Latest news with #Niman
BBC News
30-05-2025
- General
- BBC News
Family's appeal as boy told cancer has returned on 16th birthday
The family of a boy from Lincoln have launched an urgent plea for a stem cell donor after being told his cancer had returned on his 16th birthday. Reece Khan has been told he faced gruelling treatment and has been given a one-in-five chance of survival by family was now working with the charity Anthony Nolan to find a stem cell donor. Reece's mother, Selina Niman, 51, a care worker from Lincoln, said the news had "broken" the family. 'Horrendous' Reece was initially diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia, a rare cancer that affects the blood and bone marrow, when he was diagnosis came days before the first Covid lockdown in March Niman said it was "absolutely devastating" for the family, adding: "It was horrendous. And because it was Covid, we couldn't have any visitors up here." Reece, who has a love of baking and watching food programmes, also had further complications due to having Type 1 was told he was cancer-free 18 months ago after three and a half years of he started getting headaches earlier this year and later found out his cancer had returned and spread to his family said his chemotherapy would now be much stronger and he would need radiotherapy and a stem cell Niman said: "We're just broken as a family. We just don't know what else to do or where to go. Words cannot explain how we feel now."I just want to jump in his hospital bed and swap places with him." As Reece is mixed race, it will be statistically harder for him to find a stem cell donor. Charity Anthony Nolan said people from minority ethnic backgrounds often had rarer tissue types which made it harder to find matching donors. Reece's brother, Kyle, 25, has been tested and is a half charity said it was searching worldwide registers to find a full match and give the treatment the best chance of Bentley, head of programme and community recruitment at the charity, said: "It's vital that we raise awareness of stem cell donation and encourage more people to join the register."We know that younger stem cell donors give patients the best chance of survival. "That's why we're calling on healthy 16 to 30-year-olds to join the register now, so that people like Reece can have a second chance at life." Listen to highlights from Lincolnshire on BBC Sounds, watch the latest episode of Look North or tell us about a story you think we should be covering here.
Powys County Times
30-05-2025
- Health
- Powys County Times
Donor search for boy who was told cancer had returned on 16th birthday
The family of a boy who was told on his 16th birthday that the cancer he had been free from for 18 months has returned and spread to his brain have launched an urgent plea for a stem cell donor. Reece Khan faces gruelling treatment and has been given a one-in-five chance of survival by medics. His mother Selina Niman, 51, a care worker from Lincoln, said the news has 'broken' the family. Reece was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL), a rare cancer than affects the blood and bone marrow, at the age of 11 in March 2020, days before the first Covid lockdown. Mrs Niman said it was 'absolutely devastating' for the family, adding: 'It was horrendous. And because it was Covid, we couldn't have any visitors up here.' Reece, who loves baking and watching food programmes, also had further complications due to having type 1 diabetes. He was told he was cancer-free 18 months ago after three and a half years of treatment. However, he started getting headaches earlier this year and went to hospital for an MRI scan in April. The next day – his 16th birthday – Reece received the news that his cancer had returned and spread to his brain. His chemotherapy will be much stronger and he will need radiotherapy and a stem cell transplant. Mrs Niman said: 'He's scared now. I said, 'You beat it once, you can beat it again'. 'We're just broken as a family. We just don't know what else to do or where to go. Words cannot explain how we feel now. 'I just want to jump in his hospital bed and swap places with him.' As Reece is mixed race, it will be harder for him to find a stem cell donor. Reece's brother Kyle, 25, has been tested and is a half match. The family are working with the charity Anthony Nolan, which is searching worldwide registers to find a full match and give the treatment the best chance of success. Selina said: 'Reece is mixed race, white and Asian, and it's harder to find a match. 'That's why it's so important that as many people as possible join the stem cell register. Go to the Anthony Nolan website and order a swab. 'It's just a swab for the inside of your cheek. It's not painful. Stick it back in an envelope and that is all it takes. Literally a minute of your time and it would mean the world to me, to me and Reece.' Rowena Bentley, head of programme and community recruitment at Anthony Nolan, said: 'Reece's story is especially poignant because he was told about the relapse on his 16th birthday; the date that young people can join the Anthony Nolan register and potentially save a life. 'It's vital that we raise awareness of stem cell donation and encourage more people to join the register. 'We know that younger stem cell donors give patients the best chance of survival. That's why we're calling on healthy 16 to 30-year-olds to join the register now, so that people like Reece can have a second chance at life.'
Yahoo
29-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Donor search for boy who was told cancer had returned on 16th birthday
The family of a boy who was told on his 16th birthday that the cancer he had been free from for 18 months has returned and spread to his brain have launched an urgent plea for a stem cell donor. Reece Khan faces gruelling treatment and has been given a one-in-five chance of survival by medics. His mother Selina Niman, 51, a care worker from Lincoln, said the news has 'broken' the family. Reece was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL), a rare cancer than affects the blood and bone marrow, at the age of 11 in March 2020, days before the first Covid lockdown. Mrs Niman said it was 'absolutely devastating' for the family, adding: 'It was horrendous. And because it was Covid, we couldn't have any visitors up here.' Reece, who loves baking and watching food programmes, also had further complications due to having type 1 diabetes. He was told he was cancer-free 18 months ago after three and a half years of treatment. However, he started getting headaches earlier this year and went to hospital for an MRI scan in April. The next day – his 16th birthday – Reece received the news that his cancer had returned and spread to his brain. His chemotherapy will be much stronger and he will need radiotherapy and a stem cell transplant. Mrs Niman said: 'He's scared now. I said, 'You beat it once, you can beat it again'. 'We're just broken as a family. We just don't know what else to do or where to go. Words cannot explain how we feel now. 'I just want to jump in his hospital bed and swap places with him.' As Reece is mixed race, it will be harder for him to find a stem cell donor. Reece's brother Kyle, 25, has been tested and is a half match. The family are working with the charity Anthony Nolan, which is searching worldwide registers to find a full match and give the treatment the best chance of success. Selina said: 'Reece is mixed race, white and Asian, and it's harder to find a match. 'That's why it's so important that as many people as possible join the stem cell register. Go to the Anthony Nolan website and order a swab. 'It's just a swab for the inside of your cheek. It's not painful. Stick it back in an envelope and that is all it takes. Literally a minute of your time and it would mean the world to me, to me and Reece.' Rowena Bentley, head of programme and community recruitment at Anthony Nolan, said: 'Reece's story is especially poignant because he was told about the relapse on his 16th birthday; the date that young people can join the Anthony Nolan register and potentially save a life. 'It's vital that we raise awareness of stem cell donation and encourage more people to join the register. 'We know that younger stem cell donors give patients the best chance of survival. That's why we're calling on healthy 16 to 30-year-olds to join the register now, so that people like Reece can have a second chance at life.'
Yahoo
15-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Bird flu mutation associated with increased disease severity found in two cats
A genetic mutation of the H5N1 bird flu virus — a mutation associated with increased infectiousness and disease severity — has been found in two cats, in what scientists say is another indication of the risks posed by the virus. The fact that the cats have the mutation "is a continued example of how this virus is evolving in nature and should concern everyone," said Seema Lakdawala, a microbiologist at Emory University in Atlanta. Henry Niman, founder of vaccine research firm Recombinomics Inc., reviewed the sequence data and reported the results to The Times. The gene that Niman identified in the sequence data, known as PB2 E627K, has been associated with increased mammal-to-mammal transmission and disease severity in laboratory animals. It is a similar mutation to the one found in San Bernardino dairy cows earlier this week, but has a slightly different origin. The cows were infected with the B3.13 strain of H5N1 — which has been circulating widely in dairy cows since last March. The cats were infected with the newer D1.1 strain, which is widespread in wild birds — and has also now appeared in a few cattle herds in Nevada and Arizona. Niman said he believed the two cats were based in New Jersey and infected last month based on the scientific nomenclature used to label the genetic sequences. The New Jersey Department of Public Health and Raritan Township, which reported a cluster of infected cats last month in Hunterdon County, couldn't immediately be reached for comment. Since the beginning of 2025, the U.S. Department of Agriculture has reported 51 H5N1-infected cats. They include both household pets and feral felines, and have been found in 13 states since the beginning of the year, including California, Montana, Colorado, Oregon, Washington and New Jersey. There have been more than 100 reported since last March, when the outbreak was first reported in dairy cows. According to the New Jersey Department of Public Health, the infected cats all lived on the same property. One was feral, another was an indoor/outdoor cat. The living situation of the remaining four cats is unclear. On Thursday, the genetic sequences of H5N1 virus taken from two infected cats were added to GISAID — the Global Initiative on Sharing All Influenza Data — a publicly-accessible gene data bank. Richard Webby, an infectious disease expert at St. Jude's Hospital in Memphis, Tenn., said the discovery of the mutation wasn't alarming in and of itself. "This mutation has sporadically popped up in other mammal infections over the past few years," he said. "It's an easy change for the H5 viruses to make and it does so relatively frequently." It'll become concerning, he said, if it spreads more widely. There have been no reports of infected humans in New Jersey, and a press release from the state said the people who interacted with the infected cats were asymptomatic. That Feb. 28 release said that the infected cats had no known reported exposures to infected poultry, livestock, or consumption of raw (unpasteurized) milk or meat, "but did roam freely outdoors, so exposure to wild birds or other animals is unknown." Since the outbreak started last March, 70 people in the U.S. have been infected with H5N1; one person has died. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Los Angeles Times
15-03-2025
- Health
- Los Angeles Times
Bird flu mutation associated with increased disease severity found in two cats
A genetic mutation of the H5N1 bird flu virus — a mutation associated with increased infectiousness and disease severity — has been found in two cats, in what scientists say is another indication of the risks posed by the virus. The fact that the cats have the mutation 'is a continued example of how this virus is evolving in nature and should concern everyone,' said Seema Lakdawala, a microbiologist at Emory University in Atlanta. Henry Niman, founder of vaccine research firm Recombinomics Inc., reviewed the sequence data and reported the results to The Times. The gene that Niman identified in the sequence data, known as PB2 E627K, has been associated with increased mammal-to-mammal transmission and disease severity in laboratory animals. It is a similar mutation to the one found in San Bernardino dairy cows earlier this week, but has a slightly different origin. The cows were infected with the B3.13 strain of H5N1 — which has been circulating widely in dairy cows since last March. The cats were infected with the newer D1.1 strain, which is widespread in wild birds — and has also now appeared in a few cattle herds in Nevada and Arizona. Niman said he believed the two cats were based in New Jersey and infected last month based on the scientific nomenclature used to label the genetic sequences. The New Jersey Department of Public Health and Raritan Township, which reported a cluster of infected cats last month in Hunterdon County, couldn't immediately be reached for comment. Since the beginning of 2025, the U.S. Department of Agriculture has reported 51 H5N1-infected cats. They include both household pets and feral felines, and have been found in 13 states since the beginning of the year, including California, Montana, Colorado, Oregon, Washington and New Jersey. There have been more than 100 reported since last March, when the outbreak was first reported in dairy cows. According to the New Jersey Department of Public Health, the infected cats all lived on the same property. One was feral, another was an indoor/outdoor cat. The living situation of the remaining four cats is unclear. On Thursday, the genetic sequences of H5N1 virus taken from two infected cats were added to GISAID — the Global Initiative on Sharing All Influenza Data — a publicly-accessible gene data bank. Richard Webby, an infectious disease expert at St. Jude's Hospital in Memphis, Tenn., said the discovery of the mutation wasn't alarming in and of itself. 'This mutation has sporadically popped up in other mammal infections over the past few years,' he said. 'It's an easy change for the H5 viruses to make and it does so relatively frequently.' It'll become concerning, he said, if it spreads more widely. There have been no reports of infected humans in New Jersey, and a press release from the state said the people who interacted with the infected cats were asymptomatic. That Feb. 28 release said that the infected cats had no known reported exposures to infected poultry, livestock, or consumption of raw (unpasteurized) milk or meat, 'but did roam freely outdoors, so exposure to wild birds or other animals is unknown.' Since the outbreak started last March, 70 people in the U.S. have been infected with H5N1; one person has died.
