News
Maternal microbiome affects brain development in mice
Researchers led by UCLA’s Helen E. Vuong have determined that the presence of specific bacteria in the gut of pregnant mice can lead to long-term behavioral changes in the mice’s offspring. The group’s work contributes to the growing understanding of the relationship between gut bacteria and brain development.
Microgels protect transplanted islet cells from immune system
People with type I diabetes are unable to make the insulin needed to regulate their blood sugar, which is why they must take exogenous insulin every day. Another treatment option is pancreatic islet transplantation, wherein healthy donor islets (tiny structures which contain insulin-producing beta cells) are transplanted into the diabetic patient.
New syringe design facilitates injection of viscous biologics
A research team at MIT, led by Dr. Kripa Varanasi, has figured out a way around one of the major barriers to the delivery of concentrated biologic drugs.
Duke scientists describe inexpensive method to measure mask efficacy
Researchers at Duke University have developed a simple, low-cost method to assess the efficacy of different face masks at reducing the transmission of respiratory droplets during normal speech. Respiratory droplets are believed to be the primary way that people spread SARS-CoV-2 to one another.
A New Affinity Tag for Protein Purification
Researchers at Pohang University of Science & Technology have developed a novel technique to affinity tag and purify recombinant proteins. Their method does not rely on protein-based affinity ligands, but rather utilizes cucurbiturils, a family of macrocyclic molecules named after their resemblance to pumpkins (family Cucurbitaceae).
Coronavirus vaccines moving forward
Development of COVID-19 vaccines is moving forward at an unprecedented pace, and the public interest and press coverage are huge. And yet it is not easy for lay person or scientist to keep track of the multitude of vaccine candidates.
Break-through in mitochondrial gene editing
Mitochondria, the organelles that produce most of a cell’s energy, are distinguished from other organelles by having their own genetic information which is independent of the nucleus. The mitochondrial genome encodes for only 13 proteins, but these proteins are not only very important for energy generation; mutations in these genes are known to be responsible for a number of inherited diseases and they have been implicated in metabolic diseases, aging and neurodegeneration.
Chemotherapy leads to drug resistance in tumor blood vessels
Scientists at Hokkaido University have published research on the effects of chemotherapy on the cells that line the blood vessels inside tumors. They found that, in response to first-line chemotherapy, these tumor endothelial cells (TEC) can become drug-resistant, which allows the tumors themselves to survive chemotherapy and metastasize.
FDA’s Project Patient Voice makes patient-reported outcomes publicly available
On Tuesday, the FDA announced a new program called Project Patient Voice that aims to provide cancer patients with more information about their treatment options by making patient-reported outcome (PRO) data from clinical trials publicly available.
Super-antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 show promising results in animals
If you’ve been following biomedical news on the novel coronavirus over the last several months, there’s a good chance you’ve heard about the potential for antibodies from recovered COVID-19 patients (convalescent antibodies) to help fight the virus and provide temporary immunity to healthcare workers and other persons at high risk of contracting the virus.