Efficacy News and Research

RSS

New review looks at the bottlenecks and breakthroughs in cancer immunotherapy

After over a century of development, cancer immunotherapy (CIT) has risen to become a promising approach for treating cancer. Unlike conventional methods that try to kill cancer cells directly, CIT involves modifying or stimulating the immune system's natural ability to fight the disease. So far, various CIT treatments have shown remarkable results in terms of survival rates, and many new and combination strategies are currently under study.

1 Sep 2021

Increased transmissibility drives SARS-CoV-2 variant spread, aided by immune escape

Numerous variants of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) have emerged over the last few months. Unfortunately, this has driven new coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) waves, often more severe than before. A recent study posted to the medRxiv* preprint server discusses the characteristics of the variant that is responsible for this phenomenon.

31 Aug 2021

Development of SARS-CoV-2 antibody escape variants in an immunocompromised individual

A new study published in mBio discusses the microevolution of SARS-CoV-2.

31 Aug 2021

Does SARS-CoV-2 infection protect against reinfection?

A new review showed that the protective effect of prior SARS-CoV-2 infection is at least equivalent to that of vaccination.

31 Aug 2021

$1.3 million in NIH funding to enable drug delivery technology research

Two National Institute of Health grants totaling over $1.3 million will enable research into antibody-mediated drug delivery technology for the treatment of cancer and autoimmune disorders. L. Nathan Tumey, assistant professor of pharmaceutical sciences at Binghamton University, State University of New York, is the Principal Investigator on both grants - $1.2 million from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences and $150,000 from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.

31 Aug 2021

mRNA COVID-19 vaccines induce high antibody titers with significant neutralizing potency in saliva

Scientists from the USA and Canada have recently demonstrated that the dynamics of antibody response induced by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection or coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccines are different.

31 Aug 2021

Post-infection vaccination produces potent neutralizing antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 variants

The best protection against new SARS-CoV-2 infections or reinfections may be obtained by a combination of vaccine-elicited and infection-induced antibodies.

31 Aug 2021

Investigational vaccine does not provide sufficient protection against HIV infection

An investigational HIV vaccine tested in the "Imbokodo" clinical trial conducted in sub-Saharan Africa posed no safety concerns but did not provide sufficient protection against HIV infection, according to a primary analysis of the study data. The Phase 2b proof-of-concept study, which began in November 2017, enrolled 2,637 women ages 18 to 35 years from five countries.

31 Aug 2021

J&J COVID-19 booster shot produces robust antibody response

The study showed neutralizing antibody responses produced by the Johnson & Johnson–Janssen vaccine was robust and stable eight months after immunization.

31 Aug 2021

Researchers develop adult lung organoids that represent all cell types

Since the COVID-19 pandemic reached the United States in early 2020, scientists have struggled to find laboratory models of SARS-CoV-2 infection, the respiratory virus that causes COVID-19. Animal models fell short; attempts to grow adult human lungs have historically failed because not all of the cell types survived.

31 Aug 2021

The tale of mRNA vaccines: Turning calamity into opportunity

In a review paper published in the journal Nature Reviews, researchers from Carnegie Mellon University and the University of Pennsylvania have described the underlying technologies for mRNA vaccines and their future prospects with improved delivery systems and applications in diseases beyond the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

31 Aug 2021

New compounds offer a two-for-one punch to fight estrogen-sensitive breast cancer

A set of compounds developed by scientists at Scripps Research in Florida target estrogen-sensitive breast cancer cells in new ways, potentially creating better options for patients with treatment-resistant cancers.

31 Aug 2021

Durability of cellular immune memory to SARS-CoV-2 after mRNA vaccination

A recent study, available on the bioRxiv* preprint server, investigated the durability of cellular immune memory after mRNA vaccination against SARS-CoV-2 and whether booster jabs affect the durability of different immune response components. The study included testing for antibodies and cellular immune responses in covid patients and recovered individuals.

31 Aug 2021

FDA grants seven years of marketing exclusivity for Octapharma’s Octagam 10%

Octapharma USA today announced the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Office of Orphan Products Development (OOPD) has awarded seven years of marketing exclusivity for Octagam® 10% [Immune Globulin Intravenous (Human)], the first and only intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIg) to be indicated for the treatment of adult dermatomyositis (DM).

31 Aug 2021

Study identifies actionable genes and candidate drugs in biliary tract cancer using a knowledgebase

Oncotarget published "Actionability evaluation of biliary tract cancer by genome transcriptome analysis and Asian cancer knowledgebase" which reported that it is necessary to investigate actionable genes and candidate drugs using a sophisticated knowledgebase and characterize BTCs immunologically for evaluating the actionability of molecular and immune therapies.

31 Aug 2021

Research sheds light on potential biological mechanisms that impact adherence to medications

How strictly patients follow a prescribed drug treatment (drug adherence) is clearly important if the therapy is to have maximum effect. A number of things can affect adherence, including behavioral and socioeconomic factors, but to date there have been few investigations into the role played by genetics. Now, research to be presented at the annual conference of the European Society of Human Genetics today has thrown new light on the potential biological mechanisms that can affect adherence to treatment.

31 Aug 2021

Efficacy News and Research

New review looks at the bottlenecks and breakthroughs in cancer immunotherapy

Increased transmissibility drives SARS-CoV-2 variant spread, aided by immune escape

Development of SARS-CoV-2 antibody escape variants in an immunocompromised individual

Does SARS-CoV-2 infection protect against reinfection?

$1.3 million in NIH funding to enable drug delivery technology research

mRNA COVID-19 vaccines induce high antibody titers with significant neutralizing potency in saliva

Post-infection vaccination produces potent neutralizing antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 variants

Investigational vaccine does not provide sufficient protection against HIV infection

J&J COVID-19 booster shot produces robust antibody response

Researchers develop adult lung organoids that represent all cell types

The tale of mRNA vaccines: Turning calamity into opportunity

New compounds offer a two-for-one punch to fight estrogen-sensitive breast cancer

Durability of cellular immune memory to SARS-CoV-2 after mRNA vaccination

FDA grants seven years of marketing exclusivity for Octapharma’s Octagam 10%

Study identifies actionable genes and candidate drugs in biliary tract cancer using a knowledgebase

Research sheds light on potential biological mechanisms that impact adherence to medications

Prevalence of vaccine breakthrough cases in SF Bay Area

Will mRNA vaccine boosters be required for SARS-CoV-2 variants?

Sustained and effective response to Janssen COVID-19 vaccine Is enhanced by delayed booster

Can SARS-CoV-2 be transmitted in the food cold chain?

Event guide: 4th Extra-Hepatic Lipid-Based Nanoparticles Delivery Summit eBook

Bringing real-time analytics to downstream bioprocess monitoring

Designing fluidic architecture for scalable diagnostic platforms

Evaluating new approaches for rare disease genomics

Latest News