BOSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Alloy Therapeutics, a biotechnology ecosystem company, announced a collaboration and licensing agreement with Sudhir Agrawals Arnay Sciences to advance new RNA-based drug discovery platforms and novel chemistries spanning the fields of antisense therapeutics to immunomodulating therapeutics. The collaboration demonstrates Alloys dedication to expanding its ecosystem offerings into genetic medicines. In collaboration with Dr. Agrawal, Alloy will advance the core technology platforms developed by Arnay into a multitude of new applications, which will initially be available to new companies formed within its Venture Studio, 82VS. Dr. Agrawal will also serve as the Scientific Advisory Board chair of Alloy's genetic medicine platform technologies.

For over three decades, Dr. Agrawal has spent his career innovating in RNA therapeutics spanning antisense and immune modulation, starting in the laboratory of the father of antisense, Paul Zamecnik. Dr. Agrawal has published over 300 research papers and has co-authored over 400 patents worldwide, including the invention of gapmer antisense technology widely employed in antisense candidates and approved drugs. He also serves as an affiliate professor at UMass Chan Medical School, as a business advisor to Harvard Medical Schools Initiative for RNA Medicine, and is on the scientific advisory boards of Dyne Therapeutics, QurAlis, Q-State Biosciences, Lytix Biopharma, Envisagenics, HAYA Therapeutics, Bolden Therapeutics, Maze Therapeutics, the Dan Lewis Foundation for Brain Regeneration Research, and two ASO-focused 82VS companies, Aldebaran Therapeutics and Restoration Biosciences.

The licensing agreement with Arnay will enable Alloy to provide the drug discovery community non-exclusive access to RNA-based drug discovery platforms and chemistries through the successful democratization model already deployed for antibody therapeutics, through Alloys ATX-Gx mouse and its DeepImmune fully integrated Antibody Discovery Services. Alloys expansion into genetic medicines is specifically designed to meet the increased interest and momentum in the RNA therapy industry by enabling drug discovery teams to innovate efficiently through unparalleled access and generous terms.

Working with Alloy represents an opportunity to make genetic medicines available to the widest possible community of innovators and drug developers around the globe, all thanks to Alloys model of democratizing access to foundational discovery tools, said Dr. Agrawal. It has been my unique pleasure to work with Alloy, and I look forward to further advancing the new platforms with the Alloy team and leveraging their expertise in providing the community access to technology platforms. The cohesive integration of platform licensing, Discovery Services, and Venture Studios that Alloy has created will enable industry collaborators to more rapidly advance innovative therapeutics that ultimately benefit patients.

Alloy was founded in 2017 by Errik Andersonco-founder of Adimab, Compass Therapeutics, Alector, Avitide, and Arsanis, among other companiesto minimize the intense capital requirements and timelines of biotech company formation and discovery campaigns. He recognized the need to democratize foundational platforms and tools typically made inaccessible through high-access fees and cumbersome development milestones and royalties. Through accessible licensing activities with its flagship ATX-Gx mouse, a transgenic humanized mouse that produces fully human antibodies, the company has amassed more than 130 partnerships across academia, biotech, and large biopharma. It continues to expand its technology portfolio and service offering to support a broader range of drug discovery and development teams.

We have seen the impact of disruptive access in our antibody discovery offering and are thrilled to build upon this model to serve developers of genetic medicines better, says Errik Anderson, Alloy CEO and founder. We were delighted to learn a seminal figure in genetic medicine therapies like Sudhir was aligned with our mission to democratize enabling, pre-competitive technologies. We look forward to seeing the therapeutic innovation this collaboration spurs across the global scientific community.

Dr. Agrawal has leveraged his decades of experience to develop novel chemistries and structures for RNA therapeutics. These breakthrough platforms are designed to address limitations of currently used chemistries, such as specificity, off-target effects, delivery, and unintended inflammatory responses. Dr. Agrawals RNA-based drug discovery platforms have broad applications in developing antisense therapeutics by targeting RNA, including mRNA, pre-mRNA, microRNA, and ncRNA, and for immune-modulation therapeutics. These platforms strengthen Alloys ability to help its partners address a vast range of drug discovery challenges in creating genetic medicines. Alloy intends to provide broad access to these technologies and platforms as part of their larger Innovation Subscription offerings and through individual, non-exclusive licensing activities. Initially, the new genetic medicines platforms and services will be exclusively available through company collaborations within 82VS portfolio companies.

Our Venture Studio model facilitates Alloys expansion of new modalities by enabling our portfolio companies to access and de-risk new technologies, yet not be beholden to using an unproven approach, said Dr. Chris Pacheco, General Partner at 82VS. This work provides our 82VS portfolio companies the upside of accessing new, cutting-edge technologies at the earliest stage of the company development. This access is unprecedented in the industry and gives our companies a significant advantage in developing the best medicines. Inside the ecosystem, we have created win-win scenarios for Alloy, 82VS companies, technology developers, and, in the end, patients. And isnt that what we are all trying to do in the end?

Arnay has pending patent applications claiming these technologies. Alloy has gained exclusive rights to these patents for internal use and for sublicensing. Under the licensing agreement, Alloy will pay an upfront fee and will share sublicensing income with Arnay.

About Alloy Therapeutics

Alloy Therapeutics is a biotechnology ecosystem company empowering the global scientific community to make better medicines together. Through a community of partners across academia, biotech, and the largest biopharma, Alloy democratizes access to tools, technologies, services, and company creation capabilities that are foundational for discovering and developing therapeutic biologics across six modalities, including antibodies, TCRs, genetic medicines, peptides, cell therapy, and drug delivery. Alloys first foundational platform, the ATX-Gx mice, is a suite of proprietary transgenic mice strains for human therapeutic antibody discovery. Alloy is a leader in bispecific antibody discovery and engineering services, utilizing its proprietary ATX-CLC common light chain platform integrating novel transgenic mice and phage display. Alloys DeepImmune antibody discovery service integrates Alloys full complement of proprietary in vivo, in vitro, and in silico discovery and optimization technologies into one comprehensive service offering for fully human monoclonal and bispecific antibody discovery. Like all of Alloys technologies, DeepImmune is also available for platform transfer and can be accessed as part of Alloys novel Innovation Subscription model. Alloy is headquartered in Boston, MA, with labs in Cambridge, UK; Basel, CH; San Francisco, CA; and Athens, GA. As a reflection of Alloys relentless commitment to the scientific community, Alloy reinvests 100% of its revenue in innovation and access to innovation.

Join the Alloy Therapeutics community by visiting alloytx.com, following Alloy on LinkedIn, or scheduling a 15-minute chat with Alloys Founder and CEO at alloytx.com/ceo.

More:
Alloy Therapeutics Ecosystem Offerings Go Intracellular Through Collaboration with Sudhir Agrawal in Genetic Medicines - Business Wire

Summary: Infiltrating gliomas are shaped by their genetic evolution and microenvironment, researchers report. The findings may help in the development of therapies to treat glioma brain tumors.

Source: University of Colorado

Researchers have discovered that infiltrating gliomas, a common brain and spinal cord tumor, are shaped by their genetic evolution and microenvironment, a finding that could lead to more targeted treatments.

We have identified epigenetic alterations at a recurrence that are not only prognostic in some cases, but may lead to different treatment options for the various subtypes that can improve long-term survival, said study co-author D. Ryan Ormond, MD, PhD, aUniversity of Colorado Cancer Centermember and associate professor of neurosurgery at the University of Colorado School of Medicine on the CU Anschutz Medical Campus.

Thestudywas published May 31 in the journalCell.

The researchers looked at how gliomas interact with the brain, change over time, develop treatment resistance and become more invasive.

They identified three distinct phenotypes or observable traits at glioma recurrence neuronal, mesenchymal and proliferative. Each of them converge with cellular, genetic and histological features that reveal themselves at recurrence. Some of these are associated with less favorable outcomes.

In this study, scientists used participant samples from the Glioma Longitudinal Analysis Consortium or GLASS cohort, a consortium created to identify the drivers of treatment resistance in glioma.

They analyzed RNA and/or DNA sequencing data from pairs of tumors from 304 adult patients with isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH) wild type and IDH-mutant gliomas.

The tumors recurred in specific ways depending on the IDH mutation status. The changes they underwent during recurrence depended on how they interacted with the microenvironments they inhabited.

Researchers found that many IDH-wild type tumors were more invasive at recurrence. Their neoplastic cells showed increased neuronal signaling programs, suggesting a possible role for neuronal interactions in sparking the tumors progression.

They also discovered that hypermutation, often induced by treatment with drugs like temozolomide, along with deletion of the CDKN2A gene, which makes tumor-suppressing proteins, was associated with a proliferation of tumor cells at recurrence in both glioma subtypes.

In both IDH-wild type and IDH-mutant tumors, the hypermutation was associated with increased numbers of stem-like neoplastic cells. The growth of these cells reduced overall patient survival rates.

Collectively, these results indicate that genetic evolution at recurrence can alter neoplastic glioma cells toward a more proliferative phenotype that associates with poor prognosis, the study said.

Ormond said that therapy resistance remains a serious obstacle for patients with glioma and to improve quality of life and survival it needs to be overcome. These findings, he said, will enable physicians to better target the cancer with new therapies and treatments.

Author: David KellySource: University of ColoradoContact: David Kelly University of ColoradoImage: The image is in the public domain

Original Research: Closed access.Glioma progression is shaped by genetic evolution and microenvironment interactions by Ryan Ormond et al. Cell

Abstract

Glioma progression is shaped by genetic evolution and microenvironment interactions

The factors driving therapy resistance in diffuse glioma remain poorly understood. To identify treatment-associated cellular and genetic changes, we analyzed RNA and/or DNA sequencing data from the temporally separated tumor pairs of 304 adult patients with isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH)-wild-type and IDH-mutant glioma.

Tumors recurred in distinct manners that were dependent on IDH mutation status and attributable to changes in histological feature composition, somatic alterations, and microenvironment interactions.

Hypermutation and acquiredCDKN2Adeletions were associated with an increase in proliferating neoplastic cells at recurrence in both glioma subtypes, reflecting active tumor growth.

IDH-wild-type tumors were more invasive at recurrence, and their neoplastic cells exhibited increased expression of neuronal signaling programs that reflected a possible role for neuronal interactions in promoting glioma progression.

Mesenchymal transition was associated with the presence of a myeloid cell state defined by specific ligand-receptor interactions with neoplastic cells.

Collectively, these recurrence-associated phenotypes represent potential targets to alter disease progression.

See the original post:
Recurring Brain Tumors Shaped by Genetic Evolution and Microenvironment - Neuroscience News

Mrs Olufunmilayo Israel, a single mother of three, has sought the support of Nigerians to stop stigmatising children with rare medical conditions.

In an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Ibadan on Monday, Mrs Israel, a vegetable seller and graduate of the University of Ibadan (UI), specifically sought an end to stigmatisation for her three children.

Kidnapping: Brig Gen Angaye heads Bayelsa safety corps

Kano opens database for sex offenders

She said, Taking care of the three children, diagnosed with achondroplasia and four other normal children have been extremely difficult, especially since my husband left us.

I am seeking social support for my children from well-meaning Nigerians and NGOs, because I want to take them back to hospital.

We were told by medical experts at the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan, that the childrens condition is genetic.

We did not know initially as the first child did not show any sign until she was a year old and contracted tuberculosis at a creche.

In the process of accessing care at UCH her genetic condition was discovered, her hands are not straight and she has bow legs.

After her, I gave birth to two other children with the same genetic disorder.

According to her, this condition led to the separation with her husband, having spent lots of money and incurring huge debts.

She said that the children, aged four, six and 12, were highly intelligent, but that the challenge in their physical growth had been a problem.

She further said that the stigmatisation as a result of the medical condition had led to suicidal thoughts by the eldest of the three children.

NAN reports that medical experts at UCH revealed that achondroplasia is the most common type of short-limbed dwarfism, a very rare condition with fewer than 10,000 cases per year in Nigeria.

The experts said that while the condition could sometimes be hereditary, most cases of dwarfism were caused by a genetic mutation.

Prof Adebola Orimadegun of the Institute of Child Health, College of Medicine, and Principal Investigator of Study on Stunting Reduction in Nigerian Children, however, said Mrs Israel and the children could not be classified as stunted but short-statued. (NAN)

Excerpt from:
Mum of 3 kids with rare health condition seeks end to stigmatisation - Daily Trust

Abbott Nutrition has resumed formula production in its Michigan plant to address the nationwide formula shortage; 2 distinct strains of monkeypox may indicate rapid, undetected spread nationwide; the overturn of Roe v Wade could have an effect on in vitro fertilization and genetic testing.

Abbott Nutrition resumed production of baby formula on Saturday in order to address the nationwide shortage after getting the green light from the FDA. Production of EleCare and other specialty and metabolic formulas will be the first to restart production, with a product release of June 20 as the target date, according to CNBC. Abbott Nutrition was initially closed in February due to contamination. The FDA has said in a statement that it is working diligently to ensure safe resumption of infant formula production. The FDA also said that it hopes that this measure will put more baby formula on the shelves nationwide.

A recent genetic analysis of monkeypox cases indicated that there are 2 distinct strains in the United States, which could mean that the virus has been circulating in the country for some time, according to AP News. There are many monkeypox cases with the same strain as the recent cases in Europe; however, the recent analysis showed a different strain as well and both strains were in the United States last year. More analysis will need to be done to determine how long monkeypox has been in the United States. These findings could mean that the virus will be difficult to contain in the future.

The overturning of Roe v Wade could have effects on reproductive medicine at large as state policies could determine how birth control is provided or in vitro fertilization (IVF), according to STAT News. In the states that are expected to ban or limit abortion, lab-made embryos would also have legal protections, which could make IVF more complicated. Preimplantation genetic testing could also come under scrutiny as embryos that arent implanted may not be able to be frozen if they are considered people with legal rights. Alabamas anti-abortion law only applies to embryos in the womb, which would allow IVF; however, experts are still figuring out whether Oklahomas anti-abortion law will also extend to IVF.

See the rest here:
What We're Reading: Abbott to Resume Formula Production; 2 Strains of Monkeypox; Impact of SCOTUS Decision on IVF, Embryo Genetic Testing - AJMC.com...