Category Archives: Longevity Medicine

We know a lot about what we dont know

Five months in, and the shape of the Covid-19 pandemic remains elusive, with the lack of clarity extending to what the disease looks like, who has it, who is infectious, who is immune, and what the future holds.

The initial case definition included fever, a dry cough, and myalgia, but recent reports suggest that other symptoms diarrhea in some cases and loss of the sense of smell in others were also indicative of the disease, according to Jeanne Marrazzo, MD, of the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

We were treating it and viewing it very much like a classic respiratory viral infection, Marrazzo told reporters in a briefing organized by the Infectious Diseases Society of America. A lot of people were refused testing because they didnt fit the diagnostic criteria.

A lack of available test kits required some sort of triage, she noted, but as understanding of the disease has increased, it has become clear that the scope of infection is much wider, with the SARS-CoV-2 virus affecting a lot of body systems not just the respiratory system, although thats how people die.

How Many Covid-19 Cases Are Being Missed?

I wonder how much of [the pandemic] was missed because we werent recognizing a wide range of symptoms, she said. Knowing about the rarer symptoms, Marrazzo added, should lead clinicians to have a lower index of suspicion [for Covid-19] and a much lower threshold for diagnostic testing.

But, of course, diagnostic testing aimed at people with symptoms will miss anyone who is either asymptomatic or pre-symptomatic, according to Carlos del Rio, MD, of Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta.

During the IDSA briefing, Del Rio noted that it now appears that 6%-12% of people infected with the virus will be infectious during a pre-symptomatic phase that can last from 24 to 48 hours.

One report, from Singapore, found seven Covid-19 clusters with likely pre-symptomatic transmission. At the time, the country had found 157 locally acquired cases; 10 of them, or 6.4%, were thought to arise from contact with a person who had not yet developed symptoms.

Where a date of exposure could be fixed, the investigators reported, the transmission occurred between one and three days before the index patient developed symptoms.

Del Rio said its not clear that anyone with the infection is truly asymptomatic; instead, he said its likely most will eventually develop symptoms.

An analysis of the literature, from Great Britains Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine, found that children and young adults can be asymptomatic. But there is not a single reliable study to determine the number of asymptomatic patients, the investigators wrote.

It is likely we will only learn the true extent once population-based antibody testing is undertaken, the agency reported.

Also, it has been recognized from the beginning of the outbreak that most people some 80% is the usual estimate will have symptoms mild enough that they wont need or even seek medical care before recovering.

Those people too will remain essentially unknown until widespread antibody testing looking for the immunological consequences of infection is rolled out.

The diagnostic tests, aimed at viral RNA, cant distinguish between people who have had the disease and recovered and those who have never been infected. In both cases, the test will usually be negative.

Will Antibody Testing Show Who Is Immune?

Blood tests looking for antibodies are now being rolled out, looking for immunoglobulin M (IgM), which is the first sign of a humoral immune response, and immunoglobulin G (IgG), which appears later.

People talk about antibody detection as though its simple, Marrazzo said, but it has not initially been clear what antibodies to look for. The FDA has approved one antibody test under an Emergency Use Authorization and others are expected.

Marrazzo said she hasnt had enough clinical experience with the new test to know how well it performs it was only approved April 1 but she is confident that a very good, reliable test will be widely rolled out within a month.

Then we can screen to see whos immune, she said findings that will help guide decisions on how to deploy exposed health care providers, as well as how to use non-pharmaceutical interventions such as social distancing.

But its important to remember, Del Rio cautioned, that antibodies arent the whole story of immunity. In HIV, for instance, IgG and IgM antibodies occur alongside a chronic and incurable infection, while in chronic hepatitis B and C, antibody responses exist but are not sufficient to clear the virus.

Having antibodies doesnt mean immunity, Del Rio said. We still need to identify the correlates of immunity. That would include both the adaptive antibody response and the innate cell-mediated response.

Researchers might get some guidance from earlier work on immunity to the original SARS coronavirus and its cousin MERS (Middle East Respiratory Syndrome).

For instance, an analysis of innate and adaptive immune responses of 40 patients with SARS, published in 2007, suggested that the early disease response included high levels of interferons, interferon-stimulated chemokines, and interferon-stimulated gene expression.

Most patients resolved the interferon crisis and expressed adaptive immune genes, the researchers reported, but those with poor outcomes did not, implying that unregulated interferon might have led to a malfunction of the switch from innate immunity to adaptive immunity.

A later animal experiment by the same authors suggested that immunity, either from infection or vaccination, prevented the interferon response.

Theres no evidence that SARS-CoV-2 establishes a reservoir, as HIV does, that could complicate patient management, commented Rajesh Gandhi, MD, of Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston.

This looks like an infection like others in its class of viruses, Gandhi told BreakingMED during a separate IDSA briefing. I think people will recover and not have recurrences.

What About Those Who Test Positive After Infection?

He noted that some patients might be clinically well but temporarily test positive for the virus after recovery. Exactly how long the virus lasts in a person is still being worked out, Gandhi said.

There have been anecdotal reports of both recurrence and reinfection, with the suggestion that leftover virus might still be active; diagnostic tests only report the presence or absence of viral proteins, not whether the complete virus is present and active.

But an animal study by investigators from China (still not peer-reviewed) suggests reinfection is unlikely. The researchers tracked what happened in macaques that had recovered from an experimental SARS-CoV-2 infection.

They challenged half of the recovered animals with the virus and saw no viral replication in any body compartment and no recurrence of symptoms, suggesting that reports of reinfection and/or recurrence in humans might be the result of testing errors.

Importantly, a large fraction of people infected with Covid-19 will recover or already have recovered, and if recovery leads to immunity, how long might that last?

Its too early to tell in the middle of this outbreak, but a 2007 study of 176 Chinese SARS patients suggests a couple of years of protection is possible.

The investigators had serum samples from patients taken initially during March through Aug. 2003, with follow-up samples taken at six months, 12 months, and three years after the onset of symptoms.

Analysis showed that seven days after the start of symptoms, 11.8% of patients were positive for SARS IgG, and that proportion reached 100% at 90 days, remaining largely unchanged up to 200 days. Immune responses were maintained in more than 90% of patients for two years, the researchers found, but then the percentage declined to about 50%.

Similarly, the percentage of patients who were IgM positive within the first seven days was 21.4%, peaked at 76.2% after 21 to 30 days, and then was mostly absent after 60 days.

A smaller study, in 2016, looked at the longevity of antibody responses among nine health care workers who had MERS and found that those who had the most severe disease (pneumonia requiring intubation) had the most long-lived antibody response, with a positive test up to 18 months after recovery.

Patients with milder pneumonia were antibody-positive for only three months, while those who had upper respiratory disease, or no symptoms, had no detectable antibodies.

A 2005 report on 80 Singapore hospital staff exposed to SARS patients without contact precautions during the first days of the 2002-2003 found that 56% were positive by a serology test.

Of those, 82% had radiologic changes characteristic of pneumonia, 4% had subclinical disease, and 13% were asymptomatic. The figures suggest that in that outbreak, exposure led to disease in a majority of cases and subclinical cases were rare, but even so, some people never developed symptoms.

A study in Hong Kong, which was one of the hard-hit regions in the first SARS outbreak, found in 2005 that 386 healthcare workers had acquired SARS, accounting for 22% of the total local patient population, but another 688 did not.

A survey, combined with serological tests of those 688 workers, found that only one nurse was positive for SARS antibodies, again suggesting a very low rate of subclinical disease, the researchers said.

Unprotected exposures such as torn gloves or inappropriate personal protective equipment were commonly reported by study participants. Despite that, disease transmission was low, suggesting that direct exposure to a heavy viral load was required for SARS pathogenesis, they argued.

Its not clear, given the large proportion of mild and asymptomatic cases, if heavy viral load is needed for SARS-CoV-2 pathogenesis, but it might be important for severe disease.

Will Covid-19 Be Seasonal?

A big question is whether the pandemic will take on a seasonal aspect, as did the H1N1 influenza pandemic of 2009-2010, and here the SARS and MERS outbreaks give little guidance.

SARS was essentially contained through aggressive public health measures and disappeared before it could demonstrate whether or not it had a seasonal aspect. And MERS, an epidemic that is still ticking over, shows occasional spikes in incidence but no marked seasonality.

These are all great questions: Is this virus going to go away, how long will the epidemic last, is it going to keep coming cyclically like influenza during the winter months? commented Adarsh Bhimraj, MD, chair of the IDSA Covid-19 Rapid Guidelines Expert Panel and a staff physician at the Cleveland Clinic.

These are all questions we dont have answers for, he concluded. Right now, we should focus on getting over this pandemic.

This is the third and final part of a special BreakingMED series examining the state of the science regarding SARS-CoV-2 and Covid-19.

Take Aways:

Five months into the Covid-19 pandemic there are still more questions than answers What is the shape of the disease, who has it, who is infectious, what does the future hold?

From accurate diagnostic tests to developing antibody testing, gathering all the elements to see the full picture is ongoing.

Michael Smith, Contributing Writer, BreakingMED

del Rio serves as a consultant and on the advisory board of the Infectious Diseases Society of America, he also has relevant relationships with NIH/National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, NIH/National Institute on Drug Abuse, and serves on the editorial board of the Clinical Infectious Diseases; JAIDS:Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes and on the boards of Directors of the INternational Antiviral Sociaety-USA and the American Conference for the treatment of HIV.

Marrazzo disclosed relevant relationships with BD Diagnostics and Gilead.

Cat ID: 125

Topic ID: 79,125,730,933,125,190,520,926,192,927,151,928

Infectious Diseases Society of America Infectious disease specialists offer their insights on a range of Covid-19-related issues April 10, 2020 briefing.

Placeholder citation

Read more here:
Covid-19: SARS-CoV-2, Were Just Getting to Know You - Physician's Weekly

Consumer genetic tests can sometimes result in a terrible surprise appearing in the same report that divulges whether one has a cilantro aversion or wet or dry earwax. Test takers may receive the devastating news that they have a version of a geneapolipoprotein E epsilon 4 (APOE e4)that greatly increases their chances of getting Alzheimers disease. The shock can be so great that some will seek solace in a support group to help them adjust to the possibility that they could run into cognitive problems beginning in their 50s or 60s.

One thing that makes the information so difficult to absorb is that there is no certainty about it. A person with one copy of the APOE e4 gene is more than three times as likely to wind up with Alzheimers (one copy can be inherited from each parent). A hit of two copies increases the risk by 10 times or more. APOE e4 may also reduce the age of the diseases onset by up to a decade.

Still, not everyone who is an APOE e4 carrier will ultimately receive a diagnosis for Alzheimers, the most common form of dementia. Given the ambiguities, scientists have long wondered whether other genes might counterbalance APOE e4's effects. A new paper may have found a candidate for just such a gene.

An analysis across multiple studieswith results from more than 20,000 individualsfound that APOE e4 carriers between the ages of 60 and 80 who also had a particular variant of a gene called klotho (named for Clotho, one of the Greek Fates, who spins the threadof life) were 30 percent less likely to receive an Alzheimer's diagnosis than carriers without it. People in their late 70s with a single copy of the klotho variant were also less apt to experience the initial cognitive losses (mild cognitive impairments) that often precede an Alzheimers diagnosis. Study participants with the relevant variant also had reduced signs of the hallmark clumps of beta-amyloid protein that turn up in the brain before symptoms arise.

The new study was published on Monday in JAMA Neurology. Two smaller investigations conducted in recent years had looked at whether klotho, a purported longevity gene, might provide some benefit for APOE e4 carriers. One of those studies affirmed thatthe gene variant did so, and the other suggested the opposite. Michael Greiciussenior author of the JAMA Neurology paper, an associate professor of neurology at Stanford University and medical director of the Stanford Center for Memory Disordershad been considering doing research on klotho when he learned of the study with negative results. I was kind of prepared to throw in the towel, he says. But Michael Belloy [of Stanford], the first author on the [new] paper, had already gotten his teeth into this, thankfully. And we got all of these data sets about these APOE e4 interactions. And [they are] really quite strong and consistent.

The klotho variant studied by Greicius and his Stanford colleagues is not rare. Of the 10,000 subjects with at least one copy of APOE e4 examined by the researchers within the larger data compilation, there were 2,700 who carried the advantageous variant. APOE e4 is not uncommon either: the gene turns up in at least 15 to 20 percent of the population. It is present, however, in about half of the more than five million Alzheimers cases in the U.S.

The new finding may add precision to the design of clinical trials and could potentially provide ideas for therapeutics. APOE e4 carriers are sometimes recruited for studies of drugs to prevent Alzheimers because of the likelihood that they will get the disease. Excluding carriers who have the klotho variant might ensure that the pool of study participants is truly at high risk, as intended. Greicius and his colleagues conclusions might also lead to new drug targets. The whole pathway of proteins that involve klotho and its interaction with APOE e4 is now worth pursuing, he says.

Other scientists who were not involved with the research agree that the new results warrant taking a closer look at klotho. I think these are important findings, and this genetic variant should be considered for incorporation into ongoing and future clinical research related to [Alzheimers], says David M. Holtzman, a professor and chair of the department of neurology at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. He says that human-, animal- and cell-based research should now investigate why the klotho variant may partially protect APOE e4 carriersand whether it might help early or late in the course of the disease. New studies must also focus on people who are not of northwestern European descent, as were those in the Stanford paper.

I think this is an exciting finding, says Guojun Bu, who researches the APOE gene and is a professor and chair of the department of neuroscience at the Mayo Clinic. He points out that whereas klotho is considered a longevity gene, APOE e4 has been found to shorten life spans in humanseven when its link to Alzheimer's was discounted. But scientists have suspected that there are other genes that protect against its ill effects. In the case of klotho, a longevity gene may be countering an antilongevity one.

The Stanford study, Bu says, needs support from other research that examines klotho levels in both blood and cerebrospinal fluid and compares them with various measures of Alzheimer'sbiomarkers andpathology. Mice carrying a human version of the APOE e4 gene might also be used to look for relevant biological pathways that could explain these findings. And even some behavioral factors could be scrutinized.As several lifestyle factors, including exercise and diet, are known to protect against APOE e4related risk, Bu says, it would also be interesting to examine whether they alter the levels of klotho as a potential underlying mechanism.

Dena Dubal, a klotho researcher who is an associate professor at the University of California, San Francisco, and an associate editor for JAMA Neurology, co-authored an accompanying commentary that called for further research on questions such as whether the gene could diminish APOE e4s disruption of cellular and brain-network activity. The study carries exciting implications for future therapies, she says. One wonders whether giving a boost of the klotho hormone itself, which drops in aging and Alzheimers disease, could be a new treatment for individuals in preventing or treating Alzheimers disease.

Read the original:
Longevity Gene May Protect against a Notorious Alzheimers Risk Gene - Scientific American

NEW YORK, April 14, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Conversion Labs, Inc.(OTCQB:CVLB), a direct-to-consumer telemedicine and wellness company, has appointed Dr. Jeremy Fine, a noted expert in internal medicine, to its medical advisory board.

Dr. Fine will be involved in guiding and advancing Conversion Labs' expanding portfolio of telemedicine brands that include Rex MD, Shapiro MDand SOS Rx, as well as future brands and products under development.

Dr. Fine brings to Conversion Labs more than 15 years of award-winning medical experience, innovation and accomplishment. Los Angeles Magazine named Dr. Fine one of LA's Best Physicians for his exemplary skills and innovative approach to medicine. He has also been named one of California's Favorite Physicians by Patients' Choice and Most Compassionate Doctor by Consumer Research. He has been ranked as a Top 10 Doctor by Vitals and among Top Doctors by Castle Connolly for delivering the best in American medicine.

Dr. Fine has practiced medicine and lectured in cities across the globe, including Oslo, Sydney, Nagasaki, and Tel Aviv. Board certified in Internal Medicine, Dr. Fine completed his medical training at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, which is rankedamong the top 10 hospitals in the country. The hospital appointed Dr. Fine as its Chief Resident to teach physicians and medical students the art of medicine.

"We expect Dr. Fine's leadership and extensive medical experience to provide valuable insights and guidance as we continue to grow our portfolio of telemedicine and wellness brands," commented Justin Schreiber, CEO of Conversion Labs. "Dr. Fine's background and top ranking among his peers reflects the exceptional quality of our team of advisors which is helping us fulfill our mission of creating proprietary prescription and OTC products that can dramatically improve health or health security, and are convenient and accessible for patients."

Dr. Fine has been a clinical instructor of medicine at David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and Keck School of Medicine of USC, and served on the bioethics committee and the medical informatics committee at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. He earned his Bachelor of Arts in Biology from UCLA and Yeshiva University, and medical degree from the Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv.

"I'm excited to join Conversion Labs at this pivotal time in its growth and development, especially with the recent launches of Rex MD and SOS Rx," said Dr. Fine. "Telehealth is an important part of the future of medicine, as patients increasingly seek a more convenient way to obtain medical treatment and prescription medications. Conversion Labs has done a phenomenal job integrating telemedicine with an exceptional product offering designed to provide a higher quality of healthcare for a large number of patients across the country."

The company launched Rex MD as its first telemedicine brand last December. Rex MD has been initially focused on treating erectile dysfunction (ED), with the global ED market expected to exceed $2.9 billion by 2023. Rex MD plans to soon offer treatments for longevity, strength and endurance, hair loss, skin care and other indications.

Conversion Labs recently reportedits sales jumped 50% to $12.5 million in 2019. Extensive investments in telemedicine, technology, brand development, and customer acquisition in 2019 have been helping to accelerate the company's growth. Its annualized revenue run rate hit $18 million in the first quarter of 2020, setting revenue on track to exceed $30 million for the year.

Telemedicine sales of newly launched brands and brand extensions support this positive outlook. Under development long before the global outbreak of the COVID-19 coronavirus, Conversion Lab's new SOS Rx Disaster Pack provides a formulated package of prescription drugs for use in the event of similar disaster scenarios, including flu epidemics, radiological exposure or bioterrorism.

The company also recently receivedFDA 510(k) clearance for its new hair regrowth product, the Shapiro MD Laser Hair Restoration Device. The device addresses the global hair restoration market that is growing at a 4.6% compounded annual growth rate and expected to exceed $12 billion by 2026.

About Conversion LabsConversion Labs, Inc. is a health and wellness focused e-commerce company with a portfolio of online direct-to-consumer brands. The company's proprietary over-the-counter products and formulated medications can be prescribed online by Conversion Labs' network of licensed telehealth physicians across the U.S. To learn more, please visit ConversionLabs.com.

Important Cautions Regarding Forward-Looking Statements This news release includes forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, regarding, among other things our plans, strategies and prospects -- both business and financial. Although we believe that our plans, intentions and expectations reflected in or suggested by these forward-looking statements are reasonable, we cannot assure you that we will achieve or realize these plans, intentions or expectations. Forward-looking statements are inherently subject to risks, uncertainties and assumptions. Many of the forward-looking statements contained in this news release may be identified by the use of forward-looking words such as "believe," "expect," "anticipate," "should," "planned," "will," "may," "intend," "estimated," and "potential," among others. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the forward-looking statements we make in this news release include market conditions and those set forth in reports or documents that we file from time to time with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission. All forward-looking statements attributable to Conversion Labs, Inc. or a person acting on its behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by this cautionary language.

Trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

Company ContactConversion LabsJuan Manuel Pieiro DagneryCFOEmail Contact

Conversion Labs Investor & Media Relations ContactRon Both or Grant StudeCMA Investor RelationsTel (949) 432-7566Email Contact

Read the original here:
Conversion Labs Appoints Award-Winning Physician, Dr. Jeremy Fine, to Advisory Board to Advance Telemedicine Brand Portfolio - Benzinga

Psilocybin mushrooms are making a comeback after decades of being demonized. Magic mushrooms were banned in the 70s, despite having important medicinal qualities. Today scientists from leading institutions are acknowledging that under medical supervision and in small amounts, psilocybin mushrooms have the potential to treat serious psychological disorders.

Some historians believe that psilocybin mushrooms may have been used as far back as 9000 B.C. in North African indigenous cultures. Evidenced by representations in rock paintings. Statues and other representatives of what appear to be mushrooms have also been found in Mayan and Aztec ruins in Central America. The Aztecs used a substance called teonancatl, which means flesh of the gods, that could refer to magic mushrooms. Along with peyote, morning glory seeds and other naturally occurring psychotropics, the mushrooms were used to induce a trance, produce visions, and communicate with the gods. When Spanish Catholic missionary priests came to the New World in the 16th century, they wrote about the use of these psychotropic substances.

There is further confirmed use among several contemporary tribes of indigenous peoples in Central America, including the Mazatec, Mixtec, Nauhua and Zapatec.

As mentioned, humans have consumed psilocybin, the naturally occurring psychedelic compound found in magic mushrooms, for more than 10,000 years. By the mid 20th century, the context was religious and for healing purposes. That all changed on June 29, 1955, when a banker at J.P. Morgan named R. Gordon Wasson traveled to Mexico with a photographer to the mud hut of the Mazatec curandera (medicine woman) called Mara Sabina. She shared a magic mushroom preparation that her tribe had been taking for thousands of years. Wesson and his photographer became first white men in recorded history to eat the divine mushrooms.

The banker went on to share his experiences in a LIFEmagazine in 1957, in an article titled Seeking the Magic Mushroom,

Leading French botanist Roger Heim read about Wassons experience. Known for his studies describing the anatomy of mushroom hymenium, Heim enlisted the help of Albert Hofmann (the father of LSD), who isolated and extracted psilocybin and psilocin from some mushrooms Wasson brought back. [Source: Harvard University].

Timothy Leary, perhaps the most famous proponent of psychotropic drugs such as LSD, also read the LIFEarticle and was intrigued.

From 1960 already Timothy Leary and Richard Alpert, two promising young psychologists at Harvard University, had started to investigate the effects of psychotropic substances on the human mind.

Psychology, they argued, had a legitimate interest in how cognition, perception, and emotion are affected by mind-altering substances. At the time, the possible dangers of researching such substances were not as well known as they were in subsequent decades.

Leary began experimenting with psilocybin mushrooms at Harvard University. From there, magic mushrooms became inextricably tied to the hippie movement and its search for a new form of spirituality for the rest of the decade. [Source: Harvard University].

At the time of Leary and Alperts research at Harvard, neither LSD nor psilocybin were illegal substances in the United States.

By 1962 various faculty members and administrators at Harvard were concerned about the safety of Leary and Alperts research subjects, and critiqued the rigor of their unorthodox methodology. Leary and Alperts colleagues challenged the scientific merit of their research, as well as what has been described in reports as the seemingly cavalier attitude with which it was carried out (e.g. poorly controlled conditions, non-random selection of subjects). Editorials printed by Harvard Crimson accused Alpert and Leary of not merely researching psychotropic drugs, but also actively promoting their recreational use.

I learned more about my brain and its possibilities and more about psychology in the five hours after taking these mushrooms than in the preceding 15 years of studying and doing research in psychology. Dr. Timothy Leary

Leary and Alpert insisted on the scientific purpose of their endeavors, and agreed to policies intended to protect their subjects. This included a prohibition on participation by undergraduate students. Initially, Leary and Alpert only used volunteer (if not fully informed) graduate students in their research.

Leary and Alpert developed pioneering concepts in psychedelic therapy such as set and setting. They tested whether ingesting psilocybin could reduce recidivism in prison inmates (in the Concord Prison Experiment) and catalyze religiou

s experiences in divinity students (in the Marsh Chapel Good Friday Experiment). The results were ringing endorsements of psilocybins mystical and therapeutic potential. However, the experiments were later discredited due to unsound methodology. Also for omitting details related to the intense anxiety experienced by many of the participants. However, in the spring of 1963 Harvard was forced to dismiss Alpert after he administered psilocybin to an undergraduate student off-campus. Leary was also fired from the university. The Harvard Psilocybin Project came to an abrupt end.

Discredited by their lack of scientific rigor and failure to observe established research guidelines, Timothy Leary and Richard Alpert were both banished from academia.

This did not end their public lives: both men went on to become icons of the psychedelic drug, counterculture, and human potential movement. Indeed, Leary became famous for the slogan Tune in, Turn On, Drop Out: Alpert, Alpert traveled to India and according to articles written in the day came back bearded, wearing a dhoti, and calling himself Ram Dass. By 1966, psilocybin and LSD were illegal in the United States. Under the name Baba Ram Dass, Alpert wrote a popular book called Be Here Now, described as a modern spiritual classic.

Unknowingly, when all was said and done Wesson had opened a Pandoras Box that would see, among other things, the birth of the American psychedelic counterculture, but also the defilement of the ancient mushroom ritual. In the end, psilocybin mushrooms were banned across much of the world.

According to a story published Timeline, by Ahmed Kabil; The article in LIFE and subsequent attention also led to Sabinas ruin, as Westerners came to her by the hundreds. The publicity was disastrous for the Mazatec community, who blamed Sabina for bringing misfortune to the village and defiling the velada ritual. Sabinas house was burned down, and federales frequently raided her home. He was accused of selling drugs to foreigners. Hippies rented cabins in neighboring villages and on some bad trips and went raving naked through town.

I realized the young people with long hair didnt need me to eat the little things. Kids ate them anywhere and anytime, and they didnt respect our customs.

Mara Sabina

It was inevitable that the misuse of a sacred tradition would result in a widespread ban. After 1970, as the US led a war on drugs, LSD, psilocybin and mescaline were designated Schedule 1 substances in the UN Conventions on Drugs. This meant they could not be prescribed by medical doctors outside of an authorised research study.

Mexican authorities also banned the use of psilocybin mushrooms.

Funding for such studies dried up in the wake of hardening socio-political attitudes towards psychoactive substances. Clinical research in psychiatry came to a standstill without a clear view about whether the drugs were safe and effective when compared to placebo or other treatments.

This is how psilocybin mushrooms became demonized over three decades. Until recently.

Forty years later, there has been a rethink about the health benefits of these mushrooms. While this may be slow, there appears to be a steady resurgence of clinical research interest into psilocybin.

Indeed, in October 2018, the Food & Drug Administration granted Compass Pathways permission to research mushrooms as a treatment for depression. Researchers plan to combine intense therapy with psilocybin. They hope to find better ways to combat treatment-resistant depression, which they say affects about 100 million people worldwide.

In September 2019, Johns Hopkins University unveiled its Center for Psychedelic and Consciousness Research. Scientists at Johns Hopkins plan to evaluate psilocybin as a possible treatment for everything. From opioid addiction, Lyme disease, post-traumatic stress disorder, nicotine and alcohol dependency, and many other ailments.

There are growing numbers of studies supporting their claims. All of them seek to unlock the way magic mushrooms and their compounds interact with our brains and bodies. Perhaps their work will unlock the doors of perception in our minds in ways we cant yet even begin to imagine.

It may well be that the once outlawed, magic mushrooms may now be used in a manner much closer to what Mara Sabina considered to be their true purpose: to heal the sick. Today, magical fungi are finding broader acceptance in popular culture. Some people have taken up whats called microdosing with psilocybin mushrooms. Consuming tiny amounts of the chemical. They dont experience full-blown trips. Instead, they feel a boost in mood and creativity that lowers their anxiety and makes them more productive.

Psychedelics could help some people who are stuck in the process of therapy. Psilocybin mushrooms delivered within a medically controlled environment with a trusted therapist could be very helpful and lower any risk of serious adverse events.

Researchers caution that psychedelics are most likely not safe for people with psychotic disorders such as schizophrenia. Or for people who were predisposed to developing these conditions.

According to the researchers at Kings College, psilocybin mushrooms work on the serotonin system, relaxing the brain mechanisms that mediate thought and behaviour. As this happens, old patterns dissolve and a therapeutic window of opportunity is introduced. Patients receiving psilocybin describe it as like a waking dream, with new insights and understanding emerging about why they are suffering.

Kings College in London is also in the process of determining if and how these mushrooms could be used as a legitimate treatment for depression.

After treatment, therapists would then work with patients to help them solidify more helpful perspectives on their difficulties. This would include a plan of what they are going to do on an ongoing basis to change their lives for the better.

The findings to date are hopeful. Some patients are reporting enduring, positive benefits from only a single treatment dose of psilocybin. And with no ongoing need for daily medication.

Experiences under psilocybin are not dangerous, but can be psychologically challenging because strong emotions or memories may arise. This affirms the need for a safe environment and a trusting relationship with an experienced therapist.

Importantly, researchers who are testing the efficacy of this substance will only give people psilocybin mushrooms in a dedicated hospital facility. Along with full support from doctors, nurses and psychotherapists. They will never give people psilocybin to take home. Also, the psilocybin used in trials is not derived from pure mushrooms. Its manufactured to the same standard as any medicine prescribed by your doctor.

The science also suggests that this therapy may not work for everyone.

Other scientists interested in mushrooms include Dr. Stephen Ross, associate professor of psychiatry in the Department of Psychiatry at NYU Langone Health. He told CNN their studies had also delivered promising results.

A single dose of psilocybin, a compound found in magic mushrooms, provides long-term relief of anxiety and depression in cancer patients. Dr Ross confirmed.

In fact, cancer patients who were given psilocybin reported reductions in anxiety, depression, hopelessness, demoralization, and death anxiety more than four years after receiving the dose in combination with psychotherapy.

Our findings strongly suggest that psilocybin therapy is a promising means of improving the emotional, psychological, and spiritual well-being of patients with life-threatening cancer.

The findings build on improvements first reported by the team already back in 2016, before the Compass grant. Then 29 patients with cancer-related anxiety and depression were given either a single dose of psilocybin or a vitamin placebo called niacin.

Seven weeks later, they were given the opposite. This was in combination with nine psychotherapy sessions.

By 6 months, after all patients had received psilocybin, about 60% to 80% showed clinically significant reductions in depression, anxiety and existential distress and improved attitudes toward death.

A study published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences confirmed people who had recently used psychedelics such as psilocybin reported a sustained improvement in mood and feeling closer to others after the high had worn off.

The results of a field study of more than 1,200 people attending multi-day arts and music festivals in the United States and United Kingdom confirm previous laboratory research indicating that psychedelic substances enhance feelings of social connectedness and improve mental well-being, the authors say.

Our results show that people who take psychedelics in the wild report positive experiences very similar to those observed in controlled laboratory studies, said Yales Matthias Forstmann, postdoctoral fellow and first author of the paper.

Senior author and assistant professor of psychologyMolly Crockett and her team visited half a dozen festivals. They asked attendees who were not then under the influence of psychedelics about their recent social experiences, mood and substance use. By surveying them, the researchers were able to characterize the psychological effects of the afterglow of psychedelic experiences.

The team found that people who recently took psychedelics such as LSD and psilocybin, more commonly known as magic mushrooms, were more likely to report having transformative experiences. They were so profound that they came out of the experience radically changed, including changes to their moral values.

Transformative experiences, in turn, were associated with feelings of social connectedness and positive mood. The most pronounced effects were reported by psychedelic users who had taken the drugs within the past 24 hours.

People who abstained from substance use, drank alcohol or took other drugs such as cocaine or opioids did not report transformative experiences, increased connectedness with others or a positive mood to the same degree, the study showed.

Crockett cautioned that the study was not designed to assess negative reactions, which have been reported with recreational drug use.

Further studies are necessary to learn which environmental factors are associated with positive versus negative psychedelic experiences, she said. But the findings add to a body of evidence suggesting psychedelic substances may have potential as therapy for mood disorders.

We are encouraged that our study is consistent with previous laboratory findings showing mood benefits of psychedelics in healthy people and in patients suffering from anxiety and depression, she said.

Subjects who undergo other clinical trials say they feel like they have undergone five years of therapy in five hours. Others attest to life-changing experiences. We can believe this statement because theres scientific research to prove it.

Researchers at Princeton University also found that people who recently took psychedelics like LSD and psilocybin, or magic mushrooms, were more likely to report having transformative experiences. Apparently, these experiences were so profound that they came out of the experience radically changed, including changes to their moral values. Transformative experiences are associated with feelings of social connectedness and positive mood. Subjects stated that they experienced the effects within the first 24 hours.

In other studies psychedelics like psilocybin mushrooms were to be shown to help change how information moves through our brains. This is groundbreaking because depression and anxiety are only getting worse. Theyre such common conditions amongst mental health diagnoses. Thats why we need more medicinal studies to determine if we can use psychedelic drugs as a potential treatment option.

Depression isnt going anywhere. In fact, its getting worse and our anti-depressants are not even close to perfect. We need something else to bridge the gap. If you are able to legitimately access psilocybin mushrooms, it could offer benefits that current depression treatments do not. Mental health experts are working hard to find alternatives to anti-depressants. In essence, we havent moved much since 1950s when it came to treating depression.

Current antidepressants have barely changed since 1980s. Sadly, these antidepressants can only reduce symptoms for most people by the two-month mark. However, if youre somebody whos dealing with suicidal thoughts then this isnt ideal, more immediate treatment is needed. Scientists state that the risks of psilocybin are low, but only if they are conducted under medical observation and support.

This article outlines the use of psilocybin mushrooms for strictly medical reasons. Its important that this substance is not abused. Be mindful of taking a kind of psychedelic mushroom and bear in mind that theyre not for everyone. Importantly, classical psychedelics are not considered safe for people with psychotic disorders such as schizophrenia, or even for people who were predisposed to developing these conditions.

Researchers who are testing the efficacy of this substance will only give people psilocybin in a dedicated hospital facility with support from doctors, nurses and psychotherapists. They do not give people psilocybin mushrooms to take home. Also, the psilocybin used in trials is not derived from pure mushrooms. It is manufactured to the same standard as any medicine prescribed by your doctor.

If you are interested in this therapy you need to find a medically trained person to assist you. Where you live may determine availability and acceptable medical approach. Meanwhile, mushroom excursions like those espoused by the likes of celebrity Gwyneth Paltroware gaining in popularity. While this may all seem cool, its not if youre genuinely seeking a medical solution.

Harvard University: R. Gordon Wasson (1898-1986) Archives: http://botlib.huh.harvard.edu/libraries/wasson/BIOG.html

Tek-Gnostics Archives Intelligence Engineering Department. Dr Timonthy Leary Archives: https://www.tekgnostics.com/leary.htm

This Mexican medicine woman hipped America to magic mushrooms, with the help of a bank executive https://timeline.com/with-the-help-of-a-bank-executive-this-mexican-medicine-woman-hipped-america-to-magic-mushrooms-c41f866bbf37

Timothy Leary: Noted for: the effects of psychotropic drugs; the 1960s counterculture https://psychology.fas.harvard.edu/people/timothy-leary

Transformative experience and social connectedness mediate the mood-enhancing effects of psychedelic use in naturalistic settings Matthias Forstmann,Daniel A. Yudkin,Annayah M. B. Prosser,S. Megan Heller, andMolly J. Crockett PNASFebruary 4, 2020117(5)2338-2346;first published January 21, 2020https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1918477117 Edited by Susan T. Fiske, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, and approved December 17, 2019 (received for review October 24, 2019)

More on staying healthy:

Were reading increasingly about the potentially significant threat of toxins to our health, but what exactly are they? And how will they impact our longevity?

Follow this link:
the healing-power-of-magic psilocybin-mushrooms - Longevity LIVE

DENVER (KDVR) She is a Pioneer through and through. Kelsey Bigham is Denvers Director of Hockey Operations, one of only three full-time female staff members to hold that title in all of Division-I hockey.

For the Pios team, she does it all. Managing meals, setting up road trips, travel plans, team video, everything in between, Bigham says of her daily duties.

But her skills go far beyond her day job.A few years ago, she became a certified EMT while she was still a full-time student at Colorado State.

I picked up shifts when I could basically, it was a lot of weekend nights, she remembers.My mom was a flight nurse and my dad is a flight paramedic so I have an extensive family background in medicine.

Kelsey is now a full time member of the hockey world, but in many ways her heart is still with those in the medical field. She wanted to help in any way she could during the coronavirus pandemic, so shes putting another skill of hers to use.

She recently began sewing masks for healthcare workers and sending them all around the country.

Since I was an EMT and so many of my friends are medical professionals, I felt an overwhelming sense that I should be alongside them, she says. I should be fighting this thing with them, but Im not. So I tried to find a way that I can make myself useful and help out where I could.

In just a week and a half, shes made more than 100 masks and the response has been nothing but gratitude.

They like them! Theyre so thankful. A lot of these people are getting less than one N95 mask per shift, so anything they can wear over that to help protect the longevity of the mask is very helpful.

And this multi-skilled Pioneer doesnt plan on slowing down any time soon.

Ill keep doing it until JOANN Fabrics stops sending me fabric and people stop needing them, she says.

If youre able to sew and interested in learning how to make these masks, Bigham suggests checking outDenas Mask Making Army on Facebook for more information.

Read the original here:
With season cancelled, Pioneer staffer lending a hand to healthcare workers - FOX 31 Denver

Ive been talking to neighbors and a few of my coffeeclutch compatriots about the pandemic. Were just a bunch of regular guys. Theres not an MD or PhD in the crowd. The best we might do would be a Distinguished Scholar or two from the School of Hard Knocks. Thats about it.

But we know something about running a successful business or a farm. Weve been around, seen a lot and know a lot about small town America. Of an older generation, we may have accrued a fair share of wisdom. And now were trying to make sense out of what we see happening in the country and exploring common sense steps that could help set things straight.

We know we're at war with a virus, an enemy so small we cant see it, or swat it or step on it. We dont even know where it is. Its just out there, somewhere, floating in the air. And best we can do is stay home, wash our hands, avoid other people and hope this thing misses us.

Were held captive. And while we sit, and stew and suffer through the quarantine, we watch our economy begin to dissolve before our eyes. And thats more frightening than the virus. Ill take my chances with the virus, and Im an at-risk senior citizen. I see the virus as relatively short-term menace the possible collapse of the country as an unmitigated disaster.

Most of my wise men conclude we simply cant just sit and wait and hope, prisoners in an inescapable lockdown. Weve got to get real. In a war, no matter how hard we try, we cannot avoid casualties. In an effort to save the few, we cannot ignore the many the country itself. Safeguarding the health of our economy is as important as protecting the health of our people. Its the engine that gives us the financial strength to endure the calamities of the present, to recover in smart order and to return to the prosperity of yesterday. The economy is the lifes blood of the nation.

The so-called stimulus money doesnt stimulate recovery. It helps to reduce loss. The government seems to be in a haphazard spending frenzy. The Democrats gleefully add pork to every bill. And more astronomical spending is forecasted in the future. Im uncertain as to its effect on the virus. But I do know the spending of trillions of dollars now can lead to a crippling inflation tomorrow.

The challenge now is preventing the cure from becoming worse than the disease. The stimulus money will not do the job. Its like using a Band-Aid to cover a hurt. We cant bankrupt the country. Its time to get our businesses back on line put our people back to work, give the country a much-needed tonic. It will show were on our way back. It will build confidence, boost morale and get us back into to our American can do spirit.

Certainly, it can be a gradual process. Different areas of the country require different plans of action. But right now, we seem out of balance. Early models projecting the progress and the fatality rates of the virus have been markedly overblown. The models included many assumptions (best guesses) that have been proven wrong. Wall Street Journal reports, Projections based on modeling the course of the virus are shifting as more information becomes available. The good news is that conditions in most of the country are less dire than early models predicted. Dr. Ben Carson, secretary of Housing and Urban Development, opines that about 98% of the people who get the virus will recover. We cant operate out of hysteria. The use of hydroxychlorquine and other developing medicines will further reduce the impact and longevity of the disease. This requires that the edicts of government based on the early models be updated and the quarantine relaxed.

Well beat the virus. But in doing so, we cant afford to decimate our industrial/business base. Certainly there are risks in moving back to a normal business environment even when its done in stages. The virus could hang on for a while, even though there is mounting evidence that such simple tasks as washing hands, maintaining distance, wearing masks and employing new medicine cuts the risk. My assumption is that our giant corporations and the shops along Main Street will find new ways of doing business once their doors open up. Theyre good at that. Theyll do it in ways that offer protection to their employees and to the rest of us. And the county will avoid bankruptcy and the dreaded inflation. Yes, there will be casualties our casualties of war. But they will be in balance with the needs of our country as a whole. It will survive. Our millions will be back to work. Our businesses will prosper. Our savings and investments will stay whole. And as a nation, well be stronger than ever before. What weve learned in the battle will make it so.

But we cant afford to dither. We must demand that politicians to push politics aside, that they look to the needs of the country, not to those of the party. We must act and turn the lights back on while theres still time.

Thats how it seems to us, some of the regular guys, the little people who hope the big people in Washington and in the governors mansions do the job and do it right. Our job is to keep watch, let them know what we think, make sure they know were tired of the constant sniping and politics that puts the rest of us in danger greater than that of the virus. Well remember who did what and why and come November, well do what we think right.

Dick Magee is a resident of Klinger Lake and a frequent columnist for the Journals Viewpoints page.

View original post here:
Dick Magee: Time to turn on the lights - Sturgis Journal