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NEW ON-DEMAND COURSE NOW AVAILABLE - Advance your knowledge on MSCs for Autoimmune Diseases! Leveraging ISCT global network Leaders and Principal Investigators, including Katarina Le Blanc, MD, PhD, Mark Lowdell, PhD, Dominique Farge, MD, PhD, and Gary Gilkeson, MD, who have led significant studies in MSC research and clinical trials, The ISCT Institute of Training and Development has curated the Cell Therapies for Autoimmune Diseases: MSCs for Clinical Applications on-demand course. In this 8-hour case study-based ASCP accredited training course, learn from global leaders in the MSC field on the critical knowledge, methods, and considerations to apply when translating the use of MSC for autoimmune diseases. Learn more and register: https://buff.ly/4eSAOpJ

Learn more about what the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and others are doing to support clinical trial progress today on #ClinicalTrialsDay.

The 12th Annual Cholangiocarcinoma Foundation's Conference: International Consensus on Research Priorities is scheduled for April 9-11, 2025, in Salt Lake City. It is a unique opportunity for patients and caregivers to sit side-by-side with experts in the field and provide their voices in helping focus research priorities. The upcoming Conference is an effort between CCF’s International Cholangiocarcinoma Research Network (ICRN) and the European Cooperation in Science and Technology (COST)-Action: BTC Precision Network, part of the European Network for the Study of Cholangiocarcinoma. The initiative brings together patients, caregivers, advocates, oncologists, researchers, industry, young investigators, regulators, and other specialists worldwide to review scientific evidence, share insights, and reach a consensus, or full agreement, on the research focus going forward to optimize existing funding and attract new funding. In addition to the same excellent community interaction offered at the Conference, patients and caregivers will be provided even more opportunities to interact with experts in the field. You can learn more and sign up for updates on the Conference website here: https://lnkd.in/eY-hv6HV

We recently made a surprising discovery, demonstrating that viruses encode insulin/IGF-1-like sequences known as viral insulin/IGF-1-like peptides (VILPs). While most VILPs act as natural agonists of human receptors, our research has revealed that two VILPs function as natural antagonists of the IGF-1 receptor (IGF1R). We are currently seeking a highly motivated #postdoctoral fellow for this NIH-funded translational research project that focuses on studying the role of viral insulins in the insulin/IGF-1 signaling system to determine the mechanism of IGF1R action/inhibition and cancer progression. I would appreciate it if you can spread the word. https://lnkd.in/eJCKS5X

In the February 7, 2024 NIAID Funding News, understand the mechanisms NIAID uses to maintain a balanced portfolio. Check out funding opportunities for investigator-initiated clinical trials and bioethical research. Catch up on outcomes from the most recent NIH Advisory Committee to the Director meeting. Find resources to aid your next Data Management and Sharing Plan. Know what grant information NIH may release in response to a FOIA request. Plus, read our answers to reader questions about study section assignments and award eligibility. https://bit.ly/3StY6rS

WorkSafeBC board decision on cancer as a compensable consequence. On February 6, 2024, WorkSafeBC’s Board of Directors approved changes to Item C3-22.40, Compensable Consequences — Certain Diseases and Conditions, in the Rehabilitation Services & Claims Manual, Volume II. Amendments were made to policy on cancer as a compensable consequence to reflect current medical and scientific literature. https://loom.ly/yrT8D9Q #worksafebc #diseasesandconditions

Excited to share our latest paper, published today in JAMA. We show evidence of possible transmission of a factor causing intracerebral hemorrhages through blood transfusion. Using nationwide registers and blood bank data in Sweden and Denmark, we show that among approximately 1M patients who underwent transfusions, the risk of an intracerebral hemorrhage increases approximately from 1.5% to almost 4% over 30 years among patients transfused with blood from blood donors that later developed multiple intracerebral hemorrhages - compared to blood from donors that did not develop intracerebral hemorrhages. This exploratory study was based on the biological premise that cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA), a disease characterized by beta-amyloid deposition in brain blood vessels and the second most common cause of intracerebral hemorrhage, may be transmissible. Previous studies have shown that CAA can be transferrable in humans through the injection of contaminated cadaveric pituitary hormone and dura mater grafts. Intracerebral hemorrhage was a very rare event and we do not currently see a need for a policy change nor do we wish to discourage otherwise indicated blood transfusion. However, more research is needed to explore the possible underlying mechanisms. Thanks to Principal Investigator Gustaf Edgren, and our collaborators, especially Klaus Rostgaard and Henrik Hjalgrim who replicated the analyses in Denmark. Links in the comments below.

A healthy sense of trust at the upcoming EAPM Side Event at European Haematology congress on June 14th, Madrid... In the fast-moving area of healthcare with its cutting-edge science it is already, and will become more, vital that stakeholders collaborate openly and effectively. This should ensure that regulations and legislation covering, for example the new, smaller clinical trials required to make personalised medicine work effectively, the huge practical and ethical issues surrounding Big Data and data protection, ensuring earlier access and the necessary standards for biobank samples and in vitro devices are common, understood and enforced across the EU. Despite Member State competence in many areas, there is undoubtedly a need for common European health legislation as much as possible, but it must be the right legislation. Unfortunately, experience has shown that having separate rules in every Member State does not really work, for a variety of reasons. For example, it often leads to an R&D environment that is not competitive, slows the innovative dynamic and ultimately represents a barrier to the emergence of effective therapies for untreated disease. With more integration, collaboration, dialogue and increased trust among each and every one in the field, stakeholders can help mould the right frameworks, in the right place, at the right time. Once achieved, this will allow us all to work more quickly and more effectively towards creating a healthier – and thus wealthier – European Union. But it also has to start with a European Parliament that is on message when it comes to the issues facing its citizenry. Health is key. Please click HERE (https://lnkd.in/eVvrTjbN) to register and please click HERE to see the agenda (https://lnkd.in/egu8YKGx)

In this observational study of 119 patients and 6 measured physical activity metrics, mean distance walked (MDW) demonstrated the best diagnostic value for classifying an ECOG PS of 2 or higher and was associated with better 6-month survival status. https://ja.ma/4cO44NF

Great to hear about a really positive story coming out from a type of funding under the #EJPRD (European Joint Programme for #RareDiseases ) This afternoon Bert Smeets presented very nicely on the multistakeholder collaborations set in motion for #LAMA2 Muscular Dystrophy, enabled by the 'EJPRD Networking Scheme'. Joanne Lee and I have also managed to secure funding through this valuable scheme in the past, which we used to advance our efforts to spread a powerful model for better clinical trials into more rare diseases. The model was created in the #Neuromuscular community under TREAT-NMD , many years ago, and our work in EJP-RD has been to try to expand its use outside of this area. We were able to complement our toolkit (https://shorturl.at/9HXbu) with a 2023 workshop aimed at ERN RARE-LIVER ERN RARE-LIVER and ERN GUARD-Heart in particular, to encourage them to think about how such a model could improve clinical research in their areas. Meanwhile, with support from Joanne Lee and colleagues in the John Walton Muscular Dystrophy Research Centre, there is now an ACT (Advisory Committee for Therapeutics) in the #ataxia field operated by the Ataxia Global Initiative (find out more here - https://lnkd.in/eDWwbMap and here https://shorturl.at/JYQ1k )! Great to see things which work in one rare community being transplanted into others :-) The Networking Scheme -https://shorturl.at/2iOyn- will continue under the European Rare Disease Partnership, #ERDERA so look out for opportunities to bring diverse stakeholders together to drive forwards RD research!