Researchers from the US and Japan have described how somatic cells can be transformed into an embryonic state by the application of external stimuli. The technique, reported in Nature, does not involve an embryo or genetic reprogramming.
Janssen Research and Development LLC is to allow healthcare professionals and researchers access to anonymised data from its clinical trials, under an agreement negotiated with the Yale School of Medicine in the US.
The US affiliate of Boehringer Ingelheim GmbH is to start work with Duke University in North Carolina to study the natural history of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, a disease which is characterised by inflammation and the scarring of lung tissue.
AstraZeneca Plc has entered into a licensing and collaboration agreement with two leading Belgian research institutes to explore the potential of inhibiting the MALT1 protein in the treatment of auto-immune disorders and certain cancers.
An experimental gene therapy has shown promise in a Phase 1/2 study of patients with an inherited cause of progressive blindness called choroideremia. Six patients receiving the treatment have shown improvements in their vision six months after treatment, according to an article in The Lancet.
The potential of stem cells as future therapies could be linked to a greater understanding of how mitochondria are transferred among cells in the human body leading to the repair of damaged tissue, according to a paper in The EMBO Journal on 15 January.
Sanofi SA is initiating a new approach to antibiotic development with a decision to team up with the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft in Germany to research naturally occurring chemical and biological compounds for their potential as medicines.
A group of international researchers has described how abnormalities in the human genome affect cognition, explaining why some people develop neurological diseases such as schizophrenia and autism, and others do not. The findings were reported online in the journal Nature on 18 December.
A new £3 million research project aimed at identifying targets for the development of drugs against dementia has been launched by the charity, Alzheimer’s Research UK; the technology transfer company, MRC Technology; and Eisai Co, Ltd and Eli Lilly and Company.
A more than decade-long Swedish project aimed at mapping the human proteome has reached an important milestone with the release of data for more than 80% of the protein-coding genes in the human body, and RNA expression data for more than 90% of the genes.