Science

In vivo mRNA gene therapy platform reprograms cytotoxic T cells

Fri, 08 May 2026 12:00:00 -0400

A new mRNA and lipid nanoparticle (mRNA-LNP) platform could selectively reprogram in vivo cytotoxic effector T cells (Teff), the cells responsible for eliminating infected or tumor cells. To achieve this, scientists at the University of Pennsylvania conjugated LNPs with fractalkine, a molecule that binds to the CX3CR1 receptor, which is a marker of Teff cells. Using this strategy, the researchers delivered an mRNA encoding new proteins such as IL‑2 or human CD62 L‑selectin, opening the door to temporarily reprogramming these cells within the body, both in the blood and in lymphoid tissue, where they reside and become activated.

Hantavirus is ‘sentinel’ more than acute pandemic threat

Fri, 08 May 2026 09:00:00 -0400

News of eight infections and three deaths so far due to an emerging zoonotic virus has brought back unhappy memories of the early days of SARS-CoV-2. At a press conference on Thursday, officials from the WHO did their best to calm the public’s fears that the MV Hondius, the ship currently heading to the Canary Islands with its remaining passengers plus assorted medical, WHO and European Center for Disease Prevention and Control staff, is the 2026 version of the Diamond Princess.

Hantavirus is ‘sentinel’ more than acute pandemic threat

Fri, 08 May 2026 07:00:00 -0400

First measles treatment advances as vaccination rates drop

Thu, 07 May 2026 11:00:00 -0400

Scientists at the La Jolla Institute for Immunology have identified and characterized human antibodies that neutralize the measles virus by blocking its entry into the cell. This is the first time that antibodies have been shown to bind effectively to two essential viral proteins, creating a dual blockade that prevents infection. Unlike the current vaccine, which is based on an attenuated virus and is not recommended for immunocompromised individuals, these monoclonal antibodies could be used both as a new vaccine approach and as a treatment for the entire population.

Eyes are first prize for newco Link Biologics

Wed, 06 May 2026 09:00:00 -0400

The classic origin story for a biotech startup is that of a scientist who nurtures his work out of a university and to commercial success. For Link Biologics Ltd. and its TSG6-based pipeline, the story is the other way around; it began with now-CEO Reuben Dawkins meeting University of Manchester scientists Tony Day and Caroline Milner while he was on the lookout for “great science that needs help to make it to patients.” The three are now co-founders of Link, which spun out of the University of Manchester in 2021 and has four programs in three indications, all based on TSG-6 biology.

Cytospire raises £61M series A to target EGFR in solid tumors

Tue, 05 May 2026 09:00:00 -0400

Next-generation T-cell engager (TCE) specialist Cytospire Therapeutics Ltd. has raised £61 million (US$82.7 million) in a series A round, equipping it to advance the lead program CYT-X300 to the clinic in the treatment of EGFR-positive solid tumors. The company’s pan gamma delta (γδ) TCEs are designed to overcome problems with cytokine release syndrome, on-target effects on healthy cells, and the excessive activation of CD3 that have occurred with earlier bispecific antibodies that bind to the CD3 receptor on T cells.

Liposomes displaying Env trimers drive HIV apex-focused responses

Mon, 04 May 2026 09:00:00 -0400

A new vaccination strategy designed to induce antibodies that recognize the apex of the HIV Env protein uses Env trimers displayed on liposomes to increase their density and orient them correctly. This presentation enhanced apex-focused antibody responses in macaques, and the monoclonal antibodies isolated after immunization showed binding modes and structural features resembling human broadly neutralizing antibodies (bNAbs), indicating that the vaccine can steer the antibody response toward this vulnerable site.

Quintuple GLP-1-GIP-PPAR agonist for obesity and diabetes control

Thu, 30 Apr 2026 09:00:00 -0400

A new molecule combines the action of two incretins, GLP-1 and GIP, hormones that regulate glucose and appetite, with lanifibranor, a triple agonist of peroxisome proliferator activated receptors (PPAR α/γ/δ). GLP-1-GIP-Lani enables targeted delivery of the PPAR agonist to cells that express incretin receptors, enhancing weight loss, improving glucose control and reducing inflammation in obese mice. In these models, it surpassed the effects of GLP-1 receptor agonists such as semaglutide and GLP-1-GIP co-agonists such as tirzepatide in reducing body weight, improving glycemic control and enhancing metabolic outcomes during active treatment.

Innervation can slow, as well as speed, tumor growth, study finds

Wed, 29 Apr 2026 10:00:00 -0400

Innervation by the sympathetic nervous system is typically a boon to tumors. But researchers from Weill Cornell Medicine and colleagues have shown that in some cases, the relationship between tumors and the nervous system is more complex. Depending on context, innervation can either assist or obstruct tumor growth. “The nervous system typically has been considered as a driver of cancer growth, but here we’ve found that it can be a brake on cancer growth in some contexts,” said David Simon, an assistant professor of biochemistry and biophysics at Weill Cornell Medicine.

Criminal charges filed against top Fauci aide

Tue, 28 Apr 2026 12:00:00 -0400

An alleged coverup of NIH-funded gain-of-function research at China’s Wuhan Institute of Virology has led to criminal charges against a former career scientist and top aide to Tony Fauci, the head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases in the time of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Plasticity, properly parsed, provides psychiatric platform

Mon, 27 Apr 2026 09:00:00 -0400

If Benjamin Braddock, of The Graduate fame, were a young neuroscientist in the 21st century instead of a liberal arts graduate in 1967, the advice he received from his parents’ neighbor might not have been “One word: plastics!” but “One word: plasticity!” Plasticity is a hot concept in neuropsychiatric disorders. New and old treatment modalities, these days, are said to work as psychoplastogens or neuroplastogens.

Pharma industry faces long haul to get return on investment from AI

Fri, 24 Apr 2026 09:00:00 -0400

Artificial intelligence tools are springing up at multiple points along drug discovery and development, but despite the hype, as yet there is minimal return on investment (ROI). “I would say a lot of companies sort of get this big excitement about AI, but then when you look at how much ROI they get, it’s actually very little. And that’s because the workflow and the process, end-to-end, isn’t mapped to really understand where AI can truly make an impact,” said Laura Matz, chief science and technology officer at Merck KGaA.

Pharma industry faces long haul to get return on investment from AI

Thu, 23 Apr 2026 12:00:00 -0400

AI opens the way to systematic risk assessment of zoonotic potential of viruses

Wed, 22 Apr 2026 11:00:00 -0400

Researchers in the U.K. have developed an AI-driven method of identifying viruses in wild animals with the potential to spillover into humans. The technique makes it possible to use the genome sequences of the spike proteins by which viruses enter host cells to assess the potential to infect humans without having to isolate an individual virus and tests its infectivity in the lab.

Kaleidoscope-like ‘engineered disorder’ expands imaging potential

Tue, 21 Apr 2026 09:00:00 -0400

A new metasurface design strategy that replaces rigid order with “engineered disorder” could significantly increase how many optical functions can be integrated into a single ultra-thin device without increasing size or complexity, according to a study published in Nature Communications. The study challenges a longstanding assumption in optical engineering that highly ordered, periodic structures are required to precisely control light.

At AACR: Epigenetic fingerprints in metastases track tumor origin

Tue, 21 Apr 2026 09:00:00 -0400

When a tumor migrates and colonizes another tissue or organ, it can be identified as a metastasis, but its origin is not always clear. Now, a study based on machine learning has identified DNA-methylation patterns that reveal the type of tissue a cancer comes from when the primary tumor cannot be found. This technique could help guide more specific treatments for patients with cancers of unknown primary, who today often receive broad, nontargeted chemotherapy.

Whole genome sequencing unveils blood cancer trajectory

Mon, 20 Apr 2026 12:00:00 -0400

A new study tracking the genomic evolution of chronic myeloproliferative neoplasms has shown that progression to myelofibrosis or acute myeloid leukemia is encoded in mutations that occur years before the transformation is clinically evident.

Sex differences shape gene activity across the human brain

Fri, 17 Apr 2026 09:00:00 -0400

Genes that are switched on or off in the human brain differ between men and women. Moreover, these differences are not uniform. They vary across cortical regions and cell types. Scientists at the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) and the National Institute on Aging (NIA) used single-cell sequencing and unveiled distinct gene expression patterns regulated by hormones and sex chromosomes. This detailed map of the brain’s molecular biology shows how women and men switch on and off more than 3,000 brain genes differently and expands the catalogue of X chromosome genes that escape inactivation.

Kaleidoscope-like ‘engineered disorder’ expands imaging potential

Thu, 16 Apr 2026 09:00:00 -0400

Super-enhancers drive super-selective tumor killing

Tue, 14 Apr 2026 09:00:00 -0400

Researchers at the University of Edinburgh are pioneering a cancer therapy that destroys tumors from within while reawakening the immune system, using synthetic super-enhancers (SSEs) to drive targeted killing and durable protection against recurrence. The work builds on a decade of research focused on how glioblastoma stem cells (GSCs) sustain their aggressive cancer identity.

GLP-1R drug response tied to variants in target genes

Mon, 13 Apr 2026 09:00:00 -0400

The development of glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor (GLP-1R) agonists, such as semaglutide and tirzepatide, has been a game changer in the clinical management of overweight and obesity, but there is interpersonal variability in efficacy of these medications for weight loss, as well as in the incidence of undesired side effects. Investigators from the 23andMe Research Institute have shed some light on how variations in the GLP-1R and GIP receptor (GIPR) genes impact their effectiveness and the occurrence of side effects.

Smart contact lens delivers adaptative glaucoma therapy

Thu, 09 Apr 2026 09:00:00 -0400

A smart polymer contact lens measures intraocular pressure (IOP) in real time and automatically releases medication into the eye when IOP goes beyond a critical limit. This technological advance, developed by scientists at the Terasaki Institute for Biomedical Innovation (TIBI), could enable personalized glaucoma therapy, avoiding poor patient adherence to their prescribed regimen and eliminating the need for bulky electronic devices. Animal models tolerate it well and, although the load is concentrated at the edges of the lens, it is still unknown how it could affect visual acuity.

Smart contact lens delivers adaptative glaucoma therapy

Wed, 08 Apr 2026 12:00:00 -0400

Hematopoietic stem cell research points to leukemia’s early roots

Tue, 07 Apr 2026 11:00:00 -0400

Hematopoietic stem cell research over the past century has shown that leukemia may be driven by an invisible hand of inflammation. The bone marrow and inflammation, then, may hold the keys to preventing blood cancers, according to John E. Dick’s plenary session at the 2026 Korean Society of Hematology International Conference, held March 26, 2026.

Hematopoietic stem cell research points to leukemia’s early roots

Thu, 02 Apr 2026 09:00:00 -0400

Small-molecule TREM2 agonist advances to treat Alzheimer’s

Fri, 27 Mar 2026 12:00:00 -0400

Microglia play a central role in the neuroinflammation associated with Alzheimer’s disease (AD). At the 20th International Conference on Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s Diseases (AD/PD), scientists focused on TREM2, a microglial receptor that regulates immune responses, exploring new ways to address neuroinflammation.

Somatic genomics pioneer Quotient signs $2.2B IBD deal with Merck

Tue, 24 Mar 2026 12:00:00 -0400

For a company founded only four years ago, Quotient Therapeutics Inc. entered its third major deal, this time with Merck & Co. Inc. to find novel drug targets for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) using its somatic genomics platform technology.

Emerging therapeutic strategies for Parkinson’s at ADPD 2026

Mon, 23 Mar 2026 09:00:00 -0400

Parkinson’s disease (PD) involves the progressive loss of dopaminergic neurons, particularly in the substantia nigra. This neurodegeneration is linked to the abnormal accumulation of α-synuclein, a protein that forms toxic aggregates and spreads between cells, damaging them. At the 20th International Conference on Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s Diseases (AD/PD), held from March 17 to 21, 2026, in Copenhagen, several strategies were presented that aim to modify the course of the disease and offer real alternatives to purely symptomatic treatments.

Lab-grown pig implant paves way to treat esophageal atresia

Fri, 20 Mar 2026 12:00:00 -0400

Scientists at Great Ormond Street Children’s Hospital in London have reported a new advance for tissue engineered grafts in a lab-grown esophagus that has sufficient muscle regeneration to coordinate peristalsis, enabling the recipient to swallow. The aim is to generate grafts that can be used to treat babies born with the rare congenital condition esophageal atresia, in which the esophagus fails to connect to the stomach, usually forming a close pouch instead.

ADPD 2026: Three inflection points to target Alzheimer’s disease

Fri, 20 Mar 2026 09:00:00 -0400

A new way of understanding Alzheimer’s disease, based on biological inflection points that mark decisive moments in the progression of the disorder, could change how new drugs are developed to achieve more effective therapies. This new perspective could rethink strategies that depend not so much on the target itself, but on the precise moment at which it is addressed.