Introduction: The key neurons that maintain the body temperature of mammals at 37°C have been identified; evidence of dinosaurs preying on mammals has emerged for the first time; Danno Pharmaceuticals has raised US$410 million in the D+ round of financing... BioExploration will pay attention to the news of "drugs" with you and explore the value of biotechnology!
01 Key neurons for maintaining body temperature in mammals
37°C identified
Recently, a research team from Nagoya University in Japan reported that EP3 neurons in the preoptic area of the brain play a key role in regulating body temperature in mammals. The discovery could lead to the development of a technology to artificially regulate body temperature to help treat heat stroke, hypothermia and even obesity. Relevant research was published on Science Advances.
The brain's temperature-regulating center is located in the preoptic area, a part of the hypothalamus that controls important body functions. To identify which neurons in the preoptic area release commands to raise or lower body temperature, the Nagoya University research team conducted research using rats. They first studied how the activity of EP3 neurons in the preoptic area changes with changes in ambient temperature. The results showed that exposure to 36°C activated EP3 neurons, whereas exposure to 4°C and 24°C did not. The
research team then looked at the nerve fibers of EP3 neurons in the preoptic area to determine where their signals are transmitted. It was found that the nerve fibers were distributed to different brain regions, particularly to the dorsomedial hypothalamus (DMH), which activates the sympathetic nervous system . The analysis also showed that the substance EP3 neurons use to transmit signals to the DMH is gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), a major inhibitor of neuronal excitation. To further investigate the role of EP3 neurons in temperature regulation, the researchers artificially manipulated their activity using chemical genetic methods. They found that activating the neurons caused body temperature to drop, while inhibiting their activity caused body temperature to rise.
02 Evidence of dinosaurs preying on mammals
first appeared
Recently, an international research team discovered the lunch of this small dinosaur in the 120 million-year-old Microraptor fossil. Reanalysis of the dinosaur fossil revealed the presence of mammalian foot bones in its ribs. This is the first evidence that dinosaurs ate mammals.
The fossil re-researched this time is the Microraptor fossil, which was discovered in 2000 in the Jiufotang Formation in Liaoning Province, China. At that time, the research team dated it to about 120 million years ago. Although most of the middle part of the fossil was missing, its ribs were still intact and clearly visible. Researchers re-study the Microraptor fossil and found that there is a fossil of a right foot less than half an inch in size in its chest cavity. The fossil once belonged to a small mammal, proving that this little raptor once preyed on a mouse-sized mammal.
Researchers said that so far, it has not been possible to determine which mammal the foot fossil belongs to. Its toes were thin, similar to those of modern opossums, but shorter. Researchers are also investigating whether the dinosaurs actively chased and preyed on mammals, or whether they were simply foraging for food. They point out that if the Microraptor had gliding wings, it would have allowed it to swoop down and grab smaller animals, like the skeletons found in its belly.
03 Dannopharma raised US$10 million in D+ round
On December 23, Dannopharma (Suzhou) completed a US$10 million D+ round of financing to support its multi-target drug conjugate products for bacterial infections and dysbiosis. The company has six drug candidates in development, three of which are ready to begin Phase III trials. Its later products target medical device related bacterial biofilm infections, cirrhosis encephalopathy and Helicobacter pylori infection . Earlier this year, Danno Pharmaceuticals completed a US$38 million Series D financing. The latest round of financing includes investors BCT Capital, Borun Investment and Yanchuang Capital.
04 FDA approves first
CD20xCD3 bispecific antibody
On December 22, Genentech, a member of the Roche Group, announced that the FDA has approved Lunsumio® (mosunetuzumab-axgb) for the treatment of adult patients with relapsed or refractory (R/R) follicular lymphoma (FL) after two or more lines of systemic therapy.This indication is approved under accelerated approval based on response rate. Continued approval for this indication may be contingent on verification and description of clinical benefit in confirmatory trials. Lunsumio, a CD20xCD3 T cell-binding bispecific antibody , represents a novel class of fixed-duration cancer immunotherapies that are off-the-shelf and readily available so patients do not need to wait to start treatment. Lunsumio will be available in the United States in the coming weeks.
05 Pfizer and Sanofi reach settlement in California
Zantac case
Pfizer and Sanofi have agreed to settle a California man's lawsuit against Zantac, the first case to go to trial over claims that the heartburn treatment drug can cause cancer. Zantac, a once-popular antacid, has sparked a series of personal injury lawsuits in the United States alleging it causes cancer. Sanofi (Sanofi), GSK (GSK) and Boehringer-Ingelheim, as well as some generic drug makers, have been accused of failing to properly warn users of the health risks of the over-the-counter drug .
Sanofi said: "The settlement was not based on a belief that the claims had any merit, but rather to avoid the expense and distraction of conducting trials in California ." The settlement came after a federal judge in California this month dismissed more than 5,000 similar lawsuits, saying the scientific evidence behind Zantac's cancer claims was flawed. Plaintiffs' attorneys say they have filed more than 50,000 lawsuits in state courts alleging that drugmakers knew Zantac's active ingredient, ranitidine, could degrade under certain conditions and convert into the potential carcinogen NDMA.
finishing | Muzijiu
typesetting | Muzijiu
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