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Levita Robotic Platform: Interview with Alberto Rodriguez-Navarro, CEO of Levita Magnetics

Levita Magnetics, a California-based company that specializes in laparoscopic systems, has recently announced that its Levita Robotic Platform, a surgical robot that is still in development, has been used to perform surgery on a patient for the first…

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Levita Magnetics, a California-based company that specializes in laparoscopic systems, has recently announced that its Levita Robotic Platform, a surgical robot that is still in development, has been used to perform surgery on a patient for the first time in a hospital in Chile. The robot uses similar magnetic technology as in the company’s handheld Levita Magnetic Surgical System.

The technology developed by Levita involves using magnets that are applied externally to control and manipulate devices, such as graspers, that are inserted into the body during laparoscopic surgery. The technique has the advantage of not needing a fixed pivot point to achieve dexterous movements within the body, and the company reports that surgery performed in this way requires fewer incisions and results in reduced patient morbidity.

The new robotic platform combines this magnetic technology with a robotic system for added convenience and functionality, with the aim of creating a single-operator platform. Levita reports that the new system reduces the number of assistive personnel required by a surgeon during a procedure.

See a video below showing an animation of the handheld system in action during a prostate removal procedure:

Medgadget had the opportunity to speak with Dr. Alberto Rodriguez-Navarro, founder and CEO of Levita Magnetics, about the technology.       

Conn Hastings, Medgadget: Please give us a quick overview of laparoscopic and minimally invasive surgery, and the benefits it provides for patients and surgeons.

Alberto Rodriguez-Navarro, Levita Magnetics: Laparoscopic surgery is a minimally invasive procedure performed by surgeons to treat patients with abdominal conditions and diseases indicated for surgery. The technique employs a camera, known as a laparoscope, that enables the surgeon to have a view inside the abdominal cavity and to use multiple incisions in the abdominal wall to introduce the surgical instruments needed to complete the surgery. It’s a common alternative to open surgery, which results in more severe pain, longer recovery and large scars. Laparoscopic procedures provide a less invasive procedure for patients.

Medgadget: What is the Levita Magnetic Surgical System, and how does it work?

Alberto Rodriguez-Navarro: The Levita Magnetic Surgical System, our first commercial product, is a first-of-its-kind system designed to further minimize the footprint of laparoscopic surgery. Our magnetic technology enables laparoscopic procedures with even fewer incisions, with proven patient benefits that include less pain, faster recovery and less scarring. It is the first FDA-cleared magnetic surgical system designed to magnetically grasp and retract the target tissue in laparoscopic cholecystectomy, bariatric, prostatectomy and colorectal surgical procedures.

The magnetic system facilitates improved access and visualization internally at the surgical site, and enables a reduced number of incisions and trocars during laparoscopic procedures. The system, which consists of a handheld external magnet placed on the skin that controls a shaftless detachable grasper, enables instruments to move without the constraints of a fixed-position pivot point through an incision in the abdomen. The system has been clinically proven to reduce pain and the number of scars, and quicken recovery.

Medgadget: What advantages does the system provide over other laparoscopic surgical technology?

Alberto Rodriguez-Navarro: Laparoscopic surgery has been conducted for approximately 40 years without major changes. In recent years, laparoscopic surgeons have searched for ways to reduce the number of incisions, or ports, to further improve the potential patient benefits verses open surgery.

However, port reduction can be associated with technical challenges during surgery. As a practicing surgeon myself, I’ve seen this first hand over the last decade. In conventional laparoscopic procedures, shafted surgical instruments are introduced by fixed-position trocars inserted through incisions in the abdomen. Shafted instruments can impair surgeon visualization by cluttering the operative field, causing instrument collisions and restricting movement. The use of trocars can risk injury to the major bowel and vessels and cause incisional pain, bleeding, scarring, hernias and infections. Magnetic retraction is a very elegant solution to this problem, as it enables the traction, or movement, of intra-abdominal organs without the restriction of a fixed incision. It is a very versatile technology that improves the capability of movement, control and visualization.

Medgadget: Please talk us through the latest technology developed by Levita Magnetics, the Levita Robotic Platform, and the features it offers.

Alberto Rodriguez-Navarro: The Levita Robotic Platform is taking our proprietary magnetic technology to the next level. It was designed with patients, surgeons and hospitals in mind. We consider it a triple impact technology, as it provides benefits to the patients, surgeons and hospitals. For patients, it includes delivering the established clinical benefits of the Levita Magnetic Surgical System, including less pain, faster recovery and less scarring; for surgeons, improving visualization and maintaining control of all laparoscopic instruments; and for hospitals, increasing overall hospital efficiency with fewer assistants required to conduct the procedures. We specifically designed the platform for high volume abdominal surgeries, such as bariatric surgeries and gallbladder removals. Our robotic platform is also designed to be compatible with ambulatory surgical centers as our technology helps enable same-day discharge from the hospital.

The design of the robot itself adapts the handheld model of the Levita Magnetic Surgical System to a fully robotic and single-operator platform. Unlike the traditional robotic model, where the surgeon is displaced from the patient at a console to control the robot, the Levita robot employs a different operating model where the surgeon is next to the patient through the duration of the procedure. It is designed to allow the surgeon to remain entirely hands-on at the procedure site during surgery with less surgical assistance required in the operating room.

We believe the combination of all these benefits will increase the volume of high-quality, efficiently performed procedures that finally will improve patient access and reduce the waiting times for the surgeries they need.

Medgadget: The Robotic Platform recently treated its first patient. Please give us an overview of the trial and how it went.

Alberto Rodriguez-Navarro: Our first clinical study of our Levita Robotic Platform is currently being conducted in Chile, my native country, and is designed to further optimize the system based on surgeon feedback. The first surgery using the platform was for a patient who needed their gallbladder removed. As a part of the study, this patient received a reduced-incision laparoscopic cholecystectomy performed by Dr. Ignacio Robles, a minimally invasive surgeon at Clínica INDISA in Santiago. The patient was able to return home in less than 24 hours without pain and had no complications reported at 30 days of follow up. Since then, two more patients with acute conditions were entered in the study and had their surgeries completed the day they were enrolled. We believe the Levita Robotic Platform was well-suited to the currently constrained health care environment, with hospital infrastructure and health care providers under significant stress due to ongoing COVID-19 challenges. While the pandemic conditions are unfortunate, it has had the unplanned effect of highlighting the potential for the Levita Robotic Platform to increase accessibility and improve the quality of surgery for those in need.

Medgadget: What are the next steps for the new system? When do you anticipate that it might be available, pending positive results?

Alberto Rodriguez-Navarro: Following the completion of the study, we will submit the Levita Robotic Platform to the FDA for clearance by the end of 2021. We are anticipating launching commercially in the first half of 2022, and we already are in discussions with highly regarded centers in the U.S. that will be the first to receive a Levita Robotic Platform. After this limited U.S. launch, our objective is to reach hospitals nationally across the U.S. before launching internationally to bring this technology to as many patients as possible. Our goal is to change the way surgery is performed at a global scale.

Link: Levita Magnetics homepage…

Flashbacks: Levita Magnetic System Eliminates an Incision for Some Laparoscopic Surgeries; Levita Magnetic Surgical System Cleared by FDA for Prostatectomies; Magnetically Operated Surgical Tool Cleared for Weight Loss Operations

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Uncategorized

PR55α-controlled PP2A Inhibits p16 Expression and Blocks Cellular Senescence Induction

“Our results show that PR55α specifically reduces p16 expression […]” Credit: 2024 Palanivel et al. “Our results show that PR55α specifically…

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“Our results show that PR55α specifically reduces p16 expression […]”

Credit: 2024 Palanivel et al.

“Our results show that PR55α specifically reduces p16 expression […]”

BUFFALO, NY- March 19, 2024 – A new research paper was published in Aging (listed by MEDLINE/PubMed as “Aging (Albany NY)” and “Aging-US” by Web of Science) Volume 16, Issue 5, entitled, “PR55α-controlled protein phosphatase 2A inhibits p16 expression and blocks cellular senescence induction by γ-irradiation.”

Cellular senescence is a permanent cell cycle arrest that can be triggered by both internal and external genotoxic stressors, such as telomere dysfunction and DNA damage. The execution of senescence is mainly by two pathways, p16/RB and p53/p21, which lead to CDK4/6 inhibition and RB activation to block cell cycle progression. While the regulation of p53/p21 signaling in response to DNA damage and other insults is well-defined, the regulation of the p16/RB pathway in response to various stressors remains poorly understood. 

In this new study, researchers Chitra Palanivel, Lepakshe S. V. Madduri, Ashley L. Hein, Christopher B. Jenkins, Brendan T. Graff, Alison L. Camero, Sumin Zhou, Charles A. Enke, Michel M. Ouellette, and Ying Yan from the University of Nebraska Medical Center report a novel function of PR55α, a regulatory subunit of PP2A Ser/Thr phosphatase, as a potent inhibitor of p16 expression and senescence induction by ionizing radiation (IR), such as γ-rays. 

“During natural aging, there is a gradual accumulation of p16-expressing senescent cells in tissues [76]. To investigate the significance of PR55α in this up-regulation of p16, we compared levels of the p16 and PR55α proteins in a panel of normal tissue specimens derived from young (≤43 y/o) and old (≥68 y/o) donors.”

The results show that ectopic PR55α expression in normal pancreatic cells inhibits p16 transcription, increases RB phosphorylation, and blocks IR-induced senescence. Conversely, PR55α-knockdown by shRNA in pancreatic cancer cells elevates p16 transcription, reduces RB phosphorylation, and triggers senescence induction after IR. Furthermore, this PR55α function in the regulation of p16 and senescence is p53-independent because it was unaffected by the mutational status of p53. Moreover, PR55α only affects p16 expression but not p14 (ARF) expression, which is also transcribed from the same CDKN2A locus but from an alternative promoter. In normal human tissues, levels of p16 and PR55α proteins were inversely correlated and mutually exclusive. 

“Collectively, these results describe a novel function of PR55α/PP2A in blocking p16/RB signaling and IR-induced cellular senescence.”
 

Read the full paper: DOI: https://doi.org/10.18632/aging.205619 

Corresponding Authors: Michel M. Ouellette, Ying Yan

Corresponding Emails: mouellet@unmc.edu, yyan@unmc.edu

Keywords: p16, p14, CDKN2A locus, p53, RB, PR55α, PP2A, γ-irradiation

Click here to sign up for free Altmetric alerts about this article.

 

About Aging:

Aging publishes research papers in all fields of aging research including but not limited, aging from yeast to mammals, cellular senescence, age-related diseases such as cancer and Alzheimer’s diseases and their prevention and treatment, anti-aging strategies and drug development and especially the role of signal transduction pathways such as mTOR in aging and potential approaches to modulate these signaling pathways to extend lifespan. The journal aims to promote treatment of age-related diseases by slowing down aging, validation of anti-aging drugs by treating age-related diseases, prevention of cancer by inhibiting aging. Cancer and COVID-19 are age-related diseases.

Aging is indexed by PubMed/Medline (abbreviated as “Aging (Albany NY)”), PubMed Central, Web of Science: Science Citation Index Expanded (abbreviated as “Aging‐US” and listed in the Cell Biology and Geriatrics & Gerontology categories), Scopus (abbreviated as “Aging” and listed in the Cell Biology and Aging categories), Biological Abstracts, BIOSIS Previews, EMBASE, META (Chan Zuckerberg Initiative) (2018-2022), and Dimensions (Digital Science).

Please visit our website at www.Aging-US.com​​ and connect with us:

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Click here to subscribe to Aging publication updates.

For media inquiries, please contact media@impactjournals.com.

 

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Government

Bolsonaro Indicted By Brazilian Police For Falsifying Covid-19 Vaccine Records

Bolsonaro Indicted By Brazilian Police For Falsifying Covid-19 Vaccine Records

Federal police in Brazil have indicted former President Jair…

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Bolsonaro Indicted By Brazilian Police For Falsifying Covid-19 Vaccine Records

Federal police in Brazil have indicted former President Jair Bolsonaro for falsifying his Covid-19 vaccine card in order to travel to the United States and elsewhere during the pandemic.

Federal prosecutors will review the indictment and decide whether to pursue the case - which would be the first time the former president has faced criminal charges.

According to the indictment, Bolsonaro ordered a top deputy to obtain falsified Covid-19 vaccine records of himself and his 13-year-old daughter in late 2022, right before he flew to Florida for a three-month stay following his election loss.

Brazilian police are also waiting to hear back from the US DOJ on whether Bolsonaro used said cards to enter the United States, which would open him up to further criminal charges, the NY Times reports.

Bolsonaro has repeatedly claimed not to have received the Covid-19 vaccine, but denies any involvement in a plan to falsify his vaccination records. A previous investigation by Brazil's comptroller general concluded that Bolsonaro's vaccination records were false.

The records show that Bolsonaro, a COVID-19 skeptic who publicly opposed the vaccine, received a dose of the immunizer in a public healthcare center in Sao Paulo in July 2021. [ZH: hilarious, Reuters calling the vaccine an 'immunizer.']

The investigation concluded, however, that the former president had left the city the previous day and didn't leave Brasilia until three days later, according to a statement.

The nurse listed in the records as having applied the vaccine on Bolsonaro denied doing so and was no longer working at the center. The listed vaccine lot was also not available on that date, the comptroller general's office said. -Reuters

"It's a selective investigation. I'm calm, I don't owe anything," Bolsonaro told Reuters. "The world knows that I didn't take the vaccine."

During the pandemic, Bolsonaro panned the vaccine - and instead insisted on alternative treatments such as Ivermectin, which has antiviral properties against Covid-19. For this, he was investigated by Brazil's congress, which recommended that the former president be charged with "crimes against humanity," among other things, for his actions during the pandemic.

In May, Brazilian police raided Bolsonaro's home, confiscating his cell phone and arresting one of his closest aides and two of his security cards in connection to the vaccine record investigation.

Brazil's electoral court ruled that Bolsonaro can't run for public office until 2030 after he suggested that the country's voting system was rigged. For that, he has to sit out the 2026 election.

Tyler Durden Tue, 03/19/2024 - 11:00

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Spread & Containment

TJ Maxx and Marshalls follow Costco and Target on upcoming closures

Many of these stores have information customers need to know.

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U.S. consumers have come to increasingly rely on the near ubiquity of convenience stores and big-box retailers. 

Many of us depend on these stores being open practically all day, every day, even during some of the biggest holidays. After all, Black Friday beckons retail stores to open just hours after a Thanksgiving Day dinner in hopes of attracting huge crowds of shoppers in search of early holiday sales. 

Related: Walmart announces more store closures for 2024

And it's largely true that before the covid pandemic most of our favorite stores were open all the time. Practically nothing — from inclement weather to bad news to holidays — could shut down a major operation like Walmart  (WMT)  or Target  (TGT)

Then the pandemic hit, and it turned everything we thought we knew about retail operations upside down. 

Everything from grocery stores to shopping malls shut down in an effort to contain potential spread. And when they finally reopened to the public, different stores took different precautionary measures. Some monitored how many shoppers were inside at once, while others implemented foot-traffic rules dictating where one could enter and exit an aisle. And almost every one of them mandated wearing masks at one point or another. 

Though these safety measures seem like a distant memory, one relic from the early 2020s remains firmly a part of our new American retail life. 

A woman in a face mask shopping in the HomeGoods kitchen aisle.

Jeff Greenberg/Getty Images

Store closures announced for spring 2024

Many retailers have learned to adapt after a volatile start to this third decade, and in many ways this requires serving customers better and treating employees better to retain a workforce. 

In some cases, the changes also reflect a change in shopping behavior, as more customers order online and leave more breathing room for brick-and-mortar operations. This also means more time for employees. 

Thanks to this, big retailers have recently changed how they operate, especially during holiday hours, with Walmart recently saying it would close during Thanksgiving to give employees more time to spend with loved ones.

"I am delighted to share that once again, we'll be closing our doors for Thanksgiving this year," Walmart U.S. CEO John Furner told associates in a video posted to Twitter in November. "Thanksgiving is such a special day during a very busy season. We want you to spend that day at home with family and loved ones." 

Other retailers have now followed suit, with Costco  (COST) , Aldi, and Target all saying they would close their doors for 24 hours on Easter Sunday, March 31. 

Now, the stores that operate under TJX Cos.  (TJX)  will also shut down during the holiday, including HomeGoods, TJ Maxx and Marshalls

Though it closed on Thanksgiving, Walmart says it will remain open for shoppers on Easter. 

Here's a list of stores that are closing for Easter 2024: 

  • Target
  • Costco
  • Aldi
  • TJ Maxx
  • Marshalls
  • HomeGoods
  • Publix
  • Macy's
  • Best Buy
  • Apple
  • ACE Hardware

Others are expected to remain open, including:

  • Walmart
  • Ikea
  • Petco
  • Home Depot

Most of the stores closing on Sunday will reopen for regular business hours on Monday. 

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