The Michael J. Fox Foundation has awarded three new grants totaling $5.2 million to Arizona State University (ASU) to explore three pioneering treatments for Parkinson’s disease (PD).

The awards will fund research led by Principal Investigator Dr. Jeffrey H. Kordower, each targeting underlying causes of the disease, which currently affects nearly 1 million people in the U.S. alone.

The new projects focus on two primary hallmarks of PD: the loss of dopamine-producing neurons in the brain and the accumulation within nerve cells of a misfolded form of the protein alpha-synuclein (α-syn).

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Mayo Clinic is among the academic medical centers on the cusp of biomanufacturing next-generation cell and gene therapies that offer hope of new cures for rare and complex diseases. Biomanufacturing this new era of biologic medicines is much different than manufacturing pharmaceuticals from complex molecules. It requires highly specialized lab infrastructure, new processes and new scientific know-how.

A couple of Mayo Clinic-led papers encompass some of the first studies to probe how hospital facilities are handling the growing demand for cell and gene therapies that are being tested in clinical trials.Continue reading→

Biomedical engineering professor and BIO5 Institute Director Jennifer Barton has spent nearly a decade developing a falloposcope to detect ovarian cancer in its early stages. Banner – University Medical Center surgeon Dr. John Heusinkveld has now used the device to capture images of study participants’ fallopian tubes for the first time.Continue reading→

TUCSON, AZ / ACCESSWIRE / January 18, 2022 / Aqualung Therapeutics, an early stage immunotherapeutics company with an anti-inflammatory therapeutic platform for life-threatening unchecked inflammation, has closed a $2.5M convertible note fund raise led by a $1.5M investment from JSR Life Sciences, LLC. The convertible note close brings the total Aqualung funding to date to >$17M, with $14 million derived from non-dilutive capital via NIH-funded grants and an earlier successfully executed $700,000 early seed round. In addition to investments in the convertible note, JSR Life Sciences has committed an additional $1.5M to the upcoming $10M Series A capital raise.Continue reading→

Clinical performance study published in Future Oncology reinforces the independent value of DecisionDx-SCC to inform risk-appropriate patient management decisionsContinue reading→

Dr. Lindsey Murray will lead C-Path’s New Rare Disease COA ConsortiumContinue reading→

The Rare Disease COA Consortium aims to advance patient-focused assessment of clinical benefit in treatment trials for rare diseasesContinue reading→

DecisionDx-UMSeq identified somatic mutations relevant to uveal melanoma and is indicated as a complement to DecisionDx®-UM and DecisionDx®-PRAME, using the same biopsy tissueContinue reading→

Through collaboration and sponsorship with Perkins Coie LLP, UACI is offering a sponsored year at the incubator for one deserving startup with a committed team that is working to solve a significant business or social challenge. The winning team will also receive a cash award of $15,000, which includes funding for a legal project budget. The total prize package is valued at $25,000.

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TUCSON, Ariz., January 11, 2022 — Critical Path Institute (C-Path) is pleased to announce the Electronic Patient-Reported Outcome (ePRO) Consortium is now the Electronic Clinical Outcome Assessment (eCOA) Consortium. This rebranding more accurately reflects the expanded portfolio range of work performed by the consortium, the actual capabilities of member firms and the scope and significance of the consortium’s role. The new name was chosen to more authentically characterize the mission and aims of the consortium, which have evolved significantly since its inception in 2011.Continue reading→