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Simpler Genome Editing Process Discovered
25 September 2015. Researchers at the Broad Institute, a biomedical research center affiliated with Harvard University and MIT, revealed a simpler and potentially more accurate technique for editing mammalian genomes than used today. The team led by biomedical engineering professor Feng Zhang, a pioneer in genomic editing technologies at Broad Institute and MIT, published its…
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Hydrogel Aids Stem Cells Repair Heart Functions
25 September 2015. Tissue engineers and medical researchers at Johns Hopkins University developed a gel material that holds and supports the work of stem cells in repairing heart damage in lab animals. The team led by cardiologist Marie Roselle Abraham and medical materials scientist Jennifer Elisseeff published its findings earlier this month in the journal…
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Diabetes Biotech Acquires GSK Spin-Off
24 September 2015. Intarcia Therapeutics, a developer of long-acting treatments for diabetes, is purchasing Phoundry Pharmaceuticals, a discoverer of engineered peptides for metabolic and other disorders. Phoundry — a spin-off company from GlaxoSmithKline in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina — is being acquired by Intarcia for an undisclosed amount of cash and stock. Intarcia, based…
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Engineered Viruses Harnessed to Fight Bacteria
24 September 2015. Researchers at Massachusetts Institute of Technology designed a new technique for fighting bacteria, by genetically engineering their natural predators, a type of virus. The team from the synthetic biology lab led by engineering professor Timothy Lu published its findings yesterday in the journal Cell Systems. Lu and colleagues are seeking a better…
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Yom Kippur 5776
23 September 2015. We’ll be observing Yom Kippur today, the day of atonement and holiest day in the Jewish calendar. Regular posting will resume tomorrow. In th meantime, here’s Brazilian gospel singer Leonardo Goncalves with his version of the haunting Hebrew prayer for Yom Kippur, Avinu Malkeinu. (Hat tip: J.J. Goldberg, Jewish Daily Forward) * …
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Clinical Trial Underway Testing Cancer Surgery Aid
22 September 2015. A clinical trial is enrolling patients with soft tissue sarcoma to test a synthetic peptide that illuminates cancer cells to make them more easily removed during surgery. The early-stage study is testing the safety of the peptide made by Blaze Bioscience Inc. in Seattle and conducted at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los…
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Virus Particles Rebuilt to Boost Immunotherapies
22 September 2015. Engineers at Stanford University redesigned a hepatitis virus from the inside out to make it a better vehicle to stimulate the immune system for treating disease. The team led by chemical and bioengineering professor James Swartz published its results yesterday in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (paid subscription required). Swartz…
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Regeneron to Develop Antibody Therapy for Ebola
21 September 2015. Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc. received a contract from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to develop an engineered antibody designed to treat Ebola infections. The initial $17 million contract from HHS’s Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority or BARDA covers initial development and testing work on the therapy, but the program…
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3-D Printed Guide Devised to Regrow Nerve Fibers
18 September 2015. Researchers from medical and engineering faculties at five universities in the U.S. developed a technique combining three-dimensional printing with tissue regeneration to grow new peripheral nerves in lab rats. The team led by mechanical engineering professor Michael McAlpine at University of Minnesota in Minneapolis published its findings today in the journal Advanced…
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Optical Device IDs Healthy, Cancerous Tissue in Surgery
18 September 2015. An engineering and medical team at University of Illinois in Champaign designed a surgical tool that identifies and discriminates between healthy and cancerous tissue in real time when removing tumors. Researchers led by engineering professor Stephen Boppart published results of a study testing the hand-held device with 35 breast cancer patients earlier…