Generation Bio Co. has announced a breakthrough in its nonviral genetic medicine platform with the development of a proprietary, novel DNA called immune-quiet DNA (iqDNA).

The mRNA technology used in vaccines against viral infections could also be developed for cancer therapies. A group of scientists has designed a circular RNA (circRNA) encapsulated in lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) that acts in the mitochondria of tumor cells through the protein gasdermin-D (GSDMD) and reduces adenocarcinoma. The work was published on Oct. 16, 2023, in Nature Cancer.

Salipro Biotech AB and Icosagen AS have entered into a multitarget antibody research agreement for the discovery and characterization of monoclonal antibodies against several challenging membrane proteins.

Biomap (Beijing) Intelligent Technology Co Ltd. has entered into a strategic collaboration with Sanofi SA to co-develop cutting-edge artificial intelligence (AI) modules for biotherapeutic drug discovery by leveraging Biomap’s AI platform.

Circio Holding ASA and Neoregen Biotech have commenced a research collaboration on novel circular RNA (circRNA) therapeutics based on Circio’s proprietary Circvec technology. The technology is composed of a modular genetic cassette design for efficient biogenesis of multifunctional circRNAs that can be adapted and applied to multiple purposes.

Scientists at the Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health have developed a humanized kidney at the mesonephros stage in pig embryos up to day 28 of gestation. It is the first time that this has been achieved in chimeric xenotransplants.

Integral Molecular Inc. has been awarded funding totaling $896,000 from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), which will support its discovery of antibodies against difficult and conserved protein targets.

Twist Bioscience Corp. has entered into an antibody discovery, option and license agreement with Bayer AG.

Quantum dots, a phenomenon in quantum physics that alters the energy of electrons and changes the properties of particles, caught the attention of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences (KVA) for the 2023 Nobel Prize in Chemistry. Alexei Ekimov and Louis Brus received the award for their discovery; Moungi Bawendi, for developing its applications. With their work, “in equal shares,” said the Secretary General of KVA Hans Ellegren, the three scientists have laid the foundations of nanotechnology, a tool that we see today in our homes, on televisions and LED lamps, or in laboratories and hospitals for designing new drugs or new strategies against cancer.