Category Archives: Immunology

Lavelle primarily focuses on developing injectable and mucosal vaccines for infectious diseases, along with therapeutic vaccines for cancer.

Prof Ed Lavelle of Trinity College Dublin has been recognised by the Irish Society for Immunology (ISI) for his major contributions to immunology research and education.

He has received the ISIs Annual Award, which is given to outstanding Irish immunologists that push forward our understanding of immunology and health improvement.

Lavelle works in Trinitys School of Biochemistry and Immunology, with his research primarily focused on developing injectable and mucosal vaccines for infectious diseases.

He also leads a research group that is developing therapeutic vaccines for cancer and investigating vaccine strategies that promote immunogenic cell death, with the goal of enhancing protective immunity.

Lavelle was the president of the ISI from 2012 until 2020, during which time he organised multiple conferences, chaired session and acted as a peer reviewer for immunology journals. He has also supervised 21 PhD students to completion.

In 2019, Lavelle received nearly 96,000 from the Science Foundation Ireland (SFI) Technology Innovation Development Award (TIDA) programme. This SFI programme provides capital and training in entrepreneurship skills to researchers that seek to commercialise their lifes work.

Last year, Lavelle was a recipient of Trinitys Innovation Awards, receiving one of the years inventors awards, along with Dr Marco Ruffini of Trinitys School of Computer Science and Statistics.

Lavelle will present a public lecture at 7pm tonight (9 May) in the Tercentenary Hall in Trinitys Biomedical Sciences Institute. This lecture will get to the core of how vaccines work and is available for anyone to attend.

This is a golden era for vaccine research and we hope that our work on vaccine adjuvants can contribute to further advances, particularly for cancer vaccination where there is a desperate need for novel and more effective approaches, Lavelle said.

Last month, Trinity awarded its 2023 Dawson prize in Genetics toDr Katalin Karik, the Hungarian-born scientist whose research into mRNA vaccines helped create life-saving vaccines against Covid-19.

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Trinity's Prof Ed Lavelle recognised by ISI for vaccine research - SiliconRepublic.com

Immunology

Allison Institute announces appointment of inaugural members – EurekAlert

May 13, 2023 medical

HOUSTON The James P. Allison Institute at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center today announced the appointment of its first members, James P. Allison, Ph.D., Padmanee Sharma, M.D., Ph.D., Jennifer Wargo, M.D., Sangeeta Goswami, M.D., Ph.D., and Kenneth Hu, Ph.D. In addition, Garry Nolan, Ph.D., will join the Allison Institute as an adjunct member.

These members include pioneering researchers who have made notable contributions to science as well as rising stars on the path toward important breakthroughs. This group will bring diverse expertise in immunobiology to lead groundbreaking research that will deepen our understanding of the immune system and bring the benefits of immunotherapy to all patients.

We are proud to be joined by these stellar scientists, and we are confident that together we will set the tone for the exceptional research we aim to support at the Allison Institute, said Allison, director of the Allison Institute and regental chair of Immunology at MDAnderson. Our collective expertise in areas that now will include immune-microbiome interactions, epigenetic mechanisms, and novel methods for spatial transcriptomics and proteomics fits well with our priority research areas, and we look forward to collaboratively advancing the field.

The Allison Institute was launched to drive breakthroughs that will integrate immunobiology across disciplines. Building on a deep commitment to discovery science, Allison Institute members will incorporate laboratory and clinical insights to develop novel and synergetic therapies that enable cures for more patients.

MD Anderson is committed to integrating exceptional science across disciplines to deliver meaningful advances for patients, said Giulio Draetta, M.D., Ph.D., chief scientific officer at MDAnderson. The Allison Institute and its members are a testament to that approach, and I look forward to the collective discoveries to come from these researchers working seamlessly together and across the institution.

New members bring diverse expertise, include rising stars and established scientists

Institute members are selected based on alignment with research priority areas and are approved by the Allison Institute director and scientific advisory board.

Membership levels include:

Core, associate and assistant members are provided with seven years of research support aligned with their membership level. In addition, they have joint appointments in MDAnderson academic departments, enabling them to collaborate seamlessly with clinicians and scientists across the institution. Adjunct members are recruited to collaborate with the Allison Institute and provided resources to support specific projects aligned with the institutes research goals.

Our members represent the top minds from around the world, with diverse skill sets and backgrounds, and we are pleased to expand understanding through our work at the Allison Institute, said Sharma, director of scientific programs for the Allison Institute and professor ofGenitourinary Medical OncologyandImmunology at MDAnderson. Through our unique research model, we aim to unleash their individual brilliance in a collaborative and inclusive environment and to train the next generation of immunotherapy leaders.

In addition to their leadership roles, Allison and Sharma are appointed as core members and will continue to lead impactful research focused on optimizing the use of immunotherapy to improve patient outcomes.

James P. Allison, Ph.D., is recognized internationally for his foundational discoveries in T cell biology that launched the field of cancer immunotherapy. For his contributions, he was awarded the 2018 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. His most notable discoveries include determining the T cell receptor structure and recognizing that CD28 is the major costimulatory molecule that allows full activation of nave T cells and prevents anergy in T cell clones. His lab resolved a major controversy by demonstrating that CTLA-4 inhibits T cell activation by opposing CD28-mediated costimulation and that blockade of CTLA-4 could enhance T cell responses, leading to tumor rejection in animal models. He proposed and validated that blocking immune checkpoints, such as CTLA-4, can be a powerful cancer treatment strategy. These seminal findings established the field of immune checkpoint blockade therapy for cancer and led to the development of ipilimumab, the first FDA-approved immune checkpoint inhibitor. Allisons current work seeks to improve current immune checkpoint blockade therapies and to identify new targets that will unleash the immune system to eradicate cancer.

Padmanee Sharma, M.D., Ph.D., is an internationally renowned physician scientist who pioneered the first neoadjuvant clinical trial with immune checkpoint therapy in 2006, establishing safety and clinical responses in order to advance immunotherapy toward earlier disease stages. Her work also provided the first clinical data demonstrating that bladder tumors can respond to immune checkpoint therapy. Sharma performs extensive studies on patients tumor samples collected from neoadjuvant trials to define human immune responses within the tumor microenvironment and to identify mechanisms of response and resistance to checkpoint inhibitors. She has identified mechanisms of response to immune checkpoint therapy, including ICOS+ T cells, tertiary lymphoid structures and ARID1A mutations in combination with CXCL13 overexpression. Her work has also identified mechanisms of resistance, including VISTA+ myeloid cells, increased EZH2 expression in T cells, and loss of interferon signaling in tumor cells. These data enable Sharma to lead innovative pre-clinical and clinical studies testing new combination immunotherapies and biomarkers. As a core member, she will work closely with other researchers to build scientific teams that bridge multiple areas of expertise to design novel treatment strategies.

Jennifer Wargo, M.D., who joins the Allison Institute as a core member, is professor ofSurgical OncologyandGenomic Medicineand director ofMDAnderson'sPlatform for Innovative Microbiome and Translational Research (PRIME-TR). A world-renowned physician scientist, Wargo pioneered a new understanding of how the gut microbiome influences responses to immunotherapy and other cancer treatments. Through this research, she and her team have determined how microbiome changes can positively impact immunotherapy responses, leading to an ongoing dietary intervention trial in melanoma. As a core member, Wargo will continue to lead innovative research on the impact of the gut and tumor microbiome on cancer and immunotherapy responses. She is committed to advancing the understanding and treatment of disease through science, and she is deeply invested in working broadly with investigators to find better ways to treat, intercept and prevent cancer.

Sangeeta Goswami, M.D., Ph.D., joining as an assistant member, is assistant professor of Genitourinary Medical Oncology and Immunology at MD Anderson. A gifted physician scientist, Goswami both cares for patients with bladder and kidney cancers and conducts exceptional discovery and translational research that integrates the fields of epigenetics and immunology. She is leading pioneering studies focused on identifying epigenetic pathways that regulate differentiation and function of immune cell subsets. Goswamis current research focuses on uncovering key epigenetic factors involved in primary and adaptive resistance to immunotherapy, especially myeloid cell-mediated suppressive pathways. This will guide strategies to target these factors and overcome immunotherapy resistance in tumors with high levels of myeloid cells, such as glioblastoma. She aims to design rational therapeutic combinations of epigenetic modulators and immune checkpoint inhibitors in a tumor-specific manner.

Kenneth Hu, Ph.D., joins the Allison Institute as an assistant member. Recruited from the University of California San Francisco through a Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT) award, Hu will join MD Anderson as assistant professor of Immunology. His research interests are founded in developing novel tools to push the boundaries of measurable cell states and interactions. As a graduate student, he adapted atomic force microscopy to study single-cell generated forces and mechanical properties. While a postdoctoral researcher, he developed ZipSeq, a novel technique using light-based uncaging of nucleotides to barcode cells of interest and map single-cell sequencing data back to defined regions in a tissue. His research at MD Anderson will focus on broadening the applications of this technique to study spatial tumor heterogeneity and its role in dictating responses to immunotherapy.

Garry Nolan, Ph.D., who joins the Allison Institute as an adjunct member, is the Rachford and Carlota A. Harris Professor in the department of Pathology at Stanford University School of Medicine. His research interests include hematopoiesis, cancer and leukemia, autoimmunity and inflammation, and computational approaches for network and systems immunology. His efforts are aimed at enabling a deeper understanding of normal immune function as well as detailed substructures of leukemias and solid cancers and their interactions with the immune system. Nolans lab developed a novel approach for single cell analysis advance using a mass spectrometry-flow cytometry hybrid device, called CyTOF. His collaboration with the Allison Institute will focus on a second technology developed in his lab, CODEX (CO-Detection by indEXing). This innovative in situ imaging approach allows for the simultaneous visualization of dozens of proteins and/or RNA targets in a single tumor sample. Joining his expertise with patient samples collected by MD Andersons immunotherapy platform will help elucidate the interactions between tumor and cells in the immune microenvironment for both primary tumors and metastases.

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Immunology

Study sheds light on how the immune system protects the body – EurekAlert

May 13, 2023 medical

First study of humans with a rare immunodeficiency reveals how the immune system protects the body against pathogens known to cause serious diseases, such as tuberculosis and COVID-19. The research involving McGill University, paves the way for new therapies to treat autoimmune diseases, chronic inflammatory diseases, and new approaches to vaccine development.

The immune system responds differently to various types of pathogens, like bacteria, parasites, and viruses. However, scientists are still trying to uncover how this complex network functions together and the processes that can go wrong with immunodeficiencies.

The immune system plays a vital role in protecting the body from harmful germs that make people ill. Its made up of a complex network of organs, cells, and proteins like IRF1 or regulatory factor 1, which is key in the regulation of an early immune response to pathogens, says co-author of the study David Langlais, an Assistant Professor in the Departments of Human Genetics and Microbiology and Immunology at McGill University.

A better understanding of these specific processes will help us pinpoint the cause of defective immune responses, and perhaps even allow to boost an appropriate immune response to better combat illness, adds Langlais who is also a Principal Investigator at the Victor Phillip Dahdaleh Institute of Genomic Medicine.

Previous studies on mice that were IRF1 deficient have shown that the animals were highly susceptible to many viruses. In studying the first human patients with IRF1 deficiency ever identified, the researchers found that while the patients were highly susceptible to some bacterial infections, surprisingly they can defend themselves normally against viruses, including COVID-19.

This study provides new insight into the mechanisms underlying the human immune responses to mycobacteria, which includes pathogens known to cause tuberculosis, versus differences in the immune response to viruses. Unlike in mice, we show that in humans, the activity of IRF1 is not essential to anti-viral immunity, says co-author Jrg Fritz, who is also an Associate Professor in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology.

Based on our findings, it could be possible to think of therapeutic avenues to block or activate the action of IRF1 and control the type and intensity of immune responses. Our findings shed light on our understanding of the specificity and selectivity of our immune responses towards different pathogens, says co-author Philippe Gros, a Professor in the Department of Biochemistry and Principal Investigator at the Victor Phillip Dahdaleh Institute of Genomic Medicine at McGill.

Human IRF1 governs macrophagic IFN-g immunity to mycobacteria by Jrmie Rosain et al. was published in Cell.

Disclaimer: AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert system.

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Study sheds light on how the immune system protects the body - EurekAlert

Immunology

Werewolf Therapeutics Reports First Quarter 2023 Financial Results … – BioSpace

May 13, 2023 medical

WATERTOWN, Mass., May 11, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Werewolf Therapeutics, Inc. (the Company or Werewolf) (Nasdaq: HOWL), an innovative biopharmaceutical company pioneering the development of conditionally activated therapeutics engineered to stimulate the bodys immune system for the treatment of cancer, today provided a business update and reported financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2023.

In the first quarter, Werewolf has focused on execution by progressing our INDUKINE pipeline and enrolling ongoing first-in-human clinical trials for our lead programs, WTX-124 and WTX-330. In addition, preclinical data presented at AACR and published in Cancer Immunology Research continues to demonstrate the robustness of our PREDATOR platform showing that Werewolfs conditional activation technology results in potent anti-tumor activity alongside an improved therapeutic index, said Daniel J. Hicklin, Ph.D., President and Chief Executive Officer of Werewolf. Looking ahead, in the fourth quarter we plan to share initial safety, tolerability, and preliminary efficacy data from our Phase 1/1b clinical trial of WTX-124 in solid tumor types.

Finally, wed like to express our deep appreciation to Reid Leonard, Ph.D., Werewolfs Chief Operating Officer, who is retiring effective June 30, 2023, after a long and successful career in the biopharmaceutical industry. Reid is a founding member of the Werewolf Executive Team and has been instrumental in leading and advancing all aspects of organizational operations. We have benefited greatly from Reids significant expertise, and the strong team he has built and business process he has established will ensure continued operational excellence going forward. We wish Reid the very best in his retirement.

Recent Highlights and Upcoming Milestones

WTX-124:a systemically delivered, conditionally activated Interleukin-2 (IL-2) INDUKINE molecule being developed as monotherapy and in combination with checkpoint inhibitor therapy in multiple solid tumor types.

WTX-330:a systemically delivered, conditionally activated Interleukin-12 (IL-12) INDUKINE molecule being developed in refractory and/or immunologically unresponsive tumors.

Early-Stage Pipeline:

Financial Results for the First Quarter of 2023:

About Werewolf Therapeutics:Werewolf Therapeutics, Inc. is an innovative biopharmaceutical company pioneering the development of therapeutics engineered to stimulate the bodys immune system for the treatment of cancer. We are leveraging our proprietary PREDATOR platform to design conditionally activated molecules that stimulate both adaptive and innate immunity with the goal of addressing the limitations of conventional proinflammatory immune therapies. Our INDUKINE molecules are intended to remain inactive in peripheral tissue yet activate selectively in the tumor microenvironment. Our most advanced clinical stage product candidates, WTX-124 and WTX-330, are systemically delivered, conditionally activated Interleukin-2 (IL-2), and Interleukin-12 (IL-12) INDUKINE molecules, respectively, for the treatment of solid tumors. We expect to advance WTX-124 in multiple tumor types as a single agent and in combination with an immune checkpoint inhibitor and WTX-330 in multiple tumor types or Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma as a single agent. To learn more visit http://www.werewolftx.com.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements that involve substantial risk and uncertainties. All statements, other than statements of historical facts, contained in this press release, including statements regarding Werewolfs future operations, prospects, plans, the projection of the cash runway, the expected timeline for the clinical development of product candidates and availability of data from such clinical development, and the potential activity and efficacy of product candidates in preclinical studies and clinical trials constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The words aim, anticipate, believe, contemplate, continue, could, design, designed to, estimate, expect, goal, intend, may, might, objective, ongoing, plan, potential, predict, project, promise, should, target, will, or would, or the negative of these terms, or other comparable terminology are intended to identify forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain these identifying words. The Company may not actually achieve the plans, intentions or expectations disclosed in these forward-looking statements, and you should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. Actual results or events could differ materially from the plans, intentions and expectations disclosed in these forward-looking statements as a result of various important factors, including: uncertainties inherent in the development of product candidates, including the conduct of research activities, the initiation and completion of preclinical studies and clinical trials; uncertainties as to the availability and timing of results from preclinical studies and clinical trials; the timing of and the Companys ability to submit and obtain regulatory approval for investigational new drug applications; whether results from preclinical studies will be predictive of the results of later preclinical studies and clinical trials; the Companys ability to obtain sufficient cash resources to fund the Companys foreseeable and unforeseeable operating expenses and capital expenditure requirements; the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the Companys business and operations; as well as the risks and uncertainties identified in the Risk Factors section of the Companys most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2021, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), and in subsequent filings the Company may make with the SEC. In addition, the forward-looking statements included in this press release represent the Companys views as of the date of this press release. The Company anticipates that subsequent events and developments will cause its views to change. However, while the Company may elect to update these forward-looking statements at some point in the future, it specifically disclaims any obligation to do so. These forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as representing the Companys views as of any date subsequent to the date of this press release.

Investor Contact:Josh RappaportStern IR212.362.1200Josh.rappaport@sternir.com

Media Contact:Peg RusconiVERGE Scientific Communicationsprusconi@vergescientific.com

Company Contact:Ellen LubmanChief Business OfficerWerewolf Therapeuticselubman@werewolftx.com

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Werewolf Therapeutics Reports First Quarter 2023 Financial Results ... - BioSpace

Immunology

PeaceHealth cuts Bellingham jobs, announces clinic closure and reduces some services – Yahoo News

May 13, 2023 medical

PeaceHealth, a Pacific Northwest not-for-profit health-care system, is closing a Bellingham clinic and ending certain services, resulting in the elimination of 32 local jobs.

Across PeaceHealths 10 communities it serves in Washington, Oregon and Alaska, and its headquarters in Vancouver, Washington, 251 positions have been eliminated, according to an email from Beverly Mayhew, senior director of marketing and communications for PeaceHealths northwest network.

In Bellingham, the 32 terminated positions come from changes in the Allergy & Immunology Clinic, the Sleep Lab and the Outpatient Palliative Care program.

The Allergy & Immunology Clinic will close permanently, although a date has not been chosen yet, according to Mayhew. The clinic at 4545 Cordata Parkway, Suite 1C, is not accepting new patients, and current patients can continue to receive care from the clinic until further notice.

We recognize that patients will require transition plans specific to their condition, physicians and clinic staff have prioritized patient needs and identified appropriate clinical options for each type of patient. The options for asthma and allergy care locally range from continuing with another allergist or with primary care providers.

Fortunately, there is an excellent community-based allergist at the Bellingham Asthma, Allergy & Immunology Clinic, and primary care providers at PeaceHealth Medical Group and other family medicine clinics are well versed in allergy care, Mayhews statement read.

Bellinghams Sleep Lab will also stop providing overnight sleep lab services on May 15, eliminating some jobs. The lab will still provide sleep consultations and home sleep studies, and will help patients find alternatives for overnight sleep lab services.

PeaceHealth is also eliminating some caregiver roles within the Outpatient Palliative Care program in Bellingham, but will continue to offer care for patients in various ways.

We will continue to support patients with complex care needs using a new model which includes care navigators, coupled with support from our home health team and, if appropriate, our hospice caregivers. Every effort will be made to minimize the impact to patients through this transition by identifying their specific needs and aligning appropriate services, Mayhew wrote.

PeaceHealth credits the job eliminations to the costs of health care rising slower than what it was earning for the care being provided, according to Mayhew.

To make sure that we can continue to sustain our mission into the future, we conducted a comprehensive review of all services and operations. The result is growth in some areas and reductions in others.

Immunology

Help! My skin is itchy – Parkview Health

May 13, 2023 medical

This post was written by Heather Willison, NP, PPG Allergy, Asthma & Immunology.

Few things are as irritating as an itch. Weve all experienced that prickling sensation also called pruritus that demands a good scratch. We often dont consider why our skin is itchy to begin with, unless the discomfort decides to stick around for an extended period of time. There are several causes of pruritus, with some triggers being easier to pinpoint than others, and varied degrees of severity.

If you find yourself scratching, it could be attributed to one of these common sources.

Whether the source of the issue is simple or more complicated, there are solutions for this bothersome side effect.

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Help! My skin is itchy - Parkview Health

Immunology

Takeda reports 12.8% rise in FY2022 revenue – Pharmaceutical Technology

May 13, 2023 medical

Takeda has reported a 12.8% increase in itsreportedrevenue to $29.96bn (Y4,027bn) during the fiscal year 2022 (FY2022) compared to that reported in FY2021.

At a constant exchange rate (CER), the companys core revenue grew by 3.5% compared to the previous year.

In the FY2022 ending 31 March 2023, the company also reported a 6.4% rise in its operating profit to $3.65bn (Y490.5bn) compared to 2021.

Reported earnings per share (EPS) grew by 38.8% to $1.5bn (Y204bn) and net profit for FY2021 increased by 37.8% to $2.36bn (Y317bn).

The same fiscal year recorded a 13% decline to $7.27bn (Y977.2bn) in operating cash flow.

The company has provided commercial updates across its five key business areas: gastroenterology (GI), rare diseases, plasma-derived therapy (PDT) immunology, oncology and neuroscience.

Its GI business reported an 8.7% increase in revenue to $8.145bn (Y1,094.5bn) on a CER basis.

Entyvio, for ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohns disease (CD), steered the growth in the revenue of this business.

Rare diseases reported revenue growth of 4.8% to $5.38bn (Y723.4bn) and PDT immunology reported growth of 15.3% to $5.048bn (Y678.4bn), both on a CER basis.

Oncology reported a 14.4% decline in reported revenue on a CER basis to $3.26bn (Y438.7bn).

In neuroscience, reported revenue rose by 12.1% to $4.75bn (Y637.7bn) on a CER basis.

Takeda chief financial officer Costa Saroukos stated: Im pleased to report that Takeda delivered or exceeded management guidance in FY2022 and booked a record core operating profit of almost Y1.2tn.

Our topline and profit performance was driven by our growth and launch products, which grew 19% at a constant exchange rate.

Strong financial discipline and free cash flow have enabled us to deleverage rapidly while investing in growth.

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Takeda reports 12.8% rise in FY2022 revenue - Pharmaceutical Technology

Immunology

Welcoming a new column: Vasso’s corner – The immune system – Neos Kosmos

May 13, 2023 medical

Vasso is a renowned immunologist, with a focus on medicinal chemistry, cellular biology, and clinical research. She has developed drugs and vaccines through her translational research expertise.

Vasso has held various research positions at prestigious institutions worldwide and has been recognised with over 100 awards and honours. She has published over 500 research papers and is an inventor on 20 patents and over 90 sub-patents. Vassos work has been instrumental in developing vaccines against cancer and applying immunotherapies to multiple sclerosis, type-1 diabetes, drug addiction, Alzheimers disease, and other diseases.

Her research also focuses on understanding mechanisms and developing interventions for mental health issues, chronic diseases, infectious diseases, autoimmunity, and ageing. Immunology is essential in maintaining a healthy immune system and Vasso applies her expertise in immunology to tackle various diseases.

The Immune System

The immune system is part of our blood system those being the white blood cells within blood. These are the cells which are the first line of defence, and constantly come in contact with anything that enters our body; bacteria, viruses, dust, basically anything foreign. They get rid of these foreign substances without even realising.

However, some invaders remain and cause damaging effects, such as bacteria and viruses which result in various infections. The body usually eliminates these invaders within days to a few weeks.

The immune system is responsible for keeping the body in a happy and healthy state. However, if the immune system gets over activated, cytokine storm can occur, inflammation occurs, autoimmune diseases can occur etc. Maintaining a healthy immune system is important to keep well and age healthy.

Diet, regular physical activity, sleep, social activities, sunlight, and relaxation all contribute to keeping an immune system healthy.

Over the next few months, I will be describing various diseases and the role the immune system plays in each of these diseases, and relaxation all contribute to keeping an immune system healthy.

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Welcoming a new column: Vasso's corner - The immune system - Neos Kosmos

Immunology

UC statement on Gov. Newsom’s 2023-24 revised budget proposal – University of California

May 13, 2023 medical

University of California President Michael V. Drake, M.D., today (May 12) issued the following statement on Gov. Gavin Newsoms revised 2023-24 budget proposal:

I am grateful that Gov. Newsoms revised budget proposal maintains critical funding for the University of California. This budget reflects our strong partnership with the Governor and his recognition of the Universitys role in maintaining the states economic competitiveness and solving Californias most urgent issues. This level of funding is particularly extraordinary given the many competing priorities the Governor must balance this year.

If supported by the state Legislature, this budget will provide funding for the urgent priorities we share, increasing California undergraduate and graduate student enrollment, expanding on-campus student resources, building additional student housing, and hiring more faculty and staff.

We are also pleased that the Governors budget includes $100 million for the California Institute for Immunology and Immunotherapy at UCLA and $2 million for the UC Riverside School of Medicine. These investments will translate into lifesaving research and patient care for many Californians.

The University of California looks forward to working with the Governor and state legislative leaders to achieve a final budget that maintains this critical funding. This state support will allow the University to continue educating the next generation of leaders, producing cutting-edge research for the benefit of our communities, and delivering high quality health care to Californians.

Link:
UC statement on Gov. Newsom's 2023-24 revised budget proposal - University of California

Immunology

Jasper Therapeutics (JSPR) Appoints Stephen J. Galli to its Board – StreetInsider.com

May 13, 2023 medical

News and research before you hear about it on CNBC and others. Claim your 1-week free trial to StreetInsider Premium here.

Jasper Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: JSPR) (Jasper), a biotechnology company focused on development of briquilimab, a novel antibody therapy targeting c-Kit (CD117) to address diseases such as chronic spontaneous urticaria, lower to intermediate risk myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) as well as novel stem cell transplant conditioning regimes, today announced the appointment of Dr. Stephen J. Galli, Professor of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology, and the Mary Hewitt Loveless, M.D. Professor at Stanford Medicine, to the companys Scientific Advisory Board.

We are thrilled to welcome Dr. Galli to our Scientific Advisory Board, said Ron Martell, CEO of Jasper Therapeutics. Dr. Galli is an internationally recognized researcher who has made pioneering contributions to the field of immunology. His extensive knowledge and research on mast cells and their crucial role in both maintaining health and contributing to various diseases will be invaluable to our research and development efforts. This appointment enhances the already deep expertise resident in our Scientific Advisory Board, and we look forward to his guidance as we advance our development program for briquilimab in chronic spontaneous urticaria and other mast cell diseases.

Dr. Galli is Professor of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology and the Mary Hewitt Loveless, M.D. Professor at Stanford Medicine. He currently is also a member of the Executive Committee of the Stanford Institute for Immunity, Transplantation and Infection. He previously was Chair of the Department of Pathology at Stanford and Co-Director of the Stanford Center for Genomics and Personalized Medicine. He leads the Galli Laboratory at Stanford Medicine, a lab focused on developing and employing innovative approaches to understanding the development and function of mast cells and basophils. Dr. Galli and his team conduct research in food allergy, asthma, atopic dermatitis and other disorders, with the goal of elucidating the role of these cells in human health and disease.

Dr. Galli earned his BA in biology from Harvard College, a BMS from Dartmouth Medical School and his M.D. from Harvard Medical School. He completed his residency and chief residency in Anatomic Pathology at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH). After postdoctoral training with Harold F. Dvorak at MGH, Dr. Galli joined the faculty at Harvard Medical School as Assistant Professor of Pathology, becoming full professor of pathology. Before joining Stanford, he served as director of the Division of Experimental Pathology at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and was member of the Harvard Medical School Committee on Immunology.

About Jasper

Jasper is a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing briquilimab, a monoclonal antibody targeting c-Kit (CD117) as a therapeutic for chronic mast and stem cell diseases such as chronic spontaneous urticaria and lower to intermediate risk myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) and as a conditioning agent for stem cell transplants for rare diseases such as sickle cell disease (SCD), Fanconi anemia (FA) and severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID). To date, briquilimab has a demonstrated efficacy and safety profile in over 130 dosed subjects and healthy volunteers, with clinical outcomes as a conditioning agent in SCID, acute myeloid leukemia (AML), MDS, FA, and SCD. In addition, briquilimab is being advanced as a transformational non-genotoxic conditioning agent for gene therapy. For more information, please visit us at http://www.jaspertherapeutics.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements included in this press release that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements for purposes of the safe harbor provisions under the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements are sometimes accompanied by words such as believe, may, will, estimate, continue, anticipate, intend, expect, should, would, plan, predict, potential, seem, seek, future, outlook and similar expressions that predict or indicate future events or trends or that are not statements of historical matters. These forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding briquilimabs potential, including with respect to its potential to address diseases such as chronic spontaneous urticaria, lower to intermediate risk myelodysplastic syndromes as well as novel stem cell transplant conditioning regimes and Jaspers expectations regarding advancing its development program for briquilimab in chronic spontaneous urticaria and other mast cell diseases. These statements are based on various assumptions, whether or not identified in this press release, and on the current expectations of Jasper and are not predictions of actual performance. These forward-looking statements are provided for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to serve as, and must not be relied on by an investor as, a guarantee, an assurance, a prediction or a definitive statement of fact or probability. Many actual events and circumstances are beyond the control of Jasper. These forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, including general economic, political and business conditions; the risk that the potential product candidates that Jasper develops may not progress through clinical development or receive required regulatory approvals within expected timelines or at all; the risk that clinical trials may not confirm any safety, potency or other product characteristics described or assumed in this press release; the risk that Jasper will be unable to successfully market or gain market acceptance of its product candidates; the risk that prior study results may not be replicated; the risk that Jaspers product candidates may not be beneficial to patients or successfully commercialized; patients willingness to try new therapies and the willingness of physicians to prescribe these therapies; the effects of competition on Jaspers business; the risk that third parties on which Jasper depends for laboratory, clinical development, manufacturing and other critical services will fail to perform satisfactorily; the risk that Jaspers business, operations, clinical development plans and timelines, and supply chain could be adversely affected by the effects of health epidemics; the risk that Jasper will be unable to obtain and maintain sufficient intellectual property protection for its investigational products or will infringe the intellectual property protection of others; and other risks and uncertainties indicated from time to time in Jaspers filings with the SEC, including its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022. If any of these risks materialize or Jaspers assumptions prove incorrect, actual results could differ materially from the results implied by these forward-looking statements. While Jasper may elect to update these forward-looking statements at some point in the future, Jasper specifically disclaims any obligation to do so. These forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as representing Jaspers assessments of any date subsequent to the date of this press release. Accordingly, undue reliance should not be placed upon the forward-looking statements.

Contacts:

John Mullaly (investors)LifeSci Advisors617-429-3548[emailprotected]

Jeet Mahal (investors)Jasper Therapeutics650-549-1403[emailprotected]

Lauren Barbiero (media)Real Chemistry646-564-2156[emailprotected]

Source: Jasper Therapeutics

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