What is new in Biotech
Images reveal how bacteria form communities on the human tongue
25.3.2020 | Press monitoring
Using a recently developed fluorescent imaging technique, researchers in the United States have developed high-resolution maps of microbial communities on the human tongue. The images, presented March 24 in the journal Cell Reports, reveal that microbial biofilms on the surface of the tongue have a complex, highly structured spatial...
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Opening a new chapter in antibody mimetics
23.3.2020 | Press monitoring
Antibodies are proteins that act as recognition molecules for pathogens, like viruses and bacteria, and are the workhorses of the body's immune system. They recognize specific molecules and bind to them very strongly, which makes them ideal for biomedical applications like diagnostics or therapeutic treatments. Unfortunately, production of...
First supercentenarian-derived stem cells created
20.3.2020 | Press monitoring
People who live more than 110 years, called supercentenarians, are remarkable not only because of their age, but also because of their incredible health. This elite group appears resistant to diseases such as Alzheimer's, heart disease and cancer that still affect even centenarians. However, we don't know why some people become supercentenarians...
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Charged particles kill cancer by clogging up its waste disposal unit
18.3.2020 | Press monitoring
Lysosomes are tiny sacs packed with enzymes and acids that degrade unwanted parts of the cell, before either recycling them or dumping them outside the cell walls, much like you'd take your trash out to the curb. Recent research has suggested lysosomes could play a role in Alzheimer's, where a dysfunctional disposal system can enable the buildup...
New kind of CRISPR technology to target RNA, including RNA viruses like coronavirus
16.3.2020 | Press monitoring
CRISPR-based genetic screens have helped scientists identify genes that are key players in sickle-cell anemia, cancer immunotherapy, lung cancer metastasis, and many other diseases. However, these genetic screens are limited in scope: They can only edit or target DNA. For many regions of the human genome, targeting DNA may not be effective, and...
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Copying a cancer trick prevents organ transplant rejection in rats
13.3.2020 | Press monitoring
Cancer is a crafty foe, employing an array of tricky techniques to hide from the immune system while it grows. But now, scientists have managed to copy one of those strategies and use it for good, making new microparticles that permanently prevent transplanted tissue or even whole limbs from being rejected by the immune system. Transplanted...
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Edible vaccines stored in cheap, easily transportable dissolving films
11.3.2020 | Press monitoring
Vaccines have become an indispensable medical tool that offer protection from an ever-increasing range of diseases, but these living strains of viruses need to be kept cool to be effective. This is a real problem when it comes to distributing them to remote or developing areas, but a new delivery method from scientists at University of Texas at...
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CRISPR treatment inserted directly into the body for first time
9.3.2020 | Press monitoring
A person with a genetic condition that causes blindness has become the first to receive a CRISPR–Cas9 gene therapy administered directly into their body. The treatment is part of a landmark clinical trial to test the ability of CRISPR–Cas9 gene-editing techniques to remove mutations that cause a rare condition called Leber’s congenital amaurosis...
Edited bone marrow cells trigger striking tumor regression in mice
6.3.2020 | Press monitoring
Immunotherapy is an increasingly powerful form of cancer treatment where the patient's own immune system is equipped with heightened abilities to take down the disease, and one promising arm of this is known as adoptive cell therapy. This involves using altered versions of a patient's own cells to trigger a more strong-handed response from their...
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The hungry gut bacteria that enable waxworms to live on plastic waste
4.3.2020 | Press monitoring
Plastic pollution is a monumental issue and one that isn’t going away anytime soon, but researchers are opening up new possibilities around how we could chip away at the problem.¨ Scientists working in this area at Canada’s Brandon University have made an exciting discovery, zeroing in on the mechanisms that enable a common species of caterpillar...
