New research has found that certain genetic variants that cause modified protein binding in immune cells are also seen in those at high risk of some autoimmune diseases. Scientists from the Wellcome Sanger Institute, Josep Carreras Leukaemia Research Institute in Spain, and the MRC London Institute of Medical Sciences (LMS)… Read More
Researchers at the Francis Crick Institute and GSK are extending their collaboration to advance the discovery of new drug targets in a £11.5 million effort. This comes after receiving a ‘Prosperity Partnership’ grant from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) and matching funds from GSK. Together, the teams… Read More
Decipher Biosciences is one of five new startup companies being supported by Bayer as part of its G4A Digital Health Partnerships Program. Decipher Biosciences offers a portfolio of genomic tests, is building the GRID database of over 85,000 whole transcriptome profiles, and is partnering with pharmaceutical companies to identify biomarkers… Read More
Collaborative Research Leads To New Understanding Of Biomarkers By Dr Max Ryadnov and Professor Jason Crain A new collaborative research paper sheds light on the way antibodies distinguish between different but closely related ‘biomarkers’ – in this case protein fragments which reveal information about the condition of the human body. Read More
Stem Cell Differentiation By Dr Lilian Hook Stem cells are extraordinary cells, capable of both self-renewal and differentiation to mature somatic cells in vivo and in vitro (1,2). They have many features and advantages which could revolutionise drug development and healthcare applications. Stem cells offer a limitless, consistent supply of… Read More
30 July 2020 Image: Sven Mieke Genes linked to ageing that could help explain why some people age at different rates to others have been identified by scientists. The international study using genetic data from more than a million people suggests that maintaining healthy levels of iron in… Read More
6 July 2020 Image: Science in HD Eremid Research Services is the new name for the commercial arm of research organisation, DHMRI. Eremid continues to specialise in the provision of genomics, metabolomics, NMR and vivarium research services, offering expertise in areas including human health, food & nutrition, and AgBiotech. The company offers a… Read More
Innovative glycan imaging methods drive cancer biomarker discovery By Dr Richard Drake, Dr Anand Mehta and Dr Peggy Angel Volume 21 Issue 2 - Spring 2020 Glycosylation accounts for the majority of post-translational modifications (PTMs) of proteins, and changes in glycosylation are known to play a key role in disease… Read More
Harnessing the modified proteome for increased diagnostic power By Dr David Bramwell, Dr Steven Laval and Dr Jane McLeod Relevant biomarkers are vitally important in personalised medicine, guiding patient matching to specific therapies for earlier, easier and more effective disease identification and treatment. Here we trace the expectations of ’omicsbased… Read More
By Dr Steve Arlington and John Wise As part of its mission to help members anticipate and prepare for changes in the pharmaceutical industry, The Pistoia Alliance has developed a research paper which sets out to consider what the life science, biopharma R&D and healthcare ecosystem might look like in… Read More
From human genome to global genome - why precision medicine must address genetic diversity By Sumit Jamuar, et al. The publication of the first human genome sequence more than 15 years ago marked the start of a new era in medicine. In the years since then, researchers have greatly expanded… Read More
Application of bioinformatics in support of precision medicine By Mike Furness and John Wise Bioinformatics has played a major role in gene sequencing diagnostics and has been an essential tool to investigate the genetic causes of disease. With the support of new technologies and tools, bioinformatics can play an important… Read More
Mining Plant Genomes - A modern approach to herbal healing By Michelle Vierra Plants are stationary soldiers. Rooted to one spot, they are not able to chase nutrients or flee from herbivores and pathogens. So in addition to the basic metabolites they synthesise for their survival, they produce a diverse… Read More
From Genotype to Phenotype: Leveraging functional genomics in oncology By Dr Menelas Pangalos & Steve Rees et al. A challenge in drug discovery is that, at best, only around one in five drug candidates will lead to the launch of a medicine. In 2011, AstraZeneca initiated a strategic ‘5R Framework’… Read More
Systems Pharmacology: When multi-targeting is advantageous By Dr Kirkwood A. Pritchard Jr, Dr Dustin P. Martin and Dr Stephen Naylor The safety and efficacy of therapeutic drugs still requires improvement. In part this is due to the promiscuity of individual drugs, which on average can interact with an estimated 6-28… Read More
Current Trends in RNA Therapeutics Development By Dr Xiaoqiu Wu and Dr Andrew P. Turnbull Cellular RNAs play crucial roles during disease progression and represent a diverse and largely untapped class of biomolecules that can be exploited for drug development. RNA species include messenger RNAs (mRNAs) that are translated into… Read More
