3D bioprinting COVID-19 lung models for drug development
Keith Murphy, CEO of Viscient Biosciences, discusses the process of developing a 3D bioprinted tissue model and their potential in developing therapeutics for COVID-19 and other diseases.
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Articles
Why are women underrepresented in COVID-19 research authorship?
An analysis of papers relating to COVID-19 has found that female researchers make up a third of authors. Here, the potential reasons behind this figure are explored and a possible solution to encourage equality.
What immuno-oncology research can tell us about COVID-19
Dr Jing Watnick discusses how lessons learnt from cancer immunotherapy treatments could be applied to the development of COVID-19 therapies.
Antibody library screening: high throughput strategies
As the number of antibody discovery platforms and formats expands, various characteristics must be rigorously screened for and taken into consideration when deciding which hits to progress to successful development. The earlier in the antibody discovery pathway the assessment is carried out, the greater the hit enrichment and selection will…
TMPRSS2 inhibitors, Bromhexine, Aprotinin, Camostat and Nafamostat as potential treatments for COVID-19
Arsalan Azimi explains why inhibiting TMPRSS2 with clinically proven protease blockers could work as a therapeutic strategy against COVID-19.
The effect of temperature and humidity on the number of cases and deaths of COVID-19 all over the world
Sarah Ahmed explores how environmental factors may be causing the disparity in numbers of cases between different countries.
Application of organoid technology for retinal disease modelling and drug discovery
The loss of retinal light-sensing photoreceptor cells is a leading cause of blindness and the number of individuals affected by retinal degenerative diseases is increasing with an ageing population. Currently, there are no treatments for these diseases and progress in finding new treatments is slow. This article explores the potential…
Using big data approaches to develop cell therapies
An area where stem cell biology and medicine are combining effectively is the establishment of new cell therapies. However, current therapies are limited to a narrow set of cell types that can be isolated or created and expanded in vitro. Dr Owen Rackham discusses how utilising computational approaches will further…
Using genetics to identify drug targets for fibrotic lung diseases
Researchers recently conducted a genome-wide association study (GWAS) to identify factors that increase susceptibility to the incurable lung condition idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). Here, Dr Richard Allen shares some of the study’s key findings.
Seeing the light – visualising protein translation in real time
Non-invasive imaging has played an increasing role in drug discovery and development processes. Nikki Withers spoke with Yochi Slonim, who discusses a novel technology that leverages FRET signals for the discovery of small molecule drugs that selectively control mRNA translation in a novel target space.
Data, data and still more data: the challenges of imaging and analysing 3D cell models
The latest generation of three-dimensional (3D) cell models offer new and exciting possibilities for pharmaceutical research. However, deciding how to capture sufficient information in the most efficient way from an experiment without making the data size overwhelming can prove challenging. Margaritha Mysior and Jeremy Simpson discuss the opportunities and challenges…
Antibodies against viral disease: highlighting technologies behind COVID-19 antibody therapy
Amid the rush to develop an effective vaccine against COVID-19, antibody therapy has become a major strategy to ameliorate and treat cases of severe disease. Armed with the capacity to neutralise pathogens and orchestrate the immune system, promising antibody candidates for multiple viral indications, including HIV, continue to emerge. Technology…
Delivering a therapy to kerb COVID-19
Sheraz Gul explores current research developments to help treat and tackle the spread of COVID-19.
The Crick HTS facility – facilitating research through large-scale screening
The high-throughput screening (HTS) facility at the Francis Crick Institute in the UK provides a core service for Crick research groups. It enables scientists to use large-scale, unbiased screening technologies and approaches as part of their research. Nikki Withers spoke to the Science Technology Platform Head, Michael Howell, to hear…
High-throughput screening as a method for discovering new drugs
High-throughput screening is a common method of identifying lead compounds for drug development. The most common targets are enzymes – catalytic proteins that perform chemical reactions in the cell. In this article, Matthew Lloyd discusses the opportunities and challenges associated with this approach.