Winning a rare insight into the cause of schizophrenia and possible ways to treat it, scientists in Boston say they have identified a biochemical pathway that contributes to the disease by altering connections between brain cells.
The link between schizophrenia and a protein called complement component 4, or C4, was painstakingly established by combining a genetic screen of more than 65,000 people with laboratory findings in mice and analysis of 700 postmortem brain samples. Researchers said they believe the protein plays a role in signaling which connections between neurons should be “pruned,” or removed, as the brain develops after childhood.
Biologists have known that nerves produce and respond to electrical signals since the 18th century, when Luigi Galvani discovered that the muscles in a frog’s leg twitch when stimulated by a spark.
However, the systematic study of the electrical signals that nerves produce had to wait until the early 20th century for the development of sensitive electrical recording equipment such as the cathode ray oscilloscope.
This development revolutionized the understanding of nervous function. The ways nerves conduct signals can be a powerful indicator for diseases such as multiple sclerosis and can even detect certain types of intoxication.
Akili Interactive Labs has worked for five years to develop mobile video games that can help assess and treat cognitive disorders—and with that work, to accumulate enough clinical evidence to convince the FDA of the games’ benefits.
It’s been a turbulent year for Zafgen, to say the least. Two patients died in a Phase 3 clinical trial of its leading drug candidate and, in December, the FDA halted all studies of the drug. Zafgen’s stock tumbled, and shareholders filed lawsuits against the company. The future of the company’s drug, a potential treatment for patients with the rare genetic disorder, Prader-Willi syndrome, fell into deep uncertainty.
Scientific discoveries in recent years suggest that some serious conditions could be cured by adding “good” bacteria to your digestive tract. Now several companies are racing to develop drugs that do so.
It’s a jungle in there: massive populations of microbes, immune cells, and cells of the gut tissue are interacting and exchanging countless chemical and physical signals. Disruptions to this complex ecosystem, often called the microbiome, have been linked not only to gastrointestinal problems but also to metabolic, immunological, and even neurological disorders.
Care24 is the latest home healthcare startup to get funding in India. The Mumbai-based company announced today that it has closed a $4 million Series A from SAIF Partners, which it will invest in caretaker training and its technology platform.
Founders Vipin Pathak, Abhishek Tiwari, Garima Tripathi, and Pranshu Sharma launched Care24 in December 2014 after they realized how difficult it is to find qualified caregivers for their aging family members.
“We all come from small towns from different parts of the country. Our parents live far away from us and we were struggling to get the right care at their place,” says chief executive officer Pathak.
Israeli researchers are developing a novel method to treat life-threatening blockages in arteries, using gold nanoparticles to “color” potential problem areas, and possibly even to treat them.
A recent study by scientists at Bar-Ilan University examines the use of gold nanorods to help treat atherosclerosis — a vascular disease in which artery walls thicken over time due to build-up of plaque in the blood vessel. These fatty blockages can eventually cause heart attacks and strokes.
Takeda, a Japanese pharmaceutical company that targets diseases like cancer and diabetes, has big plans to make itself more global and, at the same time, digital-focused.
To get a better sense of what that would look like, Business Insider spoke with Takeda's Chief Digital Officer Bruno Villetelle about his plans to integrate technology into the heart of a 230-year-old health company.
Though no official deals have been announced yet, the company is exploring partnerships with leading tech companies like Google, Apple, and IBM Watson, in addition to smaller startups.
Takeda's goal is to become the digital health leader by 2025, Villetelle said.
El proyecto para conseguir una vacuna terapéutica contra el sida en el que trabajaba el centro de investigación catalán Hivacat ha captado 11,5 millones de euros entre un grupo de fondos de inversión, que esperan cerrar las últimas pruebas en los próximos cinco años y poder lanzar el producto al mercado dentro de siete o diez años. Aelix Therapeutics, la empresa desde la que se harán las pruebas, verá cómo se incorporan a su accionariado las gestoras de capital riesgo de La Caixa, del gigante Johnson & Johnson y el fondo biotecnológico Ysios Capital, que ha liderado la operación.
La adquisición, que se prevé culmine a mediados de este año, se realizará mediante una combinación de dinero en efectivo y acciones.
El laboratorio farmacéutico irlandés Shire ha cerrado un acuerdo de compra sobre su competidora Baxalta por 32.000 millones de dólares (29.300 millones de euros), con lo que se dará lugar a un gigante especializado en enfermedades raras.
La compañía ha informado en un comunicado que prevé que la transacción se cierre a mediados de este año y que la adquisición se realizará mediante dinero en efectivo y acciones. Además, los accionistas de Baxalta dispondrán de aproximadamente de un 34% de la nueva sociedad combinada.
