Latest news with #Traverso
Boston Globe
12 hours ago
- Health
- Boston Globe
Gates Foundation money fills gap in women's health
McKinsey Advertisement That's why the Gates Foundation's announcement of $2.5 billion in investments through 2030 for women's health — Get The Gavel A weekly SCOTUS explainer newsletter by columnist Kimberly Atkins Stohr. Enter Email Sign Up The investment will fund research and development in maternal and obstetrical care to make pregnancy and childbirth safer, gynecological care and menstrual health, contraception, nutrition, and treatment of sexually transmitted infections. The Gates Foundation has a history of investing in areas that don't draw market-based or government funding. Its goal is to turn basic scientific research into cost-effective products that can be sold worldwide, particularly in lower-income countries. For example, at the STAT event, foundation founder Bill Gates showed off a plastic drape attached to a container with measuring marks that can be placed on the table where a woman is giving birth and used to measure blood loss. Postpartum hemorrhage can kill birthing women, and Gates said the $1 item can help health care providers identify dangerous blood loss, so treatment can be given sooner. Advertisement On the other end of the technological spectrum, Gates highlighted an artificial intelligence-powered ultrasound, currently being tested by Philips, that can send information to a health worker's cellphone about whether a pregnancy is high-risk. The goal is to make it easier for midwives in areas without ultrasound technicians to take an ultrasound, interpret the results, and send women with high-risk pregnancies for more advanced care. The good news for Massachusetts is the state's strong biotech ecosystem means some ideas funded by the Gates Foundation will be researched and developed here. For example, Giovanni Traverso, director of the Laboratory for Translational Engineering at MIT, received money to develop a transdermal patch that could provide women with long-term contraception. The lab is also developing probiotic medications to treat abnormalities in the vaginal microbiome, a condition associated with risks including painful infection and premature birth. Traverso said the foundation invests in high-risk, early-stage research that few commercial investors will back, then focuses on developing cost-effective products. 'The foundation again and again has been willing to take risks recognizing many things we do don't work. But if a few do, they could have a big impact,' Traverso said. Scott Johnson, CEO of Concord-based Comanche Biopharma, is trying to develop the first drug to treat preeclampsia (high blood pressure during pregnancy). If the drug is approved, Johnson said the Gates Foundation will help distribute it in low-income countries. The foundation gave Comanche Biopharma money to improve the chemical manufacturing process and package the drug in a prefilled syringe, making it cheaper and simpler to deliver. Advertisement Johnson hopes after initial trials in wealthier countries, Gates Foundation funding and expertise will help the company do clinical trials in Ghana, Kenya, and South Africa, with an eye toward getting the drug approved and distributed in areas where sales wouldn't otherwise be economically viable. Other Massachusetts grantees include researchers at Beth Israel Lahey Health, Mass General Brigham, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard University, Fenway Health, Tufts University, and UMass Chan Medical School. Rasa Izadnegahdar, director of maternal, newborn, child nutrition and health for the Gates Foundation, said the goal is to catalyze private-sector investment in an area of health research with global applicability that has never had sustained funding. 'It's a high return-on-investment area,' Izadnegahdar said. 'That could be economic, societal, or from the lens of survival, including in low- and middle-income country settings. When you invest in improving the life of a woman, you're substantially increasing the opportunity of survival for her children, and it has an impact on the community.' Especially as the federal government cuts support for scientific research, Gates's investment highlights the good that can be done by private philanthropy filling the gap. Editorials represent the views of the Boston Globe Editorial Board. Follow us
Belfast Telegraph
18-06-2025
- Belfast Telegraph
Regal visitor gets right royal welcome as Belfast greets its 1,500th cruise ship
Representatives of Belfast Harbour exchanged gifts with the crew of the 330m long ship, and a cake was cut onboard the Princess, with traditional Irish musicians and dancers entertaining guests. The Princess has become part of Belfast's rotation of cruise ships, stopping here as part of its fortnight-long tour of Ireland and Britain. Cruises on the Princess start at standard prices over £1,500, and for that passengers get a private cabin, some with balconies, access to numerous restaurants, a three-floor 'piazza' of shops and eateries bedecked in marble and dark wood panelling, a casino and open-air pools. It is an enormous ship, standing more than 60m tall, with the ability to carry over 3,500 guests and 1,300 crew. Those crew come from all over the world; one staff member who spoke to the Belfast Telegraph was from Zimbabwe, and works on the Princess for months at a time in between visits back home. She said she loves her job, as the role lets her out of the house after being in lockdown during the pandemic in 2020 and lets her travel internationally. The ship has been captained by Aldo Traverso, who has deep connections to the it, for the last eight years. 'I'm particularly proud to be on board Regal Princess, because I was part of the building team back in 2014,' he said. 'This vessel has a special place in my heart.' Navigating the ship is a 24-hour job, with Captain Traverso and his crew able to pilot it from the front of the bridge, and from the sides, where they can get a view down the length of the enormous vessel. 'For me, but also for many of the crew, it's actually considered home, because we love it so much, looking after our guests.' Most of the passengers on board come from North America, but on Wednesday morning many of them were disembarking and heading for taxis and buses that would ferry them all over Northern Ireland. Mary Jo McCanny, director of visitor experience at Visit Belfast, said that passengers make the most out of their 12-or-so hours in Northern Ireland, with some travelling as far away as Fermanagh and Derry. Mrs McCanny believes a cruise fits in 'really well' to Belfast's tourism offering, despite passengers spending less money on hospitality and restaurants. 'The spend is not on main meals, but is on cafes and bars, retail — they love our local gifts — tours, attractions; that's where the real money goes into from the cruise visitors.' Gary Hall, the commercial director of Belfast Harbour, estimates that cruises bring between £20-25m into Belfast's economy every year, with each passenger spending around £75 on average. Some of this income has been reinvested into welcoming more passengers. The harbour has a dedicated cruise terminal, which has information desks, and a gift shop. Music is played to give cruise guests a flavour of the city, and an acoustic duo were performing there yesterday morning. It's a far cry from when cruise ships first arrived in 1996, when they were 'taking a punt' on Belfast, in Mr Hall's words. The Harbour has expensive and extensive plans to build a new, dedicated, cruise dock and 'work has already started to develop a new quay,' said Mr Hall. 'We're investing the most the port has ever seen — £90m to develop a new deep water quay and associated infrastructure and terminal, to facilitate some of the world's largest cruise ships. 'We're really looking forward to that facility opening for the 2028 season.'
The Guardian
24-03-2025
- Health
- The Guardian
Scientists develop injection for long-lasting contraceptive implant
Researchers are developing an injection that creates a contraceptive implant in the body using an approach that could herald a new way of delivering drugs over long periods of time. Current contraceptive implants last for years, meaning women do not have to take a pill every day, but the devices must be fitted by a trained professional via a small surgical procedure. Contraceptive injections are already available but they have limitations, including that they last for only three months. Now scientists say they have completed proof-of-concept experiments for a new type of long-lasting implant that self-assembles in the body. While not yet tested in humans, the researchers behind the work say the approach could bring benefits beyond the field of birth control, offering a simple way to administer long-acting drug delivery systems without the need for invasive procedures – an appealing prospect for parts of the world with poor medical infrastructure. 'It's suitable for any poorly soluble hydrophobic drug, especially where long-acting delivery is needed. This includes treatments for HIV, TB, schizophrenia, chronic pain, or metabolic disease,' said Dr Giovanni Traverso, a co-author of the study from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a gastroenterologist at Brigham and Women's hospital in the US. The approach involves injecting micro-crystals of a synthetic version of the hormone progesterone contained in a solvent that does not mix well with water. Once in the body, the solvent exchanges with bodily fluid. However, the micro-crystals prefer to clump together than interact with this water-rich environment. This, together with the formation of further crystals as the solvents exchange, results in the development of a solid implant, capable of releasing the drug slowly over time. The team, whose study was published in the journal Nature Chemical Engineering, tested the approach in rats, allowing them to refine the choice of solvent in the injection. The drug release in rats was sustained for at least 97 days, although Traverso said there was potential for longer durations depending on formulation adjustments. 'The dosing and volumes of drug are compatible with multi-year dosing,' he said, adding that the formation of a solid implant means it can be removed if required, while the approach is also compatible with the use of small needles. However, the research is still in its early stages, with the efficacy of the approach yet to be tested. 'It lays the groundwork for future human studies which we hope will start in the next three to five years,' Traverso said. Dr Janet Barter, the president of the Faculty of Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare, said the approach could be an exciting advancement. 'This innovation has the potential to be convenient option for individuals in low-resource settings, where access to contraception and healthcare services can be limited,' she said. 'We welcome further research into the safety, efficacy, and the accessibility of this promising technology and encourage the authors to work with potential users in future to ensure they meet the needs and preferences of those who will rely on it.'
