Demand for viral vectors seen outpacing capacity growth despite investment surge
September 19, 2022 -- The growth in demand for viral vectors is outpacing a push to add capacity, leading to predictions that the current supply shortage will continue despite investment in the space. Read More
Federal funding of $2B to support biotechnology and biomanufacturing
September 14, 2022 -- The White House announced on Wednesday federal funding of more than $2 billion to advance President Joe Biden’s executive order intended to enable the U.S. to harness the full potential of biotechnology and biomanufacturing. Read More
2023 Breakthrough Prize winners in life sciences announced
September 26, 2022 -- Winners of the 2023 Breakthrough Prizes have been announced, including “game-changing” discoveries in the life sciences. Read More
Gene editing possible for inherited retinal diseases
September 26, 2022 -- Precision genome editing agents can enable gene correction and disease rescue in inherited retinal diseases, according to University of California, Irvine researchers. Read More
New type of CAR T cells provide on-off switch to improve cell therapy safety, efficiency
September 12, 2022 -- Researchers at Boston University have created on and off switches for chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells, enabling them to control the activity of therapies using an approved drug. Read More
Penn State-led team develops more efficient system for delivering CRISPR to stem cells
September 9, 2022 -- Modified mRNA (modRNA)-based CRISPR systems improve on the transfection and knockout efficiency of plasmid-based systems in human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs), a Penn State-led team of interdisciplinary researchers has found. Read More
Researchers learn why carp virus inhibits host cell immune system
September 26, 2022 -- Belgian researchers have learned how a carp virus uses the protein domain Zalpha (Zα) to inhibit the defense mechanisms of the host cell. The discovery has implications for how Zα domain-containing proteins of the immune system function. Read More
UVA discovery could increase platelet production, alleviate blood shortages
September 23, 2022 -- A new discovery from the University of Virginia (UVA) School of Medicine could let doctors increase the production of blood-clotting platelets on demand. Read More
SARS-CoV-2 mimics could make COVID-19 vaccine research safer, quicker
September 21, 2022 -- Viruslike particles, molecular mimics that look and act like SARS-CoV-2 without being infectious, are providing new tools against COVID-19 -- the disease caused by the virus. Read More
Mount Sinai scientists unlock secrets of key SARS-CoV-2 enzyme
September 12, 2022 -- Mount Sinai researchers have produced a high-resolution crystal structure of an enzyme that is essential to the survival of SARS-CoV-2. The finding could lead to more antivirals to combat current and future coronaviruses, they added. Read More
Swiss researchers awaken dormant cells to fight melanoma
September 23, 2022 -- Researchers from the University of Geneva and the University Hospitals of Geneva have identified a drug-targetable mechanism whose blockage reduces metastatic melanoma cells’ resistance to treatment. Read More
Heart medication spironolactone may also treat alcohol use disorder
September 21, 2022 -- Spironolactone, a diuretic medication used for heart problems and high blood pressure, may also effectively treat alcohol use disorder by reducing consumption, according to a new study published September 20 in the journal Molecular Psychiatry. Read More
Scientists unlock the secrets of gut coil development
September 26, 2022 -- Scientists now have a better understanding of embryo gut development: They've learned the counterclockwise gut rotation that occurs when the organ is formed is orchestrated by two waves of the transcription factor Pitx2 Read More
NIH announces $600M in awards to launch next phase of BRAIN Initiative
September 23, 2022 -- The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has announced more than $600 million in additional funding for its Brain Research Through Advancing Innovative Neurotechnologies (BRAIN) Initiative, which is aimed at revolutionizing the understanding of the human brain. Read More
Zebrafish help scientists understand organ regeneration
September 20, 2022 -- Researchers from the Stowers Institute for Medical Research are using zebrafish to investigate how their immune systems repair and regenerate organs. The findings could potentially help alleviate human conditions that might otherwise require organ transplants and lifelong immunosuppressants. Read More
Cow mucus-derived lubricant stops HIV, herpes in lab tests
September 19, 2022 -- A synthetic prophylactic gel based on cow mucus is 70% effective against HIV and 80% effective against herpes in lab tests, a new study reveals. Read More
Boosting TERRA levels damages DNA of hard-to-kill cancer cells: study
September 20, 2022 -- Increasing levels of telomeric repeat-containing RNA (TERRA) damages the DNA of cancers with a particular form of replicative immortality and leads to cell death, according to Portuguese researchers who show that “anti-aging clocks” can be used to kill cancer cells. Read More
Scientists pinpoint why alveolar macrophages don’t develop properly
September 19, 2022 -- Researchers in Germany have solved the mystery of what prevents alveolar macrophages from developing properly: the transcription factor CCAAT/enhancer binding protein beta (C/EBPβ). Read More
Researchers identify transcription factors that restore hearing in zebrafish
September 15, 2022 -- Certain transcription factors were able to restore hearing in zebrafish through cell regeneration and could inform treatments for hearing loss in humans, according to National Institutes of Health researchers. Read More
Single-cell sequencing reveals spatial map of immune cells in early-stage lung cancer
September 14, 2022 -- Using single-cell sequencing, researchers at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center have revealed a spatial map of tumor-infiltrating B cells and plasma cells that are prevalent in early-stage lung cancers, providing a basis for finding new immunotherapy targets. Read More
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