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Cambridge Biomedical’s Meet and Greet for our new VP of Scientific Affairs, Linda Robbie, Ph.D.

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Please join us to enjoy an informal breakfast welcoming Linda back to Boston. Meet Dr. Robbie and find out more about her vision to move Cambridge Biomedical into the next level of CRO/Sponsor partnerships. Share your needs and wishes directly to her, our top scientific executive. Take a look at her bio on our website and see how she is uniquely positioned to achieve this goal and provide drug development and medical diagnostic organizations superior support.

 

For full event details, see here!

RSVP to Eric Wexler:

Eric J. Wexler, M.B.A. Business Development Director – New England

Office: 617.456.0734 ~ Cell: 617.877.2489

ewexler@cambridgebiomedical.com

The development of cellular therapies could lead to advances in the treatment of trauma and critical care injuries

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In recent years, significant advances have been made in treating those who have suffered severe hemorrhage and trauma, with the methods used to stop bleeding and resuscitate patients having made the largest strides. However, we currently provide little more than supportive care to those who survive the initial trauma. Since trauma is the leading cause of death for those aged 1 through 44, it is important that we develop therapeutic treatments for intermediate and long-term recovery.

An emerging area of particular interest in the treatment and rehabilitation of trauma survivors is the use of cellular therapy (CT), which can potentially be used to both prevent secondary injury and support the repair of injured tissues. Recent studies conducted with both animals and humans have shown that CT may be effective in treating conditions such as traumatic brain, spinal cord, and acute kidney injuries, organ failure, and burns, along with healing soft-tissue damage in the extremities.

Currently, there are two types of CT with significant potential for long-term healing. One is adult multipotent cells, which have the ability to replicate a limited number of differentiated cell types. The other type is pluripotent stem cells, which have an unlimited capacity for self-renewal and can also differentiate into any kind of cell in the body. Adult multipotent cells are more useful for the prevention of future injury and repair of injured tissues, whereas pluripotent cells are better suited for the replacement of cells in lost or injured tissue.

It’s evident that research involving CT could lead to a significant difference in how physicians care for patients healing from trauma, as well as how well these patients are able to return to a sense of normalcy after suffering from such extreme injuries.

For more information on the use of CT for trauma treatment, check out this article recently published in PlosMedicine.

By: Rebecca Yount

A “Whole New World” of Lymphatic System Discovered

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The Discovery

Recent findings at the University of Finland and UVA School of Medicine have overturned 300 years of accepted anatomical fact. Until recent years, the scientific community believed that the lymphatic system — which functions in the body to remove waste and toxins — did not extend into the human brain.

Then came Kari Alitalo. Kari desired a better map of the lymphatic vessels, so three years ago he dosed the lymph cells of mice with a glowing jellyfish gene. At the end of the experiment, he was shocked to see that the mice’s heads were glowing. To be certain his results were correct, he repeated the experiment. His repeat showed exactly the same phenomenon.

As it turns out, Kari had discovered what he termed to be the glymphatic system — the division of the lymphatic system that exists as “glia” cells in the brain.

The Glymphatic System

As it turns out, the glymphatic system may have major implications for degenerative diseases. It’s possible that Alzheimer’s, Huntington’s, and Parkinson’s diseases could be effected by dysfunction in the glymphatic system. A dysfunctional lymphatic system can lead to a buildup of toxins and waste in the body — and a dysfunctional glymphatic system may lead to a buildup of toxins in the brain.

Early studies at Yale and Oregon Health & Science University suggest that a functioning glymphatic system is essential to a healthy brain. Harvard has shown that glymphatic flow is decreased right before a migraine. Research has also shown that the glymphatic system works best when we are asleep, and that sleeping on your side is better than sleeping on your stomach or back.

 

It’s clear that this revolutionary anatomical discovery will have major impact for clinical therapies for all kinds of neurodegenerative diseases. Read the full article from the Washington Post here, and make sure to subscribe to our blog for the latest news and events across the biotech world.

Alzheimer’s PET Scan – US National Institute on Aging, Alzheimer’s Disease Education and Referral Center

Lipids Take the Lead in Metastasis

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Although metastasis is the leading cause of death among people with cancer, for the most part, researchers are stumped about which molecular signals allow malignant cells to leave primary tumors and start new ones. Two studies published in Nature this month highlight roles in metastasis for an unexpected group of molecules—lipids.

Read at The Scientist