacterial pneumonia improves the bodys defence against further infections through lung resident memory T (TRM) cells. However, the way in which these cells protect the lungs has been unknown until now.

The team found that TRM cells surrounding lung cells send out a signal to recruit bacteria killers called neutrophils.

Using experimental models, the researchers developed ways to deplete TRM cells to determine how they affected the lungs response to infection.

Because we found that the lung-lining cells changed their behaviour when TRM cells were missing, we studied those lung-lining cells in culture, including how they responded to TRM-derived signals to generate neutrophil-recruiting signals, explained corresponding author Professor Joseph Mizgerd.

According to the researchers, the study was designed to generate knowledge about the immune components that are useful for fighting pneumonia. Over the long-term, our study has implications for preventing and treating pneumonia which is important for keeping people out of the hospital and for preventing hospitalised patients from progressing to the intensive care unit and even worse outcomes, said Mizgerd.

Mizgerd envisions a future in which clinicians can measure and report a persons lung immunity and pneumonia susceptibility status: Interventions could be developed to improve an individuals lung immunity in order to prevent pneumonia and lung immunity is manipulated, triggered or mimicked in pneumonia patients to accomplish a cure against drug-resistant organisms or microbes for which no drugs have yet been developed.

The study was published in Mucosal Immunology.

Read more:
Lung response to bacteria revealed by researchers - Drug Target Review

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AI123105; P51 OD011107; OD010956; OD010931-12; GM131457; PNAS

Newswise A UC Davis study found that the damaged gut lining (known as leaky gut) in monkeys infected with chronic simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV), an HIV-like virus, was rapidly repaired within five hours of receiving Lactobacillus plantarum bacteria.

The study, published today in the PNAS, linked chronically inflamed leaky gut to the loss of PPAR signaling (a nuclear receptor protein responsible for regulating cell metabolism) and subsequent damage to mitochondria - the cells power house.

The researchers found that L. plantarum activated PPAR signaling and revived mitochondrial flow, repairing the gut barrier in only five hours of exposure.

The outcome lends hope that leaky gut, a common condition among HIV patients, could be effectively treated in the future.

HIV and the damage to the gut lining

The gut, home to majority of the lymphoid tissue in the body, is an early target of HIV. The virus severely damages the immune and epithelial cells in the guts lining. This damage leads to an inflamed and leaky gut with weakened defense system and decreased nutrient absorption.

Anti-retroviral therapy (ART) for HIV has been successful in limiting the damage to the bodys immune system. Yet, it has failed to consistently or completely repair the damage to the gut and its lining.

We wanted to map the pathways that lead to sustained damage in the gut and to identify ways to intervene and support its repair, said Katti Crakes, doctoral student in the schools of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine at UC Davis and first author on the study.

The researchers found that HIV attacks the guts epithelial cells by targeting and draining the mitochondria.

To reverse the damage caused by HIV and to increase the efficacy of ART, it is important to restore mitochondrial function and to rapidly repair the gut epithelium and immune defense, said Satya Dandekar, professor of microbiology and immunology at UC Davis School of Medicine and senior author.

Identifying cell signaling regulators for restoring the gut barrier

The bacteria present in the gut are known to play an important role in supporting and repairing the gut functioning. The study specifically tested the impact of L. plantarum bacteria on gut epithelial barrier of SIV infected rhesus macaques.

We challenged the capacity of L. plantarum bacteria and their metabolites to restore the gut functions in an extremely inflamed visibly disrupted gut environment, Dandekar said.

The researchers found that L. plantarum were able to survive and remain metabolically active in inflamed gut. The bacteria repaired the gut barrier by targeting and restoring the mitochondria in the intestinal epithelial cells damaged by SIV as well as HIV. These findings provide translational insights into restoring gut immunity and function, both of which are essential for successful HIV cure efforts.

In addition to Crakes and Dandekar, UC Davis researchers on this paper were Clarissa Santos Rocha, Irina Grishina, Lauren Hirao, Christopher Gaulke, Anne Fenton, Juan Arredondo and Sumathi Sankaran-Walters from the Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology; Eleonora Napoli, Sandipan Datta, Gino Cortopassi and Cecilia Giulivi from the Department of Molecular Biosciences in the School of Veterinary Medicine; and Maria Marco from the Department of Food Science and Technology.

This study was supported by the National Institutes of Health grant AI123105 and P51OD011107. Katti Crakes received the NIH pre-doctoral training grants OD010956, OD010931-12 and GM131457.

Read more:
Mapping the pathway to gut health in HIV patients - Newswise

MENLO PARK, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Personalis, Inc. (Nasdaq: PSNL), a leader in advanced genomics for cancer, today announced that the company will participate in the AACR Tumor Immunology and Immunotherapy conference at the Boston Marriott Copley Place in Boston, MA, November 17-20, including poster presentations on November 18th and 19th.

The company will showcase ImmunoID NeXT, the first platform to enable comprehensive analysis of both a tumor and its immune microenvironment from a single sample. ImmunoID NeXT can be used to investigate the key tumor- and immune-related areas of cancer biology, consolidating multiple oncology biomarker assays into one and maximizing the biological information that can be generated from a precious tumor specimen.

Following is a list of abstracts that will be presented at the meeting.

Scientific Poster Presentations

Poster Number

Title & Presenter

Day & Time

Location

A19

HLA allele-specific loss of heterozygosity detectionusing augmented exome capture approach

Presenter: Rachel Marty Pyke, Ph.D.

November 18:12:30 PM 3:00 PM

Back Bay

B18

Exome scale liquid biopsy monitoring of putativeneoantigens and genomic biomarkers in patientson anti-PD-1 therapy in squamous cell carcinoma ofthe head and neck

Presenter: Charles Abbott, Ph.D.

November 19:4:30 PM 7:00 PM

Back Bay

Personalis will also be exhibiting during the conference (Exhibit # 10). Representatives will be available to answer questions about the companys cancer immunogenomics services.

About Personalis, Inc.

Personalis, Inc. is a growing cancer genomics company transforming the development of next-generation therapies by providing more comprehensive molecular data about each patients cancer and immune response. The companys NeXT Platform is designed to adapt to the complex and evolving understanding of cancer, providing its biopharmaceutical customers with information on all of the approximately 20,000 human genes, together with the immune system, from a single tissue sample. Personalis also provides genomic information to the VA Million Veterans Program as part of their goal to sequence over a million veteran genomes. The Personalis Clinical Laboratory is GxP aligned as well as CLIA88-certified and CAP-accredited. For more information, please visit http://www.personalis.com and follow Personalis on Twitter (@PersonalisInc).

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Personalis, Inc. to Present New Data at the AACR Tumor Immunology and Immunotherapy Conference - Business Wire

captionFlu season is here, which means families need to take extra precautions to keep children from getting sick.sourceGetty

Flu season is here. But Im not all that worried. I have a PhD in immunology and have put that training to good use in protecting my now 5-year-old daughter from getting sick. I take all the standard precautions to safeguard against the sniffles, by vaccinating and practicing sensible hand washing (while still largely avoiding hand sanitizers), but theres still a lot more to do to keep sickness at bay.

One issue that may affect your childs ability to fight infection is a Vitamin D deficiency. Vitamin D has a three-fold role in the immune system it fights infections and curbs autoimmune processes as well as inflammation. Vitamin D deficiency increases risks for a number of health issues, including repeatedly falling ill.

The main source of Vitamin D is exposure to sunlight. Vitamin D deficiency is somewhat common, and worsens in winter when people dont get outside as much.

Between 12% and 24% of infants, children, and adolescents are Vitamin D deficient, with breastfed babies being at a higher risk. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends that in their first year of life, babies get 400 IU of Vitamin D daily. The AAP advises parents to give an oral Vitamin D supplement to breastfeeding infants and to those who consume less than 1 liter of infant formula a day.

By conservative estimates, children and adolescents need 600 IU each day. Its ideal for children and adolescents to get Vitamin D from natural sources, experts say.

If youre concerned that your child isnt getting enough from sunlight exposure, or is showing warning signs like being tired or falling ill often, consult your pediatrician about a potential Vitamin D deficiency.

I give my daughter the recommended dose all year round with a probiotic called BioGaia that is fortified with Vitamin D.

Omega 3s play a crucial role in brain and vision development, and were just beginning to understand the role they play in the immune system. As with most things, getting some but not too much is prudent. Ensuring your childs diet has some omega 3s, either regularly through food including wild-caught salmon and walnuts or supplementing periodically is a good idea. A breastfeeding mom should also eat a generous amount of foods containing omega 3s so that the nutrients are transferred to the baby.

Part of my childs regular maintenance protocol is taking a probiotic Lactobacillus reuteri DSM 17938, marketed as Biogaia. Originally discovered in breastmilk, part of its potential protective mechanism is the broad spectrum of antibiotic (reuterin) it produces, which may limit colonization by pathogenic bacteria.

In small research studies, it has been shown to protect against both GI tract and respiratory infections, reduce colic in breastmilk fed infants, and potentially protect against cavities. Taken together, the evidence suggests the probiotic microorganism may improve health in a variety of contexts.

Given the limited evidence, there is no recommendation for regular use. But since Biogaias safety is well-established and the cost is reasonable (about $30 for a two-month supply), I elected to give it regularly to my child since birth, and will continue doing so. (Be aware: the majority of probiotics have minimal to no research to back up their claims).

Turmeric has been used for medicinal purposes in India for centuries. As modern science is now discovering, its main component curcumin has anti-inflammatory, anti-viral, anti-microbial, and anti-cancer properties. It could potentially help in fending off both viral and bacterial infections and combat the deleterious effects of inflammation.

However, drinking a turmeric extract in water (in say, a latte or smoothie) is close to useless because it absorbs poorly when dissolved in water. What little is absorbed is then rapidly eliminated by the liver.

Turmeric should be dissolved in oil, ideally, for absorption. For maximum effect, pair it with piperine, a component of black pepper that prevents the rapid elimination.

When my daughter is ill, I serve her either a home-brew of turmeric in coconut oil with black pepper (taken with manuka honey, milk, or both), or a supplement that contains liposome-encapsulated turmeric plus piperine three to four times a day until her fever breaks.

Elderberry extracts have also been used medicinally for centuries. In studies in vitro, and in mice, and humans, elderberry has been shown to help reduce the severity and length of the flu, and can help in fighting other viral infections too.

Some parents go so far as to give elderberry to their children every day. However, this is both unnecessary and potentially dangerous: Elderberry has medicinal properties that could actually interfere with normal functioning. For example, elderberry extracts inhibit functioning of ribosomes, which are required for protein production. They may exacerbate autoimmune diseases and their long-term safety has not been studied.

Consult with your pediatrician to determine the appropriate dose for your child.

How has all this helped? While it is impossible to be sure, I can say for certain that my daughter has never had ear infections, colic, or constipation. Weve almost never had an infection that required antibiotics. Illness rarely strikes, and when it does, it subsides quickly. We have gone years without a fever, and when it comes, it usually resolves within 24 hours.

Thats good enough for me.

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I have a PhD in immunology and this is how I keep my daughter from getting sick during the winter - Business Insider

Researchers from The Pirbright Institute have been awarded US $5.5 million by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to establish a Livestock Antibody Hub aimed at improving animal and human health globally. The ambitious programme of work will see extensive collaboration between multiple UK research organisations in order to utilise research outcomes in livestock disease and immunology to support human health as part of the One Health agenda.

Six leading scientists from Pirbright will be involved in the project, including Professor John Hammond, Professor Venugopal Nair, Dr Simon Graham, Dr Elma Tchilian, Professor Munir Iqbal and Dr Erica Bickerton. Their combined expert knowledge will drive the study of cattle, pig and poultry antibody responses at high resolution to expand our understanding of protective immunity in species that can also be used as models for a range of human infectious diseases.

The aim is to use Pirbrights expertise in livestock viral diseases, cutting-edge technology and unique high-containment facilities to bring antibody discovery, manipulation and testing up to the benchmark already seen in the immunological field for rodents and humans. This highly collaborative work will address the needs of the livestock research community whilst bridging the requirements of the vaccine industry.

A number of work programmes will focus on studying B cells and antibodies at multiple scales including gene expression, single cell function and the entire antibody response. Findings from this research will be used to drive vaccine selection and design and test antibody therapies with Pirbright ultimately acting as a Hub able to provide specific methods, access to animal models and the associated expertise to drive antibody research within the One Health agenda.

Research lead Professor John Hammond said, New technology has given us the opportunity to utilise these detailed antibody responses to make the next generation of vaccines and therapies, which will improve animal health and ultimately human health, as well as ensuring the security of our food supply.

Dr Doug Brown, Chief Executive of the British Society for Immunology, commented, The UK is a world leader in veterinary immunology research, and this transformative investment from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation will drive the next chapter of innovation in developing new treatments and prevention options against livestock diseases. This is the single biggest investment in the immunology of livestock in the UK from an international funder, and the British Society for Immunology will do all we can to support this collaborative initiative and help maximise its impact for the benefit of human and animal health.

More here:
Livestock Antibody Hub receives US $5.5 million to improve animal health - The Poultry Site