Data-driven modeling predicts hydrogel properties to accelerate biomedical research
January 31, 2023 -- Researchers have developed a data-driven modeling approach for predicting the properties of injected hydrogel blocks. Read More
Mixing cancer drugs in nanoparticle combinations improves efficacy in mice
January 26, 2023 -- Using polymer nanoparticles to carry multiple cancer drugs achieves better outcomes than administering the combination of therapeutics without a delivery vehicle, according to preclinical research published on 26 January in Nature Nanotechnology. Read More
Study suggests immune response to anticancer checkpoint inhibitors unaffected by COVID-19 vaccination
February 1, 2023 -- Immune checkpoint inhibitors perform comparably in vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals, allaying concerns that injections given to protect against COVID-19 will interfere with cancer treatment. Read More
Researchers find hidden bacteria that pose antimicrobial resistance risk to hospital patients
January 31, 2023 -- Researchers from Amsterdam University Medical Centers (UMC) have found that carriers of specific hidden bacteria have a 14% chance of developing an antibiotic-resistant infection within 30 days of hospitalization. The research, published January 30 in the Lancet Infectious Diseases, studied patients who were unknowingly carrying the multidrug-resistant Gram-negative bacteria, a major cause of urinary tract infections and sepsis. Read More
Aston University partners with longevity biotech to advance lung disease treatment
January 25, 2023 -- Aston University's work on small molecule inhibitors of transglutaminase 2 has spawned a biotech firm focused on treating the chronic lung disease idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. Read More
Newborn screening for neuromuscular disorder leads to improved outcomes in Australian study
January 18, 2023 -- Newborn screening for spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) improves outcomes by enabling timely access to disease-modifying therapy, a prospective study published in the Lancet Child & Adolescent Health found. Read More
New probe measures cell stiffness and traction
January 25, 2023 -- University of Illinois scientists have developed a tiny mechanical probe that can measure the inherent stiffness of cells and tissues, as well as the internal forces that cells generate and exert upon one another. It is the first probe able to quantify both properties, according to its developers. Read More
Artificial nerve cells closely mimic biological ones
January 17, 2023 -- Researchers at Sweden’s Linköping University have created an artificial neuron that closely mimics the characteristics of biological nerve cells. They describe the work in a study, published recently in Nature Materials, indicating that the artificial neuron can stimulate natural nerves, making it a promising technology for various medical treatments. Read More
Researchers discover antibodies that recognize all SARS-CoV-2 variants
January 30, 2023 -- Scientists at Switzerland’s Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB) and their collaborators pored through over 10 million coronavirus sequences to discover that some portions of the virus spike were remarkably unchanged, despite the many currently circulating virus variants. The research, published on January 26 in Science Immunology, also revealed that certain antibodies recognize all SARS-CoV-2 variants, along with other human disease-causing coronaviruses. Read More
COVID-19 immune response strengthens over time
January 30, 2023 -- Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) researchers found that the more time between vaccination and infection, the greater the strength of the immunity from COVID-19. The findings, published on Thursday in the Journal for Clinical Investigation Insight, suggest that people who’ve had COVID-19 can benefit from vaccination, even if they’ve delayed it. Read More
Atomic AI closes $35M Series A financing
January 30, 2023 -- Biotech firm Atomic AI recently announced it the closing of a $35 million Series A round led by Playground Global, with participation from 8VC, Factory HQ, Greylock, NotBoring, AME Cloud Ventures, GitHub’s ex-CEO Nat Friedman, Doug Mohr, Curai CEO Neal Khosla, and UC Berkeley Professor and Arc Institute co-founder Patrick Hsu. Read More
'Living medicine' for drug-resistant lung infections
January 19, 2023 -- Researchers have engineered a bacterium that serves as a “living medicine” to treat antibiotic-resistant lung infections -- the leading cause of hospital mortality. The research, published January 19 in the journal Nature Biotechnology and supported through CaixaResearch Health, focused on the antibiotic-resistant bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosa, a common source of difficult-to-treat hospital infections. Read More
AI tool makes speedy gene editing possible
January 26, 2023 -- Researchers have designed an artificial intelligence (AI) program that may enable the production of customizable proteins called zinc fingers to treat diseases by turning genes on and off. The research published on January 26 in Nature Biotechnology may accelerate large-scale gene therapy development. Read More
DNA sequencing method offers peek into genomic black box
January 23, 2023 -- University of Cambridge researchers have outlined a new DNA sequencing method that detects where and how small molecule drugs interact with a targeted genome. The research, published on January 23 in Nature Biotechnology, allows precise mapping of drug-genome binding sites, potentially enabling the development of more effective medications. Read More
Marburg virus vaccine safe in small, first-in-human clinical trial: NIH
January 30, 2023 -- A study published in the Lancet on January 28 shows that an experimental vaccine against Marburg virus (MARV) was safe and induced an immune response in a small, first-in-human clinical trial. Read More
Peptide suppresses inflammation in mice, spurs work to develop 1st targeted lung injury therapy
January 23, 2023 -- A peptide has suppressed acute lung injury (ALI) in mice harmed by bacterial infection, revealing a path to developing the first targeted medical therapy for the condition. Read More
Wyss Institute launches RNA therapeutics startup EnPlusOne Biosciences
December 21, 2022 -- Wyss Institute at Harvard University has partnered with Northpond Labs to launch EnPlusOne Biosciences. The startup aims to bring versatile, scalable RNA synthesis technology to market, with the goal of unlocking the development of new RNA drugs, vaccines, and gene-editing therapies. Read More
Protillion Biosciences raises $18M in financing to support therapeutic biomarker discovery
December 19, 2022 -- Protillion Biosciences, a privately held biotech company launched in 2019 to identify and optimize new protein therapeutics, on Monday announced the completion of an $18 million Series A financing from Arch Venture Partners and Illumina Ventures. Read More
Scientists create cell atlas of developing human lung
December 9, 2022 -- Researchers from the Wellcome Sanger Institute, EMBL’s European Bioinformatics Institute, the Gordone Institute at the University of Cambridge, and collaborators have created a spatiotemporal cell atlas of the developing human lung. From the mapping, they have identified 144 cell states in the early stages of life and their interactions in new detail. Read More
Senescent neuron discovery in brains opens path for Alzheimer's drug development
December 2, 2022 -- Scientists at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies have found that neurons from people with Alzheimer's disease show deterioration and undergo a late-life stress process called cellular senescence, while senescent cells could be a way to slow neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration. Read More
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