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Category: biotech/medical – Page 1,301

‘Cellular glue’ may help us finally build tissues and organs

Achieving a long-sought goal of regenerative medicine.

Researchers from the University of California, San Francisco, (UCSF) engineered molecules that function as “cellular glue,” enabling them to precisely direct how cells bond with each other. This is a significant step toward regenerative medicine’s long-term goal of creating new tissues and organs, according to a press release.

Adhesive molecules are naturally present in the body and keep the tens of trillions of cells together in organized patterns. They build neural networks, develop structures, and direct immune cells to specific areas of the body. Adhesion also makes cell communication easier to maintain the body functioning as a self-regulating whole.

CAR-T-cell shows promise in patients with lymphoma of the brain and spinal cord in early trial

𝐂𝐀𝐑-𝐓-𝐜𝐞𝐥𝐥 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐰𝐬 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐩𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐥𝐲𝐦𝐩𝐡𝐨𝐦𝐚 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐜𝐨𝐫𝐝 𝐢𝐧 𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐲 𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐥

𝘼 𝘾𝘼𝙍-𝙏-𝙘𝙚𝙡𝙡 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙖𝙥𝙮 𝙠𝙣𝙤𝙬𝙣 𝙖𝙨 𝙖𝙭𝙞𝙘𝙖𝙗𝙩𝙖𝙜𝙚𝙣𝙚 𝙘𝙞𝙡𝙤𝙡𝙚𝙪𝙘𝙚𝙡 (𝙖𝙭𝙞-𝙘𝙚𝙡) 𝙞𝙨 𝙨𝙖𝙛𝙚 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙨𝙝𝙤𝙬𝙨 𝙚𝙣𝙘𝙤𝙪𝙧𝙖𝙜𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙨𝙞𝙜𝙣𝙨 𝙤𝙛 𝙚𝙛𝙛𝙞𝙘𝙖𝙘𝙮 𝙞𝙣 𝙖 𝙨𝙢𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙥𝙞𝙡𝙤𝙩 𝙩𝙧𝙞𝙖𝙡 𝙞𝙣𝙫𝙤𝙡𝙫𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙥𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙨 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙡𝙮𝙢𝙥𝙝𝙤𝙢𝙖 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙗𝙧𝙖𝙞𝙣 𝙖𝙣𝙙/𝙤𝙧 𝙨𝙥𝙞𝙣𝙖𝙡 𝙘𝙤𝙧𝙙, 𝘿𝙖𝙣𝙖-𝙁𝙖𝙧𝙗𝙚𝙧 𝘾𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙚𝙧 𝙄𝙣𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙩𝙪𝙩𝙚 𝙞𝙣𝙫𝙚𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙜𝙖𝙩𝙤𝙧𝙨 𝙧𝙚𝙥𝙤𝙧𝙩 𝙖𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚 64𝙩𝙝 𝘼𝙢𝙚𝙧𝙞𝙘𝙖𝙣 𝙎𝙤𝙘𝙞𝙚𝙩𝙮 𝙤𝙛 𝙃𝙚𝙢𝙖𝙩𝙤𝙡𝙤𝙜𝙮 (𝘼𝙎𝙃) 𝘼𝙣𝙣𝙪𝙖𝙡 𝙈𝙚𝙚𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜.

A CAR-T-cell therapy known as axicabtagene ciloleucel (axi-cel) is safe and shows encouraging signs of efficacy in a small pilot trial involving patients with lymphoma of the brain and/or spinal cord, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute investigators report at the 64th American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting.

The research features an in-depth, molecular study of individual CAR-T cells isolated from patients’ blood and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), which surrounds the brain and spinal cord. This unprecedented analysis, conducted in collaboration with the Cellular Therapeutics and Systems Immunology Lab (CTSI), directed by Leslie Kean, MD, PhD, at Dana-Farber and Boston Children’s Hospital, reveals a surprising difference between the two CAR-T-cell populations: the cells in the CSF display a molecular signature that indicates activation of the interferon pathway, an important step in rallying the immune system. These studies are reported in two oral abstracts at ASH. “For many patients with lymphoma of the central nervous system, there aren’t great treatment options,” said Dana-Farber’s Caron Jacobson, MD, MMSc, who led the trial and will present the findings at ASH. “Our early results suggest that expanding the applicability of CAR-T cells to this indication could improve patient outcomes.”

Lymphomas can begin within the brain or spinal cord, or the tumors can spread to those sites (known collectively as the central nervous system or CNS) after they originate in other parts of the body. While the underlying biology of these primary and secondary CNS lymphomas can be quite different, these cancers are often difficult to treat, especially once the tumors evade standard treatments. In that case, patients typically do not live more than 2 years.

Artificial womb: Video shows what pregnancy may be like in the future

Would you want to take one home if it freed you up from the hassles of pregnancy?

The concept of the world’s first-ever artificial womb facility has been unveiled. Called EctoLife, the facility can produce up to 30,000 babies every year. The use of the word “produce” is deliberate since, as one can see in the video below, the facility aims to give parents a wide range of tools to get a baby customized to their desires.

Hashem Al-Ghaili/ YouTube.

The concept and need for such a facility are pretty clear. The global human population is now reaching its peak and is expected to fall from here. The world’s richest person, Elon Musk, has been vocal about this and, by fathering nine children so far, believes he is doing his best to prevent the world from suffering a population collapse.

Daycares in Finland Built a ‘Forest’, And It Changed Kids’ Immune Systems

Playing through the greenery and litter of a mini forest’s undergrowth for just one month may be enough to change a child’s immune system, according to an experiment in Finland.

When daycare workers rolled out a lawn, planted forest undergrowth (such as dwarf heather and blueberries), and allowed children to care for crops in planter boxes, the diversity of microbes in the guts and on the skin of the young kids appeared healthier in a very short space of time.

Compared to other city kids who play in standard urban daycares with yards of pavement, tile, and gravel, 3-, 4-, and 5-year-olds at these greened-up daycare centers in Finland showed increased T-cells and other important immune markers in their blood within 28 days.

Science Saturday: Early research toward a cell-free solution for stress urinary incontinence

Mayo Clinic researchers found a noncellular substance suggested improvement in restoring muscle function and bladder control in preclinical models. The teams of Atta Behfar, M.D., Ph.D. and Emanuel Trabuco, M.D., led this research in a collaboration between Mayo Clinic Departments of Cardiovascular Medicine and Obstetrics and Gynecology. The paper is published in NPJ Regenerative Medicine.

“Surgical treatment for stress urinary incontinence, a condition afflicting 25 million women, has significantly declined over concerns about negative side effects,” says Dr. Trabuco. “This has led many women to delay therapy and suffer needlessly. We hope to develop a minimally invasive, noncellular, exosome-based approach to muscle regeneration for urinary incontinence that not only targets the underlying cause of the condition but also avoids the problem with invasive surgical options presently available.”

The research team used regenerative purified exosome product, known as PEP, derived from platelets to deliver messages into the cells of preclinical models. Exosomes are extracellular vesicles that are like a delivery service moving cargo from one cell to another, with instructions for targeting exact tissues that need repair. The study suggests that the use of purified exosome product alleviates stress urinary incontinence from musculoskeletal breakdown in animals. The team did not detect any infection or off-target toxicity with application of PEP.

Hearts and bodies change with age, heart disease treatments may need to change, too

For people ages 75 and older, age-related changes in general health and in the heart and blood vessels require consideration and likely modifications in how heart attacks and heart disease are treated, according to a new American Heart Association scientific statement published today in the Association’s flagship, peer-reviewed journal Circulation.

The new statement, “Management of acute coronary syndrome (ACS) in the older adult population,” highlights recent evidence to help clinicians better care for patients over age 75. According to the statement, 30–40% of people hospitalized with ACS are age 75 or older. ACS includes and unstable angina (heart-related chest pain).

The statement is an update of a 2007 American Heart Association statement on the treatment of heart attacks in the elderly.

Pilot trial sees tumors shrink or disappear in 78% of patients

The study brings much hope to patients with brain and spinal cord cancers.

A small pilot trial involving patients with lymphoma of the brain and/or spinal cord has shown that CAR-T-cell therapy known as axicabtagene ciloleucel (axi-cel) can be a viable treatment option for patients who often have little hope, according to a press release by Dana-Farber Cancer Institute investigators published on Sunday. “For many patients with lymphoma of the central nervous system, there aren’t great treatment options,” said Dana-Farber’s Caron Jacobson, MD, MMSc, who led the trial.

Our early results suggest that expanding the applicability of CAR-T cells to this indication could improve patient outcomes.

Mohammed Haneefa Nizamudeen/iStock.

Lymphomas typically feature aggressive tumors that can spread to the brain and spinal cord after they originate in other parts of the body. These cancers are often difficult to treat and patients do not survive more than two years.

Largest study of its kind reveals adjuvant chemotherapy improves overall survival for pancreatic cancer patients

Today, the University of Colorado Cancer Center released new research that showcases chemotherapy treatment before and after surgery for pancreatic cancer as the most effective combination for patients.

The study findings were published in JAMA Oncology and led by Marco Del Chiaro, MD, division chief of surgical oncology in the University of Colorado Department of Surgery and visiting researcher Toshitaka Sugawara, MD, Ph.D.

“It’s critical to have large scale data that doctors can use to make decisions about plans for patients who qualify for surgery,” said author Marco Del Chiaro, MD, division chief of surgical oncology at the CU Cancer Center on the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus.

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