A way to watch newly forming AIDS virus particles “budding” from human cells without interfering with the process has been developed by scientists. The method shows a protein named ALIX gets involved during the final stages of virus replication, not earlier, as was believed previously. The researchers watched the virus particles bud from one cell at a time: usually about 100 of them emerged during...
In the paste of Roquefort and on the surface of Camembert, the microscopic filamentous fungi Penicillium roqueforti and Penicillium camembertii are responsible for the formation of a greenish-blue mould in the former case and a so-called "bloom" in the latter. Sequencing of the genomes of these two fungi has recently, and surprisingly, shown that these genomes contain more than 250 strictly identical...
In this week's EuroBiotech Report, Big Pharma and biotechs across Europe are trying to move R&D beyond the failed models of the past. Johnson & Johnson discusses its less flashy, more targeted way of tapping into British science. In Germany, Bayer is inviting biotechs into its home, with three startups now housed at its new incubator. And more. ...
The FDA rejected the heart drug serelaxin, the latest blow to a treatment Novartis hoped would be a cornerstone of a cardiovascular franchise. ...
With $45 million in venture commitments under its belt, Proteon is set to roll into a late-stage study for its top candidate, with no need for Big Pharma help. ...
Cambridge, U.K.'s Kymab touts its drug development platform as an ideal way to spotlight new antibodies, and some bright minds would seem to agree, as the Wellcome Trust and Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation have teamed up on a $40 million round for the biotech. ...
Boston startup Gelesis has picked up $12 million in venture funding, cash that'll support its novel approach to obesity treatment: a pill that disperses expanding particles in the gut to make patients feel full. ...
- FierceBiotech var OAS_taxonomy='device=desktop'; var OAS_query='device=desktop'; /* handheld */ if(Modernizr.mq('only screen and (max-width: 480px)')) { OAS_taxonomy='device=handheld'; OAS_query='device=handheld'; } /* handheld */ // this placeholder includes the ampersand OAS_taxonomy = '&tag=chutes and ladders&topic=chutes and ladders'; OAS_query ='&tag=chutes and ladders&topic=chutes and ladders';...
Israeli biotech Kamada watched its shares dive more than 30% on Friday after its treatment for a rare inherited disorder failed to beat out placebo in a pivotal trial. ...
Pfizer, as part of its plodding effort to win over national leaders with its plan to buy AstraZeneca for more than $100 billion, has promised to preserve jobs in the country and talked up the value of British science. But the local academic community has seen giants buy in, take what they need and cut what they don't want. ...
Genetically engineered antibodies are deployed successfully in cancer diagnostics and therapy. Therapeutic antibodies against Alzheimer's disease and multiple sclerosis are currently under development. An important criterion when designing suitable antibody fragments is their stability. Comparing the antibodies of sharks with those of humans, a team of researchers has discovered stabilizing mechanisms...
The secret of radiation vulnerability has been revealed by a new study. The discovery can help both in predicting the consequences of irradiation and understanding the fundamental patterns of morphogenesis. ...
A potential dual-pronged approach to treating Niemann-Pick type C (NPC) disease, a rare but devastating genetic disorder, has been identified by researchers. By studying nerve and liver cells grown from NPC patient-derived induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), the scientists determined that although cholesterol does accumulate abnormally in the cells of NPC patients, a more significant problem may...
For the first time in an animal that is more closely related to humans, researchers have demonstrated that it is possible to make new bone from stem-cell-like induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) made from an individual animal's own skin cells. The study in monkeys also shows that there is some risk that those iPSCs could seed tumors, but that unfortunate outcome appears to be less likely than studies...
An 'on and off' epigenetic switch could be a common mechanism behind the development of different types of cancer, a group of researchers has proposed. Epigenetics is the phenomena whereby genetically identical cells express their genes differently, resulting in different physical traits. The existence of this epigenetic switch is indirectly supported by the fact that tumors develop through different...
A single episode of binge drinking can have significant negative health effects resulting in bacteria leaking from the gut, leading to increased levels of endotoxins in the blood, clinical scientists have found. Greater gut permeability and increased endotoxin levels have been linked to many of the health issues related to chronic drinking, including alcoholic liver disease. ...
The molecular 'fingerprint' for tissue taken from the first isotope-enriched mouse has huge potential for scientific breakthroughs, as well as improved medical implants. Earliest research based on the data has already revealed that a molecule thought to exist for repairing DNA may also in fact trigger bone formation. ...
Trypanosome parasites transmitted by tsetse flies cause devastating diseases in humans and livestock. Different subspecies infect different hosts: Trypanosoma brucei brucei infects cattle but is non-infectious to humans, whereas T. b. gambiense and T. b. rhodesiense cause sleeping sickness in humans. A new study reveals how humans can fight off some trypanosomes but not others. ...
Sorbent Therapeutics has drawn down the first $6.5 million tranche of a $15 million venture round to finance a Phase IIb trial of its experimental heart therapy and has finished enrolling 275 patients in the Phase IIb study, which will test CLP-1001. ...
Zinc is essential for optimal plant growth and development, but when high levels of the metal are present in the soil, it can become toxic to the plant. Consequently, plants need to trigger mechanisms capable of coping with that stress. Researchers have now discovered a novel genetic mechanism that protects plants from toxic zinc levels. The research team identified a gene that produces a protein capable...