New genetic benchmark improves the diagnosis of several diseases
The Genome in a Bottle consortium has documented a benchmark set of challenging, medically relevant autosomal genes with a haplotype-resolved, whole-genome assembly that are associated with several diseases. The details of the research were published in Nature Biotechnology on February 7. Read More
NETs-Th17 interaction offers new therapeutic target
Histones, a protein component of neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs), can directly stimulate T cells, specifically T helper 17 (Th17) cell differentiation, according to a recent Nature Communications research article. The stimulation of a specific adaptive immune cell subset imparts a noteworthy mechanism -- indicating a direct association between neutrophils, NETs, and T-cell autoimmunity -- and could be a new therapeutic target to treat autoimmune conditions. Read More
CHOP uses AI to find genetic causes of mental health disorders
Minority populations have been historically underrepresented in existing studies addressing how genetic variations may contribute to a variety of disorders. A new study from researchers at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) addresses this lack of representation, showing that a deep learning model has promising accuracy when helping to diagnose a variety of common mental health disorders in African American patients. Read More
Creating an opening for treatments into the brains of mice
The cellular barrier that protects the brain also has the unfortunate effect of preventing medical treatments from reaching areas of the brain where they are needed. This presents a major obstacle in developing new drugs to treat brain diseases. Now, in a study published in Nature Protocols, researchers describe an approach in mice to precisely open a gate in the barrier and deliver therapeutic agents. Read More
Kevin DeGeeter in 5 questions, part of Biotech Finance Month 2022
Scientific innovation is happening at an ultrasonic rate these days, but what does this mean for cancer patients and their treatment options? This was the topic of "Outsmarting Cancer: Next Generation Therapies," a session at Biotech Showcase 2022. Kevin DeGeeter, managing director and senior analyst, biotechnology and diagnostics, at Oppenheimer, moderated the robust panel discussion and shared his insights with ScienceBoard as part of Biotech Finance Month 2022. Read More
'Safe harbors' found for additions to human genome
A new way to find suitable places to make additions to the genome could give a boost to gene therapies. In a paper published January 24 in Cell Reports Methods, scientists describe an approach to find "safe harbors" in the genome that can receive new genes without causing unintended changes, such as promoting cancer. Read More
Investors double down on AI drug development
Funding for artificial intelligence (AI) in drug development hit $4.1 billion in 2021, a 36% increase from the year before, according to Emersion Insights. The AI drug development industry has gained a lot of attention from investors, venture capital firms, and corporate investment funds in recent years. Read More
BD innovation highlights new flow cytometry tech
A new study conducted by Becton Dickinson (BD) in collaboration with the European Molecular Biology Laboratory, which was published as the cover story of Science on January 20, profiles a BD innovation in flow cytometry that adds fluorescence imaging and image-based decisioning to sort individual cells at an exceptionally high speed. Read More
Targeted nanoparticle delivery provides boost for diabetes transplant
Delivering immunosuppressant treatment via targeted nanoparticles could open the door to a long-lasting cure for type 1 diabetes. Transplanting insulin-producing cells is a promising approach to treat the disease; however, it is plagued by issues of immune rejection. In a new study, published January 17 in Nature Nanotechnology, mice treated with a reengineered therapy could tolerate a transplant for much longer with fewer side effects. Read More
How biotech startups can secure funding, according to investors
What are strategies that emerging biotech companies can use to attract investors and secure funding that supports the development of their programs and technology? A panel of investors and finance professionals discussed the challenges and opportunities during the virtual Biotech Showcase 2022 event in a session titled "Early Seed Financing." Read More
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