Episódios
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Chronic inflammation goes hand-in-hand with many diseases, complicating symptoms and affecting routes of treatment. What is the molecular basis of inflammation, and can it be targeted by new drugs? Scientists have studied the molecular basis of the inflammatory response and have identified specific proteins that complex to initiate the response. New drugs are showing promise in breaking the inflammatory cascade. Studies of genealogical records revealed additional targets that modify known genetic pathways that contribute to Alzheimer's, cancers and cardiovascular disease. Dr. David Bearss from Halia Therapeutics explains the roles of inflammation and the mechanisms behind several drug candidates that are targeting chronic inflammation.
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Strategic partnerships are becoming more important in development and deployment of biotechnology solutions. Today's panel discusses the way partnerships are formed, some of the important considerations with IP and licensing, and how relationships are managed.
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The news reports say that scientists have found "high levels" of herbicide in human sperm, and suggest it is a cause of infertility. But what do the data really say? Dr. Andrea Love and I discuss the paper. A report by Vasseur et al., in the June 2024 Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety entitled Glyphosate presence in human sperm: First report and positive correlation with oxidative stress in an infertile French population strongly implies a tight connection between the herbicide glyphosate and world population decline. However, it is a classical case of overstepping the data. This group studied 128 men in a French infertility clinic and quantified glyphosate in in their blood and seminal fluids. Amazingly, they found parts per trillion, very low levels. They also never measured levels in sperm. They did measure sperm quantity and quality and they are just fine in individuals with glyphosate levels and those below detection. So there is no effect on sperm, consistent with previous studies. They do identify a correlation between glyphosate presence and two oxidative stress markers, but it is unclear what the "normal" range is, and it is very difficult to connect parts per trillion of a benign herbicide and meaningful physiological response. However, this was enough to ignite the media into connecting this trace of herbicide to crashing world populations, when people are most likely simply having smaller families.
Dr. Andrea Love @Dr_AndreaLove and immunologic.org
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Where many therapeutic compounds are raised in bacteria or fungi, plants sometimes offer many advantages as bioreactors. Capital and production costs are lower, and products may be edible instead of injectable. The problem tends to be standardization, and conditions that ensure that the desired proteins are produced This episode features Jim Wilson from Zea Biologics, where cleanrooms, precise regulation of all aspects of the plant growth environment, and massive data collection, allow for the production of biological compounds to treat everything from hemophilia to influenza. The compounds are bio-encapsulated, a patented process that allows oral delivery instead of injection. Using precision "pharming" drugs and be produced at a lower cost in less time, and the products are temperature stable, allowing wider distribution at lower cost, with a lower carbon footprint.
www.zeabio.com
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Canada has a unique approach to plant genetic improvement that follows the product, not the process. In other words, if there is potential risk from any genetic manipulation technique, from polyploidization to transgenic to gene edits, Canadian regulators assess the relative risk in the final product. But what does the regulatory climate look like going forward as gene editing becomes more routine? Today's podcast is a conversation with Jennifer Hubert, Executive Director of Biotechnology at Crop Life Canada.
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Immunotherapy is weaponizing the body's immune system against cancer or other disease. One of the most promising approaches is CAR-T cell therapy, yet as this technology has been implemented, it's limitations have been identified. Dr. Andy Scharenberg described the current drawbacks of CAR-T cells and how his company, Umoja, is re-engineering CAR-T cells in vivo to create more effective therapies, including approaches that can address solid tumors. Co-hosted by Donald Coon.
www.umoja-biopharma.com
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How do new drug applications move forward to approval? Four experts discuss the partnership between the FDA, the drug developer, and the data needed to move a product forward. It is a surprising discussion that reveals the depth of the FDA process. Joined by Dr. Debra Webster, Dr. Julia Marre, Dr. Michael Matthews and Dr. Jonathan Helfgott.
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We live in amazing times of technological advance, but how are the real benefits of new tech lost to an inflated sense of risk? Dr. Felicia Wu from Michigan State University shares her expertise in describing the psychological basis of risk and applying it to questions like glyphosate and aspartame.
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This is an update on the American Chestnut Restoration Project, as discussed previously on the podcast. The American Chestnut dominated the forests of Appalachia until an imported fungus destroyed the entire range. Efforts to restore the chestnut and its ecology have employed a biotechnology approach, integrating a gene from wheat that limits the mechanism the fungus uses to attack the tree. Dr. Andy Newhouse and Erik Carlson join the podcast to discuss progress in the project.
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Despite being over half of the population women's health care lags behind other areas of drug development. The problem is caused by many facets, but is augmented by the fact that many of the conditions are not life threatening or are functions of aging. Sabrina Johnson, CEO of Daré Bioscience, discusses how the disparity exists, the pipeline of drugs that seek to mitigate female-specific conditions, and how smaller, leaner businesses can have significant impacts in this space.
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After a three month hiatus the Talking Biotech Podcast is back. Today's episode is a visit with Colarbra CEO Aoi Senju about his view for the podcast, followed by synopsis of three major news stories that broke since the last Talking Biotech Podcast. The new format includes a video component, and I'll be speaking with panels and also discussing recent news stories. It is an exciting opportunity to capture a new audience, expand listenership, and provide new levels of programming to the popular format. Thank you for your patience and I hope you enjoy the new episodes. Kevin
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After 8.5 years of weekly podcasts I'm going to take a 5 week break and plan new episodes for 2024. I'm going through a medical glitch that has me unable to do my normal work. On top of this we're going to switch to an audio plus video format to find a wider audience. So check back in 2024 for the next episode. Have a great rest of 2023, thank you for listening, and looking forward to better times.
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Even under the best conditions, crops need our assistance to survive the numerous threats that limit production. Classically, synthetic and natural compounds have been used to control insects, fungi and weeds, sometimes with negative collateral effects or fostering resistance of genetically tolerant genotypes. Todd Hauser from Trillium Ag describes his company's novel RNAi approach. RNAi can be used to target specific insect species, and his company's design and particle-based technology appears to offer safety, effectiveness, and specificity. We discuss the use of RNAi and how it may be a key point of crop protection strategies, along with its inherent challenges.
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There is tremendous variation in the plant kingdom, as plants have adapted to many ecological niches with discrete challenges. Part of adaptation is production of novel secondary metabolites, compounds not required for central metabolism that serve a role in the plant, such as defense or attraction of pollinators. The rainforest is replete with unusual plants and their resident metabolites. Indigenous peoples have identified therapeutic qualities of specific plants. How can this knowledge be transferred to aid those suffering beyond the rainforest? Lisa Conte is the CEO, President and Founder of Jaguar Health, a subsidiary of Napo Pharmaceuticals. We discuss process of working with indigenous peoples to learn from their findings, then test and validate them in ways to identify novel mechanisms of action for use in modern medicine.
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Gene editing is a powerful and specific technique that allows customized changes to DNA. Because there are no additional sequences transferred, and alternations match what could happen naturally over time, the technology is considered less invasive and less prone to regulatory oversight. That's true in the USA, Canada, China and other nations. However, the European Court of Justice determined that these techniques should be regulated in a manner identical to transgenics, where the EU has not approved such innovations in over two decades. EU scientists see how the EU is falling behind and after long may never catch up. The rejection of technology leads to a tremendous economic loss. Dr. Emma Kovak of the Breakthrough Institute discusses the current regulations, the proposed changes, and the dynamics of opposition to a good technology that could have profoundly positive impacts for people and the planet.
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Information has been weaponized, and the ability to create false information to achieve an ideological goal has never been more easy. Political polarization, science denial, and a shining, effective conduit of dissemination (the internet) allows anyone with an agenda to recruit the like minded, and produce compelling media to reinforce bankrupt ideas. Where did information warfare originate, what are its effects, and how do we fix it? This week's podcast discusses the book, On Disinformation: How to Fight for Truth and Protect Democracy with author Dr. Lee McIntyre. The book presents a chilling description of who creates disinformation, how subscribes to it, and its long term effect on free society. Fortunately, solutions are proposed that can help curb the penetration of disinformation, particularly as it becomes more effective through artificial intelligence.
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While DNA captures most of the fanfare, proteins are the catalytic and structural superstars of the cell. However, they can also become problematic. Cells have intricate mechanisms to remove damaged or mis-expressed proteins that could be deleterious to cellular function. This process is mediated by a process called ubiquitination, mediated by a special class of proteins called E3 ligases. Ubiquitin is the tag that's added that signals that a protein should be moved to the biochemical garbage can. Dr. Juliet WIlliams of Kymera describes how their company has used modeling and A.I. to design molecular linkers that connect a protein that needs to be degraded with the machinery to tag it for destruction. The goal of this line of therapeutics is to target a suite of proteins that need to be degraded for normal health and development. Their pipeline contains multiple clinical and pre-clinical trials, and the approach is an exciting complement to other drug discovery methods.
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Recombinant DNA technologies once confined to the laboratory are now available to just about anyone. Is this a good thing or an extreme risk? David Ishee is self-described biohacker, dog breeder and mad scientist, and merges these passions in cutting edge DIY projects and educational tools. We discuss the opportunities and risks in DIY molecular biology, biohacking and democratization of modern genetic plant, animal and microbial genetic tools.
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We're surrounded by microbes, many that are the basis of disease. Others have evolved resistance to our best antibiotics. Others may be weaponized for bioterrorism. Because microbial threats can evolve rapidly and grow quickly, early detection of a microbial threat is essential. Dr. Brad Perkins of Karius describes the threats of microbes, his company's novel approach to fast and easy test that can detect evidence of thousands of putative pathogens in a small blood sample, essentially overnight. We discuss the technology and its applications. The technology stands to be an important tool to ensure a lower-risk pathogen environment in medical facilities, as well as detect putative pathogens before they become major problems for a patient or broader population.
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The Pawpaw (Asimina triloba) is the largest native North American fruit, and grows wild throughout most temperate forests of the eastern United States and Canada, from southern Ontario to the Florida border. Several breeding efforts have sought to improve this tree crop, seeking mostly to improve fruit quality, especially post-harvest. The fruits feature a tropical flavor, a flesh that has been described as everything from marshmallow to banana, in a custard-like texture. Despite its flavorful appeal, few have experienced this fruit, mainly because of its perishable nature, and the fact that wildlife appreciate the fruit before humans ever get to it. However, a new initiative called Project Pawpaw seeks to improve the species for fruit production. Director Adam D'Angelo speaks about fundraising efforts to grow breeding populations, and utilize modern approaches to hasten development of improved pawpaws.
Project Pawpaw website
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