Regenerative Medicine

A new study has demonstrated the ability of an experimental regenerative medicine to restore bone in an animal.  Bone loss is a part of ageing that compromises quality of life and movement in many older people, but regenerative treatments to improve their health and well-being have been limited.  The preclinical study, led by Lankenau Institute […]

By Dr Ross Macdonald Cell-based therapies are being widely recognised for their potential to treat a variety of medical conditions, but they face major obstacles toward commercialisation. Traditionally, they have been difficult and expensive to make in large quantities. Biopharmaceutical companies must develop manufacturing solutions that will enable them to efficiently and reproducibly create the […]

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 physiologically relevant cells from validated […]

23 July 2020 Image: National Cancer Institute Adoptive cell transfer immunotherapy is one of the most promising new treatments for people with hard-to-treat cancers. However, the process is complex and needs fine-tuning in order to develop more treatment strategies that will work for more people. In a new study looking at adoptive cell transfer products […]

09 June, 2020 The specialist developer and manufacturer of proteins for stem cell, organoid and regenerative medicine applications announced the successful closure of a £1.5 million (US$1.9 million) series A investment round to accelerate the global scale-up of its commercial operations. According to Cambridge based Qkine, the funding round attracted support from a range of […]

Reprogramming the stem cell for a new generation of cures By Dr Alex Davenport, Dr Tonya Frolov and Dr Mark Kotter Volume 21 Issue 2 – Spring 2020 The development of new and effective treatments with the potential to cure, or at the very least ease patient suffering, has been the driving force in biomedical […]

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 2030, in particular how the […]

Cell Therapy – Falling short of its potential? By Pierre-Louis Joffrin Despite major investment in the field, few cell therapies have gained regulatory approval with limited commercial success. The success of therapeutic products is defined by three factors: safety, efficacy and scalability. Achieving these for cell therapy presents new challenges; overcoming transplant rejection (and GvHD […]

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 proteins, long non-coding RNAs including […]

Integrated Platform Drug Discovery and Development Companies – Part 1 By Dr Urban A. Kiernan and Dr Stephen Naylor Technology was lauded as the saviour of the drug discovery and development (DDD) process during the late 1990s. A myriad of independent companies developed and offered ‘innovative’ tools, technologies and platforms (TTPs) to pharmaceutical companies in […]