Montefiore Medical Center

LOS GATOS, Calif., Oct. 23, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Tioga Cardiovascular, Inc., a Shifamed portfolio company, announced today the first-in-human trans-septal implantations using the 28 Fr. (French) Luna™ transcatheter mitral valve replacement (TMVR) system. The first patients achieved excellent hemodynamics post-procedure. The initial cases were performed with Adrian Ebner, MD in Asuncion, Paraguay and Irakli Gogorishvili, MD in Tbilisi, Republic of Georgia, with support from leading US physicians including: Azeem Latib, MD, Susheel Kodali, MD, Edwin C.W. Ho, MD, Gagan Singh, MD, MS, and Vinnie Bapat, MD. Continue Reading The initial cases with the Luna TMVR System were conducted in Paraguay and the Republic of Georgia and supported by leading US structural heart experts and the Tioga Cardiovascular team. "Mitral valve interventions are inherently more complicated than other valve interventions due to the anatomical and functional complexities of the mitral valve, including the proximity to the LVOT (left ventricular outflow tract) and large annular sizes. This has made developing safe and effective transcatheter TMVR solutions extremely challenging," commented Dr. Latib of Montefiore Medical Center, New York. "The Luna TMVR system is designed to address many of these challenges and it's exciting to bring this next-generation system into clinical use." "This is an exciting milestone for Tioga and we look forward to continued clinical cases with our Luna TMVR system," stated Mike Dineen, President and Chief Executive Officer, Tioga Cardiovascular. "I would like to thank our clinical investigators and their teams for their commitment to clinical excellence in the initial cases of the Luna system. We look forward to sharing additional details about the Luna TMVR system at TCT next week." The Luna TMVR system will be featured during the "Innovations in Transcatheter Mitral Valve Replacement Technologies" session on Tuesday, October 29 during the Transcatheter Cardiovascular Therapeutics (TCT) conference in Washington, DC. About Tioga Cardiovascular, Inc. Tioga Cardiovascular, a privately held portfolio company of Shifamed LLC, is focused on providing elegant valve replacement solutions for mitral applications that are procedurally simpler and use a less invasive, transcatheter approach. Visit to learn more. About Shifamed, LLC. Founded by serial entrepreneur Amr Salahieh, Shifamed LLC is a highly specialized medical innovation hub focused on developing solutions that accelerate time to market, reduce risk, increase impact, and forge a path toward a world where patients are able to lead longer, healthier lives. To learn more about Shifamed, please visit . MEDIA CONTACT: Jennie Kim SPRIG Consulting LLC [email protected] SOURCE Tioga Cardiovascular, Inc. WANT YOUR COMPANY'S NEWS FEATURED ON PRNEWSWIRE.COM? 440k+ Newsrooms & Influencers 9k+ Digital Media Outlets 270k+ Journalists Opted In GET STARTED

New York State Department of Health Funding Supports Healthcare Access and Employment Readiness BRONX, N.Y., Oct. 8, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Montefiore AIDS Center, one of New York's largest HIV prevention and treatment programs, has been awarded a $1 million, five-year grant from the New York State Department of Health. Funding will support engagement of approximately 200 women of color in the Bronx, ages 16 and up, by offering HIV testing, sexual and reproductive health workshops, mental health and supportive services as well as employment readiness opportunities, including vocational counseling, interview preparation, clothing vouchers and referrals to childcare resources. Continue Reading Funding will support engagement of approximately 200 women of color in the Bronx, ages 16 and up, by offering HIV testing, sexual and reproductive health workshops, mental health and supportive services as well as employment readiness opportunities, including vocational counseling, interview preparation, clothing vouchers and referrals to childcare resources. Photo by Lori Adams "Comprehensive healthcare for women of color is essential to break the cycle of HIV transmission in our communities," said Barry Zingman, MD, medical director of the Montefiore AIDS Center, professor of medicine at Albert Einstein College of Medicine and clinical director, infectious diseases, at the Moses division of Montefiore Health System. "With this funding, we are building upon decades of our team's experience in HIV counseling, testing, linkages to care, patient education and outreach work. These strategies were chosen because we've successfully used many of them to engage and empower historically stigmatized individuals to take control of their health and wellbeing." Impact of HIV on Women of Color in the Bronx Since the conclusion of Project HEAL (Healing Environment Altering Lives) in 2015—that screened 1,400 women for HIV over 12 years—there has been a significant lack of supportive services to reach and protect HIV negative women in the Bronx, where the prevalence of HIV and AIDS far exceeds other NYC boroughs. According to the latest NYC Community Health Profile, new Bronx HIV and diagnoses were approximately 50% higher than NYC overall One in four new HIV diagnoses in New York City happens in the Bronx Black and/or Hispanic women make up nearly 90% of new HIV diagnoses and 90% of women living with HIV in NYC Among Bronx women living with HIV, only 68% were in continuous care and 78% were virally suppressed and untransmissible This funding allows Montefiore to employ a dedicated community health worker (a trained local expert) and support other Montefiore AIDS Center staff in screening for social determinants of health, including conditions that people are born into, work and live in, that impact health outcomes such as housing, transportation, and education. With the goals of preventing HIV infections, streamlining HIV treatment within three days of a positive test, and connecting patients to support services, Montefiore aims to provide affirming and supportive care that will in turn reduce disparities throughout the Bronx. About Montefiore Health System Montefiore Health System is one of New York's premier academic health systems and is a recognized leader in providing exceptional quality and personalized, accountable care to approximately three million people in communities across the Bronx, Westchester and the Hudson Valley. It is comprised of 10 hospitals, including the Children's Hospital at Montefiore, Burke Rehabilitation Hospital and more than 200 outpatient ambulatory care sites. The advanced clinical and translational research at its medical school, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, directly informs patient care and improves outcomes. From the Montefiore-Einstein Centers of Excellence in cancer, cardiology and vascular care, pediatrics, and transplantation, to its preeminent school-based health program, Montefiore is a fully integrated healthcare delivery system providing coordinated, comprehensive care to patients and their families. For more information, please visit . Follow us on Twitter and Instagram and LinkedIn, or view us on Facebook and YouTube. SOURCE Montefiore Health System WANT YOUR COMPANY'S NEWS FEATURED ON PRNEWSWIRE.COM? 440k+ Newsrooms & Influencers 9k+ Digital Media Outlets 270k+ Journalists Opted In GET STARTED

Finding by Montefiore Einstein Comprehensive Cancer Center Could Point to New Approach for Preventing or Treating Metastatic Disease BRONX, N.Y., Oct. 7, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Metastatic disease—when cancer spreads from the primary tumor to other parts of the body—is the cause of most cancer deaths. While researchers understand how cancer cells escape the primary site to seed new tumors, it's not well understood why some of these wayward cancer cells spawn new tumors— sometimes decades later—while others do not. Now, a research team at the National Cancer Institute-designated Montefiore Einstein Comprehensive Cancer Center (MECCC) has discovered a natural immune mechanism in mice that stops escaped cancer cells from developing into tumors elsewhere in the body. The findings were published today in the journal Cell. "Preventing or curing metastases is the most critical challenge in cancer," said study leader Julio Aguirre-Ghiso, Ph.D., director of MECCC's Cancer Dormancy Institute. "We think our findings have the potential to point to new therapies to prevent or treat metastatic disease." The study's co-first authors are Erica Dalla, Ph.D., a former student, and Michael Papanicolaou, Ph.D., a postdoctoral fellow in Dr. Aguirre-Ghiso's lab. The Role of Dormancy in Cancer Cells that migrate from primary tumors and seed metastatic tumors are called disseminated cancer cells (DCCs). Some DCCs behave aggressively, immediately starting tumors in new tissue, while others remain in a state of suspended animation referred to as dormancy. "It's long been a mystery how some DCCs can remain in tissues for decades and never cause metastases, and we believe we've found the explanation," said Dr. Aguirre-Ghiso, who is also professor of cell biology, of oncology, and of medicine and the Rose C. Falkenstein Chair in Cancer Research at Albert Einstein College of Medicine. Breast cancer and many other types of cancer metastasize to the lungs. In research involving three mouse models of metastatic breast cancer, Dr. Aguirre-Ghiso and colleagues determined that when breast cancer DCCs spread to the lung's air sacs (alveoli), they are kept in a dormant state by immune cells known as alveolar macrophages. Insight into the Immune System "Alveolar macrophages are the lung's first responders, defending the organ against bacteria and dangerous substances like environmental pollutants," said Dr. Aguirre-Ghiso. These specialized macrophages, he notes, appear early in embryonic development and reside within lung tissue for life. "Our findings demonstrate a new role for these macrophages, in which they recognize DCCs and actively interact with them, and—by secreting a protein called TGF-β2—produce signals in the cancer cells that keep them in a dormant state," Dr. Aguirre-Ghiso said. "Since every organ in the body has its own set of tissue-resident macrophages, they may function to keep DCCs in check in those organs as well. Our study has shown for the first time that these specialized macrophages function to actively induce dormancy in DCCs." Confirming the importance of alveolar macrophages in keeping DCCs dormant, Dr. Aguirre-Ghiso and his team found that depleting them in the mice significantly increased the number of activated DCCs and subsequent metastases in their lungs compared to mice with normal levels of the immune cells. As DCCs become more aggressive, the researchers found, they become resistant to the pro-dormancy signals produced by alveolar macrophages. Ultimately, this evasion mechanism enables some DCCs to "wake up" from dormancy and reactivate to form metastases. "Understanding how immune cells keep DCCs in check could lead to new anti-metastatic cell therapies among other strategies," Dr. Aguirre-Ghiso said. For example, he noted, it may be possible to strengthen macrophage signaling so that DCCs never awaken from dormancy or find ways to prevent older DCCs from becoming resistant to dormancy signaling. The study is titled, "Lung resident alveolar macrophages regulate the timing of breast cancer metastasis." Additional authors from MECCC include: Nicole Barth Ph.D (also at University of Edinburgh, UK), Deisy Segura-Villalobos, Ph.D., Luis Valencia-Salazar, B.A., Dan Sun Ph.D., and David Entenberg, Ph.D. Other authors include: Matthew Park, Ph.D., and Miriam Merad, M.D., Ph.D., at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, Rui Hou, Ph.D., and Alistair R. R. Forrest, Ph.D., at The University of Western Australia, Nedlands, Australia, and Maria Casanova-Acebes, Ph.D., at Spanish National Cancer Centre, Madrid, Spain. About Montefiore Einstein Comprehensive Cancer Center Montefiore Einstein Comprehensive Cancer Center (MECCC) is a National Cancer Institute (NCI)-designated comprehensive cancer center and a national leader in cancer research and care located in the racially and ethnically diverse borough of the Bronx, N.Y. MECCC combines the exceptional science of Albert Einstein College of Medicine with the multidisciplinary and team-based approach to cancer clinical care at Montefiore Health System. Founded in 1971 and a NCI-designated cancer center since 1972, MECCC is redefining excellence in cancer research, clinical care, education and training, and community outreach and engagement. Its mission is to reduce the burden of cancer for all, especially people from historically underrepresented groups. 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