| TOP STORY | Design of Switchable Chimeric Antigen Receptor T Cells Targeting Breast Cancer Investigators developed a switchable chimeric antigen receptor T (CAR-T) cell platform in which the activity of the engineered cell is controlled by dosage of an antibody-based switch. They applied this approach to Her2-expressing breast cancers by engineering switch molecules through site-specific incorporation of FITC or grafting of a peptide neo-epitope into the anti-Her2 antibody trastuzumab. [Angew Chem Int Ed Engl] Abstract | |
| REVIEWS | Advances and Perspectives in Tooth Tissue Engineering The focus of this review is to discuss recent advances in tooth tissue engineering, using biomimetic scaffolds that provide proper architectural cues, exhibit the capacity to support dental stem cell proliferation and differentiation and sequester and release bio-active agents, such as growth factors and nucleic acids, in a spatiotemporal controlled manner. [J Tissue Eng Regen Med] Abstract Visit our reviews page to see a complete list of reviews in the cell, gene and immunotherapy research fields. |
| SCIENCE NEWS | Opexa to Attend the Third International Conference on the Progress of Regenerative Medicine and Its Cultural Impact Neil K. Warma, Opexa’s President and Chief Executive Officer, will present “Can T-Cells be Used to Treat Neuromyelitis Optica and Other Autoimmune Disorders?” [Press release from Opexa Therapeutics discussing research presented at Cellular Horizons: The Third International Conference on the Progress of Regenerative Medicine and its Cultural Impact, Vatican City.] Press Release Intraventricular Transplantation of Autologous Bone Marrow Mesenchymal Stem Cell in Hemorrhagic Stroke Winner of the American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS) International Travel Scholarship, Asra Al Fauzi, MD, IFAANS, presented his research, “Intraventricular Transplantation of Autologous Bone Marrow Mesenchymal Stem Cell in Hemorrhagic Stroke”. [Press release from the American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS) (NewsWise) discussing research presented at the 2016 AANS Annual Scientific Meeting, Chicago] Press Release First Skin-to-Eye Stem Cell Transplant in Humans Successful Researchers have safely transplanted stem cells derived from a patient’s skin to the back of the eye in an effort to restore vision. [Press release from the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) (NewsWise) discussing research presented at the 2016 ARVO Annual Meeting, Seattle] Press Release Oncolytics Biotech® Inc. Announces Presentation of REOLYSIN® Preclinical Research Oncolytics Biotech® Inc. announced a poster presentation by researchers, covering preclinical work in squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck. [Press release from Oncolytics Biotech® Inc. discussing research presented at the 19th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Gene & Cell Therapy (ASGCT), Washington, DC.] Press Release Asterias Biotherapeutics Announces Oral Presentation Asterias Biotherapeutics, Inc. announced that clinical data from its AST-VAC1 (antigen-presenting autologous dendritic cells) immunotherapy clinical program will be presented during an oral session. [Press release from Asterias Biotherapeutics discussing research presented at the 19th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Gene & Cell Therapy (ASGCT), Washington, DC.] Press Release Gene Therapy Halts Rare Brain Disease in Young Boys In a new study, all but one of 17 boys with adrenoleukodystrophy remained relatively healthy for up to two years after having an engineered virus deliver into their cells a gene to replenish a missing protein needed by the brain. [Press release from ScienceInsider discussing research presented at the 19th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Gene & Cell Therapy (ASGCT), Washington, DC.] Press Release Follistatin Gene Therapy Increases Function in Inclusion Body Myositis Patients Milo Biotechnology described promising safety and initial efficacy data in sporadic inclusion body myositis (sIBM) patients treated with follistatin gene therapy. In total, nine sIBM patients received follistatin gene therapy treatments and have been followed up to four years. [Press release from Milo Biotechnology discussing research presented at the 19th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Gene & Cell Therapy (ASGCT), Washington, DC] Press Release Processed Fat Cells Show Potential as Treatment for Refractory Ischemia Patients Patients treated with processed autologous adipose-derived regenerative cells injected into the heart muscle demonstrated symptomatic improvement and a trend towards lower rates of heart failure hospitalizations and angina, despite no improvement in left ventricle ejection fraction or ventricular volumes. [Press release from the Society for Cardioovascular Angiography and Interventions (SCAI) discussing research presented at the 2016 SCAI Scientific Sessions, Orlando] Press Release BEAT BioTherapeutics Announces Scientific Presentation BEAT BioTherapeutics Corporation announced that co-founder and Scientific Advisory Board member Dr. Michael Regnier presented “AAV6-Mediated Cardiac-Specific Overexpression of Ribonucleotide Reductase Enhances Myocardial Contractility via Myosin Activation.” [Press release from BEAT BioTherapeutics (Business Wire) discussing research to be presented at the 19th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Gene & Cell Therapy (ASGCT), Washington, DC] Press Release Stem Cell Therapy Shows Potential for Difficult-to-Treat RA Patient Population A study using a stem cell therapy to treat challenging refractory angina (RA) patients demonstrated promising results, including improved exercise time, reduced angina and reduced mortality. The RENEW results were presented as a late-breaking clinical trial. [Press release from the Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions (SCAI) discussing research to be presented at the 2016 SCAI Scientific Sessions, Orlando] Press Release |
| POLICY | Government of Canada Combats Chronic Health Conditions The Honourable Jane Philpott, Minister of Health, announced an investment of $16 million over five years to support new research that will help find new ways to prevent or treat chronic conditions affecting millions of Canadians. [Government of Canada] Editorial Embryology Policy: Revisit the 14-Day Rule Studies of human development in vitro are on a collision course with an international policy that limits embryo research to the first two weeks of development, warn Insoo Hyun, Amy Wilkerson and Josephine Johnston. [Nature News & Comment] Editorial In Survey, Most Give Thumbs-Up to Pirated Papers Last week, a feature article in Science analyzed 28 million download requests over 6 months from Sci-Hub, a popular repository of pirated scientific literature. The data showed widespread use of Sci-Hub around the world, in countries rich and poor, and in all fields of science. [ScienceInsider] Editorial France’s Research Minister Lays out His Priorities Thierry Mandon on cutting red tape, French researchers’ self-effacement and shaking up social science. [Nature News: Q&A] Editorial From our sponsor: Isolate human immune cells in as little as 8 minutes with EasySep™ Request a sample. |
| BUSINESS | Scripps Florida Awarded $2.5 Million to Advance Development of RNA-Based Therapeutics Scientists from the Florida campus of The Scripps Research Institute have been awarded a $2.5 million grant from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences of the National Institutes of Health to design precision drug candidates that target disease-associated RNAs. [The Scripps Research Institute] Press Release NIH Funds Pitt Study of Culture-Free Fat Cell-Based Vascular Grafts in Cardiovascular Disease Patients The National Institutes of Health (NIH) have awarded David Vorp with a two-year, $417,838 R21 grant for research into the use of cells from a patient’s own adipose as vascular grafts in arterial bypass surgery. [University of Pittsburgh] Press Release ImmunoCellular Therapeutics Receives Regulatory Approval in Canada, the UK and the Netherlands to Initiate ICT-107 Phase III Trial in Newly Diagnosed Glioblastoma ImmunoCellular Therapeutics, Ltd. announced that the company has received approval from regulatory authorities in Canada, the United Kingdom and the Netherlands to initiate the ICT-107 Phase IIII registration trial in patients with newly diagnosed glioblastoma. [ImmunoCellular Therapeutics, Ltd.] Press Release TG Therapeutics, Inc. Launches First Clinical Trial in Multiple Sclerosis (MS) for TG-1101 (Ublituximab) TG Therapeutics, Inc. announced the opening of its Phase II clinical study of ublituximab, the company’s glycoengineered anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody, in patients with relapsing remitting MS, a chronic demyelinating disease of the central nervous system. [TG Therapeutics, Inc.] Press Release Agenus Commences Phase I Clinical Trial of Its CTLA-4 Checkpoint Antibody to Treat Solid Tumors Agenus Inc. announced that the first patient has been dosed in the company’s Phase I clinical trial of AGEN1884, an anti-CTLA-4 checkpoint antibody. The open-label, multicenter trial in patients with advanced or refractory cancer is designed to evaluate the safety of AGEN1884 and determine the estimated maximum tolerated dose. [Agenus Inc.] Press Release Celsion Corporation Announces Positive Data from the First Cohort of Patients in the OVATION Study Celsion Corporation announced data from the first cohort of patients in its Phase Ib dose escalating clinical trial (the OVATION Study) combining GEN-1, the company’s DNA-based immunotherapy, with the standard of care for the treatment of newly-diagnosed patients with advanced ovarian cancer who will undergo neoadjuvant chemotherapy followed by interval debulking surgery. [Celsion Corporation] Press Release University of Wisconsin and Harvard Scientists Receive Awards from ASNTR At the 23rd Annual Conference of the American Society of Neural Therapy and Repair (ASNTR), held April 28-30, 2016 in Clearwater Beach, Florida, ASNTR awarded The 2016 Bernard Sanberg Memorial Award for Brain Repair to Marina E. Emborg, MD, PhD, an associate professor of medical physics at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. ASNTR also presented The Molly and Bernard Sanberg Memorial Award to Eng H. Lo, PhD, professor of neurology and radiology at Harvard University and Massachusetts General Hospital. [University of Wisconsin (EurekAlert!)] Press Release Axiogenesis Secures Major Funding for its Expansion Course Axiogenesis has acquired a major investment from Sino-German High-Tech Fund to further expand product development, strengthen its disease modeling capabilities and increase market presence. Axiogenesis’ current product portfolio includes several validated induced pluripotent stem cell derived cardiac and neural cell types. [Axiogenesis AG (PR Newswire Association LLC)] Press Release |
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