Month: July 2015
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Wireless System Developed to Deliver Drugs to Brain
17 July 2015. Engineers and medical researchers designed and tested in animals a system that implants drugs for the brain in ultra-thin optical cables, then triggers their release through wireless signals. The proof-of-concept system, developed at Washington University in St. Louis and University of Illinois in Urbana, is described in yesterday’s issue of the journal…
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Genetic Engineered Variety Controls Destructive Moth
16 July 2015. A genetically engineered diamondback moth that prevents females of the species from maturing is found in greenhouse tests to quickly control populations of this destructive pest. Results of the tests, led by biotechnology company Oxitec Ltd., appear today in the journal BMC Biology. The diamondback moth — Plutella xylostella — is a…
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Magnetic Nanoparticles Found to Boost Immunotherapy
15 July 2015. Researchers at Johns Hopkins University designed a process for making immunotherapy more practical as a cancer treatment by collecting cancer-fighting T-cells faster and easier with magnetic synthetic antigen nanoparticles. The team from the lab of Jonathan Schneck, professor of pathology at Johns Hopkins University medical center in Baltimore, published results of lab…
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Univ. Research Execs See Science Economic Benefits
15 July 2015. Senior research executives at 10 U.S. universities described the benefits of scientific research to their campuses, communities, and nation at a roundtable discussion today in Washington, D.C. The forum, organized by the Science Coalition and Association of American Universities, also described perils of uneven federal research funding as well as related dangers…
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Bristol-Myers Squibb, S.C. Med School Partner on Fibrosis
15 July 2015. Medical University of South Carolina and pharmaceutical company Bristol-Myers Squibb are collaborating on drug discovery research to better understand the science behind fibrosis diseases, leading to new treatments. Financial and intellectual property aspects of the partnership were not disclosed. Fibrosis is the growth of excess tissue that occurs in response to injury…
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Trial Testing Respiratory Muscle Drug for ALS Patients
14 July 2015. Biopharmaceutical company Cytokinetics is beginning a late-stage clinical trial of a drug designed to slow the decline of respiratory muscle functions in people with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS, a neurodegenerative disorder. In addition, Cytokinetics, in South San Francisco, California, received a $1.5 million grant from the ALS Association supporting the trial,…
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Process Adds Antimicrobial Silver Particles to Plants
14 July 2015. Engineers at North Carolina State University developed a process that adds biodegradable nanoparticles infused with silver to plant fibers that can kill a broad range of bacteria. A team from the lab of chemical engineering professor Orlin Velev, with colleagues from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and institutions in the U.K. and…
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FDA Clears Biotech Cancer Therapies for Early Trials
13 July 2015. Biotechnology company Blueprint Medicines says U.S. Food and Drug Administration accepted new drug applications on its two lead products, clearing the way for trials with humans. The Cambridge, Massachusetts enterprise is developing cancer therapies, with its lead products targeting liver and gastrointestinal tumors. Blueprint develops cancer therapies that limit the actions of…
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Spinal Stimulation Start-Up Wins $200K State Award
13 July 2015. PathMaker Neurosystems Inc., a developer of non-invasive devices that stimulate the spinal cord to relieve muscle weakness and paralysis, received a $200,000 award from a Massachusetts science funding agency. The grant was made by Massachusetts Life Sciences Center as part of its life sciences milestone achievement program. PathMaker’s technology uses electronic current…
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Univ. of Arizona Spin-Off Licenses Cancer Therapy
10 July 2015. A new company spun-off from University of Arizona licensed a cancer therapy based on research by a pharmacy faculty member at the school, also the company’s founder. Synactix Pharmaceuticals Inc. in Tucson is founded by pharmacology professor Hong-yu Li and postdoctoral fellow Brendan Fett. Li’s lab at Arizona studies cancer therapeutics, particularly…