EGFR agonists support the protective effect of Langerhans against UV-induced damage of skin cells, a hallmark of lupus erythematosus and other autoimmune and dermatologic conditions, a team of US and German researchers report.

Zelluna Immunotherapy, a biotechnology company specializing in T-cell receptor (TCR) immunotherapies, has announced the appointment of Dr. Namir Hassan as chief scientific officer (CSO). 

A team of Scots, Belgian and Spanish researchers claim they have found a target to prevent failure of liver regeneration following intoxination or acute injury. 

Novartis announced today the appointment of Dr Klaus Moosmayer as Chief Ethics, Risk and Compliance Officer. He will report to Vas Narasimhan, M.D., CEO of Novartis and  become a member of the Executive Committee of Novartis (ECN). Dr. Moosmayer will join Novartis on December 1, 2018 and will be based in Basel, Switzerland. He succeeds Shannon Thyme Klinger who was recently appointed Group General Counsel.

London-headquartered gene therapy Orchard Therapeutics has closed a US-$150m series C financing round to push MAAs and BLAs of three late-stage gene therapies by 2021.

Sphere Fluidics, a company providing single cell analysis systems underpinned by its patented picodroplet technology, announced today that Tris Vaughan, PhD FRSB has joined its scientific advisory board (SAB).

Life Sciences Partners and Andera Partners together with Pfizer Ventures and Novartis Venture Fund have put €85m into the cancer drug development company Artios Pharma Ltd.

German neurogenetics at the Max-Planck-Institute for Experimental Medicine have cured the rare incurable hereditary Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease by simply supplementing the food of mice carrying the disease-causing duplication of the PMP22 gene with lecithin. The phospholipid supplementation enabled Schwann cells deficient in lipid synthesis to restore the insulating myelin sheet around peripheral neurons which is needed to speed up neuronal transmission.

Biological Industries (BI) develops, manufactures, packs, and supplies cell culture products for academic research, diagnostic labs, hospitals, and the biotechnology and biopharmaceutical industries. BI specialises in serum-free, xeno-free, animal component-free media, as well as contract manufacturing services that range from raw material supply, through labeling and packaging, to ready-to-market product.

German researchers have found a molecular switch that determines whether mesenchymal fibroblasts differentiate into fat- or bone-forming cells opening the avenue to modulation of the processes.