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October/November 2017                                                    Volume 13 Issue 7
  Director's Letter
   
 
November newsletters are often dedicated to asking for support, and several of our own November issues, in prior years, have similarly devoted a fair amount of space to such efforts. But November is also the time of our National Holiday of Thankfulness. So this year, I want to make clear how truly thankful we are for the support we have received in the past, and for the opportunity that the BTER Foundation has to support all of you.

Administratively, the driving force behind the BTER Foundation and its Board of Directors has always been about supporting its clients, members, patients, and the community at large - health care professionals and non-professionals alike. We may gauge the value of what we do by the support we receive in return, but ultimately our primary goal is to serve, not to receive.

This is the reason that the Foundation has produced so many initiatives and programs over the past decade: educational materials and films, courses and workshops, protocols and guidelines, in-house and extramural research, grants and patient assistance programs, journal articles and article reviews. Your time, feedback, and financial support have allowed us to achieve great change in the field of Biotherapy.

For most people, the opportunity to participate in something that can benefit others is tremendously rewarding. That is why we at the BTER Foundation do what we do. Not everyone can afford to contribute money, and not everyone  holds Biotherapy to be their greatest priority. So in an effort to offer everyone the same satisfaction and fulfillment that we have enjoyed through our work with the BTER foundation, let me take a moment to remind us all of just a few of the many ways there are to support our communities throughout the year. Besides money, organizations need volunteers with and without specialized experience; charities benefit from information about what you need and what you want; what works for you and what does not. You can support your favorite organizations simply by telling your Friends and Family about them. And when you share with others what you have learned,  credit those organizations or individuals from whom you have so benefited. In all of these acts, big and little, you are contributing; you are making a difference. Enjoy the feeling. Let it drive you to continue your valuable contributions. For those of you who have helped the BTER Foundation in these ways, and for those of you who have simply given us the gift of your time and attention by reading our newsletters, we are truly grateful.

May you enjoy the Holidays. May you enjoy good health. May you enjoy the satisfaction of supporting your communities and your causes, whatever they may be.

With best wishes, always,
R Sherman (signature)  
Ron Sherman

Biotherapy Facebook Live! BiotherapyFacebookLive
We recently launched a new, free program for Biotherapy Education: Biotherapy Facebook Live!  It's monthly program of live lectures, interviews, and question & answer sessions on our Facebook page.  Joining us is easy - simply go to our Facebook page, like and follow us to receive notifications, and visit the page at the scheduled time (typically Tuesdays from 12:00-1:00 pm PST).  You can view past programs here.   See you there!
  • December 12 - Dr. Aletha Tippett - Maggots to the Rescue:  Using Maggot Therapy for Palliative Wound Care - 12:00-1:00 pm PST
  • January 16 - Dr. Kosta Y. Mumcuoglu - IBS conference recap and the future of biotherapy - International Biotherapy Society Conference Recap and the Future of Biotherapy - 1:00-2:00 pm PST (note time)
Meet our Intern Lucy Wan!

One of BTER Foundation's educational programs is our Internship program, which exposes participants to biotherapy and a wide variety of responsibilities that go into managing our nonprofit.  Amy Lajiness, our Assistant Editor, interviewed our current intern, Lucy Wan, about her experience interning with the BTER Foundation.

What made you interested in interning with the BTER Foundation?
My interest in having a future career in research and biology made me interested in interning with the BTER Foundation. In addition, after reading articles and visiting Dr. Sherman's lab before becoming an intern, I found maggot therapy to be very interesting because of its benefits and uniqueness.

Can you tell us a bit about your responsibilities as an intern?
My responsibilities as an intern include helping Dr. Sherman and Mrs. Sherman with the lab and helping Dr. Sherman with his research. Tasks included doing literature searches and observing the maggots in different experiments.

Can you describe one or two of the things that you learned during your internship?
I learned that maggot therapy is more significant than most people give it credit for, since it has been able to save the limbs and lives of many people. In addition, I've been able to learn about the different processes of doing scientific research such as writing protocols.

What are your goals for the future?
My goals in the future are to become a neural engineer with an undergraduate degree in computer science. Before participating in this internship, I wanted to be a doctor, but afterwards, I began to realize that I was interested in biological research and that technology is slowly becoming a bigger and bigger part of it.

Biotherapy Around the World
Bacteriophages Treat Young Woman with Antibiotic-resistant Infection
A 25 year-old woman with Cystic Fibrosis was treated for an antibiotic-resistant lung infection using Bacteriophages.  Doctors at University of Pittsburgh Medical Center hope that this treatment will be successful in other patients.


 
Obstacles on the Road to MDT
Are you having difficulties accessing or utilizing Maggot Debridement Therapy?  You might find some helpful tips on in this recently published blog post, written by Dr. Ron Sherman. 

2017-2018 Biotherapy Conferences BiotherapyConferences

We have recently updated our list of Biotherapy-related conferences for 2017. We will continue publishing it in our monthly newsletter, but you can also find it on our website at  www.bterfoundation.org/courseschedule
 
November 10-12; 2017 Charles Mraz Apitherapy Course & Conference, Redondo Beach, CA, USA

November 28-30; 3rd Annual European Microbiome Congress; London, UK

January 25, 2018; Lecture by Dr. Ronald Sherman:   "Maggot Therapy in Pediatrics - A glorious Past, A Promising Future." Grand Rounds at Childrens Mercy; Kansas City, KS, USA Open to the public; For more information, or to RSVP, contact contact Teresa Shepherd at tshepherd@cmh.edu

January 31, 2018; Lecture by Dr. Ronald Sherman: "Biotherapy - What is it and Why Should We Care?" Orange County Health Care Agency, Santa Ana, CA.   12:00 PST.   Seating is limited, so if you are planning on attending, please RSVP.  For more information, or to RSVP, contact  info@BTERFoundation.org


Publication Credits

THE BeTER LeTTER is published by:
BioTherapeutics, Education & Research (BTER) Foundation
36 Urey Court, Irvine, CA 92617
Phone: 949-246-1156 / Fax: 949-679-3001
Editor:
Ronald A. Sherman

Assistant Editor:
Amy Lajiness

Contributing Writers:
Dr. Sagiv Ben-Yakir, Dr. Jose Contreras-Ruiz, Dr. Robert McKie, Dr. Jacques Oskam, Sheri Rosen, Dr. Pascal Steenvoorde, Dr. Tarek Tantawi, Catalina Wang,
Dr. Shou Yu Wang. Your name could be here!

Foundation Consultants:
Eve Iversen, Dr. Alana Jolley, Amy Mendez, Joanne Preston, Dr. Aletha Tippett

Foundation Board:
Ronald A Sherman (Chair);  Sagiv Ben-Yakir; Chris Kleronomos; Samuel G Kohn (Treasurer); Sheri Rosen.

Past Board Members:
Donna Beales Sharon Mendez; Pamela Mitchell; Randall Sullivan

Administrative Assistant:
Amy Lajiness
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