The way the brain ages is not the same in women and men. A study in mice has observed differences in the expression of the maternal and paternal X chromosomes that could explain variation in brain aging between the sexes and a faster deterioration in some women. Another study has discovered different survival strategies in the microglial cells of females and males. Both studies highlight sex differences that could have implications for several age-related neurological disorders, such as Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s.
Ocugen Inc. has received IND clearance from the FDA for OCU-500, an inhaled mucosal vaccine for COVID-19. The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) will sponsor and conduct a phase I trial of OCU-500 administered via inhalation into the lungs and intranasally as a spray.
The liver and pancreas are the main actors in glucose metabolism, but not the only ones. Muscles, adipose tissue and the brain play different roles. However, the prize for the best new actor in glucagon production goes to the innate lymphoid cells (ILCs), which, according to a study published in Science, respond to intestine neuron signals traveling to the pancreas to control glucose.
Researchers from Sun Yat-Sen University and affiliated organizations presented data from a study that aimed to investigate mechanisms by which the CXC chemokine receptor 3 (CXCR3) antagonist, AMG-487, acts on autoimmune uveitis.
Kymera Therapeutics Inc. has patented new proteolysis targeting chimeras (PROTACs) comprising an E3 ubiquitin ligase-binding moiety coupled to an interleukin-1 receptor-associated kinase 1 (IRAK-4)-targeting moiety via linker.
Hinge Bio Inc. has closed a $30 series A financing to support progression of its lead product candidate, HB-2198, into the clinic for systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).
There are currently three approved vaccines against the H5N1 avian influenza virus. However, they present challenges for large-scale virus cultivation in case of an outbreak and rapid update of vaccine strains to keep pace with the virus’s evolution. Messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccine platforms may offer a promising alternative to traditional vaccine methods to face H5N1 threats.
An experimental tuberculosis (TB) vaccine with a dual mission – self-destruction after inducing immunity – improved the design of the Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) immunotherapy, a vaccine also used against cancer. Scientists at the University of Pittsburgh engineered this strain with a double break, which is effective and safer after an intravenous administration, according to their results in nonhuman primates and mice.
RSS
