Cloaked nanoparticles may be a powerful therapy against coronaviruses


June 17, 2020 -- Cloaked nanoparticles may be a powerful therapy against coronaviruses

 Cloaked nanoparticles may be a powerful therapy against coronaviruses
 
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June 17, 2020
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Cloaked nanoparticles may be a powerful therapy against coronaviruses
Nanoparticles cloaked with human cell membranes can attract and neutralize SARS-CoV-2, according to a new publication in Nano Letters on June 17. The process of binding to the virus hijacks its ability to replicate, making it a viable medical countermeasure against the virus.  

 
Accelerating COVID-19 drug repurposing with computers, organ chips
The U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) has awarded the Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard University $16 million to test existing drugs that could be repurposed to prevent or treat COVID-19.  

 
Optofluidics aids cell line development for antibody-based therapies
Implementation of optofluidics in cell line development can help advance multiple lead candidate molecules with increased screening capacity. A researcher from GlaxoSmithKline discussed how her team uses an optofluidic system in a June 15 presentation at the BioProcess International Spring Digital Week's 2020 virtual meeting.  

 


Analytical Chemistry
Manufacturers adapt technologies for hand sanitizers during COVID-19
Changes to manufacturing processes have emerged to meet the demand of certain products during the COVID-19 pandemic, including hand sanitizer. The chemical composition of hand sanitizer is carefully regulated, and analytical techniques are now being repurposed to assist in rapid production efforts.  

 
Biochemistry
Ligand expands oncology drug discovery with Servier
Ligand Pharmaceuticals subsidiary Vernalis Research has expanded its oncology drug discovery collaboration with French pharmaceutical company Servier.  

 
Are interferons helpful or harmful during SARS-CoV-2 infection?
The host immune system produces a variety of regulatory molecules, including interferons, during a response to viral infection. Although previously considered beneficial, these proteins may actually cause life-threatening inflammation, according to an article published in Science on June 11.  

 
Bioprocessing
Sponsored by MilliporeSigma
Immunomic Therapeutics inks license deal with Ichor
Immunomic Therapeutics (ITI) has signed a licensing agreement with Ichor Medical Systems to support the development of its ITI-1001 investigational plasmid DNA vaccine therapy.  

 
Saiba selects AGC to manufacture COVID-19 vaccine
Contract development and manufacturing organization AGC Biologics said it will be manufacturing a SARS-CoV-2 vaccine for Swiss biotechnology firm Saiba.  

 
Genprex expands gene therapy manufacturing
Genprex has expanded its program to manufacture tumor suppressor candidate 2 (TUSC2) with a new manufacturing agreement with partner Aldevron.  

 
Atum, Phylex accelerate universal SARS coronavirus vaccine
Atum and Phylex BioSciences will collaborate to advance research toward creating a universal vaccine effective against pathogenic coronaviruses, including the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2.  

 
Synthace, Tecan partner to accelerate process development
Synthace and the Tecan Group have partnered to use their shared resources to help customers run flexible, end-to-end multiplexed purification workflows.  

 
Oblique Therapeutics identifies epitope for SARS-CoV-2 antibodies
Oblique Therapeutics has used its Abiprot antibody discovery platform to identify an epitope in SARS-CoV-2 that may facilitate the generation of new neutralizing antibodies to treat COVID-19.  

 
Cancer & Disease Research
New consortium formed to develop cell-based cancer vaccines
A new consortium has been formed to increase access to cell-based cancer vaccines by using single-use technology to develop and manufacture dendritic cell cancer vaccines.  

 
Accelerating COVID-19 drug repurposing with computers, organ chips
The U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) has awarded the Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard University $16 million to test existing drugs that could be repurposed to prevent or treat COVID-19.  

 
FDA revokes EUA for chloroquine, hydroxychloroquine
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on June 15 revoked the emergency use authorization (EUA) for chloroquine phosphate and hydroxychloroquine sulfate for patients with COVID-19.  

 
Kite to manufacture CAR T-cell therapy in Europe
Gilead subsidiary Kite has received approval from the European Medicine Agency for end-to-end manufacturing of individualized cell therapies at its European facility.  

 
Grifols begins production of COVID-19 immunotherapy
Grifols will start production of anti-SARS-CoV-2 hyperimmune immunoglobulin with specific antibodies using plasma from patients who have recovered from COVID-19.  

 
Cell Biology
NanoString debuts products to push COVID-19 research
NanoString Technologies has debuted new products that advance COVID-19 research by studying the immune response of the SARS-CoV-2 virus.  

 
Optofluidics aids cell line development for antibody-based therapies
Implementation of optofluidics in cell line development can help advance multiple lead candidate molecules with increased screening capacity. A researcher from GlaxoSmithKline discussed how her team uses an optofluidic system in a June 15 presentation at the BioProcess International Spring Digital Week's 2020 virtual meeting.  

 
Immunic begins phase II immunotherapy for COVID-19
Immunic has enrolled the first COVID-19 patients in a phase II clinical trial of IMU-838, a selective oral dihydroorotate dehydrogenase (DHODH) inhibitor.  

 
Drug Discovery & Development
Cloaked nanoparticles may be a powerful therapy against coronaviruses
Nanoparticles cloaked with human cell membranes can attract and neutralize SARS-CoV-2, according to a new publication in Nano Letters on June 17. The process of binding to the virus hijacks its ability to replicate, making it a viable medical countermeasure against the virus.  

 
Lilly begins phase III trial for COVID-19 therapy
Eli Lilly has enrolled patients in a phase III study to evaluate the efficacy and safety of baricitinib in hospitalized adults with COVID-19.  

 
Integral Molecular aids with safety testing of COVID-19 antibodies
Integral Molecular is applying its membrane proteome array technology for antibody specificity profiling to accelerate development of SARS-CoV-2 therapeutic antibodies.  

 
Genomics
Ideaya and GSK partner on synthetic lethality programs
Ideaya Biosciences and GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) have formed a strategic partnership in the emerging oncology field of synthetic lethality.  

 
Sexton, BioSpherix collaborate to support cell & gene therapy needs
Sexton Biotechnologies is partnering with BioSpherix Medical on the final steps of downstream bioprocessing, fill-finish.  

 
Sirnaomics Spinoff to develop mRNA drugs
Sirnaomics announced a spinoff establishing an independent biopharmaceutical company, RNAimmune.  

 
NIH researchers investigate virulence of SARS-CoV-2 virus
What makes the SARS-CoV-2 virus so virulent? Researchers from the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) analyzed the genomics of the virus -- and compared it to other coronaviruses -- in a June 10 article in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.  

 
Immunology
Yumab spinoff Corat to develop COVID-19 drug
Yumab has announced that the first financing round of its spinoff Corat Therapeutics will be used to advance the development of COVID-19 antibody drug candidates.  

 
Regeneron begins clinical trials for COVID-19 antibody treatment
Regeneron Pharmaceuticals has started its first clinical trial investigating an antibody treatment for COVID-19.  

 
Moderna moves COVID-19 vaccine to late-stage clinical trial
Moderna has finalized phase III clinical study protocols for its mRNA-1273 COVID-19 vaccine candidate in coordination with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and expects the study to begin in July.  

 
Proteomics
Egle, Takeda collaborate on anti-Treg immunotherapies
Egle Therapeutics has formed a strategic research alliance with Takeda Pharmaceutical to validate novel regulatory T-cells (Treg) targets, against which Takeda will develop potential therapies.  

 
What Your Colleagues are Buzzing About
FDA researchers describe lessons learned from COVID-19 immunology
  
Bruker releases MALDI-2 to advance mass spectrometry
  



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