Ever since German anatomist Walther Flemming discovered chromosomes in the mid-1800s, scientists have been actively working to decipher the complex organization of these threadlike structures. In the hundred years following Flemming’s discovery, cell biologists have developed a basic working picture: strands of DNA coil around proteins called histones to form nucleosomes; nucleosomes themselves coil tightly …
Lilly/Entos Deal Reinforces the Significance of Delivery Mechanisms for Nucleic Acid-Based Therapies
As part of a research partnership aimed at improving the delivery of nucleic acid-based therapies targeting nervous system diseases, American pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly and Company (Lilly) has secured exclusive rights to Canada-based Entos Pharmaceuticals’ Fusogenix delivery technology. This technology represents a novel delivery platform for deploying Lilly’s therapeutics. Nucleic acid-based therapies include those that …
Longhorn Beetles, 200-Year-Old Fish, and How Genetics Drive Genomic Diversity
The sternotomis callais beetle, otherwise known as the flat-faced longhorn beetle, resides in Central Africa. Rockfish, a species of fish known for their long lifespan, are found along North Pacific coasts. At first glance, it’s hard to find any similarities between these two creatures. But both have a lot to teach us about biology and …
Cancer Cure? 10-Year Leukemia Remission Reported with Personalized T-Cell Therapy
Research results published in Nature this month demonstrate that chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy, which uses engineered T-cells to target cancer, held leukemia at bay in two patients for at least 10 years. The patients — who both had chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) — received the experimental therapy in 2010 and remained cancer-free for …
Groundbreaking Pig Heart Transplant Saves Patient’s Life
Xenotransplantation, or the transplantation of non-human tissues or organs into a human recipient, has long been a controversial possibility in the medical field. After all, human bodies aren’t naturally conditioned to accept organs from non-human sources. But now, in a historic first, surgeons have successfully used xenotransplantation to extend the life of a terminal heart …
A New Proteo-Genomic Map Shows How Genes Connect to a Variety of Diseases
Like the infamous Marauder’s Map in the Harry Potter novels, which revealed all the secrets of Hogwarts Castle, a recently published proteo-genomic map uncovers hundreds of novel connections between human diseases. An international team of researchers led by scientists at the Medical Research Council (MRC) Epidemiology Unit at the University of Cambridge compiled the data …
Approved: First Drug to Boost Growth in Children With Dwarfism
The first drug to counter the genetic mutation that causes achondroplasia, the most common form of dwarfism, received accelerated FDA approval in November. BioMarin Pharmaceutical’s Voxzogo™ (vosoritide), a daily injection, was approved for children aged five and older. A one-year phase 3 study of 121 children found that those who received the drug grew an …
A Novel Approach to a New mRNA-Based Lyme Disease Vaccine: Tick Saliva
Lyme disease is the most commonly reported tick-borne illness in the United States and the worldwide burden of Lyme disease has increased in recent years, extending into much of central Europe and parts of Asia. The disease, which presents as an autoimmune disorder, is caused by the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi. Up until very recently, all …
Moo vs. Flu: Seasonal Flu Antibody Therapy Produced in Cows
Humans have used cows in vaccine development dating back to 1770 and the origins of the smallpox vaccine. In more modern medicine, transgenic cows have played a role in making antigen-specific human antibodies for Ebola virus, anthrax, Middle East Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV), and hantavirus — and we may soon see seasonal flu added to …
14 Obesity Genes Discovered
The World Health Organization reports that around 13 percent of the world’s population is classified as “obese.” Today, medical experts know that obesity is much more than just a battle with overeating. In fact, obesity is a medical condition largely affected by an individuals’ genetics. As researchers work to develop drugs to treat obesity, exploring …
