Allergy

BioVaxys Acquires All Intellectual Property, Immunotherapeutics Platform Technology, and Clinical Stage Assets of the Former IMV Inc.

Retrieved on: 
Monday, February 12, 2024

HIMV will also be entitled to appoint an observer to BioVaxys's Board of Directors.

Key Points: 
  • HIMV will also be entitled to appoint an observer to BioVaxys's Board of Directors.
  • The DPX™ antigen delivery platform acquired by BioVaxys is designed to stimulate a specific, coordinated and persistent anti-tumor immune response, improving the lives of patients with solid or hematological cancers.
  • These elements foster maturation of antigen presenting cells as well as robust activation of CD8 T cell effector and memory function.
  • Findings showed clinical benefit to patients with recurrent ovarian cancer, regardless of platinum sensitivity or BRCA mutational status.

Global Vaccine Technologies Market Report 2024, Featuring Abbott, Astrazeneca, Bavarian Nordic, Emergent Biosolutions, GSK, Merck, Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma, Panacea Biotec, Pfizer & Sanofi - ResearchAndMarkets.com

Retrieved on: 
Monday, February 12, 2024

Continuous improvements in vaccine design, delivery technologies and manufacturing will also boost market growth.

Key Points: 
  • Continuous improvements in vaccine design, delivery technologies and manufacturing will also boost market growth.
  • The global vaccine technologies market is segmented in this report by technology, disease, age, and region.
  • It discusses the market determinants, which act as motivating or restraining factors and provides insights to stakeholders and potential entrants.
  • This study looks at research and development (R&D) spending, increasing competition and new technologies, which are giving direction to the market.

Lawsuit: North Texas Daycare's Negligence Threatened Toddler's Life

Retrieved on: 
Monday, February 12, 2024

ALLEN, Texas, Feb. 12, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The mother of a 3-year-old girl is suing the daycare center Allen Knowledge Beginnings, alleging repeated negligence regarding the toddler's life-threatening fish allergy. In the complaint, Danielle Levy states that caregivers at the facility gave her daughter fish sticks on two separate occasions within the span of four months, despite Levy notifying the center of her daughter's allergy and providing an emergency plan at the time of her enrollment. The second time the daycare center served the girl fish sticks, in July 2022, she went into anaphylaxis and was found in a bathroom barely breathing with a swollen tongue, lips, and face, according to the suit. 

Key Points: 
  • ALLEN, Texas, Feb. 12, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The mother of a 3-year-old girl is suing the daycare center Allen Knowledge Beginnings, alleging repeated negligence regarding the toddler's life-threatening fish allergy.
  • First responders administered two EpiPens and gave the toddler an oral medication to combat her anaphylaxis while en route to the hospital.
  • "In a literal life-or-death situation involving my daughter's life, Allen Knowledge Beginnings failed to act quickly," Levy says.
  • Despite Allen Knowledge Beginnings advertising itself as a food allergy-safe facility, it failed to deliver on its promise, according to the suit.

Allakos Announces Publication Highlighting AK006 Mast Cell Inhibition

Retrieved on: 
Monday, February 12, 2024

SAN CARLOS, Calif., Feb. 12, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Allakos Inc. (Nasdaq: ALLK), a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing therapeutics that target immunomodulatory receptors present on immune effector cells involved in allergy, inflammatory and proliferative diseases, today announced the publication of new scientific results in Allergy.  The preclinical research found that AK006 (agonist Siglec-6 antibody) impacts mast cell function by interacting with multiple activating receptors and key signaling molecules.

Key Points: 
  • The preclinical research found that AK006 (agonist Siglec-6 antibody) impacts mast cell function by interacting with multiple activating receptors and key signaling molecules.
  • The publication titled “Regulation of Mast Cells by Overlapping but Distinct Protein Interactions of Siglec-6 and Siglec-8” details efforts to identify proteins associated with Siglec-6 and Siglec-8 in mast cells and functionally characterize these protein interaction networks using ex vivo and in vivo models of mast cell activation.
  • The data published today add to previously published preclinical data demonstrating that AK006 inhibits multiple modes of mast activation.
  • These findings suggest Siglec-6 has a broader role in regulating mast cell function and may contribute to the increased inhibitory effects observed with AK006 in vitro and in vivo.

Why it’s a bad idea to mix alcohol with some medications

Retrieved on: 
Monday, February 12, 2024

But you may not be aware that mixing certain medicines with alcohol can increase the effects and put you at risk.

Key Points: 
  • But you may not be aware that mixing certain medicines with alcohol can increase the effects and put you at risk.
  • When you mix alcohol with medicines, whether prescription or over-the-counter, the medicines can increase the effects of the alcohol or the alcohol can increase the side-effects of the drug.
  • This is because there is less water in their bodies that can mix with the alcohol.
  • If you do want to drink alcohol while being on medication, discuss it with your doctor or pharmacist first.

Herbal medicinal product: Soiae oleum raffinatumArray, D: Draft under discussion

Retrieved on: 
Saturday, February 10, 2024

Overview

Key Points: 
  • Overview
    This is a summary of the scientific conclusions reached by the Committee on Herbal Medicinal Products (HMPC) on the medicinal uses of soya-bean oil.
  • The HMPC conclusions are taken into account by EU Member States when evaluating applications for the licensing of herbal medicines containing soya-bean oil.
  • Soya-bean oil may also be found in combination with other herbal substances in some herbal medicines.
  • Key facts
    - Latin name
    - Soiae oleum raffinatum
    - English common name
    - Soya-bean oil
    - Botanical name
    Glycine max (L.) Merr., oleum
    - Therapeutic area
    - Skin disorders and minor wounds
    - Status
    - D: Draft under discussion
    - Date added to the inventory
    - Date added to priority list
    - Outcome of European assessment
    - European Union herbal monograph

Herbal medicinal product: Lecithinum ex soyaArray, D: Draft under discussion

Retrieved on: 
Saturday, February 10, 2024

Overview

Key Points: 
  • Overview
    This is a summary of the scientific conclusions reached by the Committee on Herbal Medicinal Products (HMPC) on the medicinal uses of soya-bean lecithin.
  • Herbal medicines containing soya-bean lecithin are usually available in solid or liquid forms to be taken by mouth.
  • Soya-bean lecithin may also be found in combination with other herbal substances in some herbal medicines.
  • Key facts
    - Latin name
    - Lecithinum ex soya
    - English common name
    - Soya-bean lecithin
    - Botanical name
    Glycine max (L.) Merr.

Herbal medicinal product: Matricariae aetheroleumArray, F: Assessment finalised

Retrieved on: 
Saturday, February 10, 2024

Herbal medicinal product: Matricariae aetheroleumArray, F: Assessment finalised

Key Points: 


Herbal medicinal product: Matricariae aetheroleumArray, F: Assessment finalised

'Premium Clean' expands its environmentally friendly business

Retrieved on: 
Friday, February 9, 2024

The increasing demand for specialised eco-friendly cleaning services meant the company quickly expanded its operations to cater to the needs of the growing clientele.

Key Points: 
  • The increasing demand for specialised eco-friendly cleaning services meant the company quickly expanded its operations to cater to the needs of the growing clientele.
  • Frequently, business owners and facility managers express a desire to transition towards more environmentally friendly cleaning practices, but they often question the efficiency of green products when compared to traditional ones due to lack of information.
  • Traditional cleaning products often release volatile organic compounds (VOCs), contributing to poor air quality.
  • In contrast, many eco-friendly cleaning products are produced using sustainable manufacturing techniques that rely on renewable energy sources.

Sugary handshakes are how cells talk to each other − understanding these name tags can clarify how the immune system works

Retrieved on: 
Thursday, February 8, 2024

Unlike people, cells perform these handshakes using the diverse range of sugar molecules coating their surface like trees covering a landscape.

Key Points: 
  • Unlike people, cells perform these handshakes using the diverse range of sugar molecules coating their surface like trees covering a landscape.
  • Handshakes between these sugar molecules, or glycans, trigger cells to react in specific ways toward each other, such as escape, ignore or destroy.

What are glycans?

  • The vast number of possible glycan structures that can be built from connecting these sugar molecules together allows glycans to store rich information.
  • Glycans are chemically bonded to proteins and lipids on the surface of red blood cells.
  • Notably, the surface of type A red blood cells have glycans that differ from the glycans on the surface of type B and type O red blood cells.
  • For example, distinctive glycoproteins cover the surface of the viruses that cause COVID-19, HIV and H1N1 influenza and help them infect cells.
  • Glycolipids also coat many bacteria, allowing them to stick to their hosts and protect them from viruses and immune cells.

How do cells read glycans?

  • Found on surfaces of certain immune cells, these lectins deliver the glycans to proteins on other immune cells that can now selectively destroy any viruses or cells that carry that glycan.
  • For example, these lectins recognize glycans on the surfaces of cancer cells and direct other immune cells to eliminate these cancer cells.
  • Another type of lectin called siglecs are found on surfaces of immune cells and help them distinguish self from nonself, that is, between the cells that make up the body and the cells that are foreign to the body.
  • The bacterial glycans in the vaccine trigger an immune response when immune cells recognize the glycans as foreign threats.

Examining every sugar molecule

  • Comprehensively extracting all the information stored in glycans is very difficult because there isn’t currently technology able to analyze the complex and diverse structures of glycans.
  • Individual glycans are composed of sugar molecules in unique arrangements, but current analytical tools can only simultaneously analyze many glycans.


My lab is confronting this challenge by developing imaging technology that can analyze the structure of glycans by imaging each individual molecule. Essentially, we’re developing a technique to open the jar and study every single candy one at a time. In the long run, my team aspires to unveil how these glycans present themselves to the proteins that recognize them and, finally, reveal the very language that cells use to express themselves.
Kelvin Anggara works for the Max Planck Institute for Solid State Research and receives funding from the European Research Council under Project GlycoX (101075996).