Photos of the month: A remarkable March
Mar. 29—BEMIDJI — As the Northland gave a sneak peek of the first hopeful signs of spring, Bemidjians took advantage of all the area had to offer.
Downtown Bemidji served as a place of gathering as people participated in the World's Shortest St. Patrick's Day Parade and gathered near Paul and Babe to honor the life of Arizona 14-year-old Emily Pike.
On the education front, young scientists from around the region gathered at Bemidji State for the Northern Minnesota Regional Science Fair and Lead for Inclusion hosted its first-ever youth summit.
While the ice melted and trees began to bud, Pioneer photographers Annalise Braught, Madelyn Haasken and TJ Rhodes captured these memorable moments.
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Yahoo
5 days ago
- Yahoo
Probiotics can help heal ravaged coral reefs
Probiotics are everywhere, claiming to help us poop, restore gut health, and more. They can also be used to help threatened coral reefs. A bacterial probiotic has helped slow the spread of stony coral tissue loss disease (SCTLD) in wild corals in Florida that were already infected with the disease. The findings are detailed in a study published June 5 in the journal Frontiers in Marine Science and show that applying this new probiotic treatment across coral colines helped prevent further tissue loss. SCTLD first emerged in Florida in 2014. In the 11 years since, it has rapidly spread throughout the Caribbean. This mysterious ailment has been confirmed in at least 20 other countries and territories. Other coral pathogens typically target specific species. SCTLD infects more than 30 different species of stony corals, including pillar corals and brain corals. The disease causes the soft tissue in the corals to slough off, leaving behind white patches of exposed skeleton. The disease can devastate an entire coral colony in only a few weeks to months. The exact cause of SCTLD is still unknown, but it appears to be linked to some kind of harmful bacteria. Currently, the most common treatment for SCTLD is using a paste that contains the antibiotic amoxicillin on diseased corals. However, antibiotics are not a silver bullet. This amoxicillin balm can temporarily halt SCTLD's spread, but it needs to be frequently reapplied to the lesions on the corals. This takes time and resources, while increasing the likelihood that the microbes causing SCTLD might develop resistance to amoxicillin and related antibiotics. 'Antibiotics do not stop future outbreaks,' Valerie Paul, a study co-author and the head scientist at the Smithsonian Marine Station at Fort Pierce, Florida, said in a statement. 'The disease can quickly come back, even on the same coral colonies that have been treated.' Paul and her colleagues have spent over six years investigating whether beneficial microorganisms (aka probiotics) could be a longer lasting alternative to combat this pathogen. Just like humans, corals are host to communities known as microbiomes that are bustling with all different types of bacteria. Some of these miniscule organisms produce antioxidants and vitamins that can help keep their coral hosts healthy. [ Related: Caribbean coral is getting sick and dying. A probiotic could help. ] First, the team looked at the microbiomes of corals that are impervious to SCTLD to try and harvest probiotics from these disease-resistant species. In theory, these could be used to strengthen the microbiomes of susceptible corals. They tested over 200 strains of bacteria from disease-resistant corals and published a study in 2023 about the probiotic Pseudoalteromonas sp. McH1-7 (or McH1-7 for short). Taken from the great star coral (Montastraea cavernosa), this probiotic produces several antibacterial compounds. Having such a stacked antibacterial toolbox made McH1-7 an ideal candidate to combat a pathogen like SCTLD. They initially tested McH1-7 on live pieces of M. cavernosa and found that the probiotic reliably prevented the spread of SCTLD in the lab. After these successful lab tests, the wild ocean called next. The team conducted several field tests on a shallow reef near Fort Lauderdale, focusing on 40 M. cavernosa colonies that showed signs of SCTLD. Some of the corals in these colonies received a paste containing the probiotic McH1-7 that was applied directly to the disease lesions. They treated the other corals with a solution of seawater containing McH1-7 and covered them using weighted plastic bags. The probiotics were administered inside the bag in order to cover the entire coral colony. 'This created a little mini-aquarium that kept the probiotics around each coral colony,' Paul said. For two and a half years, they monitored the colonies, taking multiple rounds of tissue and mucus samples to see how the corals' microbiomes were changing over time. They found that the McH1-7 probiotic successfully slowed the spread of SCTLD when it was delivered to the entire colony using the bag and solution method. According to the samples, the probiotic was effective without dominating the corals' natural microbes. While using this probiotic appears to be an effective treatment for SCTLD among the reefs of northern Florida, additional work is needed to see how it could work in other regions. Similar tests on reefs in the Florida Keys have been conducted, with mixed preliminary results, likely due to regional differences in SCTLD. The team believes that probiotics still could become a crucial tool for combatting SCTLD across the Caribbean, especially as scientists fine tune how to administer them. Importantly, these beneficial bacteria support what corals already do naturally. 'Corals are naturally rich with bacteria and it's not surprising that the bacterial composition is important for their health,' Paul said. 'We're trying to figure out which bacteria can make these vibrant microbiomes even stronger.'
Associated Press
6 days ago
- Associated Press
Moleculin Reports Positive Topline Efficacy Results from U.S. Phase 1B/2 Clinical Trial Evaluating Annamycin for the Treatment of Soft Tissue Sarcoma Lung Metastases (MB-107)
Annamycin delivering better performance 7thline than would be expected even in 2ndline for monotherapy Responders (Stable Disease or Partial Response) after 2 cycles of Annamycin showed improvement in OS and Progression Free Survival ('PFS') Clinical Benefit Rate ('CBR') was 59.4% (n=32), comprised of 18 subjects with stable disease and 1 subject with a partial response Potential to address 13,500 new incidents of STS each year and market opportunity expected to grow to $2.6B by 20301 On-demand video webcast with members of the Moleculin management team and internationally renowned Key Opinion Leaders available Thursday, June 5th HOUSTON, June 04, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Moleculin Biotech, Inc., (Nasdaq: MBRX) ('Moleculin' or the 'Company'), a late-stage pharmaceutical company with a broad portfolio of drug candidates targeting hard-to-treat cancers and viruses, today reported positive topline efficacy results from its completed U.S. Phase 1B/2 clinical trial evaluating Annamycin for the treatment of soft tissue sarcoma lung metastases ('STS lung mets') (MB-107). The MB-107 trial was a multi-center, open-label, single-arm monotherapy study that in Phase 1B determined the Maximum Tolerable Dose and Recommended Phase 2 Dose ('MTD', 'RP2D' respectively) and safety of Annamycin and in Phase 2 explored the efficacy of Annamycin as a single agent for the treatment of subjects with STS lung mets for which chemotherapy was considered appropriate. For more information about the MB-107 trial visit and reference identifier NCT04887298. 'These positive topline results from MB-107 are incredibly encouraging. The impact Annamycin demonstrated on median overall survival, particularly with patients who received multiple prior chemotherapy regimens, exceeded expectations. Additionally, the improvement seen with PFS after two doses represents a real potential for Annamycin to provide a meaningful treatment option for the treatment of STS lung mets,' commented Walter Klemp, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Moleculin. 'Looking ahead, we believe these results strongly support further evaluations of Annamycin for the treatment of STS lung mets and we look forward to exploring opportunities to potentially bring this important treatment option to patients.' Topline Efficacy Results Summary Annamycin currently has Fast Track Status and Orphan Drug Designation from the FDA for the treatment of relapsed or refractory acute myeloid leukemia, in addition to Orphan Drug Designation for the treatment of soft tissue sarcoma. Furthermore, Annamycin has Orphan Drug Designation for the treatment of relapsed or refractory acute myeloid leukemia from the EMA. On-Demand Webcast Details An on-demand Virtual STS Lung Mets KOL Webcast to discuss the MB-107 data will be available for investors, analysts, and other interested parties on Thursday, June 5, 2025 beginning at 8:30 AM ET. For the event, Walter Klemp, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, and Dr. Paul Waymack, Senior Chief Medical Officer of Moleculin will be joined by Key Opinion Leaders: Mohamad Cherry, MD, Medical Director of Hematology at Atlantic Health System; Prof. Bernd Kasper, Sarcoma Unit of the Mannheim Cancer Center (MCC) at the Mannheim University Medical Center, University of Heidelberg; and Sant P. Chawla, MD, Director, Sarcoma Oncology Center, Director, Cancer Center of Southern California. Interested participants and investors may access the on-demand video webcast on the Events page of the Investors section of the Moleculin website, The webcast will be accessible for 90 days. About STS Lung Mets Soft tissue sarcoma is a type of cancer that originates in the soft tissues of the body, including muscles, tendons, fat, blood vessels and nerves. Lung metastases are a common occurrence in STS, and can impact overall survival. According to The American Cancer Society approximately 13,500 individuals, both adults and children, will be diagnosed with soft tissue sarcoma in 20252. Soft tissue sarcomas account for 1% of all adult cancers, 7% of cancers in children up to age 15, and 3% of cancers in children under the age of 14. The Soft Tissue Sarcoma Market was valued at USD 1.58 Billion in 2024, and is expected to reach USD 2.57 Billion by 2030, rising at a CAGR of 8.43%. OS for standard of care for metastatic STS has been estimated at 8-12 months and certain experimental targeted and cytotoxic therapies (as monotherapies or some in combination) have yielded OS of 13.4 months as second line therapy.3 MB-107 Study Design In Phase 2, Annamycin was administered as an intravenous (IV) infusion over 2 hours on Day 1, followed by 20 days off (1 cycle = 21 days). Subjects visit the study site every 21 days (±3 days) at which time safety monitoring – including for adverse events (AEs), as well as a physical examination, laboratory evaluations (clinical chemistry, complete blood count), vital signs, weight measurements, Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status, and electrocardiograms (ECGs) – is performed, followed by an IV infusion of study drug. Cardiac function is followed by echocardiogram (ECHO) scans at screening, at the end of the first two cycles and then following every other cycle thereafter, at the End of Treatment visit, and if feasible, during follow up at 6 months (±1 month) and 1 year (±1 month) after study drug discontinuation. As long as the Investigator considers that the benefits of treatment with Annamycin continue to outweigh the risks, treatment will continue every 21 days until tumor progression is observed or unacceptable toxicity occurs. Tumor response is monitored every 6 weeks (±1 week) from Cycle 1 Day 1 during treatment, at the End of Treatment visit, and then every 3 months (±1 month) until disease progression using RECIST 1.1 criteria. Those subjects who leave the study after a maximum response is achieved and who do not start another therapy will be followed every 3 months (±1 month) for progression-free survival (PFS). If a subject receives further therapy after discontinuing from the study, they will be followed only for overall survival (OS) and if feasible, follow-up ECHO scans at 6 months (±1 month) and 1 year (±1 month) were conducted after study drug discontinuation. About Moleculin Biotech, Inc. Moleculin Biotech, Inc. is a Phase 3 clinical stage pharmaceutical company advancing a pipeline of therapeutic candidates addressing hard-to-treat tumors and viruses. The Company's lead program, Annamycin, is a next-generation highly efficacious and well tolerated anthracycline designed to avoid multidrug resistance mechanisms and to lack the cardiotoxicity common with currently prescribed anthracyclines. Annamycin is currently in development for the treatment of relapsed or refractory acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and soft tissue sarcoma (STS) lung metastases. The Company has begun the MIRACLE (Moleculin R/R AML AnnAraC Clinical Evaluation) Trial (MB-108), a pivotal, adaptive design Phase 3 trial evaluating Annamycin in combination with cytarabine, together referred to as AnnAraC, for the treatment of relapsed or refractory acute myeloid leukemia. Following a successful Phase 1B/2 study (MB-106), with input from the FDA, the Company believes it has substantially de-risked the development pathway towards a potential approval for Annamycin for the treatment of AML. This study remains subject to appropriate future filings with potential additional feedback from the FDA and their foreign equivalents. Additionally, the Company is developing WP1066, an Immune/Transcription Modulator capable of inhibiting p-STAT3 and other oncogenic transcription factors while also stimulating a natural immune response, targeting brain tumors, pancreatic and other cancers. Moleculin is also engaged in the development of a portfolio of antimetabolites, including WP1122 for the potential treatment of pathogenic viruses, as well as certain cancer indications. For more information about the Company, please visit and connect on X, LinkedIn and Facebook. Forward-Looking Statements Some of the statements in this release are forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, which involve risks and uncertainties. Forward-looking statements in this press release include, without limitation, the timing of the release of the initial data on the first 45 subjects in the trial and the Company's ability to reconcile the US and EU protocols with the FDA and EMA, respectively. Moleculin will require significant additional financing, for which the Company has no commitments, in order to conduct its clinical trials as described in this press release, and the milestones described in this press release assume the Company's ability to secure such financing on a timely basis. Although Moleculin believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are reasonable as of the date made, expectations may prove to have been materially different from the results expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Moleculin has attempted to identify forward-looking statements by terminology including 'believes,' 'estimates,' 'anticipates,' 'expects,' 'plans,' 'projects,' 'intends,' 'potential,' 'may,' 'could,' 'might,' 'will,' 'should,' 'approximately' or other words that convey uncertainty of future events or outcomes to identify these forward-looking statements. These statements are only predictions and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors, including those discussed under Item 1A. 'Risk Factors' in our most recently filed Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and updated from time to time in our Form 10-Q filings and in our other public filings with the SEC. Any forward-looking statements contained in this release speak only as of its date. We undertake no obligation to update any forward-looking statements contained in this release to reflect events or circumstances occurring after its date or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events. Investor Contact: JTC Team, LLC Jenene Thomas (908) 824-0775 [email protected] 1 2 American Cancer Society. Cancer Facts & Figures 2025. Atlanta: American Cancer Society; 2025. Available at 3 Comandone A, et al; 'Salvage Therapy in Advanced Adult Soft Tissue Sarcoma: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Trials'; The Oncologist 2017;22:1518–1527
Business Wire
28-05-2025
- Business Wire
Strand Therapeutics Announces Initial First-in-human Phase 1 Data for STX-001 in Patients with Advanced Solid Tumors at The 2025 ASCO Annual Meeting
BOSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Strand Therapeutics, a leader in next-generation mRNA-based therapeutics, today announced exciting preliminary Phase 1 clinical data for its lead investigational candidate, STX-001, in patients with advanced solid tumors. The study marks the first clinical evidence of Strand's proprietary programmable mRNA technology platform and represents a major milestone in the company's mission to bring next-generation mRNA therapies to patients with cancer. 'This is a transformative moment for Strand and for the field of synthetic mRNA therapeutics,' said Jake Becraft, PhD, CEO and Co-founder of Strand Therapeutics. 'The Phase 1 data for STX-001 provide early clinical validation of our platform." Share In the ongoing first-in-human Phase 1, open-label, dose-escalation clinical trial, STX-001 demonstrated a favorable safety profile and encouraging signs of anti-tumor activity as a monotherapy in patients with immune checkpoint inhibitor-refractory solid tumors, including melanoma and other solid tumor indications. As of the April 3rd, 2025 data cutoff, the trial had enrolled 22 patients across multiple sites in the United States and Australia. All patients were treated with STX-001 as a monotherapy (without combination with immune checkpoint inhibitors, etc.) with injections to surface accessible lesions. The data will be presented at The 2025 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting in Chicago on June 1 by Sarina Piha-Paul, M.D., professor of Investigational Cancer Therapeutics at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. 'This investigational therapy has the potential to address an important unmet need in patients with checkpoint inhibitor-refractory advanced cancers,' said Dr. Piha-Paul. 'We're observing systemic immune activation and antitumor responses, including in non-injected lesions, across multiple tumor types, which is encouraging and supports continued evaluation.' Key highlights from the Phase 1 trial include: Preliminary Clinical Activity: Multiple RECIST responses were observed, including a confirmed complete response and multiple partial responses. Furthermore, there were multiple cases of prolonged disease stabilization. Safety and Tolerability: STX-001 was well-tolerated up to 300 µg. Treatment-related adverse events were consistent with STX-001's intended mechanism of action of immune activation. Pharmacodynamic Activity: Biomarker analysis confirmed dose-dependent increase in plasma IL-12 and IFN-γ, as well as infiltration of immune cells within the tumor microenvironment. 'This is a transformative moment for Strand and for the field of synthetic mRNA therapeutics,' said Jake Becraft, PhD, CEO and Co-founder of Strand Therapeutics. 'The Phase 1 data for STX-001 provide early clinical validation of our platform's ability to deliver programmable, tumor-localized immunotherapy safely and effectively. Our mRNA medicines as a therapeutic modality offer the potential capability to broaden pathways to treatment for patients while seamlessly integrating into the existing healthcare ecosystem.' STX-001 encodes IL-12, an immunomodulatory protein, which the company has designed such that it can reprogram the tumor microenvironment and stimulate a systemic anti-tumor immune response. Unlike traditional mRNA therapies, Strand's approach uses self-replicating mRNA, ensuring localized and durable therapeutic activity. The company is currently conducting dose expansion in the Phase 1 trial. Upon completion, the company plans to transition into a Phase 2 trial of STX-001 as a monotherapy. The company also plans to initiate dose escalation of STX-001 in combination with checkpoint inhibitors and expand into additional solid tumor indications. In addition, Strand is advancing a broader pipeline powered by the company's first-in-class cell-type specific mRNA engineering platform, including advancing STX-003, an intravenously administered version of STX-001, to patients in 2026. ASCO Poster Presentation Information: Abstract Title: Phase I dose escalation trial of STX-001, an LNP-encapsulated self-replicating mRNA expressing IL-12, in patients (pts) with advanced solid tumors. Session Type: Poster Date and Time: June 1, 9:00 AM-12:00 PM CDT Abstract Number: 9556 Location: Hall A Full abstract is available on the ASCO Annual Meeting Website. The study, an open-label, dose escalation trial, evaluated the safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics (PK), pharmacodynamics (PD), and preliminary antitumor activity of STX-001 in patients with advanced solid tumors. STX-001 was well-tolerated up to 300 µg, with dose-dependent and manageable treatment-related adverse events. Promising early clinical activity was observed, including multiple RECIST responses and durable disease stabilization. Findings support the further development of STX-001 as a monotherapy and in combination with checkpoint inhibitors for the treatment of solid tumors. Additional Commentary Professor Georgina Long AO, BSc, PhD, MBBS, FRACP, FAHMS, AAHMS, FAA, Medical Director of Melanoma Institute Australia (MIA), and Chair of Melanoma Medical Oncology and Translational Research at MIA and Royal North Shore Hospital, The University of Sydney: 'I am encouraged by this early data. While intratumoral therapies offer a promising approach by initiating immune activation at the injected tumor site, they have historically struggled to generate robust systemic responses. STX-001 may represent a meaningful step forward, with early clinical evidence showing cases of regression of non-injected lesions, a sign of systemic immune engagement.' Tasuku Kitada, PhD, Co-Founder, President, and Head of R&D at Strand Therapeutics: 'Patients who are refractory to immune checkpoint inhibitors urgently need new treatment options. While IL-12 has long been recognized as a powerful immune stimulator, its clinical potential has been limited by toxicity, and to date, no IL-12–based therapies have been approved by the FDA. STX-001 is designed to overcome these challenges, delivering localized IL-12 expression to activate the tumor microenvironment and drive systemic immune responses, all while seeking to minimize toxicities. These early data suggest we may finally be able to realize the promise of IL-12 in cancer therapy.' About STX-001 STX-001 is an investigational multi-mechanistic, synthetic self-replicating mRNA technology that expresses an IL-12 cytokine for an extended period of time, directly injected into the tumor microenvironment in order to promote immune modulation and antitumor activity. The company received IND clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in December 2023 to initiate a Phase 1/2 clinical trial for STX-001, and announced its first patient dosed just before the 2024 ASCO Annual Meeting. Additional study details can be found at using identifier: NCT06249048. About Strand Therapeutics Strand Therapeutics is a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing programmable mRNA therapeutics to transform the treatment of cancer and other serious diseases. Founded by synthetic biology pioneers from MIT, Strand's proprietary platform integrates synthetic gene circuits with mRNA delivery to enable targeted, controlled, and intelligent therapies. The company is based in Boston, Massachusetts. For more information, visit Follow us on LinkedIn and on X at @StrandTx.
