To Fold or Not to Fold?  Protein Quality Control Gone Awry – Lessons from Cancer, Diabetes, Aging, and Chronic Disease

Jeyanthi Ramasubbu

Date(s) – 08/27/19
8:30 am – 10:30 am

Event Description:
Aberrant protein processing is an underlying mechanism of neurodegenerative diseases such as ALS, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, Dementia and many more. Protein quality control, which includes proper expression, folding, transport and clearance is critical for cellular function and organismal health. When cell defense fails and proteostasis malfunctions, is it doom time for healthy cells? Protein misfolding has long been associated with neurodegenerative diseases, but interestingly, it’s also a common feature in some chronic metabolic and oncogenic diseases such as type II diabetes, cystic fibrosis, sickle cell anemia and certain cancers. Aging and longevity are invariably tied to changes in protein management systems such as chaperones and clearance networks. How are these diverse chronic diseases as well as aging and health correlated? Are alterations in protein quality control a cause or consequence of disease and aging? Can protein homeostasis machinery rescue dysfunctional cells in chronic diseases and restore good health? What are the possible therapeutic strategies to maintain proteostasis?

Event Speaker Bio:

Jeyanthi Ramasubbu has more than 20 years of scientific and leadership experience in drug discovery, development and drug delivery. Jeyanthi joined the founding team at ALS Therapy Development Institute, a nonprofit biotech based in Boston and helped grow the organization as the world’s largest biotech focused on ALS research. As Associate Director, Pharmacology, she was a key player in establishing the Discovery Research Program and leading >40 scientific collaborations with academia and industry, both in the US and globally. She was selected as a Finalist for the ‘Academic Scientist of the Year Award” by Informa Sciences for outstanding contribution to pharmaceutical research. Prior to pivoting to drug discovery, she served as Senior Scientist in multiple biotech firms developing biodegradable drug delivery systems. She holds patents on novel, programmable microsphere delivery systems using poly(lactide/glycolide) polymers for modulating drug release over variable durations from few days to several months. Jeyanthi has a PhD in Biochemistry and obtained post-doctoral training with Prof. Patrick DeLuca, College of Pharmacy, University of Kentucky. Her interests include understanding the role of proteome and proteostasis in health and disease and developing patient-centric solutions to slow, prevent or stop chronic diseases.

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The Future of Clinical Trials
Tom Rico Pamukcu

The clinical research methods of yesterday won’t work for the science of tomorrow, yet the field as a whole is slow to adapt. With the end of blockbuster drugs and the rise of personalized medicine, companies and researchers will need to evolve to avoid being left behind. Not only is adapting to change critical for survival, but those that can adapt the fastest will have a tremendous opportunity in the years ahead.

This talk will identify the good, the bad, and the ugly in the current state of clinical trials, and cross-reference it against advancements in adjacent fields. Expect to learn actionable steps to take today to prepare for the clinical research of tomorrow. Building on your existing understanding of clinical research, you’ll receive new insights for how to personally leverage advances and new trends in technology, policy, and funding to better help your patients and your biotech initiatives thrive.

Speaker Bio

Tom Rico Pamukcu is a clinical research expert who has spent the past decade leveraging technology to improve clinical research across academia, industry, and start-ups. He is the founder of a new technology consultancy dedicated to helping researchers modernize clinical trials. Previously, Tom managed global operations for Genentech’s late-stage pediatric oncology pipeline. Before joining Genentech, Tom worked at multiple levels of clinical research at Stanford University. He served as Research Manager for Stanford’s Division of Pain Medicine, and prior to that, managed research at the Sleep Center.

Tom specializes in integrating technology into research, and pioneered some of the first implementations of tools such as EDC, e-Consent, and artificial intelligence into clinical trials across his various institutions. He is currently on the board of the Northern California Chapter of the Association of Clinical Research Professionals. Tom received his BS in Cellular and D

 

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Sanjiv Bhatt
Operations Leader
Agile Technology

Several medical grade polymer materials have been developed; exhibiting unique characteristics that offer extraordinary benefits over non-polymeric materials in the modern healthcare system. Additionally, these materials comply with global regulatory requirements that ensure they maintain their integrity without causing secondary and/or long-term complications in the patient.

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Speaker: Richard Rubin

The presentation will provide an overview of the rapidly growing synthetic biology field including the basis of the technology that’s driving a “green” biochemistry replacement of petroleum-based industrial chemistry. The use of artificial intelligence-based software to develop useful new proteins will also be presented along with a survey of applications derived in this manner already on the market. Regulatory considerations, consumer perceptions and market acceptance will be considered with closing thoughts on where the technology is headed.

 

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Legal Issues of Artificial Intelligence and Smart Medical Devices in Healthcare
Stephen Wu, JD
Silicon Valley Law Group

Artificial intelligence and robotics will cause sweeping changes to society, including in the area of healthcare and medical devices.  AI and smart medical devices have the potential to enhance health and care outcomes, improve patient experiences, lower healthcare costs, and improve health professionals’ experiences.  Yet, with new technologies, legal issues will crop up.  Examples include HIPAA compliance, security breaches, product liability, and malpractice.  This program will cover the impact of AI and robotics on healthcare, key legal issues that arise, and how providers and technology companies can manage legal risks.

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Wearable Heart Rate Variability Sensor
Denise Gutierrez, Peter Lazari, Meghna Negi

San Jose State University Biomed Engineering Student Presentation
May 21, 2019

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ResusciMate –  A CPR Feedback Device
Jessica Lourdes Felix, Joshua Julian Sale, Wanisha Sirpakdi

 

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Hospice Care – What You Need to Know

Ed Wendler, Hospice of the Valley Ambassador

For the last ten years, Ed has volunteered his time as an ambassador for Hospice of the Valley. He has found his most satisfying experiences have happened when he has been assigned to visit with military veterans during their final days. Listening to their stories and helping them relive favorite memories is a part of the way hospice caregivers provide support during difficult times. Ed will discuss: What is hospice care? Who is eligible? Who pays for it? How does hospice care work?

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Cerebral Palsy Hand Splint
Presented by San Jose Stae University BioMed Students
Abdul Hashimi, Thu Le, Thuan Pham, Troy Sambyal

 

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A successful Medical Device development approach for both adhesives and polymers includes a roadmap for product design. Although there are numerous ways to bond materials, often the designer is faced with bonding dissimilar materials and a difficult design where only an adhesive is the right bonding solution.  Without a proven methodology to follow, product teams find themselves in a failure loop, without a methodology to resolve bonding challenges and to prevent downstream problems.  With unsolved failures, often the product team, or company, faces a “shut down” situation.  The steps for adhesive/polymer bond success include design evaluation, an understanding of adhesive fundamentals, chemical compatibility, joint design principles, regulatory issues, testing, and processing.  A case study of a Medical Device moving from single-use to multi-use requirements will be provided.  This design approach includes key factors for success and a roadmap to aid in project management and risk mitigation.

JoAnne Moody, MS

President, Zeta Scientific LLC

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