Category Archives: Physiology

Physiology

This is what happens to your body over months in isolation – WXII The Triad

Since the pandemic officially began in March, we've been told staying home is the best way to avoid catching COVID-19. And it is. But life in confinement can cause physical ailments on its own.Being homebound for so long contorts the body, weakens the heart and lungs and even impairs brain function. The effects of life in isolation may stay with us beyond the pandemic's end whenever that may be.This is what half a year of isolation, staying home and staying sedentary can do to your body.You start losing muscleA week homebound, whether you're working, eating or sleeping, may feel comforting and necessary. But all the inactivity can undo hard-won progress.That's because it can take months to build muscle and just one week to lose it. Humans, for all of our hardiness, also lose muscle more quickly the older we get, said Keith Baar, a professor of molecular exercise physiology at the University of California-Davis.When you lose muscle, you're not necessarily losing bulk, but you are losing strength, which Baar said is one of the "strongest indicators" of how long you'll live."The stronger we stay, the easier it is for us to maintain our longevity."Your heart and lungs get weakerIf you're not exercising, you're not raising your heart rate. And when your heart isn't pumping as hard, it gets weaker, Baar said.The same thing happens to your lungs when you're inactive, said Dr. Panagis Galiatsatos, a pulmonologist from Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center. He said many of his patients have felt their breathing function deteriorate because they're no longer conditioned to exercise.People with poor lung health are already considered more susceptible to coronavirus because it's a respiratory illness, so they're likely staying home to reduce their risk of infection. But if they're not moving and increasing blood flow to their lungs, then their preexisting condition might harm them anyway.Exercise is the only key to improve both heart and lung function "Not a single medication can do that," Galiatsatos said. If it's not safe to leave the house, Baar recommends dancing or finding household objects for home strength training think milk jug deadlifts.You gain fatIf you're home all day, every day, you're likely feet away from your pantry. Depending on your perspective, that's either convenient or dangerous.With such easy access, your "feeding" window, or the period of time during which you eat most of your meals, might widen from 10 or 12 hours every day to 15 hours a day more than half the day, which could cause your insulin levels to spike. Insulin encourages fat storage and converting other fat molecules to fat, said Giles Duffield, an associate professor of anatomy and physiology at the University of Notre Dame who studies circadian rhythms and metabolism, among other subjects.Excessive eating is also an issue because, at the beginning of the pandemic, many people stocked up on nonperishable foods in case of supply shortages, Duffield said. Many nonperishable foods are highly processed and rich in sugars and starches.Weight gain during periods of intense stress is normal, and 2020 has been unrelentingly stressful. Weight gain becomes dangerous, though, when it turns into obesity. Then, your body might start to resist insulin, and chronic health issues like metabolic illness or diabetes may develop, Duffield said.Your posture is affectedWe all have a seated position we subconsciously sink into slumped forward, shoulders hunched; spine curled, neck bent; on your chest, elbows up.But sitting and lying down all day can seriously affect your posture and strain your back, neck, shoulders, hips and eyes, said Brandon Brown, an epidemiologist and associate professor in the Center for Healthy Communities at the University of California-Riverside.Brown suggests getting up from your seat once an hour, walking around and stretching for a moment. You might even lie on the floor and "let your back readjust," he said.Your sleep suffersAt least half of all Americans are skimping on vitamin D, which sustains bone density and keeps fatigue at bay. You're definitely one of them if you spend most of your day at home, curtains drawn, Duffield said.Getting enough sunlight in the morning helps synchronize your body's circadian rhythm, Duffield said. So if you're shut in all week or working in the dark, your sleep might suffer, too.Brown said as long as you're going on walks or exercising, doing yard work or other activities that drag you outside for a bit, you won't need to worry about getting enough sunlight. If you're unable to get out of the house or the weather won't permit you to, an artificial bright light can help your body retune in the morning, Duffield said, as can avoiding blue lights at night.Your brain slowsA sedentary lifestyle can slow your brain, too.Exercise produces certain chemicals in the brain that break down toxins in the blood and even prevent them from going to the brain, where they can kill brain cells, Baar said.Not exercising means you won't as efficiently break down amino acid byproducts that wind up as neurotoxins in the brain.The effects of isolation are insidious like the pandemic, the physical symptoms after months of seclusion often aren't obvious until they become harmful or extreme.It's possible, too, to stave off those symptoms before they set in for good.Prioritizing your mental and physical health while staying home requires some work, but it's a healthier coping mechanism for uncertainty than staying stationary until COVID-19 is no longer a threat, health experts say. And when it's safe to live fully again, you'll be prepared.

Since the pandemic officially began in March, we've been told staying home is the best way to avoid catching COVID-19. And it is. But life in confinement can cause physical ailments on its own.

Being homebound for so long contorts the body, weakens the heart and lungs and even impairs brain function. The effects of life in isolation may stay with us beyond the pandemic's end whenever that may be.

This is what half a year of isolation, staying home and staying sedentary can do to your body.

A week homebound, whether you're working, eating or sleeping, may feel comforting and necessary. But all the inactivity can undo hard-won progress.

That's because it can take months to build muscle and just one week to lose it. Humans, for all of our hardiness, also lose muscle more quickly the older we get, said Keith Baar, a professor of molecular exercise physiology at the University of California-Davis.

When you lose muscle, you're not necessarily losing bulk, but you are losing strength, which Baar said is one of the "strongest indicators" of how long you'll live.

"The stronger we stay, the easier it is for us to maintain our longevity."

If you're not exercising, you're not raising your heart rate. And when your heart isn't pumping as hard, it gets weaker, Baar said.

The same thing happens to your lungs when you're inactive, said Dr. Panagis Galiatsatos, a pulmonologist from Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center. He said many of his patients have felt their breathing function deteriorate because they're no longer conditioned to exercise.

People with poor lung health are already considered more susceptible to coronavirus because it's a respiratory illness, so they're likely staying home to reduce their risk of infection. But if they're not moving and increasing blood flow to their lungs, then their preexisting condition might harm them anyway.

Exercise is the only key to improve both heart and lung function "Not a single medication can do that," Galiatsatos said. If it's not safe to leave the house, Baar recommends dancing or finding household objects for home strength training think milk jug deadlifts.

If you're home all day, every day, you're likely feet away from your pantry. Depending on your perspective, that's either convenient or dangerous.

With such easy access, your "feeding" window, or the period of time during which you eat most of your meals, might widen from 10 or 12 hours every day to 15 hours a day more than half the day, which could cause your insulin levels to spike. Insulin encourages fat storage and converting other fat molecules to fat, said Giles Duffield, an associate professor of anatomy and physiology at the University of Notre Dame who studies circadian rhythms and metabolism, among other subjects.

Excessive eating is also an issue because, at the beginning of the pandemic, many people stocked up on nonperishable foods in case of supply shortages, Duffield said. Many nonperishable foods are highly processed and rich in sugars and starches.

Weight gain during periods of intense stress is normal, and 2020 has been unrelentingly stressful. Weight gain becomes dangerous, though, when it turns into obesity. Then, your body might start to resist insulin, and chronic health issues like metabolic illness or diabetes may develop, Duffield said.

We all have a seated position we subconsciously sink into slumped forward, shoulders hunched; spine curled, neck bent; on your chest, elbows up.

But sitting and lying down all day can seriously affect your posture and strain your back, neck, shoulders, hips and eyes, said Brandon Brown, an epidemiologist and associate professor in the Center for Healthy Communities at the University of California-Riverside.

Brown suggests getting up from your seat once an hour, walking around and stretching for a moment. You might even lie on the floor and "let your back readjust," he said.

At least half of all Americans are skimping on vitamin D, which sustains bone density and keeps fatigue at bay. You're definitely one of them if you spend most of your day at home, curtains drawn, Duffield said.

Getting enough sunlight in the morning helps synchronize your body's circadian rhythm, Duffield said. So if you're shut in all week or working in the dark, your sleep might suffer, too.

Brown said as long as you're going on walks or exercising, doing yard work or other activities that drag you outside for a bit, you won't need to worry about getting enough sunlight. If you're unable to get out of the house or the weather won't permit you to, an artificial bright light can help your body retune in the morning, Duffield said, as can avoiding blue lights at night.

A sedentary lifestyle can slow your brain, too.

Exercise produces certain chemicals in the brain that break down toxins in the blood and even prevent them from going to the brain, where they can kill brain cells, Baar said.

Not exercising means you won't as efficiently break down amino acid byproducts that wind up as neurotoxins in the brain.

The effects of isolation are insidious like the pandemic, the physical symptoms after months of seclusion often aren't obvious until they become harmful or extreme.

It's possible, too, to stave off those symptoms before they set in for good.

Prioritizing your mental and physical health while staying home requires some work, but it's a healthier coping mechanism for uncertainty than staying stationary until COVID-19 is no longer a threat, health experts say. And when it's safe to live fully again, you'll be prepared.

The rest is here:
This is what happens to your body over months in isolation - WXII The Triad

Physiology

What happens to your body over months in isolation – 9News

Since the pandemic officially began in March, we've been told staying home is the best way to avoid catching COVID-19.

And it is. But life in confinement can cause physical ailments on its own.

Being homebound for so long contorts the body, weakens the heart and lungs and even impairs brain function. The effects of life in isolation may stay with us beyond the pandemic's end (whenever that may be).

This is what half a year of isolation, staying home and staying sedentary can do to your body.

A week homebound, whether you're working, eating or sleeping, may feel comforting and necessary. But all the inactivity can undo hard-won progress.

That's because it can take months to build muscle and just one week to lose it.

Humans, for all of our hardiness, also lose muscle more quickly the older we get, said Keith Baar, a professor of molecular exercise physiology at the University of California - Davis.

When you lose muscle, you're not necessarily losing bulk, but you are losing strength, which Baar said is one of the "strongest indicators" of how long you'll live.

"The stronger we stay, the easier it is for us to maintain our longevity."

Your heart and lungs get weaker

If you're not exercising, you're not raising your heart rate. And when your heart isn't pumping as hard, it gets weaker, Baar said.

The same thing happens to your lungs when you're inactive, said Dr Panagis Galiatsatos, a pulmonologist from Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Centre.

He said many of his patients have felt their breathing function deteriorate because they're no longer conditioned to exercise.

People with poor lung health are already considered more susceptible to coronavirus because it's a respiratory illness, so they're likely staying home to reduce their risk of infection.

But if they're not moving and increasing blood flow to their lungs, then their preexisting condition might harm them anyway.

Exercise is the only key to improve both heart and lung function.

"Not a single medication can do that," Galiatsatos said.

If it's not safe to leave the house, Baar recommends dancing or finding household objects for home strength training - think milk jug deadlifts.

If you're home all day, every day, you're likely feet away from your pantry.

Depending on your perspective, that's either convenient or dangerous.

With such easy access, your "feeding" window, or the period of time during which you eat most of your meals, might widen from 10 or 12 hours every day to 15 hours a day- more than half the day, which could cause your insulin levels to spike.

Insulin encourages fat storage and converting other fat molecules to fat, said Giles Duffield, an associate professor of anatomy and physiology at the University of Notre Dame who studies circadian rhythms and metabolism, among other subjects.

Excessive eating is also an issue because, at the beginning of the pandemic, many people stocked up on nonperishable foods in case of supply shortages, Duffield said.

Many nonperishable foods are highly processed and rich in sugars and starches.

Weight gain during periods of intense stress is normal, and 2020 has been unrelentingly stressful. Weight gain becomes dangerous, though, when it turns into obesity.

Then, your body might start to resist insulin, and chronic health issues like metabolic illness or diabetes may develop, Duffield said.

We all have a seated position we subconsciously sink into - slumped forward, shoulders hunched; spine curled, neck bent; on your chest, elbows up.

But sitting and lying down all day can seriously affect your posture and strain your back, neck, shoulders, hips and eyes, said Brandon Brown, an epidemiologist and associate professor in the Center for Healthy Communities at the University of California - Riverside.

Brown suggests getting up from your seat once an hour, walking around and stretching for a moment.

You might even lie on the floor and "let your back readjust," he said.

At least half of all Americans are skimping on vitamin D, which sustains bone density and keeps fatigue at bay.

You're definitely one of them if you spend most of your day at home, curtains drawn, Duffield said.

Getting enough sunlight in the morning helps synchronize your body's circadian rhythm, Duffield said.

So if you're shut in all week or working in the dark, your sleep might suffer, too.

Brown said as long as you're going on walks or exercising, doing yard work or other activities that drag you outside for a bit, you won't need to worry about getting enough sunlight.

If you're unable to get out of the house or the weather won't permit you to, an artificial bright light can help your body retune in the morning, Duffield said, as can avoiding blue lights at night.

A sedentary lifestyle can slow your brain, too.

Exercise produces certain chemicals in the brain that break down toxins in the blood and even prevent them from going to the brain, where they can kill brain cells, Baar said.

Not exercising means you won't as efficiently break down amino acid byproducts that wind up as neurotoxins in the brain.

The effects of isolation are insidious - like the pandemic, the physical symptoms after months of seclusion often aren't obvious until they become harmful or extreme.

It's possible, too, to stave off those symptoms before they set in for good.

Prioritising your mental and physical health while staying home requires some work, but it's a healthier coping mechanism for uncertainty than staying stationary until COVID-19 is no longer a threat, health experts say.

GALLERY: One last look at Melbourne's deserted streets

And when it's safe to live fully again, you'll be prepared.

Excerpt from:
What happens to your body over months in isolation - 9News

Physiology

AlzeCure Pharma provides a scientific update on Alzheimer’s disease and the Alzstatin project platform – BioSpace

STOCKHOLM, Sept. 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- AlzeCure Pharma AB (publ) (FN STO: ALZCUR), a pharmaceutical company that develops a broad portfolio of drug candidates for diseases affecting the central nervous system, with projects in both Alzheimer's disease and pain, will hold a live business update focused on the company's Alzheimer's platform Alzstatin on Wednesday, September 30 at 10:00. The presentation will be followed by a Q&A session led by Vator Securities' analyst Felicia Rittemar.

CEO Martin Jnsson and CSO Johan Sandin will, among other things, present the pharmaceutical platform Alzstatin and the research behind it. Within the Alzstatin platform, AlzeCure develops disease-modifying and preventive drugs for Alzheimer's disease that focus on reducing the production of toxic amyloid beta (A) in the brain.

Henrik Zetterberg, chief physician and professor at the Department of Neuroscience and Physiology at Sahlgrenska Academy and professor at University College of London (UCL), will participate and provide a deeper review of disease development in Alzheimer's and the amyloid hypothesis, as well as provide an update on developments in biomarkers and diagnostics in Alzheimer's.

Watch the live broadcast on September 30 from 10:00am - 11:30am CET via: https://youtu.be/3QBa97Ue75o.

The business update will be held in English and will be available on the company's website afterwards.

The information was submitted for publication, through the agency of the contact person set out above at 10:00am CET on September 28, 2020.

About AlzeCure Pharma AB (publ)

AlzeCure is a Swedish pharmaceutical company that develops new innovative drug therapies for the treatment of severe diseases and conditions that affect the central nervous system, such as Alzheimer's disease and pain - indications for which currently available treatment is extremely limited. The company is listed on Nasdaq First North Premier Growth Market and is developing several parallel drug candidates based on three research platforms: NeuroRestore, Alzstatin and Painless.

NeuroRestore consists of three symptomatic drug candidates where the unique mechanism of action allows for multiple indications, including Alzheimer's disease, as well as cognitive disorders associated with traumatic brain injury, sleep apnea and Parkinson's disease. Alzstatin comprises two disease-modifying and preventive drug candidates for early treatment of Alzheimer's disease. Painless is the company's research platform in the field of pain and contains two projects: ACD440, which is a clinical candidate for the treatment of neuropathic pain, and TrkA-NAM, which targets severe pain in conditions such as osteoarthritis. AlzeCure aims to pursue its own projects through preclinical research and development to an early clinical phase and is continuously working with business development to find suitable out-licensing solutions with other pharmaceutical companies.

FNCA Sweden AB, +46(0)8 528 00 399 info@fnca.se, is the company's Certified Adviser. For more information, please visit http://www.alzecurepharma.se.

About Alzstatin

AlzeCure's disease-modifying research platform, Alzstatin, consisting of disease-modifying and preventive drug candidates, focuses on reducing the production of toxic amyloid beta (A) in the brain. A plays a key pathological role in Alzheimer's and begins to accumulate in the brain years before clear symptoms develop. The drug candidates in the Alzstatin platfrom modulate the function of the enzyme gamma secretase. Gamma secretase acts like a pair of scissors and cuts A42 out from a longer protein known as APP. The sticky A42 clumps together giving rise to the amyloid plaque so typical of Alzheimer's disease. The candidates in the Alzstatin platform affect enzyme function so that it instead cuts out shorter forms of the A peptide, A37 and A38, which in addition to them not being sticky and not forming aggregates, also have a restrictive effects on A42 aggregates already formed. This means the drug candidates in the Alzstatin platform have two separate but synergistic effects that together contribute to a stronger anti-amyloidogenic - and thus more potent - disease-modifyning effect.

About Alzheimer's disease

Alzheimer's disease is the most common form of dementia, affecting approximately 45 million people worldwide. Alzheimer's disease is a lethal disorder that also has a large impact on both relatives and the society. Today, preventive and disease modifying treatments are missing. The main risk factors to develop Alzheimer's are age and genetic causes. Even though the disease can start as early as between 40 and 65 years of age, it is most common after 65 years. Significant investments in Alzheimer research are being made because of the significant unmet medical need and the large cost of this disease for healthcare and society. The total global costs for dementia related diseases is estimated to about 1,000 billion USD globally in 2018. Given the lack of both effective symptomatic treatments and disease modifying treatments, the need for new effective therapies is acute.The few approved drugs on the market today have only a limited symptomatic effect and can produce dose limiting side effects. A disease modifying treatment for Alzheimer's disease is estimated to reach more than 10 billion USD in annual sales. In Sweden, approximately 100,000 people suffer from Alzheimer's disease with a healthcare cost of about 63 billion SEK yearly, which is more than for cancer and cardiovascular diseases combined.

For more information, please contactMartin JnssonCEOTel: +46-707-86-94-43martin.jonsson@alzecurepharma.com

This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com

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AlzeCure Pharma provides a scientific update on Alzheimer's disease and the Alzstatin project platform - BioSpace

Physiology

Proper funding for women’s health research could save lives during pandemic – Policy Options

Womens health research is chronically underfunded, and womens health receives little attention across the spectrum of health research, from funding to academic opportunities. Although steps have been taken to incorporate sex and gender-based analysis (SGBA) into research in Canada, there is a continued lack of analyses of sex and gender across health research areas. This lack of attention paid to SGBA and to womens health research has led to misdiagnoses, minimized symptoms and poorly targeted treatment in women.

Indeed, if we had provided more funding and resources to womens health research, one could make the argument that we would be closer in our search for a treatment and cure for COVID-19. Why?

Mortality from COVID-19 follows from attacks on the immune and vascular system, and both systems have striking sex differences. Yet, there is little research on how female-specific factors affect immune and vascular systems. If we knew more about how these systems work in women, we would be in a better position to understand why female physiology offers some protection against COVID-19-related mortality as shown in higher mortality rates in males. We would also be further ahead in our quest for an effective COVID-19 treatment for both men and women.

A sex and gender-focused approach and targeted consideration of womens health issues in health science research, policy and practice will ensure we do not deepen sex and gender disparities in COVID-19 research and outcomes and promote an inclusive and balanced path for the future health of all Canadians. And it will save lives, faster.

Sex differences matter in health research

Womens health research may seem like a niche research area; however, many diseases disproportionately affect women compared to men. For instance: depression and anxiety-related diseases are more prevalent in women than in men; heart attack symptoms manifest differently between the sexes; and treatments for certain diseases are more effective in one sex versus the other.

It is essential to understand these sex differences and how female-specific factors, such as contraceptive use, pregnancy and menopause, may contribute to disease susceptibility, symptoms and treatment. These unique aspects of womens health are compounded by a range of intersectional factors such as gendered societal norms, race and socioeconomic status, which can accumulate to negatively affect womens health, and are often ignored in health literature.

Womens health research is chronically underfunded. In a 2019 report commissioned by B.C. Womens Health Foundation, we found that over the past ten years, one percent of salary awards went to womens health researchers in Canada, and in B.C., womens health grants made up only eight percent of Canadian Institutes for Health Research (CIHR) grants. Given that women make up over 50 percent of the population, these percentages are dishearteningly low.

Furthermore, the amount of funding per grant was $50,000 lower per year for womens health grants compared to others. Perhaps unsurprisingly, more women than men researchers study womens health and conduct research analysing sex and gender. Women, on average, have lower funding success rates at CIHR, and receive less money (over $100,000 less per CIHR grant).

Inequities exacerbated by COVID-19

COVID-19 has amplified these inequities in womens health research affecting funding, authorship, data acquisition and analysis. Health research suffered a serious blow when CIHR cancelled their 2020 spring competition one month after grants were submitted. Thankfully, the decision was reversed; however, the subsequent delay and resulting interim funding gap will have a cascading negative impact on health researchers, disproportionately affecting those with less funding, including womens health researchers. Unpredictability of funding opportunities and low funding levels greatly impede research progress according to a survey of Canadian health researchers.

Emerging data indicates that women researchers are being surpassed by their male counterparts in COVID-19 scientific outputs, likely linked to the increased volume of caregiving and domestic responsibilities falling on women during the pandemic. Females are conducting less research on COVID-19, as depicted by publications, registered reports and awarded grants.

Furthermore, fewer female researchers as first authors are submitting and publishing during the pandemic compared to the year prior and these trends appear to be getting worse as time goes on. From the CIHR funding decisions database, of the initial 99 grants awarded for the CIHR Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) Rapid Research Funding Opportunity, only 23 percent of the grant awardees had a woman as the nominated principal investigator.

In the latest round of CIHR COVID-19 grants, which included grants on mental health, clinical management and social policy, the percentage of grants lead by a woman as principal investigator increased to 40 percent.

Yet the general picture is still worrying. Studies indicate that diversity breeds discovery. We need more minds with diverse interests and multidisciplinary research to solve the many health, economic and societal issues related to the pandemic. If women are missing from the equation, diversity is compromised, and we will continue to lag in our efforts to solve the pandemic crisis for all.

Worse yet, commitment to SGBA for COVID-19 research grants is not evident. Only four percent of awarded grants met SGBA criteria, and only two percent went specifically to studying womens health. Two months after the funding announcements, a supplement to understand the effect of sex as a biological variable (SABV) was awarded and currently 11 percent of the COVID-19 grants consider SGBA.

This is still not enough. If we ignore sex and gender as a variable in COVID-19 research, we miss crucial information to propel the research forward.

Disaggregated data is a critical tool

Additionally, despite the Canadian governments commitment to applying a GBA+ policy lens in its decisions, it is difficult to find Canadian data on COVID-19 infections, hospitalizations and deaths disaggregated by sex and age.

Canada is one of the countries now providing the Global Health 50/50 program with sex-disaggregated data. However, the troubling lack of commitment to SGBA in the CIHR COVID-19 funding decisions, makes it evident that little work in Canada is underway to investigate the known sex and gender differences of this disease.

To rectify these biases and inequities, first and foremost, funding for womens health research needs to increase by creating dedicated funding sources specifically for womens health research, both for COVID-19 and for womens health research in general.

Second, Canada needs to create a national open repository where all federally funded research must be submitted with mandatory recording of sex, gender and age data. Doing so will enable secondary analyses of sex and gender and allow for new health initiatives that benefit women, men and gender diverse peoples.

Third, while federal funding agencies such as CIHR are to be applauded for making gender metrics public, granting bodies must consistently demonstrate a commitment to gender equity in funding awards, terms and amounts. One method is to employ modular budgets, which have eliminated sex differences in funding amounts for the National Institute of Health in the United States and reduced sex differences in funded grant amounts to less than $5000 under the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada system.

These steps will improve health research both in response to this pandemic and more widely. It will also help us better respond to future pandemics. The solution is simple: fund more womens health research.

This article is part of theTackling inequality as part of Canadas post-pandemic recoveryspecial feature.

Photo: Shutterstock/By Gorodenkoff

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Proper funding for women's health research could save lives during pandemic - Policy Options

Physiology

Animal Model Market research gain impetus due to the growing demand over (2020 2027) – The Daily Chronicle

Global Animal model market report provides geographic analysis covering regions such as North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and Rest of World. The Animal model market for each region is further segmented for major countries including U.S., Canada, Germany, UK, France, Italy, China, India, Japan, Brazil, South Africa and others.

FYI, You will get latest updated report as per the COVID-19 Impact on this industry. Our updated reports will now feature detailed analysis that will help you make critical decisions.

Browse Full Report: https://www.marketresearchengine.com/animal-model-market

The Global Animal Model market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 8% during the forecast period. Scientist and research professionals perform biological and pathological experiments on animals, which is called animal model as animals and human beings share common biological structure. The model is chosen usually because it meets the determined taxonomic equivalency to a human for the research and investigation purpose so as to get the better understanding of the human disease.

The growing innovation in genetic engineering that helps in evaluating the drugs mechanisms of action is again boosting the demand for the drug discovery thereby raising the demand for the animal model.

Global Animal model market is segregated on the basis of application as toxicology, biomedical research, physiology, cancer research, genetic research, neurological research, xenotransplantation. Based on animal type, the global Animal model market is segmented in rabbits, dogs, cats, rats, mice and others. The report also bifurcates global Animal model market based on end user in research institutes, pharmaceutical companies, and educational institutes.

Competitive Rivalry

Envigo, SAGE Labs, Transgenic, Inc. are among the major players in the global Animal model market share. The companies are involved in several growth and expansion strategies to gain a competitive advantage. Industry participants also follow value chain integration with business operations in multiple stages of the value chain.

The Animal Model Market has been segmented as below:

Animal Model Market, by Application

Animal Model Market, by Animal Type

Animal Model Market, by End User

Animal Model Market, By Region

The report covers:

Report scope:

Global Animal model market report scope includes detailed study covering underlying factors influencing the industry trends.

The report covers analysis on regional and country level market dynamics. The scope also covers competitive overview providing company market shares along with company profiles for major revenue contributing companies.

The report scope includes detailed competitive outlook covering market shares and profiles key participants in the global Animal model market share. Major industry players with significant revenue share include SAGE Labs, Envigo, Transgenic, Inc., Charles River Laboratories etc.

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Table of Contents:

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Animal Model Market research gain impetus due to the growing demand over (2020 2027) - The Daily Chronicle

Physiology

ONLINE: The Future of Medicine – Isthmus

Watch here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=youtu.be&v=VVkQU91KbEs

press release: The UW has a long history of pioneering medical advancements that have transformed the world. From performing the first bone marrow transplant in the United States to cultivating the first laboratory-derived human embryonic stem cells. Now, where will UW medical research go next?

On the next Wisconsin Medicine Livestream, meet trailblazing doctors, researchers, and medical leaders who are charting a bold course to completely alter the health care landscape. During this insightful panel discussion, well explore how gene therapy and cell replacements could hold the keys to treating inherited and acquired blindness. Youll also discover the remarkable potential in xenotransplantation where nonhuman animal source organs are transplanted into human recipients. In addition, you will learn about UW Healths journey to build a multidisciplinary program to serve the community. These, and other, fascinating developments in treatment and care are happening right now at the UW and are the future of medicine. The presentation will be moderated by Robert Golden, the dean of the University of WisconsinMadisons School of Medicine and Public Health.

Our Guests:

David Gamm, professor, Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences; Emmett A. Humble Distinguished Director, McPherson Eye Research Institute; Sandra Lemke Trout Chair in Eye Research

Dr. Gamms lab is at the forefront in developing cell-based therapies to combat retinal degenerative diseases (RDDs). As the director of the McPherson Eye Research Institute and a member of the Waisman Center Stem Cell Research Program, the UW Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine Center, and the American Society for Clinical Investigation, his efforts are directed toward basic and translational retinal stem cell research. The Gamm Lab uses induced pluripotent stem cells to create retinal tissues composed of authentic human photoreceptor cells rods and cones that can detect light and initiate visual signals in a dish. The aims of his laboratory are to investigate the cellular and molecular events that occur during human retinal development and to generate cells for use in retinal disease modeling and cell replacement therapies. In collaboration with other researchers at UWMadison and around the world, the lab is developing methods to produce and transplant photoreceptors and/or retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) in preparation for future clinical trials. At the same time, the Gamm Lab uses lab-grown photoreceptor and RPE cells to test and advance a host of other experimental treatments, including gene therapies. In so doing, the lab seeks to delay or reverse the effects of blinding disorders, such as retinitis pigmentosa and age-related macular degeneration, and to develop or codevelop effective interventions for these RDDs at all stages of disease.

Dhanansayan Shanmuganayagam, assistant professor, Department of Surgery, School of Medicine and Public Health; Department of Animal and Dairy Sciences, UWMadison; director, Biomedical, and Genomic Research Group

Dr. Shanmuganayagams research focuses on the development and utilization of pigs as homologous models to close the translational gap in human disease research, taking advantage of the overwhelming similarities between pigs and humans in terms of genetics, anatomy, physiology, and immunology. He and his colleagues created the human-sized Wisconsin Miniature Swine breed that is unique to the university. The breed exhibits greater physiological similarity to humans, particularly in vascular biology and in modeling metabolic disorders and obesity. He currently leads genetic engineering of swine at the UW. His team has created more than 15 genetic porcine models including several of pediatric genetic cancer-predisposition disorders such as neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1). In the context of NF1, his lab is studying the role of alternative splicing of the nf1 gene on the tissue-specific function of neurofibromin and whether gene therapy to modulate the regulation of this splicing can be used as a viable treatment strategy for children with the disorder.

Dr. Shanmuganayagam is also currently leading the efforts to establish the University of Wisconsin Center for Biomedical Swine Research and Innovation (CBSRI) that will leverage the translatability of research in pig models and UWMadisons unique swine and biomedical research infrastructure, resources, and expertise to conduct innovative basic and translational research on human diseases. The central mission of CBSRI is to innovate and accelerate the discovery and development of clinically relevant therapies and technologies. The center will also serve to innovate graduate and medical training. As the only center of its kind in the United States, CBSRI will make UWMadison a hub of translational research and industry-partnered biomedical innovation.

Petros Anagnostopoulos, surgeon in chief, American Family Childrens Hospital; chief, Section of Pediatric Cardiothoracic Surgery; professor, Department of Surgery, Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery

Dr. Anagnostopoulos is certified by the American Board of Thoracic Surgery and the American Board of Surgery. He completed two fellowships, one in cardiothoracic surgery at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and a second in pediatric cardiac surgery at the University of California, San Francisco School of Medicine. He completed his general surgery residency at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit. Dr. Anagnostopoulos received his MD from the University of Athens Medical School, Greece. His clinical interests include pediatric congenital heart surgery and minimally invasive heart surgery.

Dr. Anagnostopoulos specializes in complex neonatal and infant cardiac reconstructive surgery, pediatric heart surgery, adult congenital cardiac surgery, single ventricle palliation, extracorporeal life support, extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, ventricular assist devices, minimally invasive cardiac surgery, hybrid surgical-catheterization cardiac surgery, off-pump cardiac surgery, complex mitral and tricuspid valve repair, aortic root surgery, tetralogy of Fallot, coronary artery anomalies, Ross operations, obstructive cardiomyopathy, and heart transplantation.

When: Tuesday, Sept. 29, at 7 p.m. CDT

Where: Wisconsin Medicine Livestream: wiscmedicine.org/programs/ending-alzheimers

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ONLINE: The Future of Medicine - Isthmus

Physiology

Schools rise to face crisis, changing the face of education – Terre Haute Tribune Star

A year ago, no one could have anticipated a pandemic that would force colleges to send students home early and finish the academic year through online, remote education.

The past several months have been a time of great uncertainty for higher education, both in terms of enrollment and revenue. And while the challenges have been many, Terre Hautes four colleges and universities have risen to the occasion and made changes that will benefit them, and students, moving forward.

Tribune-Star/Joseph C. GarzaTaking care of those on Zoom: Indiana State University student Hannah DeBlock serves as a teaching assistant and works with the Zoom students, answering or forwarding their questions or monitoring their answers delivered via chat to multiple choice questions during assistant professor Jim Davis' human physiology class on Sept. 3 on the ISU campus.

Under the guise of never waste a good crisis, I think we have learned some things as a part of the pandemic, said Rob Coons, president of Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology. It required us to do some things online or think about the way we present things differently than we might otherwise have chosen to do.

Coons adds, I think thats been good. Thats had some advantages.

Indiana State University

In a lecture hall of Indiana State Universitys College of Health and Human Services, assistant professor Jim Davis taught his Human Physiology hybrid class not only to the 70 or so students there in person, but others attending online via Zoom. Part of the lesson dealt with reflexes and their role in nervous system function.

Periodically, he had to adjust cameras so the distance students could see what he had written on a board. One student watching via Zoom asked for a camera adjustment so they could better see Davis nonverbal language.

Nearby, student Hannah DeBlock served as a teaching assistant and worked with the Zoom students, answering or forwarding their questions or monitoring their answers delivered via chat to multiple choice questions.

The challenges are many, but the benefits are that students who arent in class for whatever reason can still participate, Davis said.

While it isnt my ideal method of teaching, I do think that I will always use Zoom in the future so that students who are sick, out of town, etc. have the ability to participate in a live lecture.

Among the challenges are small group discussion involving Zoom students. Also, with masking, I cant tell what my students are thinking, and I am struggling to learn student names which I believe makes it more difficult to foster that student-teacher relationship that is important for learning.

He has eliminated small group activities, which he said is unfortunate because it often brings on those light bulb moments.

Hes gone the extra mile to help students learn when they cant be in class. Over the summer, he created a series of 100 mini lectures that cover all of the material for the semester. That way if someone misses a lecture or doesnt understand a specific concept they can go to a video that just focuses on that one concept, he said.

Davis is one of many ISU faculty members working to provide a quality education to students in class, and those who may be out for various reasons that might include isolation or quarantine because of COVID.

Many ISU faculty have spent part of the summer planning for and redesigning courses to meet changes required because of the pandemic, said Molly Hare, director of the Faculty Center for Teaching Excellence.

They may maybe teaching a face-to-face class, but at the same time, they may also be teaching students online, real-time, via Zoom. And, they may have to tape the class for those who cant attend in-person or watch in real time.

Students who are in class one day may have to attend via Zoom another day because they are isolated with COVID or on quarantine. That greatly affects the ability to carry out that class plan. Faculty have to be flexible, nimble and be able to adjust to meet the needs of students, Hare said.

Every time they go into a face-to-face classroom, it looks different, she said.

They have to have a Plan A, Plan B and Plan C. They are doing triple the work in order to offer students a quality education. And its very tiring, she said. Thats triple the work, times four classes they might be teaching.

She describes it as mental gymnastics.

And, they may face barriers, including technology glitches, they didnt anticipate, yet have to try and overcome, she said.

In addition, several courses are hybrid, with both in-person and online components for all students in the class.

Its challenging and a lot of work. But at the same time, Faculty really care about the quality of education and want students to get the outcomes they deserve, Hare said.

Hare works with faculty at the center. Typically, the center isnt as active over the summer, but this past summer, faculty took advantage of sessions offered each day. A lot of faculty have really worked hard, Hare said.

Students are stressed as well, she said. Every class is different, and if the class is hybrid, students must pay attention to whether that day is in-person or via Zoom and how assignments should be submitted.

Among the benefits of pandemic-related changes are more electronic submissions and less paper.

Instruction techniques are changing for some classes. For example, a student may watch a prerecorded lesson on line, and then do the hands-on portion, or homework, in class, where they can get faculty assistance if needed. Its called a flipped classroom.

The center does individual consultations or meets with groups for a particular reason; it offers professional development. Our motto is inform, innovate and celebrate teaching, she said. We look at how to do things a new

Tribune-Star file/Joseph C. GarzaBless this ground: Sister Dawn Tomaszewski blesses the ground on which a new residence hall will be built before a groundbreaking ceremony Thursday, June 18, on the campus of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College.

The Woods

Despite the many uncertainties created by the pandemic, Dottie King, president of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College, believed the Woods still needed to keep making forward progress.

We thought, how can we even in the midst of these times continue to not just get through, but really make some significant strides with our progress, she said.

In spring, admissions staff came up with some innovative ways to reach students, including a virtual, live-streamed campus visit with about 300 students and parents logged in and watching.

We didnt get as big a class as we had planned on, but we still saw a modest increase from last year for the on campus program, King said. The freshman class increased about 11 percent. Total enrollment including on campus, graduate and online programs is about 1,075.

SMWC also plans to add programs, hopefully with funding through the Lilly Endowment. It plans to offer a doctoral program its first in global leadership. Given the pandemic, which affects countries across the globe, King considers it providential the college was considering such a program even prior to the pandemic.

COVID-19 has affirmed the need for such a program, in which people across the globe would work together to find solutions, rather than relying solely on government, she said.

The college also plans to offer a bachelors in exercise science, a continuation of its focus on health care. The college already has programs in nursing, kinesiology and health care administration.

The new programs will go forward with or without Lilly funding, but those funds would enable the college to proceed more quickly, King said.

The college also is building its first new residence hall since 1924. Currently, LeFer residence hall is approaching capacity. We have more graduate students inquiring about being residential. Right now we dont have that opportunity, King said.

The new residence hall will increase capacity for undergraduates, and also add the ability for graduate students to live on campus, she said.

The college also is offering graduate assistantships for the first time, King said.

Sarah DeWeese/Ivy Tech-Terre HauteChris Gresham, Ivy Tech-Terre Haute criminal justice instructor, teaches Introduction to Criminology in a Learn Anywhere class.

Ivy Tech Community College Terre Haute

Imagine a college class where you attend in person if you are able.

But if child care or work issues or even COVID-19 quarantine prevents you from going to class, you can attend online, real-time or watch a video of the class when you are able.

Ivy Tech is piloting some classes using this format, which is called Learn Anywhere.

The initiative grew out of a grant our Indianapolis campus and Muncie campus had on addressing challenges that single-mother students encounter, said Lea Anne Crooks, chancellor at Ivy Tech-Terre Haute.

With Learn Anywhere, instructors deliver class face-to-face with any student who can get there, but for those who cant attend in person, students can participate real time through Zoom. Also, the class is taped so a student who couldnt do either that day can watch it when they do have time.

We are being as flexible as we can for students, Crooks said. One week, a student may attend in person, another week, they may attend online. It also helps those students who may have to quarantine or isolate because of COVID-19.

The program is being piloted statewide, with four classes [six sections] being offered as Learn Anytime at Ivy Tech-Terre Haute. They are: intro to criminology; informatics fundamentals; fundamentals of public speaking and introduction to interpersonal communication.

We think this is something that will continue to grow and be really a great option for students in the future, Crooks said.

Teaching in the various Learn Anywhere formats has its challenges, so I really applaud our faculty who have stepped up and are looking at this as a way to assist our students, she said.

In another change this fall, courses that require hands-on learning are taking place face-to-face and on campus, including programs in health sciences, nursing, information technology, advanced manufacturing and engineering/applied science.

Most general education, business and liberal arts courses are offered virtually or online only; virtual courses are live, via Zoom, allowing for interaction. Online classes are not real-time and can be done as the students schedule allows.

Online courses allow students more flexibility and allow them to complete their coursework at days/times that are convenient for them. They still must complete assignments by their deadlines, but they do not have to attend class at a specific time. Instructors require participation through discussion boards and not live video.

The number of students on campus is about half of what it would be in a normal year, Crooks said. I wish we had the energy of what the campus normally feels like, but its where it should be because of the pandemic.

These are challenging times for our instructors, she said. But faculty and staff have stepped up to meet students needs and faculty are going the extra mile.

Students are still able to enroll for 8-week classes that begin in October. With the uncertainties of COVID, many have delayed enrolling, including parents who may not have known childrens school schedules, or high school graduates thinking theyll wait a year to start college.

Its not the time to take a break, Crooks said.

If students are choosing a gap year because they intend to go to a four-year university next year, We encourage them to consider staying in the academic mode and taking courses this year from Ivy Tech, which they will be able to transfer, she said.

Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology

At Rose-Hulman, a team of faculty have been gathering from colleagues ways theyve used online technology or other creative means to share concepts with students, when in-person classes were not possible, said college president Rob Coons.

The goal is to determine whether some of those tools or course delivery strategies can be used to improve classroom instruction overall and make it more efficient, potentially saving students money.

For example, for chemistry experiments and lab work in some of the other engineering disciplines, faculty assembled kits and mailed them home to students this past spring. Students did part of the experiments or labs while at home, and then demonstrated their lab results in a variety of different ways depending on the class.

For example, in some cases the professor had students demonstrate their work during a video call. In other cases, the professor would have the them submit laboratory reports.

It might seem more cumbersome, yet, Some of our faculty are still studying it, but they feel some of that learning that occurred because students had to make that adaptation was really positive, Coons said.

As a result, the college is starting to look for ways we can incorporate the good things we learned as part of the pandemic back into the classroom, so that ultimately, regardless of method of delivery, it is an outstanding educational experience, Coons said.

There are elements of the education experience best presented in person and there are also many that can be presented just as well online, he said. We are learning from that process and trying to take the best of those things moving forward.

A number of courses this fall are blended, with part of the course online and part in person, he said. Originally, it was being done to reduce the amount of risk and exposure of employees and students to the COVID virus.

The college is still gathering data, but, We think there are ways to improve the efficiency of the class and begin to look at ways in which we could either perhaps, shorten the schedule or adjust the schedule in some way which in turn can convert to actual savings for the student. I think there is some opportunity there, Coons said.

Sue Loughlin can be reached at 812-231-4235 or at sue.loughlin@tribstar.com Follow Sue on Twitter @TribStarSue.

We are making critical coverage of the coronavirus available for free. Please consider subscribing so we can continue to bring you the latest news and information on this developing story.

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Schools rise to face crisis, changing the face of education - Terre Haute Tribune Star

Physiology

Physiology of Handcycling: A Current Sports Perspective – DocWire News

This article was originally published here

Scand J Med Sci Sports. 2020 Sep 23. doi: 10.1111/sms.13835. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Handcycling is a mode of mobility, and sport format within Para-cycling, for those with a lower limb impairment. The exercise modality has been researched extensively in the rehabilitation setting. However, there is an emerging body of evidence detailing the physiological responses to handcycling in the competitive sport domain. Competitive handcyclists utilise equipment that is vastly disparate to that used for rehabilitation or recreation. Furthermore, the transferability of findings from early handcycling research to current international athletes regarding physiological profiles is severely limited. This narrative review aims to map the landscape within handcycling research and document the growing interest at the elite end of the exercise spectrum. From 58 experimental/case studies and four doctoral theses we: provide accounts of the aerobic capacity of handcyclists and the influence training status plays; present research regarding the physiological responses to handcycling performance, including tests of sprint performance; discuss the finite information on handcyclists training habits and efficacy of bespoke interventions. Furthermore, given the wide variety of protocols employed and participants recruited previously, we present considerations for the interpretation of existing research and recommendations for future work, all with a focus on competitive sport. The majority of studies (n=21) reported aerobic capacity, detailing peak rates of oxygen uptake and power output, with values >3.0 Lmin-1 and 240 W shown in trained, male H3-H4 classification athletes. Knowledge, though, is lacking for other classifications and female athletes. Similarly, little research is available concerning sprint performance with only one from eight studies recruiting athletes with an impairment.

PMID:32969103 | DOI:10.1111/sms.13835

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Physiology of Handcycling: A Current Sports Perspective - DocWire News

Physiology

A Parent’s Touch Can Reduce Pain Signaling in the Baby Brain – Technology Networks

Being held by a parent with skin-to-skin contact reduces how strongly a newborn baby's brain responds to a painful medical jab, finds a new study led by researchers at UCL and York University, Canada.

The scientists report in the European Journal of Pain that there was more activity in the brains of newborn babies in reaction to the pain when a parent was holding them through clothing, than without clothing.

Joint senior author, Dr Lorenzo Fabrizi (UCL Neuroscience, Physiology & Pharmacology) said: "We have found when a baby is held by their parent, with skin-on-skin contact, the higher-level brain processing in response to pain is somewhat dampened. The baby's brain is also using a different pathway to process its response to pain.

"While we cannot confirm whether the baby actually feels less pain, our findings reinforce the important role of touch between parents and their newborn babies."

The study involved 27 infants, 0-96 days old and born premature or at term age, at University College London Hospitals. The researchers were measuring their response to a painful but clinically required heel lance (blood test). Brain activity was recorded with EEG (electroencephalography) electrodes placed on the scalp.

The babies were either held by their mother skin-to-skin (wearing a diaper, against their mother's chest), or held by their mother with clothing, or else lying in a cot or incubator (most of these babies were swaddled).

The researchers found that the initial brain response to the pain was the same, but as the heel lance elicited a series of four to five waves of brain activity, the later waves of activity were impacted by whether the baby was held skin-to-skin or with clothing.

Joint senior author, Professor Rebecca Pillai Riddell (Department of Psychology, York University, Canada) said: "The slightly delayed response was dampened if there was skin contact with their mother, which suggests that parental touch impacts the brain's higher level processing. The pain might be the same, but how the baby's brain processes and reacts to that pain depends on their contact with a parent.

"Our findings support the notion that holding a newborn baby against your skin is important to their development."

The brains of the babies that remained in the cot or incubator also reacted less strongly to the pain than those held in clothing, but the researchers say that may be because the babies were not disrupted by being picked up before the procedure, or else due to the success of the sensitive, individualised care they were provided.

The babies' behaviour was not significantly different between the groups, although the skin-to-skin group did exhibit slightly reduced responses in terms of facial expression and heart rate. Other studies have found that skin-to-skin contact with a parent does affect baby behaviour, and may reduce how strongly they react to pain, but those studies did not investigate the brain response.

In the current study, the babies' brain responses were not only dampened in the skin-to-skin group, but also followed a different neural pathway.

First author, Dr Laura Jones (UCL Neuroscience, Physiology & Pharmacology) said: "Newborn babies' brains have a high degree of plasticity, particularly those born preterm, and their development is highly dependent on interactions with their parents. Our findings may lend new insights into how babies learn to process threats, as they are particularly sensitive to maternal cues."

Co-author Dr Judith Meek (University College London Hospitals) said: "Parents and clinicians have known for many years how important skin to skin care is for babies in NICU. Now we have been able to demonstrate that this has a solid neurophysiological basis, which is an exciting discovery."

Reference: Jones L, LaudianoDray MP, Whitehead K, et al.The impact of parental contact upon cortical noxiousrelated activity in human neonates.Eur J Pain, 2020. doi: 10.1002/ejp.1656

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A Parent's Touch Can Reduce Pain Signaling in the Baby Brain - Technology Networks

Physiology

A Conversation With Professor Josef Penninger on the Journey to a COVID-19 Therapeutic – Technology Networks

Professor Josef Penninger. Credit: Paul Joseph for LSI.

Angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) the receptor used by the SARS-CoV-2 virus as a gateway to enter and infect host cells has garnered significant attention for the wrong reasons over recent months. But could it also point towards an exit route out of this pandemic? In an interview with Technology Networks, the renowned immunologist Professor Josef Penninger nicknamed "Mr ACE2" explains why he thinks so, and discusses the latest clinical data obtained from testing the soluble ACE2 receptor, APN01.

Before the Nature paper was published, the researchers discovered that ACE2 was also expressed in the lung, a curious finding which "didn't make any sense".1 They wanted to get to the bottom of it. "All of my postdocs worked on models for intensive care units for mice so that we could study acute lung injury. At that time, between 20002003, there were maybe two or three groups on the planet which did this. The reason being it was difficult to create stable and reproducible models. My postdocs worked for many years to get the model going and then we studied ACE2 using it. We found that when we delete ACE2 in animal models the lung injury got much worse. The reninangiotensin unit is a critical component of lung injury."2

What role does ACE2 play in the body?In 2020, thanks to the contribution of Penninger and others, we now have a more thorough understanding of the role ACE2 plays in human physiology. ACE2 is an enzyme that is expressed on the membranes of cells, located in several places throughout the body, including the heart, lungs, arteries, kidneys and intestines. It is a critical component of a biochemical pathway known as the reninangiotensin system. In this pathway, ACE2 helps to modulate a protein called angiotensin II which increases blood pressure and inflammation, causing damage to blood vessels and other tissue injuries. ACE2 catalyzes the hydrolysis of angiotensin II into other molecules that counteract its harmful effects.3

However, in 2005, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared that SARS was contained. "Of course, now everyone was saying who cares. It's beautiful work but it has no relevance because there is no SARS," Penninger recalls. Fast-forward to 2020, the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 has brought life to a screeching halt, and the irony of this research being declared "irrelevant" leaves a sour taste.

I asked Penninger what his initial thoughts were when the news broke of the novel coronavirus outbreak. He recalls: "It immediately clicked in my brain that ACE2 must be the target receptor for SARS-CoV-2 because of the similarities between the Spike protein of SARS and SARS-CoV-2." Sure enough, he was right. As the number of COVID-19 fatalities began to rapidly climb, scientists, industry leaders and global authorities assembled to search for an effective therapeutic against the virus.In April 2020, Apeiron announced it had received regulatory approvals in Austria, Germany and Denmark to initiate a Phase II clinical trial of APN01 in 200 severely infected COVID-19 patients. The announcement followed preclinical testing of APN01 in SARS-CoV-2 cell models and human-derived organoids. Often referred to as "mini-organs", organoids are three-dimensional cell cultures that can recapitulate, to a certain degree, the complexity of an organ.

How does APN01 work in the context of SARS-CoV-2?As APN01 imitates the ACE2 receptor, SARS-CoV-2 binds to it instead of the human form of the receptor. Consequently, the virus cannot enter and infect cells, so APN01 acts as a neutralizing agent and decoy. In parallel, APN01 reduces the inflammatory reactions in the lungs and protects against ARDS.

The preclinical data, published in Cell, reports that APN01 can "reduce viral growth in Vero E6 cells by a factor of 1,0005,000" and that "human blood vessel organoids and kidney organoids can be readily infected with SARS-CoV-2, which can be "significantly inhibited by human recombinant ACE2 at the early stage of infection."6Penninger believes that APN01 is probably "one of the most rational therapies you can think of" which goes beyond antibody therapies that work to neutralize the virus. In a press release, Professor Henning Bundgaard, principal investigator of the clinical trial and professor at the Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences at the University of Copenhagen said: We are eager to participate in this very promising and critical study. APN01 is an advanced drug candidate with a very strong dual rationale that may provide an important therapeutic contribution to fight the COVID-19 pandemic."

Infusion of APN01 was correlated with a gradual reduction in the levels of several diseas relevant mediators over the nine-day period, in addition to a rapid loss of viremia, and a delayed reduction in viral titers from tracheal samples and nasopharyngeal swabs.

Furthermore, infusion of APN01 did not adversely impact the patient's adaptive immune response, which was a huge factor of consideration, as Penninger told Technology Networks: "You could argue that if our molecule binds to the virus, it could divert the virus somehow so that immunity cannot kick in, making the disease even worse. Now we know the answer to this question and it looks very good."

Of course this data is obtained from just one patient, which must be considered. However, it's a positive start, and the Phase II APN01 clinical trial is still recruiting.

Peter Llewellyn-Davies, CEO of APEIRON Biologics, said in a press release: "We are delighted our drug candidate APN01 may have helped this patient to overcome the life-threatening disease and are confident to confirm these positive results in our ongoing and progressing pivotal clinical Phase II trial. The further scientific validation by this renowned journal encourages us in our efforts to providing an efficacious therapy against COVID-19 for the benefit of patients and society."

When asked whether he feels optimistic about the future of APN01, Penninger immediately responds: "Absolutely. The science here, that me and other companies are doing, points in the same direction. It will be interesting to see how this [APN01] plays out, in terms of viral load and the protecting of organs. As we know COVID-19 has other long-term effects in tissues around the body. ACE2 explains this distribution."

Penninger sounds confident, but not arrogant. It is evident that he truly believes in the science behind APN01; after all, he has committed many years of his research career to exploring it, discounting critics along the way. But in the context of the global pandemic, the clinical data is everything.

"What we do not know is: What dose should we use? Which timing for therapy is right? Should we start earlier? The clinical trial is testing the drug in severe COVID-19 patients. Would it work better when tested in patients for which the disease is not severe? These are the questions we have, and that's why we do careful clinical testing," he says. "I am totally confident about the science, but the clinical outcome let's see what the data tells us."Josef Penninger was speaking to Molly Campbell, Science Writer for Technology Networks.References:

1. Crackower MA, Sarao R, Oudit GY, et al. Angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 is an essential regulator of heart function. Nature. 2002;417(6891):822-828. doi:10.1038/nature00786.

2. Imai Y, Kuba K, Rao S, et al. Angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 protects from severe acute lung failure. Nature. 2005;436(7047):112-116. doi:10.1038/nature03712.

3. Fountain JH, Lappin SL. Physiology, Renin Angiotensin System. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2020. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK470410/. Accessed September 24, 2020.

4. Li W, Moore MJ, Vasilieva N, et al. Angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 is a functional receptor for the SARS coronavirus. Nature. 2003;426(6965):450-454. doi:10.1038/nature02145.

5. Khan A, Benthin C, Zeno B, et al. A pilot clinical trial of recombinant human angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 in acute respiratory distress syndrome. Critical Care. 2017;21(1):234. doi:10.1186/s13054-017-1823-x

6. Monteil V, Kwon H, Prado P, et al. Inhibition of SARS-CoV-2 infections in engineered human tissues using clinical-grade soluble human ACE1. Cell. 2020;181(4):905-913.e7. doi:10.1016/j.cell.2020.04.004.

7. Zoufaly A, Poglitsch M, Aberle JH, et al. Human recombinant soluble ACE2 in severe COVID-19. The Lancet Respiratory Medicine. doi:10.1016/S2213-2600(20)30418-5

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A Conversation With Professor Josef Penninger on the Journey to a COVID-19 Therapeutic - Technology Networks