The largest biotech city in Europe will soon be built, with an … – BioPharma Dive

VILNIUS, Lithuania

The largest biotech city in Europe will soon be built, with an investment amounting to 7 billion euros

Northway Group is embarking on a project to establish Europes largest biotechnology hub, BIO CITY, in Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania. It includes 6 large biotechnological complexes 4 state-of-the-art GMP manufacturing plants and 2 advanced scientific research centres that will be built in an area equivalent to 10 football fields.The total investment for this biotech campus is projected to reach approximately 7 billion euros over the next decade.

A science-based economy, supported by bright minds and intelligent entrepreneurs, is the foundation for Lithuanias long-term economic prosperity. In the past, our growth was constrained by a lack of fossil resources, but today, we are boldly moving forward, relying on modern technologies. The new biotechnology hub embodies the direction of Lithuanias innovative economy. It also promises new inventions that will enable people with serious illnesses to become full members of society, thereby reducing exclusion, says the President of the Republic of Lithuania, Gitanas Nausda.

Prof. Vladas Algirdas Bumelis, founder and CEO of Northway Biotech and Celltechna, key components of the Northway Group, highlighted Lithuanias strong global standing in biotechnology. The aim of the BIO CITY project is to further solidify this position with four advanced biomanufacturing facilities and two innovative research centres, significantly boosting Lithuania's prominence in the international biotech sphere.

The Speaker of the Seimas, parliament of Lithuania, states that the new biotech city being developed in Vilnius will strengthen the competitiveness of our country. Lithuanian life sciences industry has ambitions and potential to become a global leader in this field: a leader who will significantly contribute to the development of scientific research for the well-being of man, nature and planet, and will facilitate new opportunities to deal with global health, sustainable development and other challenges, says Viktorija milyt-Nielsen.

Vision of BIO CITY: A European Biotechnology Leader

We envision BIO CITY as a frontrunner in the European biotechnology, by uniquely integrating various biotech segments into a single, synergistic ecosystem. This multifunctional complex will catalyse interdisciplinary collaborations, the quick realisation of ideas and technological advancements. Our unique model, which brings together diverse biotechnology fields in one location, is set to revolutionise the European biotech landscape, said Prof. V. A. Bumelis.

Gene Therapy Centre will Open in 2024

The first facility to open its doors in the biotech hub BIO CITY will be the Gene Therapy Centre, which is currently under construction and is being built by Northway Groups subsidiary, Celltechna. This centre, the first and so far the only one of its kind in the Baltic States, will bolster Lithuania's role in gene therapy, addressing the needs of the 280 million individuals worldwide who are affected by genetic diseases.

Our state-of-the-art facility will be instrumental in both research and production, offering new treatments for previously incurable diseases. This will not only augment our CDMO (Contract Development and Manufacturing Organisation) capabilities, but also position us for global competition and collaborations, added Prof. V. A. Bumelis.

The Gene Therapy Centre, which is expected to become operational in the second quarter of 2024, will specialise in gene therapy research and GMP manufacturing. Representing an investment of 50 million euros, the facility will span 8,000 square metres and is anticipated to create over 100 high-value jobs. The centre will work in synergy with Northway Biotech. Established in 2004, Northway Biotech is a leading provider of CDMO services in the field of biologics, with a focus on the development and manufacturing of recombinant proteins and antibodies.

A Comprehensive Lithuanian Biotech Hub

By 2030, BIO CITY will see the inauguration of five additional complexes, including centres for R&D and Virology, Life Sciences Industry Smart Services, Stem Cell Research and 3D Bioprinting, as well as two large-scale production centres for mammalian and microbial products. The entire BIO CITY complex will span an area equivalent to 10 football fields, with the total investment expected to reach around 7 billion euros over the next decade.

We will not only focus on contract development and manufacturing services, but will also invest significantly in the operation of scientific research centres. Scientific activity enhances a countrys competitiveness and generates value in various forms, beyond just the economic aspect. Modern biotechnologies, such as gene editing and cell therapies, are advancing rapidly. Lithuania can pride itself on having some of the most talented scientists and robust expertise in these areas. The development of the biotech campus in Vilnius means we are poised to foster new partnerships with innovative startups, research institutions and pharmaceutical companies on a global scale. We are actively seeking partnerships and offer a warm invitation to investors who are enthusiastic about joining this exciting venture, said Prof. V. A. Bumelis.

Upon its completion, BIO CITY is expected to offer employment to approximately 2,100 highly skilled professionals, including scientists, biotechnologists, and medical engineers.

Lithuania is Among the Leaders in the Global Biotechnology Market

The global biotechnology market, currently valued at over 1,130 billion euros, is anticipated to grow to be worth more than 2,775 billion euros by 2030. Lithuania holds a strong position in this market, ranking among the Top 35 innovative countries in the biotechnology field, according to Scientific American Worldview.

Every year, Lithuania is mentioned in the field of Life Sciences more often, and the ambitious BIO CITY project will contribute to our leadership. Our vision is coming to life we are talking about world-class Life Sciences infrastructure and a competitive sector capable of building innovative products. In 2022, companies in the sector posted combined revenues of 1.5 billion euros, while exporting their goods to more than 100 countries. Overall, Life Sciences is a leading sector in Lithuania, when it comes to creating and implementing innovative solutions, states Aurin Armonait, the Minister of the Economy and Innovation.

Over 80 life science companies operate in Lithuania, contributing about 2.5% to the countrys GDP. The Northway group, a key player in Lithuanias biotech sector, manages seven companies: five in Lithuania and one each in the UK and the US, with the US entity being recognised as the largest biotech investor from the Baltic region in recent years. Employing more than 200 specialists, these companies provide services to a diverse array of international biopharmaceutical firms, ranging from small to large enterprises, predominantly operating in both Europe and the US.

BIO CITY Contacts:

Vladas Algirdas Bumelis

CEO and Chairman of the Board

[emailprotected]

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The largest biotech city in Europe will soon be built, with an ... - BioPharma Dive

Mutation in Brain’s Immune Cells Linked to Alzheimer’s Risk – Neuroscience News

Summary: A genetic mutation affecting microglia, the brains immune cells, can increase the risk of Alzheimers disease up to threefold.

The mutation, known as TREM2 R47H/+, impairs microglia function and contributes to Alzheimers pathology. It causes inflammation, reduces debris clearance, impairs response to neuronal injury, and leads to excessive synapse pruning.

The study highlights the complex impact of this mutation, offering insights for potential therapeutic interventions in Alzheimers disease.

Key Facts:

Source: MIT

A rare but potent genetic mutation that alters a protein in the brains immune cells, known as microglia, can give people as much as a three-fold greater risk of developing Alzheimers disease.

A new study by researchers in The Picower Institute for Learning and Memory at MIT details how the mutation undermines microglia function, explaining how it seems to generate that higher risk.

This TREM2 R47H/+ mutation is a pretty important risk factor for Alzheimers disease, said study lead author Jay Penney, a former postdoc in the MIT lab of Picower ProfessorLi-Huei Tsai. Penney is now an incoming assistant professor at the University of Prince Edward Island.

This study adds clear evidence that microglia dysfunction contributes to Alzheimers disease risk.

In the study in the journalGLIA, Tsai and Penneys team shows that human microglia with the R47H/+ mutation in the TREM2 protein exhibit several deficits related to Alzheimers pathology. Mutant microglia are prone to inflammation yet are worse at responding to neuron injury and less able to clear harmful debris including the Alzheimers hallmark protein amyloid beta.

When the scientists transferred TREM2 mutant human microglia into the brains of mice, the mice suffered a significant decline in the number of synapses, or connections between their neurons, which can impair the circuits that enable brain functions such as memory.

The study is not the first to ask how the TREM2 R47H/+ mutation contributes to Alzheimers, but it may advance scientists emerging understanding, Penney said. Early studies suggested that the mutation simply robbed the protein of its function, but the new evidence paints a deeper and more nuanced picture.

While the microglia do exhibit reduced debris clearance and injury response, they become overactive in other ways, such as their overzealous inflammation and synapse pruning.

There is a partial loss of function but also a gain of function for certain things, Penney said.

Misbehaving microglia

Rather than rely on mouse models of TREM2 R47H/+ mutation, Penney, Tsai and their co-authors focused their work on human microglia cell cultures. To do this they used a stem cell line derived from skin cells donated by a healthy 75-year-old woman.

In some of the stem cells they then used CRISPR gene editing to insert the R47H/+ mutation and then cultured both edited and unedited stem cells to become microglia. This strategy gave them a supply of mutated microglia and healthy microglia, to act as experimental controls, that were otherwise genetically identical.

The team then looked to see how harboring the mutation affected each cell lines expression of its genes. The scientists measured more than 1,000 differences but an especially noticeable finding was that microglia with the mutation increased their expression of genes associated with inflammation and immune responses.

Then, when they exposed microglia in culture to chemicals that simulate infection, the mutant microglia demonstrated a significantly more pronounced response than normal microglia, suggesting that the mutation makes microglia much more inflammation-prone.

In further experiments with the cells, the team exposed them to three kinds of the debris microglia typically clear away in the brain: myelin, synaptic proteins and amyloid beta. The mutant microglia cleared less than the healthy ones.

Another job of microglia is to respond when cells, such as neurons, are injured. Penney and Tsais team co-cultured microglia and neurons and then zapped the neurons with a laser.

For the next 90 minutes after the injury the team tracked the movement of surrounding microglia. Compared to normal microglia, those with the mutation proved less likely to head toward the injured cell.

Finally, to test how the mutant microglia act in a living brain, the scientists transplanted mutant or healthy control microglia into mice in a memory-focused region of the brain called the hippocampus. The scientists then stained that region to highlight various proteins of interest.

Having mutant or normal human microglia didnt matter for some measures, but proteins associated with synapses were greatly reduced in mice where the mutated microglia were implanted.

By combining evidence from the gene expression measurements and the evidence from microglia function experiments, the researchers were able to formulate new ideas about what drives at least some of the microglial misbehavior. For instance, Penney and Tsais team noticed a decline in the expression of a purinergic receptor protein involving sensing neuronal injury perhaps explaining why mutant microglia struggled with that task.

They also noted that mice with the mutation overexpressed complement proteins used to tag synapses for removal. That might explain why mutant microglia were overzealous about clearing away synapses in the mice, Penney said, though increased inflammation might also cause that by harming neurons overall.

As the molecular mechanisms underlying microglial dysfunction become clearer, Penney said, drug developers will gain critical insights into ways to target the higher disease risk associated with the TREM2 R47H/+ mutation.

Our findings highlight multiple effects of the TREM2 R47H/+ mutation likely to underlie its association with Alzheimers disease risk and suggest new nodes that could be exploited for therapeutic intervention, the authors conclude.

In addition to Penney and Tsai, the papers other authors are William Ralvenius, Anjanet Loon, Oyku Cerit, Vishnu Dileep, Blerta Milo, Ping-Chieh Pao, and Hannah Woolf.

Funding: The Robert A. and Renee Belfer Family Foundation, The Cure Alzheimers Fund, the National Institutes of Health, The JPB Foundation, The Picower Institute for Learning and Memory and the Human Frontier Science Program provided funding for the study.

Author: David Orenstein Source: MIT Contact: David Orenstein MIT Image: The image is credited to Neuroscience News

Original Research: Open access. iPSC-derived microglia carrying the TREM2 R47H/+ mutation are proinflammatory and promote synapse loss by Jay Penney et al. Glia

Abstract

iPSC-derived microglia carrying the TREM2 R47H/+ mutation are proinflammatory and promote synapse loss

Genetic findings have highlighted key roles for microglia in the pathology of neurodegenerative conditions such as Alzheimers disease (AD). A number of mutations in the microglial protein triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells 2 (TREM2) have been associated with increased risk for developing AD, most notably the R47H/+ substitution.

We employed gene editing and stem cell models to gain insight into the effects of the TREM2 R47H/+ mutation on human-induced pluripotent stem cell-derived microglia. We found transcriptional changes affecting numerous cellular processes, with R47H/+ cells exhibiting a proinflammatory gene expression signature.

TREM2 R47H/+ also caused impairments in microglial movement and the uptake of multiple substrates, as well as rendering microglia hyperresponsive to inflammatory stimuli. We developed an in vitro laser-induced injury model in neuronmicroglia cocultures, finding an impaired injury response by TREM2 R47H/+ microglia.

Furthermore, mouse brains transplanted with TREM2 R47H/+ microglia exhibited reduced synaptic density, with upregulation of multiple complement cascade components in TREM2 R47H/+ microglia suggesting inappropriate synaptic pruning as one potential mechanism.

These findings identify a number of potentially detrimental effects of the TREM2 R47H/+ mutation on microglial gene expression and function likely to underlie its association with AD.

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Mutation in Brain's Immune Cells Linked to Alzheimer's Risk - Neuroscience News

The Song of the Cell: An exploration of medicine and the new human – Reformed Journal

The Song of the Cell: An exploration of medicine and the new human

Siddhartha Mukherjee

Published by Scribner in 2022

496pp / $$17.89 / 978-1982117351

Ive spent more than thirty years studying cells of various types. First cells like those that make up human bodies (and their misbehaving counterpartscancer cells) and now bacterial cells. Its not at all difficult for me to tap my inner Miss Frizzle, hop on the Magic School Bus, and take a ride to the inside a cell. Its easy for me to picture ribosomes translating mRNA in the cytosol above my head, imagine importins carrying proteins through nuclear pores, and signal transduction cascades activating one protein after another like dominos falling. While I am familiar with the vivid molecular details, I know that visualizing those molecular details, much less cells, is not easy for most non-scientists. I believe that in spite of this, many people carry some curiosity about how cells work. Perhaps this curiosity arises when they encounter a disease or diagnosis, when something goes wrong with their bodies, or simply when they ponder the wonders of the natural world. At least I hope this is true. If you are someone who wonders about cells but thinks it would take too much time and effort to learn about them, The Song of the Cell: An Exploration of Medicine and the New Human is a book for you.

The author, Siddhartha Mukherjee, is an Associate Professor of Medicine in the Division of Hematology and Oncology at Columbia University where he is an oncologist and researcher, specializing in the physiology of cancer cells, stem cells in bone, and immunological therapy for cancers of the blood, such as leukemia and lymphoma. He is a prolific author with scientific publications in Nature and The New England Journal of Medicine, as well as the author of this and three other books for lay audiences. Mukherjees first book, The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer, won the Pulitzer Prize in 2011. His second book, The Gene: An Intimate History, was a New York Times bestseller. Mukherjees success as a popular nonfiction writer is not surprising. He has an uncanny ability to make complicated scientific processes accessible without sacrificing beauty, complexity, or accuracy. He is a master storyteller, especially gifted at using metaphors to help non-scientists picture and understand the inner workings of cells and other complicated biological processes.

What made this book especially compelling for me (and for my Cell Biology students, to whom I assigned the book last semester) was how Mukherjee was able to weave together basic cell biology with touching stories of patients who were dealing with cellular diseases as well as how our current understanding of how cells work was being used and applied to treat his patientssometimes with seemingly miraculous outcomes and sometimes with heartbreaking disappointment. He explores cancer, infertility, heart disease, bacterial and viral infections, autoimmune disease, depression, and organ/tissue transplantation in this nearly 400-page book. Despite its length, it reads quicklyperhaps because Mukherjee carefully intersperses history and complex science with personal stories of researchers, patients, and his own research.

In Emperor of All Maladies and The Gene, I found Mukherjees presentation of the science a bit too linear, giving the impression that one discovery led neatly to the next and then the next. As a scientist who spent ten years studying cancer cell biology and genetics, I know too well that the path to understanding how cells, cancer cells in particular, is laden with failures, misinterpretations, and mistakes. We zig-zag toward understanding much more than we take a straight path to it. In this book, Mukherjee makes more room for the missteps, arguments, and biases that shape scientific advances as much as the successes and collaborations, presenting what seemed to me a truer picture of how science actually works.

I didnt need much encouragement to read this book but why should a non-scientist pick it up? think this book helps a non-scientist to better appreciate the crooked path science takes toward understanding whatever it is they are studying. Readers will come away with a better understanding of how cells work and why sometimes the cells in our bodies fail. A deeper understanding of cells generates better questions when faced with health issues, greater appreciation of the available treatments and those who work to develop those treatments. Most importantly, I think readers will come away with a new level of awe at the wonder of Gods good creation and a deeper reason to worship the author of these wonder-filled, smallest units of life we call cells.

Sara Sybesma Tolsma, PhD is Professor of Biology at Northwestern College, Orange City, IA. She is currently working to discover novel bacteriophages (viruses that infect bacteria) and characterize their genomes.

Link:
The Song of the Cell: An exploration of medicine and the new human - Reformed Journal

Ethics education among obstetrics and gynecologists in Saudi … – BMC Medical Education

Descriptions of the characteristics of the respondents

A total of 391 out of 1,000 OB/GYN practitioners responded to the survey questions by email; therefore, the response rate was 39.1%. Participants responded from all provinces of Saudi Arabia. Female respondents totaled 257 (66.4%), which was almost double the rate of male respondents. The married respondents totaled 291 (75.6%), whereas 94 (24.4%) were unmarried.

The study included participants of all ages, with approximate percentages of the participants between 30 and 50years is more than 60%.

Saudi physicians accounted for 213 (55.9%) participants and 371 (94.8%) Muslims. Approximately 247(63.1%) of the respondents were working in a tertiary government teaching hospital, whereas government non-teaching and private hospitals accounted for 107 (27%) of the participants.

Fifty-five percent of the participants were OB/GYN Board certified under different types of boards. Most of the physicians were certified by the Saudi Arabian board (18.2%), followed by the Arab board and Egyptian board (10.5%) and (6.9%) respectively; however, physicians holding Western certificates from Canada, England, US, or Indian boards were minimal in numbers.

The participants had equal percentages in relation to their tier position. The consultants and registrars in the sample numbers were 119 (30.4%) and 126 (32.23%), respectively; the remaining were residents.

Around 192 (49%) physicians had more than 10years of experience in the field of OB/GYN. Currently, 61 (15.6%) of the practitioners face 110 ethical issues monthly in their practice, while the majority 309 (79.03%) face less than one issue per month (Table 1).

Approximately 85 (21.7%) of the participants received mixed ethics education (formal ethics education and informal bioethics education), whereas 74 (18.9%) received only formal ethics education and 85 (21.7%) received only informal ethics education. In addition, 78 (19.95%) did not have any type of bioethics education.

Approximately 75% of the respondents received different types of formal and informal bioethics education. Of the respondents, 25% had no bioethics education; 137(35%) of physicians received a formal education during medical school; however, only 46 (11.8%) throughout residency programs. Self-learning was the method used for informal bioethics education in 124 (31.7%) cohorts (see Table 2 & Fig.1).

Modes of formal and informal bioethics education

No differences relatedto genderor the type of ethics education received in medical school during residency programs, postgraduate programs, conferences, courses and workshops and daily practice were detected. However, male respondents, more so than female respondents, agreed to have received ethics education in sub-specialty programs. The same finding was true regarding self-learning and online training.

Regarding marital statusand type of ethics education, no significant differences during residency programs, sub-specialty programs, in conferences, online training, in courses and workshops were found. Single respondents agreed to receive an ethics education in medical school compared to married people. Married respondents received a greater degree of informal bioethics education through daily practice and self-learning, while others received it through self-learning. There exists a significant difference between marital status and medical school (P=0.00), postgraduate programs (P=0.009), daily practice (P=0.007) and self-learning (P=0.002).

Regarding age,no significant differences were found in ethics education,except in medical schools. Respondents under 30yearsof age showed higher results (57.9%), followed by people between 3039years old (37.1%) and people aged between 4049years (28.8%). Participants>50years of age received minimum ethics education at medical school (19.4%).

No significant statistical differences regarding nationality and the type of ethics education were found except in medical schools, whereSaudi Arabian physicians (41.3%) had a significant statistical difference (P=0.007) compared to non-Saudi Arabians (28%). However, in postgraduate programs, there was a significant statistical difference (P=0.002) between non-Saudi Arabians (11.9%) and Saudi Arabians (3.8%).

There was no significant statistical difference inrelation to positionor the type of ethics education, except that residents showed the highest agreement in relation to education in medical school (P=0.00), followed by registrar/specialists and then consultants. The statement is correct regarding ethics education during sub-specialty programs (P=0.00) too.

No significant statistical difference was found between thetype of board certificateandbioethics education, except for online training (P=0.029) and daily practice (P=0.01). The participants that received Westernsub-specialist certificateshad the highest agreement to learning from daily practice, while Saudi Arabian physicians had the least (Table 1).

Significant statistical difference was found in relation tothe current workplaceand bioethics education during residency programs (P=0.015), during sub-specialty programs (P=0.04), in postgraduate programs (P=0.025) and Online learning (P=0.004). Online learning had a higher percentage of physicians who worked in private hospitals.

There was no significant statistical difference in relationto experienceand the type of ethics education, except for education in medical schools (P=0.00) and during sub-specialty programs (P=0.005). Physicians having experience of<5years showed the highest positive agreement followed by participants of 510years, and then>10years. A high percentage of less experienced physicians had bioethics education in medical college, while those with more than 10years' experience were found to have a significant statistical difference from those who had bioethics education through subspecialty training.

There was a significant statistical difference between the number of ethical challenges per month and bioethics education in medical school (P=0.007), in courses and workshops (P=0.009) and daily practice (P=0.00). Most of the respondents with ethics education from medical school and in courses and workshops had faced more than 10 challenges per month (47.60% and 28.60% respectively), whereas respondents with ethics education from daily practice had a maximum of 110 challenges per month (39%) (Table 1).

There was no significant statistical difference in relationto sub-specialtyand the type of ethics education except for the general OB/GYN, which showed the least agreement compared to other types of subspecialties. The same finding is true regarding online training too.

No significant statistical difference was observed between the type of ethics education and ethical principles. Irrespective of the mode of ethics education, most of the respondents had a positive attitude towards various ethical principles. The highest positive attitude was towards respecting privacy of people and respecting confidentiality. Solidarity And Cooperation had the least positive attitude across all modes of ethics education (see Table 3).

The attitude of the OB/GYNs towards various ethical challenges in their daily practice were investigated. No statistical significance was observed between various forms of formal ethics education and ethical challenges, except there exists a significant statistical difference between post-graduate program and termination of pregnancy for non-medical (P=0.05) and between residency program and contraception issues (P=0.021). The respondents with postgraduate ethics education had a high positive response (agreed and strongly agreed, 31%) to the ethical challenge "Termination of pregnancy for a non-medical reason," and the respondents without residency program ethics education had a high positive response (agreed and strongly agreed, 46%) to the ethical challenge "contraception issues."

Pertaining to the informal mode of ethics education, significant statistical difference was observed between courses and workshops and paternity issues (P=0.006); female consent (P=0.004); breach of confidentiality (P=0.007). There also exists a significant difference between breach of confidentiality and conference and workshop (P=0.007) and daily practice (P=0.023). The respondents without courses and workshop mode of ethics education had agreed to the ethical challenges of paternity issues (33.92%), female consent (58%), and breach of confidentiality (33.6%). The respondents who did not have ethics education through conference (33%) and daily practice (33.8%) also agreed to the ethical challenge breach of confidentiality (Table 4).

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Ethics education among obstetrics and gynecologists in Saudi ... - BMC Medical Education

Victorian research institute takes lead in nation-first stem cell therapy … – Australian Manufacturing

The Murdoch Childrens Research Institute (MCRI) is launching an Australian-first stem cell therapy trial aimed at addressing a rare genetic disorder, the Victorian Government announced in a media release.

Minister for Medical Research Ben Carroll made a visit today to the MCRI, located within the premises of Parkvilles Royal Childrens Hospital (RCH) to make the announcement.

The clinical trial is set to provide hope for young Australians grappling with RAG-1 deficient Severe Combined Immunodeficiency (RAG-1 SCID), an exceptionally rare genetic condition.

The trial is an extension of ongoing research at Leiden University Medical Centre in the Netherlands and is made possible through the support of the Novo Nordisk Foundation Centre for Stem Cell Medicine (reNEW consortium) in partnership with the Melbourne Childrens Trials Centre.

The Victorian Government is demonstrating its unwavering commitment to this vital research endeavour by investing $1 million in the MCRI.

This investment will also further enhance the MCRIs stem cell research and regenerative medicine capabilities, bolstering its pivotal role within the new reNEW consortium.

Minister for Medical Research Ben Carroll expressed his enthusiasm for the trial, emphasising that it would provide young Australians born with RAG-1 SCID the prospect of leading a happy, healthy and long life.

Victoria is renowned as a global centre for medical research and the Murdoch Childrens Research Institute is just one example of the incredible work being done that is having a positive impact on peoples lives, the minister noted.

In particular, RAG-1 SCID is a genetic condition that results in affected children being born without immune cells capable of fighting infections.

This leaves these young patients exceptionally vulnerable to common illnesses, often leading to tragic outcomes as most infants born with this rare genetic condition succumb to infections during their first years of life.

The clinical trial involves extracting stem cells from the participants bone marrow, genetically modifying them to incorporate a healthy copy of the RAG-1 gene, and then injecting them into the childs bloodstream.

These modified cells will develop into healthy white blood cells, thus establishing a fully functional immune system.

While RAG-1 SCID is rare, each year sees several babies diagnosed with this condition in Australia, as reported by the Victorian Government.

In the 2023/24 Victorian Budget, $9 million was allocated to genetic testing to facilitate targeted treatment options for children, increase treatment accessibility, and enhance outcomes for patients with rare diseases and cancer who require specialised therapies.

The MCRI, one of Victorias 12 independent medical research institutes, holds the distinction of being the largest child health research institute in Australia and is ranked as the third highest globally.

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Victorian research institute takes lead in nation-first stem cell therapy ... - Australian Manufacturing

Research Fellow (Aging and Cancer Stem Cell Laboratory … – Times Higher Education

Job Description

The National University of Singapore invites applications for Research Fellow under Aging and Cancer Stem Cell Laboratory in the Department of Physiology,Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine.

We have a deep interest in identifying genes and pathways that are crucial for normal and cancer brain stem cell function, as such studies have implications in regenerative medicine and cancer. Appointments will be made on a one-yearcontract basis, with the possibility of extension with good performance.

Purpose of the post

The Research Fellow (RF) will be responsible to, and work closely with the Principal Investigator and study team members to ensure the successful completion of the experiments on time. The RFs principal role will be to design and execute experiments, analyze data, write manuscripts and manage experimental protocols.

Main Duties and Responsibilities

The Research Fellow (RF) will be conducting research related to brain stem cell function in the normal brain and during malignancy. The RF will be able to:

Qualifications

The applicant should possess:

Remuneration will be commensurate with the candidates qualifications and experience.

Only shortlisted candidates will be notified.

More Information

Location: Kent Ridge Campus Organization: Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine Department: Physiology Employee Referral Eligible: No Job requisition ID: 20169

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Research Fellow (Aging and Cancer Stem Cell Laboratory ... - Times Higher Education

Mesenchymal Stem Cell Therapy Shows Cognitive and Biomarker … – Neurology Live

A new interim analysis of an open label trial presented at the 2023 MSMilan, the 9th Joint ECTRIMS-ACTRIMS meeting, held October 1113, in Milan, Italy, revealed significant beneficial effects on cognition and on objective biomarkers of neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration, among patients with progressive multiple sclerosis (MS) treated with repeated intrathecal (IT) injections of autologous mesenchymal stem cells (MSC).1

In 15 tested patients treated by at least 2 injections of MSC, 9 such patients improved between 5% and 18% in 25 feet walking. In addition, the average standard score of 4 cognitive tests taken by patients improved from 0.11 at baseline to 0.33 following 3 MSC injections over a year. Among 22 patients who received at least 1 MSC treatment, 13 of them showed improvement in the Symbol Digit Modalities Test (SDMT) scores, one of the cognitive tests. Notably, 6 of 17 treated patients improved by more than 4 degrees in SDMT in 3 consecutive tests over a year.

In this analysis, lead author, Petrou Panayiota, MD, senior neurologist, Unit of Neuroimmunology and Multiple Sclerosis Center and The Agnes-Ginges Center for Neurogenetics at Hadassah University Hospital in Jerusalem, Israel, and colleagues primarily evaluated the effect of repeated MSC transplantations on cognition in patients with progressive MS. Additionally, the researchers investigated objective serum biomarkers of neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration, specifically neurofilaments light chain (NfL) and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) with the therapy.

The open-label extension enrolled 48 patients with either secondary progressive MS or primary progressive MS who participated in the previous double-blind trial (NCT02166021) with MSC injections. The researchers used 4 cognitive tests including the SDMT, California Verbal Learning Test, Brief Visuospatial Memory Test, and Controlled Oral Word Association Test to assess patients at baseline before treatment, and at 4-5 time points following the first MSC-injection. At the same time, researchers also tested for serum NfL and GFAP levels using Quanterix technology (SIMOA).

READ MORE: Satralizumab Continues to Show Long-Term Efficacy in AQP4-IgG-Seropositive NMOSD

Among available data, 17 patients were treated with at least 2 intrathecal injections of MSC between 3 and 6 months apart, and 12 patients received 3 MSC injections. For treated patients, NfL levels reduced from a mean of 15.7 pmol/ml at baseline to 12.8 pmol/ml during the post-treatment year while GFAP levels also reduced from 191.4 pmol/ml at baseline to 155.4 pmol/ml.

In the previous double-blind randomized study conducted by Petrou and colleagues, IT injection of autologous bone marrow derived MSC showed robust clinical and radiological effects in patients with active and progressive MS.2 Enrolled patients had evidence of either clinical worsening or activity during the previous year between 2015 and 2018 andwere randomized into 3 groups: IT or intravenous (IV) autologous MSCs (1 106/kg) or sham injections.

After 6 months, half of the patients from the MSC-IT and MSC-IV groups were retreated with MSCs, and the other half with sham injections. Patients initially assigned to sham treatment were divided into 2 subgroups and treated with either MSC-IT or MSC-IV. After 14 months of the study, instigators did not observe any serious treatment-related safety adverse events. Significantly fewer patients experienced treatment failure in the MSC-IT and MSC-IV groups compared with those in the sham-treated group (6.7%, 9.7%, and 41.9%, respectively, P = .0003 and P = .0008).

During the 1-year follow-up, 58.6% and 40.6% of patients treated with MSC-IT and MSC-IV, respectively, had no evidence of disease activity compared with 9.7% in the sham-treated group (P <.0001 and P <.0048, respectively). In addition, the MSC-IT transplantation induced additional benefits on the relapse rate, on the monthly changes of the T2 lesion load on MRI, and on the timed 25-foot walking test, 9-hole peg test, optical coherence tomography, functional MRI and cognitive tests. Overall, treatment with MSCs was well-tolerated and induced short-term beneficial effects, especially in the patients with active disease. Notably, the IT administration was more efficacious than the intravenous in several parameters of the disease.

Click here for more coverage of MSMilan 2023.

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Mesenchymal Stem Cell Therapy Shows Cognitive and Biomarker ... - Neurology Live

Plant Stem Cells Market to Attain a Revenue of US$ 801.9 Million By … – Medgadget

In 2022, The Global Plant Stem Cells Market revenue was US$ 371.4 million and is projected to attain a valuation of US$ 801.9 million by 2031, growing at a CAGR of 8.93% during the forecast period from 2023 to 2031.

The plant stem cells market is still emerging, constantly updated with new developments and studies exploring their potential. This rise in demand is a result of rapidly expanding industries mainly cosmetics and pharmaceuticals using plant stem cells capacity for regeneration. This product helps the end-users to improve their product quality and capture the attention of consumers. As a result, a large number of manufacturers are including plant stem cells in their product formulations to get the desired result. In line with this, the market has witnessed tremendous growth in research and development activities to explore growth potential and revenue opportunities in products that are used for skin regeneration, whitening, tanning, moisturizing, and cleansing.

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As per the recent report published by Astute Analytica the global cosmetics market was valued at US$ 262 billion in 2022 and will witness the highest CAGR of 4.3% during the projected period. Also, the cosmetic industry is contributing more than 47% of revenue to the global plant stem cells market. As per our recent survey on consumer trend analysis, it was found that 65% of customers globally prefer cosmetic chemicals originating from plants. Thus, demonstrating a substantial shift in end-user behavior. In line with this, prominent businesses namely Oriflame, Mibelle AG Biochemistry, EJO Skin, etc., use plant stem cells in their products.

Shift in Trends: Manufacturers Obtaining Ethically Sourced Plant Stem Cells

It was prominently observed that over 63% of customers globally showed concern about the origin of plant stem cells utilized in products and their potential effects on the environment. As a result, manufacturers have started taking steps to meet the consumer demand for ethical sourcing and biodiversity protection. For instance, the market witnessed more than 25% growth in the companies that have opted for certificates for products that were sourced ethically in 2022. Unhwa Corporation, Stempeutics, and STEMCELL Technologies are some of the companies that obtain plant stem cells ethically. Additionally, eco-friendly sourcing is used in products like PhytoCellTecTM Goji and Patagonia Berry Stem Cell Mask.

Asia Pacific Contribute Over 23% of Revenue Share: Making it a Largest Market

The Asia Pacific plant stem cells market accounts for nearly 23% of revenue share. Also, the region contributes 9% of annual growth to the market, with China, South Korea, and India being the main contributors.

Comparing Asian cosmetic firms to their Western counterparts on a global scale, the inclusion of products derived from plant stem cells has increased by 20%. Asia Pacific is now a huge contributor to the market expansion as this is consistent with the cultural preference for botanical ingredients.

According to our recent survey on consumer analysis, an astounding 80% of Asians still use traditional herbal treatments. In line with this, the cultural proclivity is driving the acceptance of plant stem cell products. It has been observed that consumers are ready to pay premium price for buying cosmetics products having plant stem cells. For instance, the cost of a tomato anti-oxidant cream is US$ 10, while a stem cell anti-oxidant cream, which contains extracts from tomato plant stem cells, can be priced at US$ 50, even though both creams have the same fundamental ingredients. This increase in commercialization opportunities has fueled the industrys interest in creating additional stem cell products and services directly marketed to consumers.

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The global plant stem cell market segmentation focuses on Location, Application, End-User, and Region.

By Location

By Application

By End User

By Region

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About Astute Analytica

Astute Analyticais a global analytics and advisory company that has built a solid reputation in a short period, thanks to the tangible outcomes we have delivered to our clients. We pride ourselves in generating unparalleled, in-depth and uncannily accurate estimates and projections for our very demanding clients spread across different verticals. We have a long list of satisfied and repeat clients from a wide spectrum including technology, healthcare, chemicals, semiconductors, FMCG, and many more. These happy customers come to us from all across the Globe. They are able to make well-calibrated decisions and leverage highly lucrative opportunities while surmounting the fierce challenges all because we analyze for them the complex business environment, segment-wise existing and emerging possibilities, technology formations, growth estimates, and even the strategic choices available. In short, a complete package. All this is possible because we have a highly qualified, competent, and experienced team of professionals comprising of business analysts, economists, consultants, and technology experts. In our list of priorities, you-our patron come at the top. You can be sure of best cost-effective, value-added package from us, should you decide to engage with us.

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Plant Stem Cells Market to Attain a Revenue of US$ 801.9 Million By ... - Medgadget

Human-derived proteins used in DREAM tool – Drug Target Review

CRISPR-DREAM tool used to activate insufficiently expressed genes and convert skin cells to induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs).

Published in Nature Methods, Rice University bioengineers developed a tool that activates silent or insufficiently expressed genes using human-derived proteins termed mechanosensitive transcription factors. These naturally enable cells to switch on specific genes in response to mechanical cues.

Called CRISPR-DREAM, which stands for CRISPR-dCas9 recruited enhanced activation module or DREAM for short, the tool is smaller, more effective and less toxic to medically useful cell types compared to other technologies used to control gene expression. It may enable safer cell and gene therapies and more accurate disease models to address haploinsufficiency disorders which cause several difficult-to-treat conditions like epilepsy, some forms of cancer, immunodeficiency and Alzheimers disease (AD).

Dr Isaac Hilton, Assistant Professor of Bioengineering and Biosciences at Rice University, said: Many human diseases are driven by problems with too little of a gene being produced. He continued: You encounter these health issues where people dont make enough of a certain protein or gene product, and in those cases, unfortunately there are often few therapeutic options.

To address this problem, researchers have utilised CRISPR-based targeting systems to create cutting-edgesynthetic transcription factors. The majority of these tools are built with materials of nonhuman origin, which may come with unwanted side effects.

One challenge with some of the current technologies is that they are built using viral proteins that have evolved to reprogram how our cells work, and they do so in ways that are of course not necessarily beneficial, Hilton said. And even though virally derived elements can be engineered to work for the host cells benefit, we and others have observed in our research that they can still cause some toxicity in human cells.

Instead of relying on virally derived proteins, Barun Mahata, a postdoctoral researcher in Hiltons lab and the studys lead author, endeavoured to employ transcription factors that human cells already produce and use. Mahata fused the specific parts of these proteins responsible for activating genes to CRISPR-based programmable delivery platforms with a method intended to enhance their transcriptional powers.

We harnessed the natural ability of human-derived transcription factors, or proteins responsible for gene synthesis in the cells of our body, said Mahata. The transcription activation units we built function in a very precise way. They induce gene activity where we target them and can activate very rapid and robust transcription.

They also help tackle another disadvantage of current synthetic gene-activation platforms, which are often too large for efficient delivery to human cells.

What we did was look for small segments of human proteins that we could leverage to apply these technologies in human cells more effectively, said Hilton. When we started this project of building synthetic transcription factors with human-derived proteins, we wanted to identify the ideal source material with compactness being one key factor.

Human mechanosensitive transcription factors proteins that our cells and organs use to respond to mechanical forces met the researchers criteria, being relatively small, quick-acting and widely used by nearly all human cell types.

Additionally, the team activated up to 16 different locations on the genome simultaneously, a record number for synthetic transcription factors.

The reason why that capability is particularly important is because when our cells perform a function, its not just that they turn on a single gene, Hilton explained. Instead, they typically turn on whole constellations or networks of genes in concert. And we can now use these synthetic transcription factors to mimic and engineer what our cells do naturally.

The researchers showed that the DREAM tool can be used to convert skin cells to induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) in a dish as a proof of concept exercise, a feat that Hilton says carries tremendous biomedical utility in the future.

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Human-derived proteins used in DREAM tool - Drug Target Review

Global Culture Media Market Size to Reach USD 15.84 Billion in … – GlobeNewswire

Vancouver, Oct. 16, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Current Market Scenario (Market estimates)

The global Culture Media Market size was USD 5.43 billion in 2020, and is expected to register a revenue CAGR of 9.3% between 2021 and 2032. Steady market revenue growth is driven by rising need for monoclonal antibodies, growing emphasis on personalized medicine, increasing prevalence of infectious diseases, rising investment in research & development of innovative cell culture products, rising awareness about vaccines based on cell culture, and high demand for single-use technologies.

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Drivers: Increased Investment in Research & Development of Innovative Cell Culture Products

Increased investment in research & development of innovative cell culture products is a key factor driving culture media market revenue growth. Cell culture media is an important component in producing cultivated meat. Cell culture media is necessary to keep the cells healthy and alive. Currently, most of these media are very expensive and oftentimes deliver inconsistent outcomes. A limited number of species-specific formulations of commercial culture media exists in case of cultivated meat firms dealing with fish species. For instance; in September 2020, GFI announced providing a two-year grant to a research project focused on development of a serum-free, high-quality fish cell culture media, which is an essential move in making cultivated seafood to reach market. Researchers at Virginia Tech are developing a formulation for open-source media improved for growing fish cells. This research project deploys artificial neural networks and Response Surface Methodology (RSM) to optimize cell culture media for better thriving of fish cells.

Restraints: Cost Prohibitive Culture Media and Contamination Risks

Cost prohibitive culture media and contamination risks may hamper market revenue growth over the forecast period. Culture media comprise various ingredients such as serum and nutrients for cell growth, which makes the product very costly. Also, issues associated with specificity, variability, and standardization may also impact market revenue growth negatively. Sometimes, ingredients procured from poor sources can lead to contamination risks of cell culture media. This factor would also restrain demand for culture media.

Growth Projections

The global culture media market size is expected to reach USD 15.84 billion in 2032 and register a revenue CAGR of 9.3% over the forecast period, attributed to growing population, especially geriatric population, and rising prevalence of infectious diseases. Increasing prevalence of infectious diseases and rising need for development of more efficient drugs to combat resulting conditions are driving market revenue growth. Infectious diseases are considered to be the foremost cause of mortalities across the globe, particularly in young children living in low-income countries. As per the World Health Organization (WHO), diarrheal diseases and lower respiratory infections were included in the top 10 leading causes of death worldwide in 2019. Culture technologies are considered crucial for identification of infectious diseases, despite significant increase in molecular testing, as pathogenic organisms causing disease are required to be separated from other microbes in mixed cultures. In addition, occurrence of an organism is necessary for assessing the probability that a specific organism is responsible for a said disease, unlike a culture.

COVID-19 Direct Impacts

COVID-19 pandemic has boosted demand for culture media, as many biotechnology firms are conducting in-vitro R&D for vaccines and antivirals. In-vitro assessment of vaccines normally requires a culture media for identifying and analyzing the response and growing targeted microbes. Increasing emphasis on research & development of vaccines by various pharmaceutical companies to curb spread of COVID-19 virus is also propelling market revenue growth.

Current Trends and Innovations

Increasing trend of single-use technologies plays a pivotal role in driving market revenue growth. In the biotechnology industry, use of single-use technologies has become a common practice. Engineers and researchers are utilizing plastic components as an alternative to stainless steel items in biomanufacturing processes. In cell culture production, adoption of single-use is quite essential and these cell growth systems may be wave-type bioreactors, plastic bioreactors, or plastic linings present in stainless-steel support. Reusable or disposable probes are present in all systems that protrude through an interior sleeve or attach to the outside. Majority of the connections depend on separate systems having aseptic/plastic connectors. Single-use systems are pre-cleaned and pre-sterilized, generally via gamma irradiation. Hence, there is no requirement for cleaning, sterilization, or sanitization steps. It saves money on use of chemicals for cleaning, as well as power and equipment needed to produce pure water and steam.

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Geographical Outlook

Culture media market in Asia Pacific is expected to register fastest revenue CAGR during the forecast period, attributed to increasing geriatric population in countries such as Japan and China and increase in prevalence of chronic diseases. In addition, increasing prevalence of contagious diseases, high demand for personalized medication, and presence of biotechnology firms such as Daiichi Sankyo Company Limited and large population base in countries in the region are also contributing to market growth.

Strategic Initiatives

In December 2018, Fujifilm acquired IS Japan (ISJ) and Irvine Scientific Sales Company (ISUS). Both companies have expertise and technological know-how on cell culture media. Irvine Scientific Sales Company distributes its products mostly in Europe and the US, whereas IS Japan distributes its products primarily in Japan and various other Asian countries. Both of these firms offer culture media to bio-ventures, pharmaceutical companies, and academia. Fujifilm is a photography and imaging firm in Japan. It has entered into stock purchase contract worth approximately USD 800.0 million.

Scope of Research

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Major Companies and Competitive Landscape

The global culture media market is moderately fragmented, with a large number of small- and medium-sized companies accounting for a major revenue share. Major companies have well-established facilities and enter in acquisitions & mergers, strategic agreements, and engage in various research & development activities and initiatives to develop & deploy new and more efficient technologies & products in the culture media market. Some major players operating in the culture media market are:

Strategic Development

In December 2019, Sartorius, which is a life science research firm, made an announcement about signing an agreement for the acquisition of Biological Industries. The latter is an Israel-based firm involved in cell culture media development and production. Sartorius would purchase 50% shares of Biological Industries for worth over USD 52.0 million.

Some Key Highlights From the Report

Browse a Detailed Summary of the Research Report @ https://www.emergenresearch.com/industry-report/culture-media-market Emergen Research has segmented global culture media market on the basis of type, research type, application, end-use, and region:

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Global Culture Media Market Size to Reach USD 15.84 Billion in ... - GlobeNewswire