Entries by Thomas Gabrielczyk

A Holy Grail in the quest to end cancer

Targeted therapies and chemotherapeutics have helped cut cancer deaths dramatically in the last few decades. In the US, the overall mortality rate of 251/100,000 patients in 1991 had fallen by 2016 to 156/100,000 patients. Engineered (multispecific) antibodies, cell therapies and combination therapies are expected to continue to increase success rates with primary tumors. And research groups are turning their big guns on what is now the biggest killer – metastasis.

Blood routine testing in sepsis and AHF ahead

Pilot routine tests with the vasoactive biomarker bio-ADM confirm clinical test results. Medical leaders back actionable utility of the marker in medical decision-making in septic shock and congestive heart failure.

Bioengineers to standardise biomanufacturing

Biomanufacturing – either for production of biologics or bio-based everyday products – has traditionally suffered from the unpredictably variable response of production cell lines to external stimuli. Synthetic biology groups now wish to create a network of biofoundries that aim to establish reproducibility standards from process design to product purification and – in the long term – intend to switch from cell-based to cell-free bioproduction.