Cell

Long COVID patients are much more likely to have multiple organ abnormalities

Retrieved on: 
Monday, October 2, 2023
People, Infection, Tissue, Heart, Vaccination, Disability studies, The Lancet, Mitochondrion, SARS-CoV-2, Chronic pain, Viral, Brain, COVID, Cough, Cell, Lung, Blood, MRI, Population, Patient, Risk, Immune system, Kidney, Virus, Pneumonia, Somatic symptom disorder, Disease, Vaccine, Pharmaceutical industry, Medical imaging

It wasn’t that long ago that some people speculated that long COVID was all in the mind – a psychosomatic illness.

Key Points: 
  • It wasn’t that long ago that some people speculated that long COVID was all in the mind – a psychosomatic illness.
  • I’m the lead investigator on an ongoing study called C-More which looks at the long-term harms caused by COVID.
  • People with long COVID who had abnormalities involving more than two organs were four times more likely to report “severe” or “very severe” mental and physical impairment.

In the beginning

    • But as our global understanding of the disease evolved, so did our appreciation of this complex disease.
    • Originally, the main theory put forward was that SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes COVID) was directly infecting cells across multiple organs.
    • COVID wasn’t merely a short respiratory affliction, but a multisystemic disease with the potential for long-term complications, challenging our assumptions about how to treat the disease.

The birth of C-More

    • Few studies on long COVID have looked at multiple organ harm in the same patient.
    • And those that have, have tended to focus on patients who weren’t hospitalised with COVID.
    • Pre-COVID MRI scans from patients were not available, making definitive conclusions about the link between COVID and the organ changes difficult.
    • For instance, even if the MRI showed an organ to be normal, a patient could still exhibit related symptoms.

Nobel prize in medicine awarded to mRNA pioneers – here's how their discovery was integral to COVID vaccine development

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Monday, October 2, 2023
Vaccine, BioNTech, Nobel Prize, DNA, University, Cell membrane, HIV, Guanine, Pseudouridine, Oxygen, Infection, COVID-19, Cancer, Lipid, Adenine, Physiology, Research, COVID, Cell, Zika virus, Messenger, Nucleoside, Cytosine, Uridine, Immune system, Viral, ARD International Music Competition, Mouse, Weissmann, Pfizer, Pharmaceutical industry

The rapid development of these vaccines changed the course of the pandemic, providing protection against the SARS-CoV-2 virus.

Key Points: 
  • The rapid development of these vaccines changed the course of the pandemic, providing protection against the SARS-CoV-2 virus.
  • Their discovery was not only integral to COVID-19 vaccine development, but may also lead to the development of many other therapies – such as vaccines for cancer.

Life’s work

    • It’s made in the body from our very own DNA in a process called translation.
    • DNA is our special encoded handbook of instructions for manufacturing proteins, which are the building blocks for material in the body.
    • The cells then make whatever protein they’ve been instructed to, such as haemoglobin for helping red blood cells carry oxygen around the body.
    • The researchers faced two major challenges as they began their work.
    • Karikó and Weissman’s research had successfully eliminated the obstacles that had previously stood in the way of using mRNA clinically.

COVID vaccines

    • Researchers had already been working on developing mRNA vaccines before the pandemic, such as a vaccine for Ebola that didn’t receive much commercial interest.
    • This produced a harmless COVID particle which our cells then replicated, allowing our bodies to protect us from severe COVID infections when it encountered the real virus.
    • Studies have also shown mRNA vaccines might be useful in treating certain types of cancer.

Capstan Therapeutics Co-Founder Drew Weissman, M.D., Ph.D., Awarded Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for Enabling Rapid Development of RNA-based COVID-19 Vaccine

Retrieved on: 
Monday, October 2, 2023
Health, Genetics, COVID-19, Research, Science, Pharmaceutical, Biotechnology, Nobel Prize, Partnership, University, Infection, Capstan equation, Cell, Messenger, Neurosurgery, ARD International Music Competition, Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, Therapy, Medicine, Disease, Pharmaceutical industry, Vaccine, Capstan, Physiology

Capstan Therapeutics, Inc., a biotechnology company dedicated to advancing in vivo reprogramming of cells through targeted lipid nanoparticles, today announced that the Company’s Co-Founder Drew Weissman, M.D., Ph.D., was awarded the 2023 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for his discoveries in nucleoside base modifications that enabled the development of effective mRNA vaccines against COVID-19.

Key Points: 
  • Capstan Therapeutics, Inc., a biotechnology company dedicated to advancing in vivo reprogramming of cells through targeted lipid nanoparticles, today announced that the Company’s Co-Founder Drew Weissman, M.D., Ph.D., was awarded the 2023 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for his discoveries in nucleoside base modifications that enabled the development of effective mRNA vaccines against COVID-19.
  • Dr. Weissman shares the award with his research collaborator of many years, Katalin Karikó, Ph.D., an adjunct professor of neurosurgery at the University of Pennsylvania.
  • “It has been a privilege to work with Dr. Weissman and our other collaborators on the founding technology for Capstan which was made possible by his many years of work on mRNA biology and delivery leading up to the Nobel Prize,” said Dr. Haig Aghajanian, Capstan Co-Founder and Vice President of Research.
  • “It’s been so rewarding to work side-by-side with him.”
    “All of the Capstaneers congratulate Dr. Weissman and Dr. Karikó on receiving the 2023 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for their visionary research in unlocking the power of mRNA-based therapeutics,” said Dr. Laura Shawver, President and Chief Executive Officer of Capstan.

Great Power to Partner with Ariel Green to Provide Technology Performance Insurance for Battery Customers

Retrieved on: 
Monday, October 2, 2023
Insurance, Policy, ESS, Great power, Letter, Cell, Mobile phone, Renewable energy

GUANGZHOU, China, Oct. 02, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Great Power , a leading global battery manufacturer since 2001, has signed a letter of intent with Ariel Green to provide technology performance insurance for its battery cells.

Key Points: 
  • GUANGZHOU, China, Oct. 02, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Great Power , a leading global battery manufacturer since 2001, has signed a letter of intent with Ariel Green to provide technology performance insurance for its battery cells.
  • Under the agreement, through Lloyd’s of London Syndicate 1910, Ariel Green will develop a coverage solution guaranteeing Great Power’s battery cells and systems backstopping the company’s warranty.
  • Through the collaborative process, Great Power will provide technical and strategic insight to help Ariel Green develop multiple insurance structures for the company’s lithium-ion battery products.
  • We look forward to developing and implementing this comprehensive insurance coverage, backed by Ariel Green,” said Yang Xia, head of Great Power global ESS.

Edward Owusu Kwarteng, Ph.D., BSc, MSc, Honored With The 2023 ASH-CIBMTR-ASTCT Career Development Award

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Monday, October 2, 2023
University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, National Marrow Donor Program, University, MCW, ASH, Senior, Virology, Medical college, Exposition, Transplant, Cell, Stem cell, Bachelor of Science, Health, University of Cape Coast, Glycolysis, Metabolism, MD, Patient, NMDP, Master of Science, Diversity, Medical College of Wisconsin, Inclusion, INRS, B cell, Society, Synthetic biology, Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, Nursing, Hematology, Research

This award is exclusively for clinical and translational researchers who plan to practice hematopoietic stem cell transplantation and cellular therapy clinical patient care.

Key Points: 
  • This award is exclusively for clinical and translational researchers who plan to practice hematopoietic stem cell transplantation and cellular therapy clinical patient care.
  • The CIBMTR is a research collaboration between the National Marrow Donor Program® (NMDP)/Be The Match® and the Medical College of Wisconsin (MCW).
  • The award is part of a program to increase racial and ethnic diversity in the next generation of medical professionals.
  • Dr. Kwarteng receives registration for the 2023 Tandem Meetings: Transplantation & Cellular Therapy Meetings of ASTCT and CIBMTR.

A Milestone Clinical Study Reveals that Elevating Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide (NAD+) with Nicotinamide Riboside (NR) Supplementation Effectively Reduces Inflammation in Both Healthy Subjects and Immune Cells Derived from Psoriasis Patients

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Monday, October 2, 2023
Research, General Health, Pharmaceutical, Consumer, Fitness & Nutrition, Clinical Trials, Science, Biotechnology, Seniors, Alternative Medicine, Vitamins, Supplements, Health, Exercise, DNA, Human, Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide, Diabetes, Metabolism, NR, Nicotinamide riboside, Cardiovascular disease, ATP, Clinical trial, Ageing, NAD, ChromaDex, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, Inflammation, Cell, Lung, Lupus, Bangladesh Technical Education Board, Trial of the century, Psoriasis, Amna Elhassan, NHLBI, Patient, Polyphosphate, Sleep deprivation, Conditional sentence, Smoking, Adenosine triphosphate, MRC Mitochondrial Biology Unit, NIH, Cell Reports, DNA repair, Pharmaceutical industry, Dietary supplement

The clinical trial was part of the ChromaDex External Research Program (CERP™), which donated ChromaDex’s patented nicotinamide riboside (NR) ingredient, Niagen, for the advancement of this research.

Key Points: 
  • The clinical trial was part of the ChromaDex External Research Program (CERP™), which donated ChromaDex’s patented nicotinamide riboside (NR) ingredient, Niagen, for the advancement of this research.
  • This is Dr. Sack’s fourth published study on NR, and the seventh clinical study overall, that demonstrates NR’s effectiveness in reducing inflammation, an important indicator of how the body is aging,” remarked Rob Fried, CEO of ChromaDex.
  • This is the third published human clinical study demonstrating that NR supplementation has a protective effect in healthy individuals and lays the foundation for future clinical research ( Elhassan et al.
  • Research suggests a depletion of NAD+ is associated with impaired inflammatory responses and innate immune dysfunction, indicating NAD+ levels may have a critical impact on the function of immune cells.

SAB Biotherapeutics Announces Private Placement of up to $130 Million to Advance Development of Lead Drug Candidate for Type 1 Diabetes

Retrieved on: 
Monday, October 2, 2023
SAB, JDRF, Maintenance, Serum sickness, Insulin, Human, Diabetes, Investment, T1D, Cell, Immunotherapy, Patient, Risk, Offering, Immunoglobulin G, ATG, Blaine Higgs, Conditional sentence, Pharmaceutical industry, Bank, Vaccine

SIOUX FALLS, S.D., Oct. 02, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- SAB Biotherapeutics (Nasdaq: SABS), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company with a novel immunotherapy platform that is developing fully-human anti-thymocyte immunoglobulin (hIgG) for delaying the onset or progression of type 1 diabetes (T1D), today announced the Company has entered into a securities purchase agreement (the “Securities Purchase Agreement”) with certain accredited investors (the “Investors”), pursuant to which the Company agreed to issue and sell shares of preferred stock in a private placement (the “Offering”). The Offering will provide up to $130 million in gross proceeds to SAB, which will be used to fund the company’s lead research program, SAB-142, a potential disease-modifying treatment for T1D. The full proceeds, when funded, are expected to fund the company through 2026 and topline Phase II results.

Key Points: 
  • The Offering will provide up to $130 million in gross proceeds to SAB, which will be used to fund the company’s lead research program, SAB-142, a potential disease-modifying treatment for T1D.
  • The full proceeds, when funded, are expected to fund the company through 2026 and topline Phase II results.
  • The transaction is being led by RA Capital Management, with participation from BVF Partners, Sessa Capital, Commodore Capital, RTW Investments, Marshall Wace, and the JDRF T1D Fund.
  • SAB will use the funds to clinically advance SAB-142, its lead therapeutic candidate for T1D, which is expected to advance to clinical trials in Q4 2023.

Nexcella Announces 72-Patient NXC-201 Clinical Data at the IMS 20th Annual Meeting, 95% Overall Response Rate in Multiple Myeloma

Retrieved on: 
Monday, October 2, 2023
Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, Hospital, Multiple myeloma, AL amyloidosis, Cell, Clinical data repository, Hadassah Medical Center, Patient, Data, IMS, Amyloidosis, LOS, IND, BCMA, Safety, Pharmaceutical industry, Medical device, Immunotherapy

95% overall response rate observed in relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma patients not previously treated with BCMA-targeted therapy.

Key Points: 
  • 95% overall response rate observed in relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma patients not previously treated with BCMA-targeted therapy.
  • “We feel these overall response rate data are compelling as 72% was the overall response rate reported for ABECMA from its pivotal 100-patient KarMMa trial in relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma.
  • “The waiting lists at major academic medical centers in the United States for multiple myeloma CAR-Ts reflect unmet medical need.
  • This could meaningfully reduce hospital costs and enable NXC-201 CAR-T therapy to be widely adopted.”
    The 20th IMS multiple myeloma poster can be accessed on the Nexcella corporate website at this link: https://nexcella.com/publications/
    Nexcella Announces 72-Patient NXC-201 Clinical Data at the IMS 20th Annual Meeting, 95% Overall Response Rate in Multiple Myeloma
    20th International Myeloma Society Annual Meeting, Athens, Greece

Immix Biopharma Announces 72-Patient NXC-201 Clinical Data at the IMS 20th Annual Meeting, 95% Overall Response Rate in Multiple Myeloma

Retrieved on: 
Monday, October 2, 2023
Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, Hospital, Multiple myeloma, AL amyloidosis, Cell, Clinical data repository, Hadassah Medical Center, Patient, Data, IMS, Amyloidosis, LOS, IND, BCMA, Safety, Pharmaceutical industry, Medical device, Immunotherapy

LOS ANGELES, Oct. 02, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Immix Biopharma Inc. (Nasdaq: IMMX) (“ImmixBio”, “Company”, “We” or “Us”) today announced the presentation of updated data from the ongoing Phase 1b/2 NEXICART-1 (NCT04720313) study of its novel, autologous, BCMA-targeted chimeric antigen receptor T (CAR-T) cell therapy NXC-201. The updated dataset consists of 63 multiple myeloma patients (including data on 13 new patients and continued follow-up data on 50 previously enrolled patients), at a poster presentation at the 20th International Myeloma Society Annual Meeting in Athens, Greece on September 27-30, 2023 (72 patient count includes 9 AL Amyloidosis patients which will be announced separately).

Key Points: 
  • 95% overall response rate observed in relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma patients not previously treated with BCMA-targeted therapy.
  • “We feel these overall response rate data are compelling as 72% was the overall response rate reported for ABECMA from its pivotal 100-patient KarMMa trial in relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma.
  • “The waiting lists at major academic medical centers in the United States for multiple myeloma CAR-Ts reflect unmet medical need.
  • This could meaningfully reduce hospital costs and enable NXC-201 CAR-T therapy to be widely adopted.”
    The 20th IMS multiple myeloma poster can be accessed on the ImmixBio corporate website at this link: https://immixbio.com/pipeline/#publications
    Immix Biopharma Announces 72-Patient NXC-201 Clinical Data at the IMS 20th Annual Meeting, 95% Overall Response Rate in Multiple Myeloma
    20th International Myeloma Society Annual Meeting, Athens, Greece

Rocket Pharmaceuticals Announces FDA Acceptance of Biologics License Application with Priority Review for RP-L201 (marnetegragene autotemcel) for the Treatment of Severe Leukocyte Adhesion Deficiency-I (LAD-I)

Retrieved on: 
Monday, October 2, 2023
Science, Biotechnology, Research, Pharmaceutical, Health, FDA, Genetics, Clinical Trials, Biologics license application, Priority review, University, Pediatrics, Molecule, Pharming, Infection, Survival, Skin, MBA, University of California, Disorder, Medication, Șaeș, Molecular genetics, Patient, Cell, Disease, PDUFA, Mortality, Immunology, Principal, UCLA, Pharmacology, Regulation of food and dietary supplements by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, BLA, Food, Caregiver, Pharmaceutical industry, Microbiology

“Today’s acceptance of the BLA by the FDA marks a significant milestone for Rocket towards our goal of delivering a one-time gene therapy to patients facing the devastating effects of severe LAD-I.

Key Points: 
  • “Today’s acceptance of the BLA by the FDA marks a significant milestone for Rocket towards our goal of delivering a one-time gene therapy to patients facing the devastating effects of severe LAD-I.
  • All primary and secondary endpoints were met, and RP-L201 was very well tolerated in all patients with no treatment related SAEs.
  • “As the Principal Investigator in the U.S., I oversaw treatment of six of the nine LAD-I patients in this trial.
  • All of these children have been in good health with no significant LAD-I-related infections or inflammatory skin lesions since treatment.