Web version October 3, 2022 TOP STORIES Mixed bag so far in 2022 for cell and gene therapy sector：ARM report So far, 2022 has been a mixed bag for the cell and gene therapy sector on the regulatory and investment fronts, according to a new report from the Alliance for Regenerative Medicine（ARM）.     Computational screening uncovers potential painkillers without addictive, sedation properties University of California, San Francisco researchers have used computational screening of 301 million virtual molecules to uncover non-opioid compounds that treated pain without causing sedation in animals, offering lead candidates as an alternative to narcotics.     CANCER & DISEASE RESEARCH Mixed bag so far in 2022 for cell and gene therapy sector：ARM report So far, 2022 has been a mixed bag for the cell and gene therapy sector on the regulatory and investment fronts, according to a new report from the Alliance for Regenerative Medicine（ARM）.     New cell metastasis research could lead to better treatments Cambridge University scientists have discovered that cancer cells hijack a process used by healthy cells to spread around the body, changing current thinking about cancer metastasis.     Next-gen natural killer cell enhances antitumor activity A next-generation natural killer（NK）cell improves tumor specificity and enhances antitumor activity by overcoming a process that contributes to NK cell dysfunction and tumor relapse, a new preclinical study finds.     CELL BIOLOGY Researchers create “brainier” brain organoids Researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles have discovered that early-stage stem cells are key to creating high-quality organoids -- miniature brainlike structures used in the laboratory to model a variety of diseases.     SuperAgers have ‘super’ neurons that stave off Alzheimer’s “SuperAgers” are resistant to developing Alzheimer’s disease and have good memories. According to a study from Northwestern Medicine, these traits are genetic.     DRUG DISCOVERY & DEVELOPMENT Computational screening uncovers potential painkillers without addictive, sedation properties University of California, San Francisco researchers have used computational screening of 301 million virtual molecules to uncover non-opioid compounds that treated pain without causing sedation in animals, offering lead candidates as an alternative to narcotics.     IMMUNOLOGY A monkey virus could transfer to humans, study finds University of Colorado Boulder researchers are urging vigilance around an obscure family of viruses known to cause fatal Ebola-like symptoms in some monkeys. They said the virus is “poised for spillover” to humans, although that hasn’t happened yet.     Meeting on the Mesa comes at pivotal time for cell and gene therapy industry Stakeholders from around the cell and gene therapy sector will come together during the Alliance for Regenerative Medicine’s hybrid 2022 Meeting on the Mesa, October 11-13 in Carlsbad, CA, to discuss the opportunities and challenges facing the industry.     Modeling advance enables exploration of cellular processes at atomic resolution University of Kansas researchers have developed a computational modeling approach that they claim is "tens or hundreds of thousands of times faster" than existing atomic resolution techniques, providing insights into the fundamental biology of cells.     FDA creates “Super Office” to manage growing cell and gene therapy workload The U.S. Food and Drug Administration（FDA）has elevated and reorganized its Office of Tissues and Advanced Therapies to a “Super Office” within the Center of Biologics Research and Evaluation to meet its growing cell and gene therapy workload.     SCIENCE NEWS Nobel Prize in Chemistry awarded for click chemistry, which links molecules quickly The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences has awarded the 2022 Nobel Prize in Chemistry to three scientists for the development of click chemistry and bioorthogonal chemistry.     NIH awards $285M for innovative biomedical research projects The National Institutes of Health’s High-Risk, High-Reward Research program, part of its Director’s Awards, has awarded approximately $285 million in new research grants to support visionary and broadly impactful behavioral and biomedical research projects.     CANCER & DISEASE RESEARCH Brain tissue mechanism may explain why women are more susceptible to Alzheimer's Case Western Reserve University researchers have identified a mechanism in brain tissue that may explain why women are twice as vulnerable to Alzheimer’s disease as men.     CELL BIOLOGY Modeling advance enables exploration of cellular processes at atomic resolution University of Kansas researchers have developed a computational modeling approach that they claim is "tens or hundreds of thousands of times faster" than existing atomic resolution techniques, providing insights into the fundamental biology of cells.     Research on telomerase RNA biogenesis offers antiaging potential Researchers from Arizona State University and the Biodesign Institute have discovered a new pathway for producing telomerase RNA from a protein-coding messenger RNA.     New crystallization method makes unstable proteins crystal clear Researchers at the Tokyo Institute of Technology have developed a new cell-free protein crystallization method that enables improved analysis of unstable proteins.     DRUG DISCOVERY & DEVELOPMENT Stanford team synthesizes anticancer compound currently only sourced from rainforest tree The synthesis of an anticancer compound in the laboratory by Stanford University researchers has cleared a barrier to the widespread use of a drug candidate that is currently extracted from a single plant species.     GENOMICS Meeting on the Mesa comes at pivotal time for cell and gene therapy industry Stakeholders from around the cell and gene therapy sector will come together during the Alliance for Regenerative Medicine’s hybrid 2022 Meeting on the Mesa, October 11-13 in Carlsbad, CA, to discuss the opportunities and challenges facing the industry.     FDA creates “Super Office” to manage growing cell and gene therapy workload The U.S. Food and Drug Administration（FDA）has elevated and reorganized its Office of Tissues and Advanced Therapies to a “Super Office” within the Center of Biologics Research and Evaluation to meet its growing cell and gene therapy workload.     Researchers find reactive oxygen species key to inflammation prevention; implications for IBD Mount Sinai researchers have demonstrated the importance of reactive oxygen species in maintaining stem cell function and preventing inflammation during wound repair, providing greater insights into inflammatory bowel disease（IBD）.     WHAT YOUR COLLEAGUES ARE BUZZING ABOUT MIT team finds limitations of AlphaFold’s AI protein structures in drug discovery   Stanford platform improves hunt for antigens that trigger strong immune responses   scienceboard.net, 671 N Glebe Road, Suite #1610, Arlington, VA 22203 USA - +1 520-298-1000