Category Archives: Immunology

Immunology

Computational Immunology Market Growth By Manufacturers, Type And Application, Forecast To 2026 – 3rd Watch News

New Jersey, United States,- Market Research Intellect sheds light on the market scope, potential, and performance perspective of the Global Computational Immunology Market by carrying out an extensive market analysis. Pivotal market aspects like market trends, the shift in customer preferences, fluctuating consumption, cost volatility, the product range available in the market, growth rate, drivers and constraints, financial standing, and challenges existing in the market are comprehensively evaluated to deduce their impact on the growth of the market in the coming years. The report also gives an industry-wide competitive analysis, highlighting the different market segments, individual market share of leading players, and the contemporary market scenario and the most vital elements to study while assessing the global Computational Immunology market.

The research study includes the latest updates about the COVID-19 impact on the Computational Immunology sector. The outbreak has broadly influenced the global economic landscape. The report contains a complete breakdown of the current situation in the ever-evolving business sector and estimates the aftereffects of the outbreak on the overall economy.

Leading Computational Immunology manufacturers/companies operating at both regional and global levels:

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The Computational Immunology market report provides successfully marked contemplated policy changes, favorable circumstances, industry news, developments, and trends. This information can help readers fortify their market position. It packs various parts of information gathered from secondary sources, including press releases, web, magazines, and journals as numbers, tables, pie-charts, and graphs. The information is verified and validated through primary interviews and questionnaires. The data on growth and trends focuses on new technologies, market capacities, raw materials, CAPEX cycle, and the dynamic structure of the Computational Immunology market.

This study analyzes the growth of Computational Immunology based on the present, past and futuristic data and will render complete information about the Computational Immunology industry to the market-leading industry players that will guide the direction of the Computational Immunology market through the forecast period. All of these players are analyzed in detail so as to get details concerning their recent announcements and partnerships, product/services, and investment strategies, among others.

Sales Forecast:

The report contains historical revenue and volume that backing information about the market capacity, and it helps to evaluate conjecture numbers for key areas in the Computational Immunology market. Additionally, it includes a share of each segment of the Computational Immunology market, giving methodical information about types and applications of the market.

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This report gives a forward-looking prospect of various factors driving or restraining market growth.

It renders an in-depth analysis for changing competitive dynamics.

It presents a detailed analysis of changing competition dynamics and puts you ahead of competitors.

It gives a six-year forecast evaluated on the basis of how the market is predicted to grow.

It assists in making informed business decisions by performing a pin-point analysis of market segments and by having complete insights of the Computational Immunology market.

This report helps the readers understand key product segments and their future.

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In the end, the Computational Immunology market is analyzed for revenue, sales, price, and gross margin. These points are examined for companies, types, applications, and regions.

To summarize, the global Computational Immunology market report studies the contemporary market to forecast the growth prospects, challenges, opportunities, risks, threats, and the trends observed in the market that can either propel or curtail the growth rate of the industry. The market factors impacting the global sector also include provincial trade policies, international trade disputes, entry barriers, and other regulatory restrictions.

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Computational Immunology Market Growth By Manufacturers, Type And Application, Forecast To 2026 - 3rd Watch News

Immunology

Tel Aviv University presents an analysis of reaction of human antibodies to coronavirus – Mirage News

A team of researchers from Tel Aviv University and the Sharon Hospital at the Rabin Medical Center, led by Prof. Motti Gerlic and Prof. Ariel Munitz of the Department of Microbiology and Clinical Immunology at TAUs Sackler School of Medicine, applied an innovative antibody test to about 70 COVID-19 patients at the Sharon Hospital. The researchers examined the development of antibodies targeting two different viral proteins in the patients bodies, and found that severely ill patients developed the antibodies at a faster rate than those with a mild case of the disease. In addition, antibodies of the type IgG were maintained in the blood of most patients throughout the study. This project has important implications for our understanding of the immune response to SARS-CoV-2, as well as future tracking of the effectiveness of vaccines and population surveys (serological tests).

The researchers found that antibodies of the type IgM, that usually develop at the early stages of viral contagions, developed early in this case only against the protein RBD the site at which the virus SARS-CoV-2 binds to human cells, and not against the viruss nuclear protein. We sampled the antibodies of about 70 COVID-19 patients at the Sharon Hospital, throughout the outbreak of the disease in Israel, says Prof. Munitz. Our first finding was that not all viral proteins generate a rapid immune response, but that antibodies targeting the RBD protein did develop very quickly once the symptoms appeared. This finding is quite significant, because it suggests that the test we used may be utilized as a diagnostic tool at different stages of the illness.

The second thing we noticed, which is even more interesting, is that patients defined as severely ill developed antibodies at a faster rate than mildly ill patients, but ultimately all patients exhibited a similar immune response, recounts Prof. Munitz. Patients with mild, moderate and severe COVID-19 all developed the same level of antibodies. This is important, because one might have thought that the severely ill became so sick because they did not develop a sufficient amount of antibodies, and were thus unable to combat the virus effectively. We assume that the fast development of antibodies in these patients indicates that their immune system is hyper-active, but this hypothesis requires further research.

We measured the levels of antibodies in the patients blood when they arrived at the hospital, during the period of hospitalization and after their release, explains Prof. Gerlic. We tried to understand whether the level of antibodies in their blood corresponded in any way to the severity of the illness, whether the antibodies developed in a similar way in all patients, and whether they remained in the blood for long periods of time a critical factor for the herd immunity we all wish to attain. We found that at later stages of the disease, about 50 days after the initial appearance of symptoms, a significant decline occurred in the presence of antibodies types IgM and IgA, regardless of the severity of the illness. In IgG-type antibodies, however, we observed only a slight decrease, even in mildly ill patients. IgG-type antibodies play an extremely important role in the immune response because they can neutralize the protein that binds the virus to human cells to enable contagion thereby preventing the virus from penetrating the cells. We have not yet examined how the antibody actually works, and we do not know whether or not it neutralizes the virus, but the facts that these antibodies are quickly produced in all patients, and stay in the blood for a long time, suggest that they provide some level of immunity. So far, we have found that IgG-type antibodies remain in the body for two months. We will continue to monitor the patients for another year, to find out how long the antibodies remain in their bodies hoping for the formation of an immunological memory.

In the new study the researchers from TAU used a new serological test developed in their laboratory. The IDFs Medical Corps has already used the serological test developed by Prof. Gerlic and Prof. Munitz to detect COVID-19 antibodies in the blood of IDF soldiers. Within the next few weeks the test will be sent to the Israels Ministry of Health for validation, so that it may be used in population surveys.

Alongside the interesting findings, says Prof. Munitz, we wanted to demonstrate that our method is valid and more effective than the prevalent test for antibodies targeting viral proteins. To this end we examined samples of antibodies from the blood of COVID-19 patients, alongside samples from 200 healthy participants, taken before November 2019. We proved that our test, based on the antibodies, was able to distinguish between those who were ill and those who were not at very high levels of sensitivity and specificity. One reason for this success is that we screen for three different antibodies: IgM that appears early and declines early, IgA found on mucous surfaces like the lungs, and IgG, which we intend to test in the long run, because it may possibly lead to immunity.

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Tel Aviv University presents an analysis of reaction of human antibodies to coronavirus - Mirage News

Immunology

HBCU scientist working on COVID-19 antiviral – Tennessean

The top infectious disease expert in the United States has told House lawmakers its a question of when, not if the United States will have a vaccine for COVID-19. (June 23) AP Domestic

A scientist who previously developed an antiviral with potential to treat Zikais close to testing a similar drug to combat COVID-19.

Dr. Donald Alcendor, an associate professor of microbiology and immunology at Meharry Medical College, began working on the COVID-19 antiviral in April and anticipatesit is fourto sixweeks away from animal toxicity testing.

Should the antiviral meet expectations andproceedthroughfurther testing, he predicts that it may be FDA-approved and in use sometime next year.

With Zika, we saw the changes within infected cells in a matter of hours. To see something like that in a patient would be remarkable, Alcendor said.

Dr. Donald Alcendor, an associate professor of microbiology and immunology at Meharry Medical College.(Photo: Meharry Medical College)

The work is especially meaningful for Meharry Medical College, an HBCU founded in 1876 to train Black doctors and provide care for underserved African Americans, a community that, at the time, was often ignored by white doctors. African Americans have been disproportionately hit by the pandemic and remain one of the most at risk of contracting COVID-19.

"Infectious disease research is one of Meharrys strengths and we are excited to (be a) part of the global scientific effort to find a treatment for this virus," saidMeharry Medical College President and CEODr. James Hildreth."The devastating impact of COVID-19 on minorities makes this research especially relevant to Meharrys legacy and mission," he said in an emailed statement.

The antiviral is different from a vaccine in that it could treat those who have already contracted the novel coronavirus, which has killed more than 126,000 in the United States,according to the CDC.

MORE: Vaccines are not all created equal: Avariety of ways to stop COVID-19

There is currently no FDA-approved vaccine or antiviral. In May, hospitals were given emergency authorization by the FDA to administer Remdesivir, previously used to slow the replication of the Ebola virus and two other coronaviruses, SARS and MERS. But the drug is still being studied and the FDA said that, while some patients have seen a shortened recovery time, there is little known about its safety and effectiveness.

What we have is the only antiviral specific for SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19), Alcendor said. All these other antivirals out there affect virus replication in general for many viruses. When something is specific, its likely to have less unintended consequences.

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COVID-19 is spread through respiratory droplets that can be passed on when people sneeze, cough or talk. Once inside a cell, the virus uses an enzyme called a polymerase to begin making copies of itself. After replication, the virus causes inflammation in the lungs which can quickly lead to what Alcendor calls "the death point"or the moment when a patient must be placed on a ventilator because they can no longer breathe on their own.

The idea of Alcendors antiviral is to stop the polymerase from being made, thereby preventing replication and hopefully inflammation.

If Im able to circumvent that polymerase from doing its job, I stop everything downstream from happening, Alcendor said.

Dr. Donald Alcendor works in a lab at Meharry Medical College.(Photo: Meharry Medical College)

If testing goes according to plan, Alcendor will have a drug that can prevent viruses from replicating in a cell for three to fivedays. That means it could also be taken before infection and still work to stave off the virus.

EXPERTS: We're one-third of the way to a widely available coronavirus vaccine

The method is similar to his Zika antiviral approach, which he said shut down virus replication by 95 percent.

But Zika was primarily a threat to pregnant women and their babies and was transmitted by mosquitoes. With COVID-19, the stakes are much higher, he said.

To constantly, every day lose 1,000 people to this virus is something we cannot stand for, Alcendor said.

The work by Alcendor and his team is global but feelspersonal.

My home state of Louisiana is 32 percent African American. However, (53 percent)of the people dying of COVID-19 are African American, Alcendor said.

Our medical and research faculty and staff here stand hand in hand with colleagues around the world to say COVID-19 is not bigger than us and we want to do our part in all of this.

COVID-19 poses a significant threat to African Americans, who are at higherrisk of contracting the virus, largely due tosocial issues,health care access, and comorbidities such as diabetes and high blood pressure.

THE AMERICAN SOUTH: In the Deep South, COVID-19 reveals systemic issues hurting vulnerable black communities

This is an opportunity for Meharry to be in what I would call a spotlight thats been deserving for some time," Alcendor said."Our medical and research faculty and staff here stand hand in hand with colleagues around the world to say COVID-19 is not bigger than us and we want to do our part in all of this.

And though his antiviral may not be ready for hospital use until next year, Alcendor doesnt expect COVID-19 to disappear anytime soon. The benefit of his antiviral, he said, is that it takes less than two weeks to manufacture and can be easily adjusted if the virus continues to adapt. It also becomes more significant asfluseason looms in the fall and winter months.

I believe the disease will be with us for some time, he said. As scientists, weve been put on alert: Theres likely more of these viruses coming in the future. We have to have a plan of action that allows us to develop reagents that can work quickly and shut down infections very early so they dont develop into pandemics.

News tips? Questions? Call reporter Andrew Yawn at 985-285-7689 or email him at ayawn@gannett.com. Sign up for The American South newsletter.

Read or Share this story: https://www.tennessean.com/story/news/american-south/2020/07/02/covid-treatment-hbcu-scientist-working-coronavirus-antiviral/3276979001/

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HBCU scientist working on COVID-19 antiviral - Tennessean

Immunology

New Study Confirms COVID-19 Vaccine Will Need to Elicit T Cells to Work alongside Antibodies – HospiMedica

Image: Dr. Alessandro Sette and Dr. Daniela Weiskopf (Photo curtesy of La Jolla Institute for Immunology)

The study conducted by researchers at La Jolla Institute for Immunology (LJI La Jolla, CA, USA) and Erasmus University Medical Center (Rotterdam, Netherlands) also revealed that both Dutch and American patients have similar responses to the virus. For the study, the researchers followed 10 COVID-19 patients with the most severe disease symptoms who were put on ventilators out of which two patients eventually died of the disease. An in-depth look at their immune system responses showed that all the 10 patients produced T cells that targeted the SARS-CoV-2 virus. These T cells worked alongside antibodies to try to clear the virus and stop the infection.

These findings are in line with a recent study that showed a robust T cell response in individuals with moderate cases of COVID-19. In both the studies, the T cells in these patients prominently targeted the spike protein on SARS-CoV-2. The virus uses the spike protein to enter host cells, and most vaccine efforts around the world are aimed at getting the immune system to recognize and attack this protein. The new study offers further evidence that the spike protein is a promising target and confirms that the immune system can also mount strong responses to other targets on the virus.

This is key to understanding how the immune response fights the virus, said LJI Professor Alessandro Sette, Dr. Biol. Sci., who co-led the study with Erasmus MC Virologist Rory de Vries, Ph.D. You want vaccine approaches to be grounded in observations from rather diverse settings to ensure that the results are generally applicable.

Activating these cells appears to be at least as important as the production of antibodies, says Erasmus MC Virologist Rory de Vries, Ph.D., who co-led the study with Sette.

Related Links:La Jolla Institute for Immunology Erasmus University Medical Center

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New Study Confirms COVID-19 Vaccine Will Need to Elicit T Cells to Work alongside Antibodies - HospiMedica

Immunology

Cancer Immunology And Oncolytic Virology Market to Exhibit Rapid Surge in Consumption in the COVID-19 Crisis – Cole of Duty

The global cancer immunotherapy market should reach $96.5 billion by 2021 from $73.0 billion in 2016 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 5.7%, from 2016 to 2021.

Report Scope:

The scope of this report coverscurrent cancer immunotherapymarkets for most common cancers. The market segments included in this report are therapeutic monoclonal antibodies (with special focus on checkpoint inhibitors), synthetic interleukins, interferons, and colony-stimulating factors; small kinase inhibitors of cancer-related targets; protective and therapeutic cancer vaccines; and adoptive cell therapies. This report also covers treatments that are in development for late-stage and early-stage oncolytic viruses. Detailed epidemiological information, discussion of incidence and mortality trends, overview of regulatory landscapes, and analysis of market shares for leading products and companies are also included in this report.

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Report Includes:

An overview of the global markets for cancer immunotherapies and oncolytic virology. Analyses of global market trends, with data from 2015, 2016, and projections of compound annual growth rates (CAGRs) through 2021. Analyses of factors influencing market demand, such as clinical guidelines, demographic changes, and market saturation. Information covering the latest trends, market structure, market size, key drug segments, and trends in technology. Coverage of colony stimulating factors (CSFs), interferon alfa and gamma products, interleukin products and therapeutic monoclonal antibodies, including antibody conjugates, cancer vaccines, and other cancer treatment immunology products. Technological discussions, including the current state, newly issued patents, and pending applications. Profiles of leading companies in the industry.

Report Summary

Cancer is a disease with global implications. There are many different types of cancer, of which the most common types include lung, breast, colon and rectal, stomach, head and neck, prostate, cervical, melanoma, and ovarian cancer, as well as leukemia. Cancer is a genetic disease that is conventionally treated by surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, hormonal therapy, and immunotherapy. Surgery is the mainstay treatment for all cancers. Usually surgery is complimented with radiation or chemotherapy to ensure the clearance of all residual cancer. Despite the advances in treatment, cancer has great plasticity; therefore, after a certain time the effects of treatment fade and cancer returns with acquired resistance. Combination therapy, using multiple modalities including surgery and pharmaceutical or radiation therapy, improves response to treatment.

Radiation and chemotherapy have many side effects. Biological treatment options provide less impactful treatment of cancer. Immunotherapy is a type of biological therapy and it incorporates elements of the immune system in cancer treatment. The immune system has various types of cells and proteins that detect and act upon signs of a disease or infection by harmful and foreign substances such as microbes, bacteria and viruses. The immune system differentiates the bodys own cells and tissues through an evolutionary bar-coding system. This system helps the immune system understand encountered foreign substances as nonself. Cancer cells are recognized as nonself as well. The immune system monitors the body for cancer and destroys when it detects a malignancy. Cancer cells can avoid being recognized by the immune system and develop resistance through numerous methods.

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Since the early 1900s, the connection between cancer and the immune system has caught the attention of various scientists and medical practitioners. Although the early studies were bluntly done without current technological and scientific tools, they nonetheless shed insights leading to the development of the first monoclonal antibodies and to the use of biologically derived synthetic interleukins and interferons. After many decades of research, immunotherapy finally emerged as a fully functionalclinical area in the 1990s. Since then, the cancer therapeutics landscape has changed dramatically.

With the stream of product approvals in recent years, the global immunotherapy market has reached its current value. In 2015, the global cancer immunotherapy market hit $65 billion. The current immunotherapy market contains several blockbuster products reaching their end-of-market exclusivities; however, the market is mostly comprised of newly introduced and expensive therapies. In 2016, the market expanded by more than 10% over the previous year, reaching $73 billion. During the period of 2016 through 2021, the global cancer immunotherapy market is forecast to grow by a 5.7% compound annual growth rate (CAGR), reaching $96.5 billion in 2021.

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The strongest growth is expected to occur in checkpoint-inhibitor drugs with a 19.4% CAGR during the forecast period. Immunomodulators are anticipated to show the second-highest growth rates among immunotherapy products, with an 8.4% CAGR during the same period. The combined sales from both segments are expected to make up for nearly one-third of the market, with a combined sales value of $28 billion in 2021. Checkpoint inhibitors are virtually comprised of monoclonal antibodies; however,they are assessed separately due to their immense commercial and clinical significance. Sales from other therapeutic antibodies accrued to $28 billion in 2016, and this value is expected to remain relatively constant through 2021, due to several patent expiries, pressure from anticipated generic entries, and newly introduced classes of drugs expected by 2021.

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Cancer Immunology And Oncolytic Virology Market to Exhibit Rapid Surge in Consumption in the COVID-19 Crisis - Cole of Duty

Immunology

Government Invests 4.8m into Trinity-Led Coronavirus Research Hub – The University Times

Molly FureyDeputy Editor

The government has invested 4.8 million into a Trinity-led research hub looking into why some people are more susceptible to the coronavirus than others.

The government will be funding the partnership led by Prof Kingston Mills at the Trinity Biomedical Sciences Institute (TBSI) and Prof Aideen Long at the Trinity Translational Medicine Institute (TTMI) through Science Foundation Ireland.

In a press statement today, Minister for Higher Education Simon Harris said that he was delighted to establish the research partnership with Trinity.

Science and research have never been more important as the world faces a global pandemic. We still have so much more to learn about this virus and this partnership will be key to addressing some of the key questions, he said.

Harris added that the Trinity-led research would be of national importance given the immense societal and economic impact of the current pandemic and will enable us to contribute solutions to the challenges we face.

The 4.8 comes in addition to the 2.4 million committed by AIB back in April to establish a coronavirus research hub in Trinity. The research will seek to understand why some people are more susceptible to coronavirus than others in order to accelerate the process by which individuals can be identified as immune and therefore safe to return to work.

In a press statement, Prof Mill welcomed the development and said that the funding has allowed the creation of a centre of excellence in the Immunology of COVID-19.

The funding, he said, would allow Trinitys researchers to address key research questions designed to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic and that the research could help in the development of a coronavirus vaccine.

The longer-term objective is to create a national research centre focused on the immunology of infection that will enable Ireland to be poised and better prepared, with the appropriately skilled and coordinated scientific and medical expertise, to deal with other infectious disease epidemics in the future, Mill added.

In a tweet announcing the partnership, Provost Patrick Prendergast said that the importance of fundamental science [was] never more obvious.

Trinity will lead the project in collaboration with researchers at University of Limerick and University College Dublin, and will work in conjunction with international collaborators in America, the Netherlands, France, Hong Kong and the UK.

More:
Government Invests 4.8m into Trinity-Led Coronavirus Research Hub - The University Times

Immunology

Immunology expert says Ireland needs to be ready for Covid-19 travel spikes – Irish Examiner

A 'green list' of countries with unrestricted travel access to Ireland could be published next Thursday.

A final decision on air bridges is being made by a Cabinet sub-committee tomorrow, before being approved by Ministers on Monday.

People could travel to countries on this list, without a 14-day quarantine on their return, but the National Public Health Emergency Team's concerned it could lead to more Covid-19 cases being re-imported.

Professor Luke ONeill from the school of Immunology at Trinity College Dublin says we need to be prepared for spikes in travel-related cases.

Professor O'Neill says: "Even the famous 'green' countries, that's a good idea of course,

"And we have sympathy for the airlines with the airlines of course we do, but this 'green' country [Ireland] is a good one, but we have got to be ready for that [Covid-19 clusters],

"The timing has to be right for these things to happen or otherwise,

There will definitely be spikes coming into Ireland with all kinds of consequences.

Earlier, Tnaiste Leo Varadkar said a green list of countries for travel - to be published on July 9 - may only allow people fly at a later date.

The Government continues to advise against all non-essential travel.

Speaking at a launch of 6.5m in online support grants for 183 businesses, Mr Varadkar said: That is still the plan [to publish on July 9] to publish a greenest or shortlist of countries, which you can travel to without the 14-day quarantine.

But we do have a new government. And in fairness to the new government and to the new Taoiseach, the new minister of health, they're going to want to study matters and bring proposals to a Cabinet sub-committee this week.

Originally posted here:
Immunology expert says Ireland needs to be ready for Covid-19 travel spikes - Irish Examiner

Immunology

Iowa-developed mice used to test coronavirus therapies – The Gazette

IOWA CITY As medical researchers worldwide began to study COVID-19 to try and develop a vaccine or other therapies to blunt the deadly disease, they soon realized common lab mice werent useful.

Normal mice could not be infected with the virus, said Dr. Stanley Perlman, a University of Iowa professor of pediatrics, microbiology and immunology as well as the Mark Stinsky Chair in Virology.

Perlman and Dr. Paul McCray, also a UI professor of pediatrics, microbiology and immunology, realized they had something in their labs that might help: Decade-old frozen mouse sperm.

The researchers, along with Jincun Zhao, now at Medical University in Guangzhou, China, in 2005 developed a transgenic mouse that could be infected with SARS-CoV, a viral respiratory illness that spread to more than 8,000 people worldwide in 2003.

By the time the UI came up with the mice, the epidemic was over, Perlman said. They kept the mice around for a few years, but then decided it was easier just to preserve the sperm.

When SARS-CoV-2 hit the population, we didnt have live mice, Perlman said, referring to the new coronavirus that has infected more than 9 million people worldwide and killed more than 490,000 since last year. We had to rederive the mice, then we could study them.

The UI has made information about how they developed the transgenic mice available for free to any other researchers who want it.

The way they did it was using an adenovirus gene therapy vector that is inhaled by the mice to deliver the human ACE2 protein into mouse airway cells. Once the airway cells have the protein, the mice become able to be infected with SARS-CoV-2 and can develop COVID-19-like lung symptoms.

Although the disease is not fatal in the mice, they do get sick, losing weight and developing lung damage.

But research on mice may be critical to ending the pandemic.

What it allows you to do is test vaccines, test anti-viral therapies, learn how the virus is causing the disease things you do not want to learn for the first time on people, Perlman said.

The researchers, reporting in the journal Cell, showed these transgenic mice could be used to evaluate a vaccine and several potential COVID-19 therapies, including a preventive strategy known as poly I: C, which boosts the natural immune response, convalescent plasma from recovered COVID-19 patients, and the anti-viral drug Remdesivir.

Therapies tested on the mice so far have prevented weight loss, reduced lung disease and increased the speed of virus clearance in the mice, the UI reported.

The Iowa mouse model isnt the only one available for coronavirus research, Perlman said.

It turns out, because COVID-19 is so important, lots of people are developing mouse models. There are several others that are similar or in some ways better or worse, he said. But the Iowa model is widely used and a lot of people are interested in using it.

Comments: (319) 339-3157; erin.jordan@thegazette.com

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Iowa-developed mice used to test coronavirus therapies - The Gazette

Immunology

Harpoon Therapeutics Announces Changes to Board of Directors – BioSpace

Joanne Viney, Ph.D., brings expertise as an immunologist and veteran biotech executive to the board

Drs. Luke Evnin and Patrick Baeuerle step down from the Harpoon board

Dr. Baeuerle remains as a scientific advisor to the company

SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, Calif., July 02, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Harpoon Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: HARP), a clinical-stage immunotherapy company developing a novel class of T cell engagers, today announced the appointment of veteran biotech executive Joanne Viney, Ph.D., to its board of directors as an independent board member. Current board members, Luke Evnin, Ph.D, and Patrick Baeuerle, Ph.D., will be stepping down from the board. Following these changes, Harpoons board will be composed of nine directors.

Jo is an accomplished executive with an impressive track record of scientific achievement and drug development, said Jerry McMahon, Ph.D., President and Chief Executive Officer of Harpoon Therapeutics. Her expertise as an immunologist will be helpful to the company as we continue to advance our TriTACT cell engager platform.

I am excited to join the board of Harpoon and am looking forward to contributing to the companys immuno-oncology efforts and impacting the lives of people with cancer, said Dr. Viney.

Dr. Viney is an entrepreneurial scientist and experienced biotech executive with deep autoimmune and inflammatory disease expertise. Dr. Viney currently serves as President, CSO and Co-founder of Pandion Therapeutics, a privately held startup drug discovery and development company focused on developing modular biologics for regulating autoimmunity and inflammatory disease. Previously, Dr. Viney worked at Biogen where she began as Vice President, Immunology Research and was responsible for building and advancing the companys immunology portfolio before moving on to become Senior Vice President, Drug Discovery and a member of the senior R&D leadership team. Previous roles include Director of Inflammation Research at Amgen as well as Director, Department of Autoimmunity and Inflammation at Immunex. She received a Ph.D. in immunology from the University of London, St. Bartholomews Hospital Medical School and a B.Sc. in biophysical science from the University of East London. Dr. Viney is a member of the Board of Directors of Finch Therapeutics and Quench Bio, and is a member of the Scientific Advisory Board for HotSpot Therapeutics.

In addition, I would also like to express my deepest gratitude to Patrick Baeuerle and Luke Evnin, who were instrumental in founding Harpoon in 2015, for their years of service, dedication, impactful contributions, and valuable insights that both of them have brought to Harpoon, said Jerry McMahon.

In the relatively short time since Harpoon was launched, the company has created a significant clinical pipeline of products that have the potential to impact human diseases, and I am proud to leave the Harpoon board in capable hands to execute against the ambitious vision for the company and to deliver value to itsstakeholders, said Luke Evnin, Ph.D., Founder and Managing Director of MPM Capital.

While I am leaving the Harpoon board, I am pleased to continue to advise the company on scientific matters as the company executes its founding mission to bring T cell engagers to cancer patients with solid tumor malignancies, said Patrick Baeuerle, Ph.D., Executive Partner at MPM Capital and CSO of Cullinan Oncology.

About Harpoon Therapeutics

Harpoon Therapeutics is a clinical-stage immunotherapy company developing a novel class of T cell engagers that harness the power of the bodys immune system to treat patients suffering from cancer and other diseases. T cell engagers are engineered proteins that direct a patients own T cells to kill target cells that express specific proteins, or antigens, carried by the target cells. Using its proprietary Tri-specific T cell Activating Construct (TriTAC) platform, Harpoon is developing a pipeline of novel TriTACs initially focused on the treatment of solid tumors and hematologic malignancies. HPN424 targets PSMA and is in a Phase 1 trial for metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer. HPN536 targets mesothelin and is in a Phase 1/2a trial for cancers expressing mesothelin, initially focused on ovarian and pancreatic cancers. HPN217 targets BCMA and is in a Phase 1/2 trial for relapsed, refractory multiple myeloma. HPN328 targets DLL3 and Harpoon plans to initiate a Phase 1/2a trial in the second half of 2020. For additional information about Harpoon Therapeutics, please visit http://www.harpoontx.com.

Cautionary Note on Forward-looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Words such as may, will, expect, plan, anticipate, target, estimate, intend and similar expressions (as well as other words or expressions referencing future events, conditions or circumstances) are intended to identify forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are based on Harpoon Therapeutics expectations and assumptions as of the date of this press release. Each of these forward-looking statements involves risks and uncertainties that could cause Harpoon Therapeutics clinical development programs, future results or performance to differ significantly from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements contained in this press release include, but are not limited to, statements about the timing of clinical trials. Many factors may cause differences between current expectations and actual results, including unexpected safety or efficacy data observed during clinical studies, clinical trial site activation or enrollment rates that are lower than expected, unanticipated or greater than anticipated impacts or delays due to COVID-19, changes in expected or existing competition, changes in the regulatory environment, the uncertainties and timing of the regulatory approval process, and unexpected litigation or other disputes. Other factors that may cause Harpoon Therapeutics actual results to differ from those expressed or implied in the forward-looking statements in this press release are discussed in Harpoon Therapeutics filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, including the Risk Factors sections contained therein. Except as required by law, Harpoon Therapeutics assumes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements contained herein to reflect any change in expectations, even as new information becomes available.

Contacts:

Harpoon Therapeutics, Inc.Georgia ErbezChief Financial Officer650-443-7400media@harpoontx.com

Westwicke ICRRobert H. UhlManaging Director858-356-5932robert.uhl@westwicke.com

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Harpoon Therapeutics Announces Changes to Board of Directors - BioSpace

Immunology

Mark Wahlberg Health ‘WTF Moment’ Is One Every Man Can Learn From – DMARGE

Mark Wahlberg has been a fitness icon since the early 90s. The 49-year-old actor, restaurateur and former rapper has always had an incredible rig, and keeps in tip-top shape through a frankly ridiculous daily routine including a pre-dawn workout and cryotherapy.

Wahlberg owns a stake in Australian international fitness phenomenon F45, and even produced some (now cringy) workout videos in the 90s during his Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch days. In short? Hes afitness inspiration for men the world over, whod like to emulate his remarkable build and youthful vigour.

But his latest fitness escapade, a recent trip to an immunologist, perhaps shouldnt be so quickly emulated.

The big Boston boy posted a photo of his (huge) back covered in welts from an allergy sensitivity test, also called a scratch test. For those who are unfamiliar, sensitivity or tolerance tests involve having your skin pricked with a variety of different, common allergens in order to diagnose potential allergies or intolerances.

Wahlbergs comment is obviously a joke, but allergy tests can be scary (and a pain in the arse). Getting treated like a corkboard and getting a nasty rash to boot? Its hardly the kind of thing youd do just for kicks.

Fellow actor (and Hollywood heartthrob) Chris Pratt saw the funny side too.

Im no doctor, but based on the inflammation near the puncture marks it looks like youre allergic to getting poked by needles, Pratt commented on the Instagram post.

Marks nephew Jeff joined in on the fun, commenting what if u found out u were allergic to wine.

All jokes aside, Wahlbergs allergy experiment might have done him more harm than good.

DMARGE spoke to A/Prof Sheryl van Nunen, Senior Staff Specialist in the Department of Clinical Immunology and Allergy at Royal North Shore Hospital in Sydney, and Clinical Associate Professor at the University of Sydney. As an internationally recognised authority on allergies and clinical immunology, she warns that sensitivity tests can sometimes return false positives.

While it is possible to develop allergies later in life, its more common among kids or the elderly.

Youre likely to return a positive reaction towards something, but that doesnt mean that you have a serious allergy. Whatever you do, make sure your testing is factually and clinically based. Different testing regimes pick up different things, too, she explains.

In short? Just because Wahlbergs back looks bad, doesnt mean he necessarily has a bad allergy, and certainly doesnt mean you need to run off and get an allergy test.

Because strong allergies are so uncommon, its unlikely that cutting out a food or allergen you have a sensitivity to isnt going to miraculously improve your health. So keep that cat around and keep eating prawns (unless have an anaphylactic reaction, in which case, uh, dont).

Prof van Nunen reveals that the most common allergy in Australia is hayfever, 74% of which is caused by dust mites.

Australias climate makes it easy for dust mites to proliferate they thrive in warm conditions. Additionally, dust mites are more prevalent on the coast, as they like humidity. Essentially, good weather equals more dust mites.

Food allergies affect around 2% of Australian adults, with the most common being egg, milk, nuts, sesame, soy, fish, shellfish, and wheat allergies, according to the Australasian Society of Clinical Immunology and Allergy.

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Mark Wahlberg Health 'WTF Moment' Is One Every Man Can Learn From - DMARGE