Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cells Technologies

By destroying the regulatory genes of the AIDS virus HIV-1 using the genome editing system CRISPR/Cas9, a Japanese research group has succeeded in blocking the production of HIV-1 by infected cells.

Belgian biotech Celyad has raised substantial funding on Euronext Paris and the NASDAQ to support its CAR-T cell therapy, which can be applied to both solid and blood tumors. CYAD-01, its most advanced drug candidate, is currently in Phase I trials. The funding could help Celyad keep up with other CAR-T developers.

BioLamina, based in Stockholm, is collaborating with the world-leader in diabetes treatment Novo Nordisk to develop stem cell therapies that use BioLamina’s protein cell culture matrices. BioLamina’s technology could enhance Novo Nordisk’s stem cell therapies effectiveness in treating diabetes.

In research published today in the journal Cell Stem Cell, scientists at Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons present the most definitive evidence to date that the human brain makes new neurons throughout life.

By taking a deep dive into the molecular underpinnings of Diamond-Blackfan anemia, scientists have made a new discovery about what drives the development of mature red blood cells from the earliest form of blood cells, called hematopoietic (blood-forming) stem cells.

Mechanical engineering researchers have developed a method that could extend the life of an artificial hip by adding an array of microscopic indentations that increase the thickness of a lubricating film on its surface.

Japans decision on Wednesday to greenlight a study using stem cells for treating heart failure shows how far the field has progressed in the decade since the cells were first developed.

A UCLA bioengineer has developed a technique that uses a specially adapted 3D printer to build therapeutic biomaterials from multiple materials. The advance could be a step toward on-demand printing of complex artificial tissues for use in transplants and other surgeries.

Speed is of the essence when it comes to manufacturing CAR T drugs—personalized treatments in which immune cells are engineered to recognize and destroy patients’ cancers. With that in mind, Gilead will locate a new European manufacturing site for its CAR-T therapy Yescarta at an airport in the Netherlands.

Scientists have discovered the first leukaemia protective gene that is specific to the male-only Y chromosome. Researchers at the Wellcome Sanger Institute and the University of Cambridge found that this Y-chromosome gene protects against the development of Acute Myeloid Leukaemia (AML) and other cancers.