The year 2019 has offered up many advances in immunotherapy. These advances shed light on such important aspects as biomarkers, better targeted therapies, chemotherapy outcomes, and resistance. Summarized herein are several high-profile conference presentations that highlight key advances in the field. The year has not quite come to an end yet, but as predicted by
Researchers Seek New Therapies to Stop Immune Diseases In a finding that could help lead to new therapies for immune diseases like multiple sclerosis and IBD, scientists report in the Journal of Experimental Medicine identifying a gene and family of proteins critical to the formation of mature and fully functioning T cells in the immune system. T
GE Healthcare Life Sciences is launching KUBio™ box, a fully-integrated, flexible, and adaptable biomanufacturing environment to accelerate the production of viral vector-based gene therapies. The latest addition to the KUBio modular bioprocessing portfolio, KUBio box is expected to speed gene therapies to market and contribute to increased capacity in the viral vector area. Gene therapies
Scientists of John Hopkins University School of Medicine summarize the current methods of human pluripotent stem cells (HPSCs) myogenic commitment/differentiation, and describe the current status of hPSC-derived myogenic cell transplantation. Muscular dystrophies are a group of genetic muscle disorders that cause progressive muscle weakness and degeneration. Within this group, Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is the
CARsgen Therapeutics Co. Ltd., a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company today announced that the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted Regenerative Medicine Advanced Therapy (RMAT) designation to its investigational CT053 CAR-T cell therapy. CT053 is a fully human anti-BCMA (B Cell Maturation Antigen) autologous chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T Cell therapy for the treatment of
The results, published in the current issue of Scientific Reports, showcase dramatic improvements in light-activated fluorescent dyes for disease diagnosis, image-guided surgery and site-specific tumor treatment. Scientific breakthroughs don’t always happen in labs. For Sophia and Richard Lunt, Michigan State University researchers, many of their breakthroughs happen during neighborhood walks. The married couple’s step-by-step approach
The researchers of University of Grenoble implanted two recording devices on the surface of the patient’s brain. A quadriplegic man has walked again thanks to a brain-controlled robotic exoskeleton suit. The suit being tested only in the lab also allowed the patient to control his arms and hands. The patient was a man from Lyon
Food for Thought Food for Thought periodically reports on nutrition research aimed at improving health and well-being. Rebecca Voelker, MSJ JAMA. Published online October 24, 2019. doi:10.1001/jama.2019.16477 The science behind food’s effects on human health is discovering some tasty benefits.Berries and Grapes Linked With Memory Boost As the world’s elderly population races toward an estimated 2 billion by
A new report has predicted that gene therapy development will pick up pace but a high price point continues to pose a challenge. Source EPR According to a new report, ongoing collaborations between different industry players and a buildup of real-world evidence establishing safety and efficacy are expected to drive the growth of gene therapies
The International Society for Cell and Gene Therapy has created a group to tackle the rising number of commercial cell bank services that are misleading patients. The International Society for Cell and Gene Therapy (ISCT) has announced the formation of a global consortium to combat the growing number of unproven commercial cell banking services. The group will
