Congress and the FDA are pushing pharmaceutical companies to replace animals with technology for drug research. That’s a long way off, but startups and industry stalwarts are working to make it happen.
Category: biotech/medical – Page 50
Alzheimer’s Gene Therapy Shows Promise in Preserving Cognitive Function
Someone posted this, and reminded me I didn’t Researchers at University of California San Diego School of Medicine have developed a gene therapy for Alzheimer’s disease that could help protect the brain from damage and preserve cognitive function. Unlike existing treatments for Alzheimer’s that target unhealthy protein deposits in the brain, the new approach could help address the root cause of Alzheimer’s disease by influencing the behavior of brain cells themselves.
Alzheimer’s disease affects millions of people around the world and occurs when abnormal proteins build up in the brain, leading to the death of brain cells and declines in cognitive function and memory. While current treatments can manage symptoms of Alzheimer’s, the new gene therapy aims to halt or even reverse disease progression.
Studying mice, the researchers found that delivering the treatment at the symptomatic stage of the disease preserved hippocampal-dependent memory, a critical aspect of cognitive function that is often impaired in Alzheimer’s patients. Compared to healthy mice of the same age, the treated mice also had a similar pattern of gene expression, suggesting that the treatment has the potential to alter the behavior of diseased cells to restore them to a healthier state.
By reprogramming brain cells, a new gene therapy approach for Alzheimer’s developed by UC San Diego researchers could address the root cause of the disease to halt its progression.
TISSIUM Announces Clinical Results of COAPTIUM® CONNECT System for Atraumatic Sutureless Nerve Repair
Paris, France, Cambridge, USA, April 2nd, 2025 – TISSIUM, a privately-owned medtech company developing biomorphic programmable polymers for tissue reconstruction, is proud to unveil clinical data which were presented at the IFSSH Congress in Washington, D.C. on March 27, 2025, demonstrating the potential of its COAPTIUM® CONNECT System, an innovative atraumatic sutureless solution for peripheral nerve repair.
Peripheral nerve injuries pose a significant burden, often resulting in impaired nerve function, reduced dexterity, and decreased quality of life. Traditional microsurgical repair with sutures, while effective, presents challenges such as inconsistent functional recovery and the potential for additional nerve trauma. The need for disruptive technologies in nerve repair is clear—TISSIUM’s COAPTIUM® CONNECT System offers an innovative atraumatic sutureless method for coaptation of severed nerves.
Study Overview & Key Findings
A prospective, single-arm study was conducted in patients with digital nerve injuries to assess the COAPTIUM® CONNECT System. The trial enrolled 12 patients, of whom 10 completed the entire 1-year follow-up duration.
Scientists use dental floss to deliver vaccines without needles
Flossing your teeth at least once a day is an essential part of any oral health routine. But it might also one day protect other parts of the body as scientists have created a novel, needle-free vaccine approach using a specialized type of floss.
In a study published in Nature Biomedical Engineering, researchers demonstrated that when floss laced with vaccine components, such as proteins and inactive viruses, was applied along the gum lines of mice, it triggered an immune response.
This method of vaccine delivery is effective because the areas of gum between the teeth are highly permeable, allowing them to absorb vaccine molecules easily.
Quantum computing occurs naturally in the human brain, study finds
Kurian’s group believes these large tryptophan networks may have evolved to take advantage of their quantum properties. When cells breathe using oxygen—a process called aerobic respiration—they create free radicals, or reactive oxygen species (ROS). These unstable particles can emit high-energy UV photons, which damage DNA and other important molecules.
Tryptophan networks act as natural shields. They absorb this harmful light and re-emit it at lower energies, reducing damage. But thanks to superradiance, they may also perform this protective function much more quickly and efficiently than single molecules could.
Brain imaging may identify patients likely to benefit from anxiety care app
The preliminary study suggested that young people with weaker connections between two brain areas involved in both attending to and regulating responses to anxiety were more likely to benefit from a self-guided anxiety care app than those with stronger connections.
The study, published in JAMA Network Open, looked at data from a subset of clinical trial participants who agreed to undergo a brain MRI before using the anxiety care app developed by the investigators.
Neuroimaging Findings of CAR T-Cell-Associated NeurotoxicityA Review
This review explores the current literature on brain MRI findings of CAR-T–induced neurotoxicity, highlighting diagnostic capabilities, clinical implications, and emerging trends in advancing imaging modalities.
Chimeric antigen receptor T-cell (CAR-T) therapy has remarkable efficacy in treating refractory hematologic malignancies. However, CAR-T therapy may induce neurotoxic effects in some patients. Common symptoms of neurotoxicity range from early signs such as headache, confusion, delirium, and aphasia to severe manifestations such as seizures, motor weakness, increased intracranial pressure, cerebral edema, and coma. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can offer invaluable insight into resulting abnormalities in the structure, physiology, and function of the central nervous system. This review aims to examine the current literature on brain MRI findings of CAR-T–induced neurotoxicity, elucidating its diagnostic capabilities, clinical implications, and emerging trends in advancing imaging modalities.
