3D Model of Alzheimers Shows Roll of Blood-Brain Barrier in Disease Progression

GEN | August 13, 2019

MIT engineers have developed a tissue model that mimics beta-amyloids effects on the blood-brain barrier. Beta-amyloid plaques the protein aggregates that form in the brains of Alzheimers patients disrupt many brain functions and can kill neurons. They can also damage the blood-brain barrier BBB, the normally tight border that prevents harmful molecules in the bloodstream from entering the brain. The new study showed that this damage can lead molecules such as thrombin, a clotting factor normally found in the bloodstream, to enter the brain and cause additional damage to Alzheimers neurons. Findings from the new study were published yesterday in Advanced Science through an article titled “Blood–Brain Barrier Dysfunction in a 3D In Vitro Model of Alzheimer’s Disease.” “We were able to show clearly in this model that the amyloid-beta secreted by Alzheimer’s disease cells can actually impair barrier function, and once that is impaired, factors are secreted into the brain tissue that can have adverse effects on neuron health,” explained co-senior study investigator Roger Kamm, PhD, professor of mechanical and biological engineering at MIT. Interestingly, the research team also used the tissue model to show that a drug, which restores the blood-brain barrier, can slow down the cell death seen in Alzheimer’s neurons.

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Bioprinting with living human cells is transforming healthcare as we know it. From Slurpee-like substances to molding 3D tissues, explore the cutting-edge world of 3D bioprinting. Dr. Mark Skylar-Scott from Stanford University discusses the fascinating realm of 3D bioprinting, a groundbreaking approach that goes beyond traditional plastic printing.

Spotlight

Bioprinting with living human cells is transforming healthcare as we know it. From Slurpee-like substances to molding 3D tissues, explore the cutting-edge world of 3D bioprinting. Dr. Mark Skylar-Scott from Stanford University discusses the fascinating realm of 3D bioprinting, a groundbreaking approach that goes beyond traditional plastic printing.

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Cell and Gene Therapy, MedTech

Eurofins Genomics Blue Heron launches IVT mRNA Synthesis Service: The Future of Gene Expression

PRNewswire | June 30, 2023

Eurofins Genomics Blue Heron is thrilled to announce the launch of our cutting-edge IVT mRNA Synthesis Service. With this revolutionary service, we aim to offer a game-changing solution to the challenges of gene expression research. The new service offers a comprehensive solution for researchers seeking high-quality, customizable mRNA synthesis with fast turnaround times. The IVT mRNA Synthesis Service is based on the latest in vitro transcription (IVT) technology, which allows for the rapid and efficient synthesis of high-quality messenger RNA (mRNA) transcripts. The IVT mRNA Synthesis Service has been designed to meet the needs of scientists in a wide range of fields, including molecular biology, drug discovery, vaccine development, and gene therapy. With our service, researchers can customize mRNA transcripts to suit their specific research needs, including modifying the sequence, length, and purity of the mRNA. Our cutting-edge IVT mRNA Synthesis Service offers High-quality mRNA synthesis for a wide range of applications Fast turnaround times and delivery options Customizable mRNA synthesis to meet specific research needs Competitive pricing to fit all budgets A dedicated team of experts to assist with all aspects of the synthesis process "We are excited to offer this groundbreaking service to the scientific community," said Isaiah Chuang, President of Eurofins Genomics Blue Heron. "Our IVT mRNA Synthesis Service is a game-changer for researchers seeking to advance their work in gene expression research, drug discovery, and beyond. We look forward to partnering with researchers to help them achieve their goals." About Eurofins Genomics Eurofins Genomics US is a leading provider of DNA synthesis, sequencing services, and gene synthesis. The company's strengths are its speed, quality, and commitment to customers, which include the pharma, diagnostics, food, agriculture, biotechnological and research sector. About Eurofins Scientific Eurofins Scientific, through its subsidiaries (hereinafter "Eurofins" or "the Group"), believes it is a global leader in food, environmental, pharmaceutical and cosmetics products testing and in agroscience CRO services. It is also one of the global independent market leaders in certain testing and laboratory services for genomics, discovery pharmacology, forensics, CDMO, advanced material sciences and in the support of clinical studies. In addition, Eurofins is one of the leading global emerging players in esoteric clinical diagnostic testing. With over 61,000 staff across a network of more than 900 independent companies in over 54 countries generally specialised by end client markets and operating more than 1000 laboratories, Eurofins offers a portfolio of over 200,000 analytical methods to evaluate the safety, identity, composition, authenticity, origin, traceability and purity of biological substances and products, as well as providing innovative clinical diagnostic testing services. The Group's objective is to provide customers with high-quality and innovative services, accurate results on time and, when requested, expert advice by its highly-qualified staff.

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Research, Diagnostics

ADOCIA Announces the Availability of a Prospectus for its Capital Increase and Convertible Bond Issue

Businesswire | July 28, 2023

Adocia (Euronext Paris: FR0011184241 – ADOC), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical Company focused on the research and development of innovative therapeutic solutions for the treatment of diabetes and obesity (the “Company”), announces today the availability of an amendment to its 2022 Universal Registration Document, filed by the Company with the Autorité des Marchés Financiers ("AMF") on July 26, 2023, under number D.23-0346-A01, and an admission Prospectus approved by the AMF on July 26, 2023, under number 23-329, in connection with its reserved capital increase of around 5 million euros and the issue of convertible bonds subscribed for around 5 million euros. The Prospectus comprises: the 2022 Universal Registration Document filed by the Company with the AMF on April 26, 2023, under number D.23-0346; the amendment to the 2022 Universal Registration Document filed by the Company with the AMF on July 26, 2023 under number D.23-0346-A01; the Securities Note; and the Prospectus summary (included in the Securities Note). These documents can also be consulted on the Company's website (www.adocia.com) and on the AMF website (www.amf-France.org). About Adocia Adocia is a biotechnology Company specializing in the discovery and development of therapeutic solutions in the field of metabolic diseases, primarily diabetes and obesity. The Company has a broad portfolio of drug candidates based on four proprietary technology platforms: 1) The BioChaperone® technology for the development of new generation insulins and products combining insulins with other classes of hormones; 2) AdOral®, an oral peptide delivery technology; 3) AdoShell®, an immunoprotective biomaterial for cell transplantation, with a first application in pancreatic cells transplantation; 4) AdoGel®, a long-acting drug delivery platform. Adocia holds more than 25 patent families. Based in Lyon, the Company has about 100 employees. Adocia is listed on the regulated market of EuronextTM Paris (Euronext: ADOC; ISIN: FR0011184241).

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Medical, Diagnostics

Aspen Neuroscience to Partner with Rune Labs and Emerald Innovations to Incorporate both Active and Passive Digital Health Monitoring

prnewswire | August 28, 2023

Aspen Neuroscience today announced that it is partnering with Emerald Innovations, a pioneer in the creation of "invisible" off-body sensors for measuring health analytics, and Rune Labs, a software and data analytics company for precision neurology, to incorporate digital health (DHT) modalities in the company's Trial-Ready Screening Cohort Study. The Trial Ready Screening Cohort study was launched in 2022 to screen, enroll and begin manufacturing cells for potential patient candidates for the future Phase 1/2a clinical trial for ANPD001, a personalized (autologous) cell therapy to treat Parkinson's disease (PD) by replacing lost dopamine neurons. Aspen Neuroscience is advancing the collection of objective measures of motor function via passive in-home monitoring, working with Emerald Innovations' contactless biosensors, and active monitoring, working with Rune Labs' clinical development platform, StriveStudy. The use of DHT empowers trial investigators to include objective, long-term (pre-treatment) motor and sleep symptom capture, to provide data on each patient's rate of disease progression. "Parkinson's disease is very personal in nature, and we are working to develop a personal cell therapy for PD," said Damien McDevitt, PhD, Aspen president and CEO. "Everyone with Parkinson's has a unique experience, with varied symptoms. We look forward to working closely with the innovative and collaborative teams at Rune Labs and Emerald Innovations to capture a holistic and precise pattern of motor symptom activity over time for people in our screening study." "Parkinson's is a heterogeneous condition, adding to the challenge of assessing treatment benefit without a personalized view of each trial participant's symptom activity," said Brian Pepin, CEO of Rune Labs. "Through StriveStudy, our biopharma partners are able to collect large quantities of continuous multimodal data to characterize participant's disease activity across a range of clinical features. We are excited to collaborate with Aspen Neuroscience to help them characterize patient symptoms as they bring their personalized cell therapy into clinical testing." "We are delighted to collaborate with Aspen Neuroscience," said Dr. Dina Katabi, MIT professor and the co-founder and president of Emerald Innovations, Inc. "A significant hurdle in Parkinson's disease clinical trials is the reliable monitoring of disease progression and medication response without the need to enroll hundreds or even thousands of patients. Empirical evidence has demonstrated that readings from the Emerald sensor offer a dependable marker for tracking disease progression. The Emerald sensor gathers this data without body contact, relying solely on the analysis of radio signals in the environment as patients go about their normal lives." About DHT in the Trial Ready Cohort Screening Study Aspen will partner with Rune Labs to deeply characterize each patient's symptoms in the Trial Ready Cohort, including the collection of multimodal data, thereby enabling robust disease characterization over time. This will include objective measures of tremor and dyskinesia levels captured on FDA-cleared StrivePD on the Apple Watch, medication monitoring, as well as Apple HealthKit, including global activity (e.g., daily steps). Aspen and Emerald will collaborate to assess passive "invisible" in-home monitoring of participants enrolled in the Trial Ready Cohort. This will include gait speed measured across walking intervals, sleep onset, the amount of time between entering different sleep stages; sleep duration, sleep efficiency and WASO: the total time spent in the WAKE stage after sleep onset. About Parkinson's Disease Parkinson's disease is the world's second most common neurodegenerative disease, affecting more than 10 million people worldwide, including more than 1 million in the U.S., where an additional 90,000+ people are diagnosed every year. Patients can experience non-motor symptoms such as mental and behavioral changes, sleep problems, depression, memory difficulties and fatigue; and motor symptoms caused by the loss of dopamine neurons in the brain, including unintended or uncontrollable movements (dyskinesia), shaking (tremor), stiffness, and difficulty with balance and coordination, which worsen over time. By the time of diagnosis, it is common for people to have lost the majority of cells in the brain that make dopamine. To date, there is no disease-modifying therapy that can stop, replace or prevent the loss of dopamine neurons or slow the progression of PD. About Aspen Neuroscience Headquartered in San Diego, Aspen Neuroscience, Inc. is a clinical development-stage, private company focused on personalized (autologous) regenerative medicine. The company is developing patient-derived iPSCs to create personalized cell therapies that address diseases with high unmet medical needs, beginning with autologous neuron replacement for Parkinson's disease and extending across the brain and affected organs. A leading iPSC platform company, Aspen combines stem cell biology with the latest artificial intelligence and genomic approaches to investigate patient-specific, restorative treatments. The company has developed a best-in-class platform to create and optimize iPSC-derived cell therapies, which includes in-house bioinformatics, manufacturing and QC. About Emerald Innovations, Inc. Emerald Innovations is a health analytics company that specializes in digital health solutions for passive, contactless in-home monitoring. Emerald seamlessly captures continuous health data from patients as they go about their normal lives. The Emerald biosensors fall under a cutting-edge category known as "Invisibles." Installed in the homes of study participants, these sensors continuously analyze surrounding radio signals. Using artificial intelligence, they extract patients' physiological data while prioritizing their privacy. Emerald simplifies clinical trials for its clients by obtaining statistically significant biomarkers, making them readily available to clinicians and data analysts, and consistently providing updates on the progress of clinical trials. Emerald's clientele encompasses big pharma, Fortune 500 pharmaceutical firms, innovative biotech companies, and leading disease research foundations. About Rune Labs Rune Labs is a software and data analytics company for precision neurology, supporting care delivery and therapy development. StrivePD is the company's care delivery ecosystem for Parkinson's disease, enabling patients and clinicians to better manage Parkinson's by providing access to curated dashboards summarizing a range of patient data sources, and by connecting patients to clinical trials. For therapeutics development, biopharma and medical device companies leverage Rune's technology, network of engaged clinicians and patients, and large longitudinal real-world datasets to expedite development programs. The company has received financial backing from leading investors such as Eclipse Ventures, DigiTx, TruVenturo and Moment Ventures. For more information, please visit runelabs.io and strive.group.

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