A gene found only in humans and active in the cerebral cortex can enlarge the ferret brain

Medical Xpress | January 08, 2019

The human brain owes its characteristic wrinkled appearance to its outer layer, the cerebral cortex. During human evolution, the neocortex, the evolutionarily youngest part of the cerebral cortex, expanded dramatically and had to fold into wrinkles to fit inside the restricted space of the skull. The human neocortex supports advanced cognitive skills such as reasoning and language. But how did the human neocortex become so big? The answer may lie in genes that are unique to humans, such as ARHGAP11B.
Researchers at the Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics in Dresden found that this human-specific gene, when introduced into the developing brain of ferrets, can cause an enlargement of their neocortex. ARHGAP11B causes neural progenitor cells, which are cells that produce neurons, to make more of themselves for a longer period of time. The result is an expanded neocortex. The human neocortex is roughly three times bigger than that of our closest relatives, the chimpanzees, and is the seat of many of the higher cognitive functions that are unique to humans, such as our speech or the ability to learn. A key question for scientists is how in human evolution the neocortex became so big.

Spotlight

Phenylmethylsulfonyl fluoride, better known as PMSF, is a small molecule serine protease inhibitor used to prevent unwanted proteolysis. 

Spotlight

Phenylmethylsulfonyl fluoride, better known as PMSF, is a small molecule serine protease inhibitor used to prevent unwanted proteolysis. 

Related News

CELL AND GENE THERAPY, INDUSTRIAL IMPACT

Evaxion and Pantherna Reveals Promising Preclinical Proof of Concept for Combined Technologies

Evaxion | February 10, 2023

Evaxion Biotech A/S, a clinical-phase biotech company specializing in enhancing AI-powered immunotherapies, and Pantherna Therapeutics GmbH, a biopharmaceutical company developing enhanced nanoparticle solutions for delivering and expressing mRNA therapeutics, announced a preclinical proof of concept for the combination of their key technologies. Using Pantherna's unique lipid nanoparticle mRNA technology (PTXLNP®, PTXmRNA®), tumor neoantigens discovered by Evaxion's artificial intelligence (AI) platform drive a robust immune response and completely limit tumor development in a preclinical model. Birgitte Rønø, CSO at Evaxion, said, “We are extremely pleased with the preclinical data that clearly demonstrate the potential for our combined technologies. The data provide further evidence that immunogenic sequences identified by Evaxion’s AI platforms are able to drive a relevant immune response on multiple vaccine platforms, including mRNA. This opens up many opportunities in our current and future immuno-oncology and infectious disease programs.” (Source – GlobeNewswire) CEO at Pantherna, Klaus Giese, stated, “We are encouraged by the data and see an enormous potential of combining Evaxion’s AI-based antigen discovery engines with our state-of-the-art mRNA-LNP platforms. The preclinical data substantiate the relevance of enhancing the efficiency of mRNA actions in the body and validates the ability of our platform to induce an immune response.” (Source – GlobeNewswire) Evaxion and Pantherna will continue investigating optimum LNP formulations for the efficient delivery of mRNA- and DNA-encoded antigens found by Evaxion's AI systems. About Evaxion Evaxion Biotech A/S is a clinical-stage biotech firm working on AI-powered immunotherapies. Evaxion's patented and scalable artificial intelligence algorithms decode the human immune system to find and develop innovative immunotherapies for cancer, bacterial illnesses, and viral infections. It is developing a diverse pipeline of innovative product candidates, including three tailored cancer immunotherapies. It is listed on the Nasdaq New York Stock Exchange and is headquartered in Hørsholm, Denmark.

Read More

CELL AND GENE THERAPY, INDUSTRIAL IMPACT

Bio-Techne Announces Completion of and Gene Therapy Catapult Analytical Technology (PAT) Consortium

Bio-Techne Corporation | March 20, 2023

Bio-Techne Corporation announced it has completed its participation in the Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult Process Analytical Technology (Catapult PAT) consortium, a multi-year collaboration involving 24 partner companies, technology providers, therapy developers, and charities. The Catapult PAT consortium is the first initiative of this scale and functional expertise with member companies and organizations collaborating to develop cell and gene therapy-specific process analytical technologies. The PAT initiative began in January 2021 with a series of experiments designed to monitor process parameters of an exemplar 8-day T-cell expansion bioprocess using primary T-cells. Data were gathered from five independent analyses to generate an extensive, world-first dataset. An analysis of multiple cytokine targets was conducted using high-plex Luminex® immunoassays and the precision multiplexing Ella™ platform from Bio-Techne. The automated workflow of the Ella platform proved to be particularly amenable to the efficiency, accuracy, and throughput demands inherent in a bioprocess manufacturing environment. With its robust performance in this project, the Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult plans to incorporate Ella™ into an existing CGT Catapult facility to further support scientists in the UK. "As a leader in the forefront of innovative tools to measure cytokines, we are honored to be a part of the Catapult PAT initiative to help advance cell and gene therapy development," said Will Geist, President of Bio-Techne's Protein Sciences Segment. "Bio-Techne remains excited about the potential of these advanced therapies to improve patient outcomes and treat a wide range of diseases that currently have very poor or ineffective treatments." Established by Innovate UK, the Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult fosters collaborations between academia, industry, and healthcare providers to develop new technology and drive innovation. Catapult experts cover all aspects of advanced therapies, from research and development to clinical adoption and every step in between. About Bio-Techne Bio-Techne Corporation is a global life sciences company providing innovative tools and bioactive reagents for the research and clinical diagnostic communities. Bio-Techne products assist scientific investigations into biological processes and the nature and progress of specific diseases. They aid in drug discovery efforts and provide the means for accurate clinical tests and diagnoses. With thousands of products in its portfolio, Bio-Techne generated approximately $1.1 billion in net sales in fiscal 2022 and has approximately 3,000employees worldwide.

Read More

CELL AND GENE THERAPY, INDUSTRIAL IMPACT

CBM, Stoic Bio and Nucleus Biologics Announce Strategic Alliance

The Center for Breakthrough Medicines | March 13, 2023

Nucleus Biologics and Stoic Bio have teamed up to form a supply agreement with the Center for Breakthrough Medicines (CBM), a contract development and manufacturing organization that aims to accelerate the development and manufacture of advanced therapies. Under the agreement, Nucleus Biologics will become CBM's selected supplier of cell culture media and other biological solutions, ensuring a consistent supply of this critical material with tighter quality control measures. Nucleus Biologics' approach to cell culture media, which sees it as a critical raw material that can drive desired attributes of cells crucial to the success of cell and gene therapy research, is complementary to CBM's focus on transparency, technology, and end-to-end solutions. By working together, they hope to expedite cell and gene therapy breakthroughs. In addition, CBM will be an early adopter of Stoic Bio's innovative family of point-of-use media makers, Krakatoa™, which allows scientists to manufacture their own media with 65% fewer CO2 emissions than conventional media. By demonstrating that developing and manufacturing lifesaving therapies doesn't have to come with a high environmental cost, CBM hopes to set an example for the industry. With over 2,200 cell and gene therapies in development, collaborations like this one are needed to speed up the process of getting these therapies to the clinic and ultimately approved. The CBM, Stoic Bio and Nucleus Biologics collaboration aim to create a unique service offering that introduces a paradigm shift in development and manufacturing, showing how technology and sustainability can converge to make better therapies sustainably. About The Center for Breakthrough Medicines The Center for Breakthrough Medicines (CBM) is a CDMO focused on accelerating the development and manufacture of advanced therapies to save lives. It offers end-to-end solutions such as process development, manufacturing, and quality control for cell and gene therapies, gene editing, and immunotherapies. In addition, CBM collaborates with pharmaceutical companies, academic institutions, and healthcare providers to make advanced therapies more accessible while ensuring compliance with regulatory standards. The company also prioritizes sustainability by implementing green initiatives and sustainable technology and strives to positively impact the communities it operates in.

Read More