The Bio Report

Nov 20 2024 538 ep. 25 mins 538
The Bio Report Podcast artwork

The Bio Report podcast, hosted by award-winning journalist Daniel Levine, focuses on the intersection of biotechnology with business, science, and policy.

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Getting Tumors to Say “Eat Me”

Nov 20 2024 25 mins  
While existing immunotherapies have changed cancer care, there are several types of cancer where they have limited or no efficacy. Pheast Therapeutics is addressing that by looking to macrophages, part of the innate immune system. These white blood cells gobble up pathogens, cancer cells, and other foreign substances. Certain tumors, though, can evade their attack by expressing che

Targeting the Dark Matter of the Genome to Treat Diseases

Nov 13 2024 32 mins  
About 98 percent of the the human genome consists of non-protein coding regions known as the “dark genome.” Once derided as “junk DNA,” these regions are increasingly understood to play a critical role in the regulation of the genome and offer a novel means of targeting diseases. Haya Therapeutics is exploring long non-coding RNAs as potential therapies to treat a range of

Using AI to Discover Small Molecule Alternatives to Biologics

Nov 06 2024 31 mins  
One of the promises of AI is to redefine what’s possible by enabling the discovery of compounds that exist in a much larger chemical space than scientists have previously been able to explore. Deepcure is using AI and physics to discover small molecule therapies that can bind to difficult to target proteins. We spoke to Kfir Schreiber, co-founder and CEO of Deepcure, about the co

A BET on a Novel Approach to Treat Autoimmune Conditions

Oct 30 2024 24 mins  
The BET family of proteins regulates gene expression. Their overexpression has been implicated in both cancer and inflammatory diseases. Vyne Therapeutics is developing oral and topical BET inhibitors that treat inflammatory conditions ranging from rheumatoid arthritis to the skin condition vitiligo. We spoke to Vyne CEO David Domzalski and Vyne Chief Scientific Officer Iain Stuart

Cell Therapies that Can Do a Solid for People with Cancer

Oct 23 2024 51 mins  
Adrian Rawcliffe, CEO of Adaptimmune, discuses the approval the first engineered cell therapy to treat a solid tumor, how its T cell receptor gene therapies differ from CAR T therapies, and what other cancers might benefit from such an approach.

Going to Extremes to Discover New Drugs

Oct 16 2024 31 mins  
Hibernation is not just a matter of deep sleep. Animals that hibernate are able to do so without suffering damage to tissue and muscle. Understanding the biology of hibernation can unlock potential insights into obesity, heart attack and stroke, muscle atrophy, neuroprotection, and longevity. Fauna Bio is studying genomic data from so-called "extreme mammals" and applying its propr

Targeting Senescent Cells to Treat Aging-Related Diseases

Oct 09 2024 31 mins  
Senescent cells, ones that no longer divide but are metabolically active, are associated with aging. They are also implicated in a broad range of aging-related diseases including cancer, diabetes, and neurodegenerative conditions. In the case of cancer, these cells can help protect tumors from a person’s immune system. Immorta Bio is seeking to address aging-related diseases by t

Bringing Cellular Diversity into Sharper Focus

Oct 02 2024 30 mins  
From cell to cell within a given tissue, variability exists. Single-cell sequencing technologies from 10X Genomics is helping researchers and drug developers understand cellular diversity in tissue once thought to be made up of homogenous populations. This has the potential to lead to new understandings of diseases, open up new targets for drug developers, and provide for more tail

Developing Cancer Therapies for When Damage Control Goes Awry

Sep 25 2024 18 mins  
The DDR pathway plays a critical role in repairing DNA damage in healthy cells that would otherwise cause mutations or cell death. When this pathway is altered and becomes unable to repair this damage, mutated cells can grow out of control and become cancerous. They can also be more resistant to standard chemotherapies and radiation. Aprea Therapeutics is developing therapies to ta

Delivering the Goods

Sep 25 2024 36 mins  
Nearly 70 percent of patients with chronic conditions fail to take their medicines as prescribed. This can lead to poor outcomes and greater healthcare costs. Vivani Medical, which has developed implantable drug delivery technology, said it can provide steady drug release for up to six months with a single implant. This not only can address the problem of non-compliance, but can al