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Director/PDMR Shareholding

Posted: June 22, 2022 at 2:43 am

DXS INTERNATIONAL PLC

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$2.38M to test nano-engineered brain cancer treatment in mice – University of Michigan News

Posted: June 22, 2022 at 2:42 am

The two-compartment nanoparticles as seen with structured illumination microscopy. The green compartment contains the immune drug while the red compartment brings the tumor-killer. Credit: Ava Mauser and Nahal Habibi, Lahann Lab, University of Michigan.

A new nanomedicine that crosses the blood-brain barrier, engages the immune system and kills cancer cells may offer hope for treating the most aggressive form of brain cancer, glioblastoma.

With $2.38 million in funding from the National Institutes of Health, the medicine will soon be tested in mice at the University of Michigan.

Led by a nano-engineer and neuro-oncology researchers at U-M, the study is the first to test the two drugs together, packaged so that they can be delivered through the bloodstream rather than a hole in the skull. It builds on previous success eliminating cancer in seven out of eight mice by packaging just the immune drug in the protein that crosses the blood-brain barrier so that it could be delivered intravenously. The five-year survival rate for glioblastoma in humans is about 5%.

The standard of care for glioblastoma is surgery and radiation, and the median survival hasnt improved for several decades. A systemically delivered nanomedicine that can prolong survival and prevent recurrence is the dream, said Maria Castro, the R.C. Schneider Collegiate Professor of Neurosurgery and professor of cell and developmental biology.

Her team leads the mouse studies in collaboration with Pedro Lowenstein, the Richard C. Schneider Collegiate Professor of Neurosurgery and professor of cell and developmental biology.

As the team tests out the nanoparticles timed to release the immune drug followed by a tumor-killing drug, developed and produced by project lead Joerg Lahanns group, one of the key questions is how well the drugs cooperate.

Are they working much better than either drug alone? Thats what were hoping for. Or is it just a small improvementor are they actually competing with each other and making the treatment worse or increasing the side effects? said Lahann, the Wolfgang Pauli Collegiate Professor of Engineering and director of the U-M Biointerfaces Institute.

The advanced nanomedicines are delivered intravenously and combined with radiation therapy, as they would be in a future clinical trial.

To get the nanomedicine from the bloodstream to the brain, Lahanns team packages the drugs in a protein called human serum albumin, which is present in blood and can cross the blood-brain barrier. Once there, the drugs must wake up the immune system to prevent recurrence and death, which frequently follow conventional treatments like surgery, radiation and chemotherapy.

Tumors grow and regrow because cancer cells have ways of suppressing the immune system. The 2020 study and the new grant use a drug that blocks STAT3, a signaling molecule that cancer cells use to tell immune cells not to attack them. This gave the immune system of the mice the ability to identify the cancer cells as targets for destruction.

In a study just out in May, the team used a drug that blocks CXCR4, an immune receptor that receives orders to send killer T-cells away. Blocking CXCR4 helps keep T-cells in the brain, where they do their work of killing brain cancer cells. Three out of five mice survived long term, and all of those survivors cleared new tumors during the recurrence challenge.

While the new grant wont use this drug, the team is interested in a future study exploring whether two immune approaches together might be more effective.

Tumors have a lot of variation, so we need to attack them from many directions, Lowenstein said.

After initial testing of the new two-compartment nanomedicine in lab-grown cell cultures that mimic human tumors and their surroundings, the team will begin testing in mice as the next step toward clinical trials in humans. They will find out how much of the nanomedicine makes it into the brain, how well it fights the cancer, how well it leaves the body and what the side effects are like.

Previous studies suggest that the nanoparticles home in on tumor cells, infiltrating them more often than healthy cells, and one of the goals for this one is to better understand how that works. For nanomedicines to advance into clinical trials as experimental treatments for glioblastoma, we must understand the mechanisms by which they accumulate in tumor and other tissues, said Colin Greineder, U-M assistant professor of emergency medicine, who will lead studies of how the nanomedicine distributes in the body.

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New Amrita Hospital is all set to open in Faridabad in August this year; 2,400-bed facility will become Indias biggest private hospital – The…

Posted: June 22, 2022 at 2:42 am

Amrita Hospitals announced on Thursday that its new 2,400-bed campus will soon be open to the public in Faridabad in August this year. During the press conference on Thursday, hospital management announced that the new Amrita Hospital is spread across 133 acres of land in Faridabad and it will be the biggest private sector hospital in India.

This would be the second large-scale Amrita Hospital in India after the iconic 1,200-bed Amrita Hospital in Kochi, Kerala, which was established 25 years ago by the Mata Amritanandamayi Math.

The new hospital is located at Sector 88, Faridabad and it will have a total built-up area of 1 crore sq. ft., including a 14-floor-high tower that will encompass the key medical facilities and patient areas. During the press conference, Swami Nijamritananda Puri, Head, Mata Amritanandamayi Math, Delhi announced that the 81 specialties at the hospital will include eight centers of excellence, such as oncology, cardiac sciences, neurosciences, gastro-sciences, renal sciences, bone diseases and trauma, transplants, and mother and child.

The hospital will become operational in stages, with 500 beds opening in August this year. In two years, this number will rise to 750 beds, and further to 1,000 beds in five years. When fully operational, the hospital will have a staff of 10,000 people, including over 800 doctors.

On how the new hospital has incorporated the aspects of pandemic-induced demands, Dr. Sanjeev K Singh, Medical Director, Amrita Hospital, Faridabad told Financial Express.com: We have learned a lot from the pandemic. The construction of the hospital began 5-6 years ago and the learnings from the pandemic also got incorporated along the way. For example, any patient who comes in an emergency gets facilitated in a 40-bed setup. In that set-up, we have a decontaminated area in which anyone who needs to shower will be sent there. We have four negative pressure rooms and if we have any suspected cases of covid or covid-like diseases we can send them to concerned specialists. The mechanism of shifting is also planned and implemented. In all critical care units, there are positive pressure isolation rooms.

The massive facility will also include 534 critical care beds which is the highest in India, the hospital management claims. The hospital campus will also include 64 modular operation theaters, most advanced imaging services, fully automated robotic laboratory, high-precision radiation oncology, most updated nuclear medicine, and state-of-the-art 9 cardiac and interventional cath lab for clinical services. Cutting-edge medical research will be a strong thrust area, with a dedicated research block spread across a 7-floor building totaling 3 lakh sq. ft with exclusive Grade A to D GMP lab with focus on identifying newer diagnostic markers, AI, ML, Bioinformatics etc.

Dr. Singh also told Financial Express.com that they want to integrate all aspects of medical science and bridge the gap between clinicians and scientists.

In Kochi, we have established tissue engineering, a nano-medicine-based cardiac stent, bone growth, and lots more. What we are looking at Faridabad campus is developing something new in stem-cell therapies. We want to create techniques like creating human cells on our own in our GMP labs as generally, we rely on international counterparts for such procedures. Recently, we conducted research in which we found that we can use patient pluripetin stem cells in tumours and it will destroy them. For us, oncology is the big thrust area but other areas will be a focus too. The intent of our research facility will be to make the high-end expensive equipment and treatments cost-effective for the common man. We want to integrate medicine, engineering, biotechnology, and other segments altogether, Dr. Singh told Financial Express.com.

Dr. Singh also said that they have already been awarded the Advanced ICMR Clinical Trial Unit and this will enable them to conduct their trials in the new facility.

Mata Amritanandamayi has allocated a certain amount of seed money to initiate research. On the basis of submitted proposals, things will materialise and start, he added.

Dr. Singh also told Financial Express.com that the new hospital will also be empaneled. There is a process of 3-6 months and then after medical facilities will be available under all panels like ECHS, CGHS and other TPAs, he added.

During the press conference, Dr Singh also informed that the hospital will be among the very few facilities in the country to conduct hand transplants, a specialty pioneered by Amrita Hospital in Kochi. We will also do transplants of liver, kidney, trachea, vocal cords, intestine, heart, lung, pancreas, skin, bone, face and bone marrow, he said.

Training of medical students and doctors will be a strong focus area. The hospital will have state-of-the-art robotics, haptic, surgical-medical simulation centre spread across 4 floors and 1.5 lakh sq. ft area, the biggest such learning & development facility for doctors in the country. The facility will also host a medical college and the countrys biggest allied health sciences campus, he stated.

Moreover, the management also informed that ultra-modern Amrita Hospital at Faridabad would be one of Indias largest green-building healthcare projects with a low carbon footprint. It is an end-to-end paperless facility, with zero waste discharge.

There is also a helipad on the campus for swift transport of patients and a 498-room guest house where attendants accompanying the patients can stay, they said.

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Global Advanced Functional Materials Market To Be Driven By The Surging Demand From Medical Sector In The Forecast Period Of 2021-2026 Designer Women…

Posted: June 22, 2022 at 2:42 am

The new report by Expert Market Research titled, Global Advanced Functional Materials Market Report and Forecast 2021-2026, gives an in-depth analysis of the globaladvanced functional materials market, assessing the market based on its type, end-use, and major regions. The report tracks the latest trends in the industry and studies their impact on the overall market. It also assesses the market dynamics, covering the key demand and price indicators, along with analyzing the market based on the SWOT and Porters Five Forces models.

Note 1: For a snapshot of the primary and secondary data of the market (2016-2026), along with business strategies and detailed market segmentation, please click on request sample report. The sample report shall be delivered to you within 24 hours.

Request a free sample copy in PDF or view the reportsummary@https://bityl.co/CaqF

The key highlights of the report include:

Market Overview (2016-2026)

The growth in the global advanced functional materials market is induced by the medical device technology which is advancing at a rapid pace. With increased focus on imaging techniques, implantable devices, and regeneration technologyin medicine, drug delivery industrial equipment, and biomedical engineering, the adoption of advanced functional materials is increasing rapidly, that aims to augment growth of the market. Advanced functional materials supersede conventional materials by having superior characteristics such as durability, toughness, durability, and elasticity. The advanced functional material industry for low carbon emissions applications is anticipated to be driven by rising lightweight vehicles demandcombined with improved fuel efficiency.

Explore the full report with the table ofcontents@https://bityl.co/CaqC

Industry Definition and Major Segments

Usingeffective power and signaltransmission to every object, advanced functional materials serve to minimise total power usage. Thin conductors or interlinks used within advanced functional material-based mini electronics aid in countering signal propagation and power failure concerns associated with large PCBs and thick interconnects.

Based on its types, the market is divided into:

Based on end-use, the market is divided into:

On the basis of region, the market is divided into:

Market Trends

In the years ahead, the manufacturing of lighter weight, handy, and adaptable substrate technological tools will boost adoption ofadvanced functional materials. One of the crucial industry trends in the advanced functional materials marketis the strong market for microelectronics andminiaturisation. The healthcare industry has a huge demand for advanced functional materials. In the industry, nanomaterials are the dominant type of material. The use of nano materials in the nanotechnological sector of the healthcare industry is consistently expanding. Nanomedicine is the use of nanotechnology to diagnose, monitor, deliver drugs, treat, and regulate biological systems. Although, an absence of expansion plans and technological innovation is anticipated to stymie the industrys growth over the forecast period.

Key Market Players

The major players in the market are Morgan Advanced Materials plc, KYOCERA Corporation, Hexcel Corporation, Nanophase Technologies Corporation, KURARAY CO., LTD, Murata Manufacturing Co., Ltd., and Henkel AG & Co. KGaA (OTCMKTS: HENKY), among others. The report covers the market shares, capacities, plant turnarounds, expansions, investments and mergers and acquisitions, among other latest developments of these market players.

About Us:

Expert Market Research is a leading business intelligence firm, providing custom and syndicated market reports along with consultancy services for our clients. We serve a wide client base ranging from Fortune 1000 companies to small and medium enterprises. Our reports cover over 100 industries across established and emerging markets researched by our skilled analysts who track the latest economic, demographic, trade and market data globally.

At Expert Market Research, we tailor our approach according to our clients needs and preferences, providing them with valuable, actionable and up-to-date insights into the market, thus, helping them realize their optimum growth potential. We offer market intelligence across a range of industry verticals which include Pharmaceuticals, Food and Beverage, Technology, Retail, Chemical and Materials, Energy and Mining, Packaging and Agriculture.

Media Contact

Company Name: Claight CorporationContact Person: Louis Wane, Corporate Sales Specialist U.S.A.Email:sales@expertmarketresearch.comToll Free Number:+1-415-325-5166 | +44-702-402-5790Address: 30 North Gould Street, Sheridan, WY 82801, USAWebsite:https://www.expertmarketresearch.com

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Electric Cargo Bikes Market:https://www.digitaljournal.com/pr/global-electric-cargo-bikes-market-to-be-driven-by-the-growing-environmental-consciousness-around-the-globe-in-the-forecast-period-of-2021-2026

Dehydrated Food Market:https://www.digitaljournal.com/pr/global-dehydrated-food-market-to-be-driven-by-increasing-consumer-demand-for-packaged-and-processed-food-products-in-the-forecast-period-of-2021-2026

Human Insulin Market:https://www.digitaljournal.com/pr/global-human-insulin-market-to-be-driven-by-rising-health-awareness-among-increasing-diabetic-population-across-the-globe-in-the-forecast-period-of-2021-2026

Power Over Ethernet Lighting Market:https://www.digitaljournal.com/pr/power-over-ethernet-lighting-market-to-be-driven-by-demand-for-advanced-technology-coupled-with-its-extensive-range-of-application-in-different-sectors-across-the-globe-in-the-forecast-period-of-2021

Marine Engines Market:https://www.digitaljournal.com/pr/marine-engines-market-to-be-driven-by-the-rapidly-growing-shipping-industry-in-the-forecast-period-of-2021-2026

*We at Expert Market Research always thrive to give you the latest information. The numbers in the article are only indicative and may be different from the actual report.

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OEDIT Announces Recipients of Collaborative Infrastructure Grant – Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade

Posted: June 22, 2022 at 2:41 am

Today, the Global Business Division of the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade (OEDIT) announced the recipients of the Collaborative Infrastructure Grant, an Advanced Industries Accelerator Program that helps Colorado-based teams of technology businesses and nonprofits fill infrastructure gaps in the advanced industries. This years recipients will develop an advanced manufacturing hub to strengthen the local workforce and supply chains; add 1.4M square feet of new wet lab space for bioscience and clean tech startups; support adult bone marrow stem cell collection to benefit the treatment of musculoskeletal injury and disease; and add a state-of-the-art facility to evaluate outdoor product performance and production (full awardee list below).

The Advanced Industries Accelerator Program is designed to benefit all aspects of innovation in Colorado, said Rama Haris, Senior Manager for OEDITs Advanced Industries Program. We were pleased to see that this years applications for the Collaborative Infrastructure Grant represented that full spectrum, from manufacturing to health and wellness to outdoor recreation, and will fill infrastructure needs that benefit Coloradans and the nation.

To be eligible, projects must have multiple collaborative public-private partners, broad impacts across one or more advanced industries, and support capability growth within the identified industries through research, technology development, and manufacturing. The AIA Program received five applications for this grant opportunity. Applications were reviewed by a multi-disciplinary committee of business, technical and financial experts across the advanced industries. Final recommendations were approved by the Economic Development Commission on June 16, 2022.

Awardees

Metropolitan State University of Denver, $135,000: The world events of the last two years have illustrated the need for the US to more rapidly adopt, deploy, and support advanced manufacturing to strengthen the local workforce and supply chains. Metropolitan State University of Denver is developing a hub of advanced manufacturing innovation with a world-class Industry 4.0 Center of Excellence on the downtown Denver Auraria Campus. This physical lab will educate the manufacturing workforce and be accessible to local manufacturers. The center will include office space, lab space, and demonstration facilities.

Rocky Mountain Innosphere, $1,500,000: A recent report identified that the Denver and Boulder Metropolitan Statistical Area lacks 1.4M square feet of wet labs to support current and near-term needs. Rocky Mountain Innosphere, as part of the Colorado Build Back Better Coalition, is developing wet lab space for bioscience and clean tech startups. The wet lab space will be developed by renovating a 31,000 square foot building at the historic National Western Center and will provide for a startups progression from R&D to early scale-up.

Steadman Philippon Research Institute, $500,000: Musculoskeletal injury and disease are the most disabling and costly conditions suffered by Americans. Of the many adult stem cell types potentially applicable for treating musculoskeletal disorders, bone marrow stem cells (BMSCs) from bone marrow aspirate concentrate (BMAC) are the most clinically translatable. The Steadman Philippon Research Institute in Vail, Colo. is developing a BMAC harvesting, banking, and delivery service that facilitates multiple injections from a single bone marrow harvest without expansion or significant manipulation of the cells.

University of Colorado Denver, $250,000: Advanced manufacturing capabilities are essential to develop new products, processes, and services across a range of industries, including the outdoor recreation industry. Outdoor recreation powers a vast economic engine that creates billions in spending and millions of jobs. The University of Colorado Denver in partnership with Outside Inc. is building the Gear Innovation Lab, a facility with state-of-the-art testing equipment to evaluate outdoor product performance and production. The standardized lab testing will be supported by Outsides team of expert editors and field testers to provide a holistic technical, consumer, and community assessment and reporting of outdoor gear.

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The White Rim – Around Again – Cycling West – Cycling Utah

Posted: June 22, 2022 at 2:40 am

By Martin Neunzert They say life's what happens as we try to re-center from the little detours chance puts in our path. Here's a little story that encircles medicine, perseverance and evolving bicycle technology and chronicles three trips on the White Rim Trail in Southern Utah taken over the last 33 years.

CRAAARACK-ACK! The sound yerked me from half-sleep and echoed around the Wingate Sandstone cliffs, unseen above me in the darkness. What the? It sounded like a rifle shot! In the middle of the night? At Hardscrabble Bottom, deep in the heart of Canyonlands National Park? When I had gotten my permit to camp on the White Rim, the ranger had chuckled and said, Youre on your own! to my query about there being anyone else in the area. I shivered the rest of the night away, and at first light threw everything into the panniers and rode as fast as I could to the sun. Once I got a good look at the Green River, I could see what had made the noise: Long shelves of ice had formed along the banks. When the water level dropped during the night, the shelves snapped off violently.

I had never been so cold. I had stripped my equipment well past the point of comfortjust a summer-weight synthetic sleeping bag and a bivy sackin order to carry enough water. That night it was 14 degrees in Moab. The photo is of my feet wearing my heavy gloves in an attempt to get some feeling back into them.

A modern treatment for leukemia is to kill off the patients bone marrow, chemically, then rebuild it using stem cells from a suitable donor, my brother in my case. Although a miraculous procedure, the recipients body feverishly, literally, tries to reject the transplant. I ran a 104 degree fever for four days yet I felt intensely cold. Even under heated blankets, my uncontrollable shivering was so bad at times they gave me Demerol just so I could sleep for short periods.

PD and I stopped next to a woman standing at the edge of one of the uppermost switchbacks on the Shafer Trail. East of our toes, the road dropped 1,300 feet to the White Rim. A whooshing sound behind us caused us all to whip around. A guy on a mountain bike flew by. Nobody spoke for a few seconds, watching. Can you believe hes doing it in flats and tennis shoes? the woman asked the sky. He forgot his cleats this morning. I turned slightly and half-stepped toward my bike so she couldnt see my platform pedals and light hiking shoes. Then she was gone, too, and silence returned, in its enormity. I muttered Try that with partial vision loss, anemia (only two-thirds the amount of red blood cells of normal), osteopenia, chemo-brain, persistent left-side weakness, and, depending on who you talk to, sleep apnea, elevated creatinine level and residual PTSD.

I know who the real hero is, PD said quietly.

Two switchbacks lower, we stopped again as some vehicles were bunched up. Young Dude asked What kind of bike is that!? His tone of voice hovered between complete incomprehension and incredulousness, as if he had only seen a lugged-and-brazed frame used as a rusty bike rack, bolted to a sidewalk outside a bike shop.

Its an antique I said, politely leaving unsaid the part that it was state-of-the-art before he was born. It was bikes like these that blew open the whole mountain biking industry. Want to see it? Go to the parking area at the Slickrock Bike Trail above Moab and find the little interpretive sign at the south end that provides the history of the Trail. Mines a twin to the one in the photo, except silver.

We werent out to be the first or to break records. After all, websites for bragging about your accomplishments wouldnt go on-line for another twenty years. I wasnt even sure mountain biking in the desert would be practical: Too hot, too big, too sandy. But with each experience, we gained confidence and efficiency, always dreaming of future adventures.

Somewhere near Candlestick Butte, a movement and clattering of rocks caused me to skid to a halt. A mature desert bighorn ram had come partway down a shaly slope, our paths crossing by incomprehensible randomness. He intently studied me, perhaps confused by my bull moose handlebars. I was in awe, and a little jealous. Until then, I had felt smugly autonomous, carrying all my water for four days, yet he thrived in this environment, sculpted by evolution, sustained by the instinctive drive to survive.

Thank God for disc brakes! another woman said, grinning and letting gravity take her easily down the fun descent off Murphy Hogback. I wondered if she knew what center-pull brakes were. I was confident they were capable of locking up the wheels even when loaded with all my camping gear and nine quarts of water. Then as now, logistics are the real challenge of cycling the White Rim. My first time around, I chose to do it solo and self-contained. I had managed to cache a gallon at Potato Bottom, but failed to place another near Monument Basin. But when the opportunity came, I adapted by figuring out how to carry enough and going when it wasnt hot. Not once did it occur to me to mooch water the way modern bikepackers sometimes do, mostly because I truly value self-sufficiency, but partly because there was no one else.

Out by the Black Crack, I stopped to take in the expansive panorama, from Ekker Butte to the Buttes of the Cross. Youre riding a non-suspended bike? Mister More-Brand-Logos-Than-Spokes asked, pulling alongside. I laughed because I could see he was in too much of a hurry to listen to me explain why I wasnt on my full-suspension off-road recumbent, so I just answered, perhaps a little too flippantly, Oh, Ive been doing this for 30 years, I dont know what the big deal is.

Well, he replied, It makes a big difference to your forearms! and he flapped his hands as if he was shaking water from them. I flashed back to my initial days in rehab. After six weeks of immobilization from pneumonia and a stroke, my muscles were so weakened that my joints, particularly my knees and hips, would separate when I tried to relax or sleep. I dont mind telling you I had never felt such exquisite pain. It got so bad I asked for Oxycodone several times. That was kind of scary in itself. My physical therapists thought I was working extra hard in the gym to get back on my bike, I just wanted to build up my strength to stop the pain.

But in the present, I watched him sprint away, no doubt a drum-machine-and-synthesizer soundtrack playing in his mind like in the bike porn videos. I sincerely hoped he would someday learn the value of developing skills, tenacity and patience

When PD had invited me to ride the Rim again, I was terrified. It had been six months since I had tried to ride a diamond-frame bike, and that attempt had ended in a crash. But he refused to accede. I think my physical therapists had secretly gotten to him and persuaded him to find ways to get me back on the horse. I seriously considered moving him to the ex-friends category. Nevertheless, I was deeply curious to see if anything had changed in two-and-a-half decades. Fundamentally, no, nothing has. One still feels very insignificant out there in the vastness. But when I dragged into camp that evening at dusk, I sensed something was different.

Not just the breeze rustling the yellow cottonwood leaves, not the position of a cactus spine, definitely not the enduring sandstone that changes only imperceptibly during a humans lifespan. No, it was I who had changed.

Cancer (and its treatment and complications) had, for a time, taken away my freedom, my sanity, my dignity, my hair, my balance, my mobility, strength, even my appetite, leaving me only with my determination. Now everything I do is, in some way, therapy in the long fight to return to some level of normalcy.

Just last week one of my docs mentioned she was amazed at how well I handled 22 days in the ICU, horribly uncomfortably proned, with what felt like a garden-hose-sized ventilator tube jammed down my throat. Inspirational tenacity? Im not sure. I just did what it took to get through it. Perhaps there was an element of luck. One of the nurses in the ICU where they took me to after my stroke told me In the six years Ive worked here, youre the only one who has survived the combination of acute myeloid leukemia, a bone marrow transplant, pneumonia and stroke.

And I learned so much. Like genetics, the insane complexities of medicine or about being a professional patient. Stuff I never wanted to know that will now haunt me forever. Never again would I take for granted the profound compassion and intrinsic nonjudgmental nature of the myriad of people who helped me along the way. Or to be able to just jump on a bike and ride. Or to sleep under the rotating stars.

The White Rim Trail is a classic and deservedly popular 100-mile loop, mostly in Canyonlands National Park, mostly off-pavement.

Martin Neunzert is a long-time cyclist and tourer. He cycled the White Rim in 1989, 1990 and 2016 and has completed many other on- and off-road adventures along the way. He is now likely seen around Ogden, Utah, on his recumbent trike.

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Efficacy and Safety of Sintilimab in Combination with Concurrent Chemo | CMAR – Dove Medical Press

Posted: June 22, 2022 at 2:40 am

Introduction

Gastric and gastroesophageal junction (G/GEJ) cancer is the fifth most common cancer and the third most deadly cancer worldwide, with an estimated 1 million new cases and 783,000 death in 2018.1 In China, the incidence and mortality rate of G/GEJ cancer is substantially higher than that of the rest of the world. According to the data from Cancer Registry in China, the country has about 403,000 new cases and 291,000 death each year. Moreover, about 54% of patients are diagnosed with locally advanced (stage II and III) G/GEJ cancers2 which are characterized by tumor infiltration of the serosa and the presence of regional lymph node metastasis. At this stage, surgery alone might not be sufficient, and even with R0 surgical resection, the prognosis remains dismal.3 Regarding the patients developing T3-4 and N2-3 cancer, the 5-year survival rate after surgery is lower than 15%.4

Multimodality regimens, such as perioperative chemotherapy and adjuvant or neoadjuvant concurrent chemoradiotherapy (cCRT), have been developed to improve the poor prognosis in advanced G/GEJ cancers. Clinical trials have demonstrated that perioperative chemotherapy has specific advantages in degrading tumor stage, increasing R0 resection rate, and improving pathological complete response (pCR) rate. Thus, patients with operable stage III to IVa G/GEJ cancers can obtain significant survival benefits.57 The therapeutic benefits of preoperative cCRT, on the other hand, have been confirmed by the long-term follow-up results from CROSS and POET trials.8,9 In addition, the multidisciplinary team (MDT) guided cCRT has dominated the treatment for stage IIIIV inoperable tumors in western countries, which provides a therapeutic window for radical surgery to extend the overall survival.

In addition to surgery, chemotherapy and radiation therapy, immunotherapy has become a new pillar of cancer therapy, improving the prognosis across a wide variety of solid tumors. One main driver behind this success is the development of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs). Immunotherapy targeting PD-1/PD-L1 signalling is the most widely investigated regimen, and emerging clinical evidence has demonstrated its efficacy and safety. As a monotherapy regimen, anti-PD-(L)1 has conferred an approximately 12% objective response rate (ORR) in patients with advanced G/GEJ cancers, and an overall survival benefit was noted.1012 In particular, the ORR in PD-L1 positive tumors was reported to be 15.5% versus 5.5% in PD-L1 negative ones in the KEYNOTE-059 study. Based on such results, in 2017 the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the use of pembrolizumab in the third-line treatment for patients with recurrent or advanced gastric cancer whose tumors express PD-L1. Also, in 2017 the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare approved nivolumab for the treatment of unresectable recurrent or advanced gastric cancer, which has progressed after chemotherapy.

Enormous combination studies have been carried out to improve the anti-tumor activities of the anti-PD-(L)1 regimen. In addition to inhibiting tumor proliferation, chemotherapy can modulate the immune system by enhancing tumor antigenicity, disturbing immune-suppressive pathways, inducing immunogenic cell death, and increasing effector T-cell functions.13,14 Therefore, it is hypothesized that the addition of chemotherapy to anti-PD-(L)1 may render superior benefits in advanced G/GEJ cancer patients. The global Phase 3 trial CHECKMATE-649 demonstrated a significant improvement in PFS (7.7 months versus 6.0 months in chemotherapy alone cohort) and OS (14.4 months versus 11.1 months in chemotherapy alone cohort) by combining chemotherapy with anti-PD-(L)1.15,16 As a result of this study, in April 2021 FDA approved nivolumab in combination with chemotherapy as the first-line treatment for advanced or metastatic G/GEJ and esophageal adenocarcinoma. Likewise, in the ongoing ATTRACTION-4 trials, nivolumab combined with chemotherapy has shown encouraging clinical activity in first-line treatment in Asian patients with advanced G/GEJ, with improved PFS and ORR and favourable safety profile.17

On the other hand, irradiation activates host immunity by triggering immunogenic cell death to release the damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs), which leads to dendritic cell activation, tumor antigens presentation and antigen-specific T cells priming.18 Based on the insights gained, there is a strong rationale to support the use of PD-(L)1 inhibitors with cCRT to convert the cold tumors into hot tumors. The therapeutic efficacy of such regimen has been demonstrated in the Phase III PACIFIC trial of the PD-L1 inhibitor durvalumab in locally advanced, unresectable NSCLC following platinum-based cCRT.19 Compared to the placebo, an improved PFS (from 5.6 to 16.8 months) with a similar safety profile was noted with durvalumab, and its efficacy was irrespective of tumor PD-L1 status. Based on that, in 2018 FDA approved durvalumab for patients with unresectable stage III NSCLC whose disease has not progressed following platinum-based cCRT. Moreover, the phase 3 CHECKMATE-577 trial is the first study to evaluate a checkpoint inhibitor in the adjuvant setting after cCRT and has demonstrated a statistically significant improvement in disease-free survival (DFS) from 11.0 months to 22.4 months in patients with resected esophageal and GEJ cancers.20 Despite these advances, the ideal combination regimen of checkpoint inhibitors and cCRT is yet to be optimized in patients with advanced G/GEJ cancers.

Sintilimab is a highly selective, monoclonal IgG4 antibody that inhibits interactions between PD-1 and its ligands, with a robust anti-tumor response.21 In vitro, compared to nivolumab or pembrolizumab, sintilimab has a higher binding affinity and is able to bind with more PD-1 molecules on CD3+T cells, and has better T cell activating characteristics.21 In a phase 1b study (NCT03745170), sintilimab combined with oxaliplatin/capecitabine has shown promising efficacy in gastric cancer with an ORR of 85%22 which warranted a phase 3 ORIENT-16 study (NCT03745170) to further investigate the therapeutic potential of sintilimab in combination with chemotherapy in patients with advanced G/GEJ cancers.23 The interim results from ORIENT-16 study were orally presented on 2021 ESMO, in which sintilimab was demonstrated to be the first PD-1 inhibitor to show superior OS and PFS with an acceptable safety profile, in combination with chemo, in Chinese patients with G/GEJ cancer regardless of PD-L1 expression status.24

In addition, in Japan, D2 gastrectomy plus adjuvant S-1 is the standard treatment for locally advanced gastric cancer [18, 19], while nab-paclitaxel (nab-PTX) is an approved second-line gastric cancer treatment [23, 24]. The combination of S-1 with nab-PTX has proven to be an effective and safe first-line regimen in clinical [25, 26]. Furthermore, the interim analysis from the JACCRO GC-07 trial has demonstrated that the postoperative S-1 plus docetaxel is effective with few safety concerns in patients with stage III gastric cancer25 and similar benefits were also noted with S-1 plus nab-PTX in untreated patients with metastatic gastric cancer.26

Therefore, we propose to conduct the SHARED (Sintilimab plus chemoradiotherapy in gastric and GEJ adenocarcinoma) study, a phase 2 trial designed to evaluate perioperative sintilimab combined cCRT (S-1 plus nab-PTX) for patients with locally advanced G/GEJ adenocarcinoma.

The primary objective is to demonstrate whether adding sintilimab to cCRT (a combination of nab-PTX and S-1 with radiotherapy) improves pathological complete response (pCR) rate in patients with locally advanced G/GEJ adenocarcinoma. The secondary objectives include disease-free survival (DFS), major pathological response (MPR), R0 resection rate, surgical adverse events (AEs), overall survival (OS), event-free survival (EFS), and safety profile. Moreover, the prognostic value of tumor biomarkers and immune biomarkers will be evaluated.

This is a prospective, multicentre, single-arm phase II trial in China. Eligible patients are aged 18 or older, histological or cytological confirmed locally advanced gastric or GEJ adenocarcinoma as defined according to 8th edition of American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) classification of malignant tumors, a clinical-stage of III to IVa (T3N2-3M0, T4aN+M0 or T4bNanyM0) according to the 8th edition of Tumor, Node, Metastasis (TNM) classification, an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance (ECOG) score 1, no prior cancer treatment, and one or more measurable lesions based on Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST v1.1).

Eligibility criteria on physiological parameters and organ function included adequate haematological function (absolute neutrophil count [ANC] 1.5109/L, platelet count [PLT] 100109/L, haemoglobin [Hb] 90 g/L, international normalized ratio (INR)/prothrombin time (PT) 1.5upper limit of normal [ULN], and activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT) 1.5ULN), adequate hepatic function (plasma total bilirubin [PTB] 1.5ULN, alanine transaminase [ALT], aspartate transaminase [AST] and alkaline phosphatase [AKP] concentration 2.5ULN), and adequate renal function (creatinine concentration 1ULN, albumin concentration 30g/L).

Pregnant, breastfeeding women or those positive in baseline pregnancy tests are not eligible, and all female patients will be on contraception during the study. Other exclusion criteria include patients diagnosed with gastric neuroendocrine tumors; patients with distant metastasis according to computed CT/MRI or endoscopic ultrasound (EUS); history of chemotherapy, radiotherapy or immunotherapy; patients with active malignant tumor in recent 5 years, except for basal cell or squamous cell cancer, superficial bladder cancer, and in-situ cervical or breast carcinoma; uncontrollable pleural effusion, pericardial effusion or ascites; severe cardiovascular disease within 12 months before recruitment, including coronary artery disease, grade 2 congestive heart failure, uncontrollable arrhythmias and myocardial infarction; patients with upper GI tract obstruction/bleeding or functional abnormality or malabsorption syndrome, which can affect absorption of S-1; uncontrollable concurrent infection and other concomitant diseases systemic diseases, or moderate or severe renal injury; allergic to any drug in this study; use of steroids or any other systemic immunosuppressive agents within 14 days before recruitment; use of corticosteroids (dosage >10mg/d prednisone or equivalent dose of other glucocorticoids) or other immunosuppressive agents within 4 weeks before recruitment, except patient treated with hormone for preventing allergy to contrast agents; receiving treatment from other studies within 4 weeks before recruitment; patients with autoimmune diseases or primary immunodeficiency; vaccinated with attenuated vaccine within 4 weeks before recruitment or plan to vaccinate during the study; active infections, including TB, HIV, HBV and HCV; and history of allogeneic stem cell transplantation or organ transplantation.

The study protocol and the informed consent forms have been reviewed and approved by institutional review boards and ethics committees at each institution. The study will be done in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki and Good Clinical Practice Guidelines, and the written informed consent will be obtained from all enrolled patients. The study has been registered (ChiCTR1900024428).

All patients will start with one cycle (3 weeks) of induction chemotherapy of S-1 (40mg/m2, PO, bid, D1 to D14) and nab-PTX (100120mg/m2, IV, D1 and D8) in combination with sintilimab (200mg, IV, D1), followed by radiation therapy (45Gy/1.8Gy in 25 factions) with concurrent nab-PTX (80100 mg/m2, IV, D1, D8, D15, and D22) and sintilimab (200mg, IV, D1 and D22) for 5 weeks. One to three weeks after the completion, patients will receive another cycle (3 weeks) of S-1 (40mg/m2, PO, bid, D1 to D14) and nab-PTX (100120mg/m2, IV, D1 and D8) in combination with sintilimab (200mg, IV, D1). All patients will be preferably operated on within 1 to 3 weeks later. In case of any treatment-related adverse event (TRAE) that cannot be resolved shortly is noted, the patient will be urged to tumor assessment followed by the surgery. The adjuvant therapy will start in 46 weeks after the operation with 3 cycles (3 weeks) of S-1 (40mg/m2, PO, bid, D1 to D14 of each cycle), nab-PTX (100120mg/m2, IV, D1 and D8 of each cycle) and sintilimab (200mg, IV, D1 of each cycle). Schematic diagram of SHARED regimen is in Figure 1.

Figure 1 Schematic diagram of SHARED regimen. All patients will receive one cycle of S-1 (40mg/m2, PO, Bid, D1 to D14) and nab-PTX (100120mg/m2, IV, D1 and D8) in combination with sintilimab (200mg, IV, D1) for 3 weeks, followed by radiation therapy (45Gy/1.8Gy in 25 factions) with nab-PTX (80100 mg/m2, IV, D1, D8, D15, and D22) and sintilimab (200mg, IV, D1 and D22) for 5 weeks. One to three weeks after the completion, patients will receive one cycle of S-1 (40mg/m2, PO, Bid, D1 to D14) and nab-PTX (100120mg/m2, IV, D1 and D8) in combination with sintilimab (200mg, IV, D1). All patients will be operated on within 1 to 3 weeks later. The adjuvant therapy will start in 46 weeks after the operation with 3 cycles (3 weeks) of S-1 (40mg/m2, PO, Bid, D1 to D14 of each cycle), nab-PTX (100120mg/m2, IV, D1 and D8 of each cycle) and sintilimab (200mg, IV, D1 of each cycle).

Dose modification of sintilimab is not allowed in this study. Sintilimab will be withheld to manage intolerable adverse event until toxicity resolves. Corticosteroids will be used to manage immune-related adverse events (irAEs) with Sintilimab discontinuation allowed for no more than 12 weeks. Sintilimab will be terminated upon completion of treatment, disease progression or intolerance. Guidance for sintilimab delay or discontinuation after adverse events is in Table 1.

Table 1 Guidance for Sintilimab Delay or Discontinuation

Before the operation, all patients will be assessed by the multidisciplinary committee, and surgical protocol will be decided according to the clinical judgment. A subject must be withdrawn from the study if a disease progression is noted. The surgical protocol includes transthoracic esophagectomy with resection of the proximal stomach and mediastinal and abdominal lymphadenectomy for type 1 GEJ cancers and gastrectomy with transhiatal distal oesophagectomy plus D2 lymphadenectomy for types 2 and 3 GEJ cancers. For the patients with gastric cancer, total or subtotal distal gastrectomy with D2 lymphadenectomy will be performed. For inoperable patients, the treatment options will be evaluated and tailored to the context of the patients situation and needs. Exploratory laparoscopy will be conducted to exclude peritoneal metastases, if necessary.

During the study, all patients will be assessed by physical examination, weight, ECOG performance status, vital signs, routine laboratory tests (blood routine, blood chemistry, blood coagulation routine, urine routine, stool routine for occult blood, and thyroid function), and 12-lead electrocardiogram (ECG) within 7 days before day one of the first cycle, one day before day one in subsequent cycles, one day before the surgery, one day after study completion or withdrawal, and at the first follow-up visit. Besides, all patients will be examined by echocardiography within 7 days before starting the study, one day before the surgery, one day before the first adjuvant cycle, and one day after study completion or withdrawal.

Tumor assessment by means of computed CT/MRI and EUS will be done at baseline (within 4 weeks before enrolment), every six weeks (7 days) perioperatively, every nine weeks (7 days) postoperatively, and every 3 months until the development of disease progression or the start of new anticancer treatment after treatment completion.

All patients will be followed up on a monthly basis in the first 3 months for safety, and telephone visits will be conducted after the first in-person hospital visit. After completing safety follow-up, monthly telephone visits for a maximum of 2 years will be implemented until death from any cause, lost to follow-up, consent withdrawal, or sponsors election to terminate the study prematurely.

The primary endpoint is the rate of pCR, which is defined as the absence of viable tumor cells assessed by histological evaluation criteria after preoperative therapy.

DFS is defined as the time to postoperative recurrence or death from any cause. OS is defined as the time interval from enrolment to all-caused death. EFS is defined as the time from enrolment to recurrence or death from any cause. Patients (including those lost to follow-up) still alive at the time of analysis (DFS, OS and EFS) will be censored at the last disease assessment date.

MPR is defined as tumor residual cells 10% in the surgical specimen. R0 resection rate is defined as the rate of the complete surgical removal of any residual cancer cells in the tumor bed.

Adverse events (AEs) will be monitored and graded according to the US National Cancer Institutes Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (NCI CTCAE, version 4.03). All AEs will be recorded from the first dose of the study drug until 90 days after the last dose of the study drugs. Serious adverse events (SAEs) are defined as death, hospitalization or prolonged hospitalization, permanent or severe disability, teratogenesis, or other significant clinical sequels. Surgical AEs are defined as the complication which happens during or in 30 days after the operation.

Exploratory endpoints are assessments of potential tumor biomarkers and the relationship between immune biomarkers and clinical response.

Peripheral blood samples (10ml) will be collected at baseline and on the same day of sintilimab administration to evaluate serum levels of related tumor biomarkers (eg, CEA, AFP, CA19-9, CA72-4, and CA24-2).

Tumor tissue samples will be collected at baseline and intrasurgery. TMB and MSI will be measured by FoundationOne CDx assay (Foundation Medicine, Cambridge, MA, USA). TMB-H will be defined as 10mut/Mb, and MSI-H will be defined as more than 30% of markers show instability in marker panels. PD-L1 expression will be measured by 22C3 pharmaDx assay (Agilent Technologies, Carpinteria, CA, USA), and PD-L1+ will be defined as PD-L1 CPS 1%. HER2 immunohistochemistry was performed on the BenchMark XT platform (Ventana Medical Systems, Tucson, AZ, USA) according to the manufacturers recommendation. Normal gastric tissue will be collected concomitantly from each patient, and whole-exome sequencing (WES) will be performed to compare the transcriptome between tumor tissue and normal gastric tissue.

For the purpose of study design, a pCR rate at 15% (H0) in this setting will not be viewed as compelling for further study, while a pCR rate at 35% (Ha) or more will be considered of interest for further investigation. Based on this, a Simon optimal two-stage design will be employed with an H0=0.15 vs Ha=0.35, =0.05 (one-sided) and power of 80%. Using these operating characteristics, the study plan is as follows (Figure 2):

Figure 2 Simon optimal two stage design for SHARED study. At stage 1, nine patients who meet the inclusion criteria will be enrolled. If one or more patients demonstrate pCR, the study will advance to stage 2 to include 25 additional patients.

The sample size was calculated using the Power Analysis and Sample Size software program (PASS 16, NCSS Kaysville Utah USA).

EFS, DFS and OS will be analysed with the KaplanMeier method and the stratified Log rank test. The hazard ratio and its 95% confidence interval will be estimated with the Cox proportional hazards model. The incidences of the AEs and surgical AEs will be analysed using Fishers exact test. All comparisons are one-sided at the 0.05 level of significance. Data will be analysed with SAS version 9.4 statistical software (SAS Institute Inc., Cary, NC, USA).

A number of clinical studies in patients with locally advanced G/GEJ cancers have evaluated the feasibility and efficacy of multimodal treatment approaches that center on a tumor-removing surgery with preoperative or postoperative chemotherapy or radiotherapy.9,2731 Encouraged by the promising results from CHECKMATE-57720 the focus has been shifted towards the regimens that combine checkpoint inhibitors with chemotherapy in adjuvant or neoadjuvant settings (eg, ATTRACTION-5, KEYNOTE-585, MATTERHORN, and NCT04139135) for advanced G/GEJ cancers. The SHARED study is designed to begin with induction chemotherapy with anti-PD-1 to achieve maximum synergistic effects with subsequent cCRT. Given the potential of radiotherapy to revert the immune-suppressive tumor microenvironment, the addition of anti-PD-1 to cCRT is expected to provide a holistic solution for patients at a clinical-stage of T3N2-3M0, T4aN+ M0 or T4bNanyM0, a heterogenous population of both operable and inoperable patients.

Overall, there is a strong rationale warranting a phase 2 clinical trial to explore sintilimab combined with concurrent chemoradiotherapy in locally advanced G/GEJ cancers. The study aims are twofold, targeting to increase the pCR rate for operable patients to prolong the overall survival while ensuring that all patients, including inoperable patients, will gain more survival benefits from surgery. In addition, this study also has the capacity to prospectively evaluate the prognostic value of the status of TMB and MSI, PD-L1 expression level and tumor biomarkers, which can be applied to define eligibility criteria and stratification factors for further trials in locally advanced G/GEJ cancers.

The trial is ongoing, and no data is available.

The trial has been approved by the Ethics Committee of the Comprehensive Cancer Centre of Drum Tower Hospital. All patients are required to sign the written informed consent.

All authors made a significant contribution to the work reported, whether that is in the conception, study design, execution, acquisition of data, analysis and interpretation, or in all these areas; took part in drafting, revising or critically reviewing the article; gave final approval of the version to be published; have agreed on the journal to which the article has been submitted; and agree to be accountable for all aspects of the work.

All investigators will not receive any remuneration. This research did not receive any grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial or not-for-profit sectors.

Innovent Biologics, Inc. provided the sintilimab, but had no role in study design, or writing of the protocol. The authors report no other conflicts of interest in this work.

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11. Fuchs CS, Doi T, Jang RW, et al. Safety and efficacy of pembrolizumab monotherapy in patients with previously treated advanced gastric and gastroesophageal junction cancer: phase 2 clinical KEYNOTE-059 trial. JAMA Oncol. 2018;4(5):e180013e180013. doi:10.1001/jamaoncol.2018.0013

12. Kang Y-K, Boku N, Satoh T, et al. Nivolumab in patients with advanced gastric or gastro-oesophageal junction cancer refractory to, or intolerant of, at least two previous chemotherapy regimens (ONO-4538-12, ATTRACTION-2): a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, phase 3 trial. Lancet. 2017;390(10111):24612471. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(17)31827-5

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25. Yoshida K, Kodera Y, Kochi M, et al. Addition of docetaxel to oral fluoropyrimidine improves efficacy in patients with stage III gastric cancer: interim analysis of JACCRO GC-07, a randomized controlled trial. J Clin Oncol. 2019;37(15):12961304. doi:10.1200/jco.18.01138

26. He -M-M, Wang F, Jin Y, et al. Phase II clinical trial of S-1 plus nanoparticle albumin-bound paclitaxel in untreated patients with metastatic gastric cancer. Cancer Sci. 2018;109(11):35753582. doi:10.1111/cas.13813

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CRISPR Therapeutics Eyes Historic First in Gene Therapy – BioSpace

Posted: June 22, 2022 at 2:40 am

CRISPR Therapeutics(CRISPR) could be on the cusp of achieving a first in gene therapy, the first company to achieve regulatory approval for a CRISPR-Cas9 program. The company is anticipating the filing of a Biologics License Application for CTX001, a potential cure for transfusion-dependent beta-thalassemia (TDT) and severe sickle cell disease (SCD).

On Tuesday, the Cambridge, MA-based gene editing company hosted an Innovation Day presentation that highlighted its pipeline and the promise that its multiple approaches have in mitigating or even curing different diseases. Chief Executive Officer Samarth Kulkarni said it has been less than 10 years since Jennifer Doudna and Emmanuelle Charpentier first published an article in the journal Science about gene editing technology and less than eight years since CRISPR Therapeutics was founded on that technological promise. Now, the company is on the cusp of vying for potential approval of its CRISPR therapy, he said.

CTX001, also known as exa-cel, is a CRISPR-Cas9-based gene editing therapy for both TDT and SCD. Earlier this month, CRISPR and its partner Vertex Pharmaceuticals released positive data for exa-cel in TDT and SCD. In the first space, data showed that 42 of 44 patients with TDT who received exa-cel remained transfusion free for up to 37.2 months. The two patients who were not transfusion free had 75% and 89% reductions in transfusion volume, respectively, the companies said. In SCD, all 31 patients with disease characterized by recurrent vaso-occlusive crises (VOCs) were free of the issues following treatment with the gene therapy. Data showed the patients had a duration of up to 32.3 months, CRISPR and Vertex reported. The two companiesexpanded their partnership in this space last year.

We are extremely excited about exa-cel, Kulkarni said.

Phuong Khanh (P.K.) Morrow, CRISPRs new chief medical officer, echoed Kulkarni, saying that she believes exa-cel will be the first CRISPR-Cas9 product approved for both TDT and sickle cell disease. Her prediction comes about a week after an advisory committee with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration recommended approval of a different gene therapy approach for these diseases that were developed by bluebird bio.

In immuno-oncology, CRISPR is also blazing a trail with its approach, particularly with CTX130, a donor-derived gene-edited allogeneic CAR T therapy that targets CD70, which is expressed on various solid tumors and hematologic malignancies. The company is developing the asset for solid tumors, such as renal cell carcinoma, as well as T cell and B cell hematologic cancers. Morrow suggested the positive data the company has seen with CRX130 in both solid and hematologic tumors is something of the Holy Grail that researchers have been searching for."

In May, CRISPR presented exciting CTX130 data from two Phase I studies for relapsed or refractory renal cell carcinoma and various subtypes of lymphoma. The company reported positive early signs, including an overall response rate of 71% from patients with T-cell lymphoma. Of those, 29% experienced a complete response, CRISPR said.

In renal cell carcinoma, cancer that expresses high levels of CD70, CTX130 is also showing significant promise, even leading to a complete response in one patient. Renal cell carcinoma represents a high unmet need, with less than 20% of patients surviving beyond five years. About 40% of RCC patients have shown poor response rates to current therapies.

There is a high potential opportunity with CTX130 because of the CD70 expression in RCC, Morrow said.

Beyond those two assets, CRISPR is also advancing other therapeutics. The company is also developing VCTX210, a potential treatment for type 1 diabetes that is being co-developed with ViaCyte. VCTX210 is an allogeneic, gene-edited, stem cell-derived therapy designed to generate pancreatic cells that can evade recognition by the immune system, which would otherwise destroy them. Earlier this year, the companies dosed the first patient in a Phase I study. As BioSpace previously reported, the goal is for the cell line to be differentiated into pancreatic endoderm cells, generatingglucose-responsive insulin-secreting cells in the patient. It is expected that about 10 patients will be included in the study. Data is anticipated by the end of the year.

While those programs for CRISPR Therapeutics stand out, Kulkarni said the company sees significant potential with its total pipeline, with a chance to delve into multiple disease indications and potentially bring new treatment options to patients.

Were very excited about the potential, he said.

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New collaboration to accelerate advancements in gene therapies for dementia – BioPharma-Reporter.com

Posted: June 22, 2022 at 2:40 am

Through the partnership, the CGT Catapult will work with UK academic centers of excellence and the UK DRI to identify new AAV-based gene therapies with high potential to become new medicines for dementia. The organizations will then create detailed development plans for each project and potentially conduct early research activities in order to prepare assets for further investment.

With a team of more than 400 cell and gene therapy experts and headquarters at St Guys hospital in London, the CGT Catapult is an organization dedicated to the advancement of cell and gene therapies.

Meanwhile, the national UK Dementia Research Institute (UK DRI) is the single biggest investment in dementia research in the UK with more than 750 researchers. It was established in 2017 by the Medical Research Council, Alzheimers Society and Alzheimers Research UK and is hosted across six top UK universities: University of Cambridge, Cardiff University, University of Edinburgh, Imperial College London and Kings College London, with its central hub at University College London.

The UK DRIs partnership with the CGT Catapult aims to leverage the expertise and resource of both organizations to accelerate the translation of novel gene therapy approaches to the clinic.

Matthew Durdy, CEO of CGT Catapult, said: Dementia is increasing, under-researched and has very limited treatment options. Cell and gene therapies have in the past shown to be highly effective in treatment areas where other therapies have had limited success. It is therefore vital that we fully explore how cell and gene therapies could be used to address this unmet medical need, and we look forward to working closely with the UK DRI to identify and accelerate the most promising therapies.

Dementia has been one of the leading causes of mortality in the UK since 2015.Over 850,000 people in the UK have dementia and the number of people with dementia will continue to grow as the population ages.

While new and improved treatments for heart disease and cancer are reducing mortality, a lack of effective treatment options for neurodegenerative conditions means that dementia-related deaths continue to rise.

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UNE researcher awarded $1.8 million to study chronic pain relief through gene therapy – University of New England

Posted: June 22, 2022 at 2:39 am

Chronic pain affects millions of people worldwide, yet popular treatments for pain including surgery and opioid medications can have disastrous side effects of their own. But with $1.8 million in funding from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), a University of New England researcher will explore non-opioid treatments for chronic pain at the cellular level.

Benjamin Harrison, B.Sc., Ph.D., assistant professor of biochemistry and nutrition, will use the five-year R01 grant from the National Institutes of Health to study how to reduce the excitability of nociceptors, which are neurons that transmit pain signals in response to painful injuries.

Harrison and his team have discovered that nociceptors contain a protein called "CELF4, an RNA binding protein they theorize inhibits the production of pro-nociceptive, or pro-pain-sensing, cellular components. Harrisons research will focus on delivering CELF4 into pain neurons, where this protein will limit the synthesis of ion-channels, receptors, and other molecules that sensitize them.

Specifically, the researchers will study if a locally administered adeno-associated virus can stimulate production of CELF4 and reduce pain in those areas an approach known as gene vector therapy.

Harrison remarked that the innovative approach could prove beneficial for those living with chronic pain but who do not want to undergo surgeries which can be expensive and leave people with no sensation at all or use powerful pain-reducing medications like addictive opioids.

There are some chronic pain conditions that are simply intolerable, and people with those conditions are willing to do severe surgeries to reduce their pain, Harrison remarked. Using this novel gene therapy vector approach, we can develop pain therapies that are less invasive than surgery and carry fewer risks than conventional opioid medications.

Future directions for the research could include partnerships with clinicians for clinical trials, Harrison said.

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