Bacteria inflaming the meninges have developed an immunosuppressive mechanism that contributes to their ability to attack the brain. Researchers found that, by activating pain receptors (nociceptors) to release chemical substances that block an immune cell receptor, Streptococcus pneumoniae and Streptococcus agalactiae deactivated the protective function of macrophages and weakened brain defenses. This, in turn, enabled them to invade the brain.
Immorna Biotechnology Co. Ltd. raised nearly $100 million in series A+ and A++ financing rounds to speed up the clinical development and commercialization of its RNA-based therapeutics. Founded in 2019, Immorna develops therapeutics and vaccines based on its RNA platforms, including conventional, self-replicating and circular RNA.
Cocrystal Pharma Inc., Merck Sharp & Dohme Corp. and MSD R&D (China) Co. Ltd. have jointly patented new cap-dependent endonuclease (CEN) (influenza virus) inhibitors that are reported to be useful for the treatment of influenza.
Even its name is a testament to how enigmatic the tingible macrophage has been. Tingible, which means stainable, certainly gives no clues to its functions – but was, at least, one thing that was known about the cells. Now, scientists at the Garvan Institute of Medical Research have tracked the lifecycle and function of tangible macrophages in the lymph nodes, with implications for understanding autoimmune disorders, which are still poorly understood. Published March 2, 2023, in the journal Cell, the study highlights intravital imaging techniques the scientists used to observe how macrophages formed within the lymph nodes and how they behaved in real time.
Inovio Pharmaceuticals Inc. has “more work to do” in understanding mixed results with the DNA-based immunotherapy VGX-3100 as a treatment for cervical high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions associated with human papillomavirus (HPV)-16 or HPV-18, said Michael Sumner, chief medical officer for the company. “We only got the data in our hands about a week ago.”
Shanghai Aryl Pharmtech Co. Ltd. and Zhejiang Hisun Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd. have jointly patented aromatic acetylene derivatives acting as UDP-3-O-(R-3-hydroxymyristoyl)-N-acetylglucosamine deacetylase (LpxC) (bacterial) inhibitors and reported to be useful for the treatment of gram-negative bacterial infections.
An ongoing outbreak of mpox, a viral disease of zoonotic origin, was confirmed in May 2022 and has affected many countries worldwide. The spread of the virus is due to human-to-human transmission, but it remains unclear whether the responsible mpox strain is adapting to a new host.
A new study found that nebulized mRNA therapy could be an effective approach to treating acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), a rapidly progressing lung disease that can lead to respiratory failure and death. This work focused on two genes, nuclear factor kappaB (NF-κB) inhibitor α super-repressor (IκBα-SR) and superoxide dismutase 3 (SOD3), previously shown to reduce the severity of pneumonia when delivered prophylactically by viral vectors.
Although the U.S. FDA’s Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee (VRBPAC) voted unanimously, 12-0, March 1 that the data GSK plc presented was adequate to support the safety of its respiratory syncytial virus vaccine, several panelists cautioned the FDA against viewing the vote as a recommendation to license the vaccine before more data are available.
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