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Scientists discover 'genetic goldmine' while studying rice that could change the way we grow our food: 'Valuable resources'

Scientists discover 'genetic goldmine' while studying rice that could change the way we grow our food: 'Valuable resources'

Yahoo11-05-2025

Scientists in China have uncovered a possibly revolutionary development that can help shape the future of a universally utilized grain.
A research team from the Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences of the Chinese Academy of Sciences published a study in Nature revealing the immense genetic diversity of wild and cultivated rice. The hope is that these findings "provide valuable resources for improving rice varieties in terms of yield, quality, environmental adaptability and resistance to disease and stress."
Asian cultivated rice is a common source of food for billions of people across the world, and boosting the yield is a necessity amid rapid global population growth. Other challenges, like a changing climate and risks of disease and pest exposure, make it a priority to build resistance in these crops.
As part of the study, researchers sequenced 145 rice genomes and created a "pangenome" that reveals the full genetic landscape of wild rice, which is a key step toward understanding the variations needed for crop improvement.
The end result produced a whopping "3.87 billion base pairs of novel genetic sequences," and "nearly 20% of these genes exist only in wild rice, with many linked to traits such as disease resistance and environmental adaptation."
The Chinese Academy of Sciences described the genes as "a 'genetic goldmine' for developing modern rice varieties capable of withstanding pests, disease, and climate challenges."
Breeding resilient and nutritious crops helps ensure food security and provides optimism for the future. Similarly to this study, a research team at UC Davis created a detailed genome sequence for pistachios after studying the nut's DNA, which could bolster crop production and enhance their ability to thrive in extreme weather conditions.
Studies such as these can serve as the foundation for agricultural innovation and plant breeding. Every positive development, no matter how small, could play a crucial role in sustaining our food supply in the face of environmental challenges.
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BIOSeedin Innovation Partnering Conference 2025: Spotlight on China's Biopharma Trailblazers and Global Collaboration
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Yahoo

time2 hours ago

  • Yahoo

BIOSeedin Innovation Partnering Conference 2025: Spotlight on China's Biopharma Trailblazers and Global Collaboration

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Everest Medicines Presents Positive Results in Preliminary Analysis of Phase 1b/2a Clinical Trial of Novel BTK Inhibitor EVER001 at the 62nd Congress of the European Renal Association
Everest Medicines Presents Positive Results in Preliminary Analysis of Phase 1b/2a Clinical Trial of Novel BTK Inhibitor EVER001 at the 62nd Congress of the European Renal Association

Yahoo

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Everest Medicines Presents Positive Results in Preliminary Analysis of Phase 1b/2a Clinical Trial of Novel BTK Inhibitor EVER001 at the 62nd Congress of the European Renal Association

EVER001 is a covalent reversible BTK inhibitor with potentially best-in-class characteristics for the treatment of primary membranous nephropathy (pMN) and other autoimmune renal diseases, including IgA nephropathy (IgAN), minimal change disease (MCD), focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS), and lupus nephritis (LN), offering treatment options for over 10 million patients worldwide. No drug has been approved globally for the treatment of pMN currently. There are approximately 2 million patients with pMN in China, and nearly 220,000 patients in the United States, Europe and Japan. As of December 17th, 2024, the ongoing Phase 1b/2a clinical trial of EVER001 includes longer-term data collected from some patients: 10 patients in the low-dose cohort completed 52 weeks of follow-up, and 10 patients in the high-dose cohort completed 24 weeks of treatment. Preliminary results showed that EVER001 was well-tolerated and effective in patients with pMN. These results support the potential of EVER001 as a treatment for proteinuric autoimmune glomerular diseases.- Compared to baseline, the least squares (LS) geometric mean levels of anti-PLA2R autoantibodies decreased by 62.1% in the low-dose cohort and 87.3% in the high-dose cohort at week 12. The reductions in both cohorts reached approximately 93% at week 24.- In the low-dose cohort, a 78.0% of reduction in proteinuria was observed by the end of 36 weeks of treatment. This reduction was sustained through week 52. In the high-dose cohort, a 70.1% of reduction in proteinuria at week 24 was shown.- EVER001 was generally safe and well tolerated. No clinically significant adverse events commonly associated with covalent irreversible BTK inhibitors were observed. SHANGHAI, June 9, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Everest Medicines (HKEX "Everest", or the "Company"), a biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery, clinical development, manufacturing, and commercialization of innovative therapeutics, today announced that positive results in the ongoing Phase 1b/2a clinical trial for the treatment of primary membranous nephropathy (pMN) with EVER001 (previously known as XNW1011), a next-generation covalent reversible Bruton's tyrosine kinase (BTK) inhibitor will be presented in a focused oral session at the 62nd Congress of the European Renal Association (ERA 2025). Preliminary results showed that EVER001 was well-tolerated and effective in patients with pMN. These results support the potential of EVER001 as a treatment for proteinuric autoimmune glomerular diseases. This initial unveiling of the preliminary data at an international congress focuses on pMN, which is the second most common cause of primary glomerulonephritis. EVER001 is a covalent reversible BTK inhibitor with potentially best-in-class characteristics for the treatment of autoimmune renal diseases. Compared to covalent irreversible BTK inhibitors, EVER001 offers improved selectivity while maintaining high potency, thereby potentially avoiding many of the side effects associated with earlier-generation BTK inhibitors. Everest Medicines holds global rights to EVER001 for the treatment of renal diseases. This oral presentation highlights an ongoing Phase 1b/2a clinical trial of EVER001 for the treatment of pMN, which is being conducted in China. The study is designed to evaluate the safety, efficacy, pharmacokinetics, and pharmacodynamics of EVER001 in Chinese patients with glomerular diseases characterized by proteinuria. A total of 31 patients with biopsy-proven pMN who tested positive for anti-PLA2R autoantibodies were enrolled into two cohorts. The total treatment duration was 36 weeks. The presentation includes longer-term data collected from some patients (10 patients in the low-dose cohort completed 52 weeks of follow-up, and 10 patients in the high-dose cohort completed 24 weeks of treatment). Preliminary results showed that EVER001 was well-tolerated and effective in patients with pMN. These results support the potential of EVER001 as a treatment for proteinuric autoimmune glomerular diseases. The trial results, based on data analysis as of December 17th, 2024, demonstrated that EVER001 was generally safe and well tolerated, with the most common TRAEs being Grade 1-2. No clinically significant adverse events commonly associated with covalent irreversible BTK inhibitors, such as bleeding, arrhythmia, severe infections, or severe liver function impairment were observed. Compared to baseline, the least squares (LS) geometric mean levels of anti-PLA2R autoantibodies decreased by 62.1% in the low-dose cohort and 87.3% in the high-dose cohort at week 12. The reductions in both cohorts reached approximately 93% at week 24. 76.9% of patients in the low-dose cohort and 81.8% in the high-dose cohort achieved immunological complete remission at week 24. For 24-hour proteinuria, the LS geometric mean decreased by 78.0% from baseline in the low-dose cohort at week 36 and the reduction was maintained for 16 weeks after the end of treatment. At week 36, 69.2% of patients in the low-dose group achieved clinical remission. In the high-dose cohort, proteinuria had already decreased by 70.1% at week 24, with 80.0% of patients achieving clinical remission. Patients in both cohorts maintained stable renal function during the treatment period. "As a next-generation BTK inhibitor, EVER001 offers key advantages, including covalent reversibility, high selectivity, strong target-binding affinity, and reduced off-target toxicity. These attributes highlight its substantial potential in the treatment of pMN." Professor Minghui Zhao, leading principal investigator of EVER001 and an influential nephrologist at Peking University First Hospital, said: "Preliminary results from the Phase 1b/2a clinical trial of EVER001, presented at the 62nd ERA Congress, demonstrate that EVER001 induced rapid reductions in anti-PLA2R autoantibodies and proteinuria observed across both low- dose and high-dose cohorts. The treatment exhibits a favorable safety and tolerability profile. Currently, no drug has been approved globally for the treatment of pMN. Traditional immunosuppressive therapies carry a high risk of relapse following discontinuation, and many are associated with adverse effects. We therefore hope that new treatment options will become available to offer patients safer and more effective therapies." "To date, no drug has been approved globally for the treatment of pMN. 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Moving forward, we will continue to drive the global clinical development of EVER001, to meet patients' urgent clinical needs." pMN is a common pathological type of nephrotic syndrome in adults, and its prevalence in China has been increasing, ranking second only to IgA nephropathy[1]. There are approximately 2 million patients with pMN in China, and nearly 220,000 patients in the United States, Europe and Japan. There are no approved drugs for this indication worldwide. The current treatment goal is to improve remission rates, reduce high relapse rates, and minimize the risk of chronic toxicity caused by currently available treatments. More than one-third of pMN patients still progress to end-stage renal disease under current standards of care. This Phase 1b/2a clinical trial was approved by the Center for Drug Evaluation of the National Medical Products Administration in September 2022 to evaluate the safety, efficacy, pharmacokinetics, and pharmacodynamics of EVER001 in Chinese patients with glomerular diseases characterized by proteinuria. About EVER001 EVER001 (previously known as XNW1011) is a next-generation covalent reversible Bruton's tyrosine kinase (BTK) inhibitor in development globally for the treatment of renal diseases. BTK is an essential component of the B-cell receptor signaling pathways that regulate the survival, activation, proliferation, and differentiation of B lymphocytes. Targeting BTK with small molecule inhibitors has been demonstrated to be an effective treatment option for B-cell lymphomas and autoimmune diseases. Under an exclusive licensing agreement with Sinovent Pharmaceuticals and SinoMab BioScience, Everest owns global rights to develop, produce and commercialize EVER001 for the treatment of renal diseases. About Everest Medicines Everest Medicines is a biopharmaceutical company focused on discovering, developing, manufacturing and commercializing transformative pharmaceutical products and vaccines that address critical unmet medical needs for patients in Asian markets. The management team of Everest Medicines has deep expertise and an extensive track record from both leading global pharmaceutical companies and local Chinese pharmaceutical companies in high-quality discovery, clinical development, regulatory affairs, CMC, business development and operations. Everest Medicines has built a portfolio of potentially global first-in-class or best-in-class molecules in the company's core therapeutic areas of renal diseases, infectious diseases and autoimmune disorders. For more information, please visit its website at Forward-Looking Statements: This news release may make statements that constitute forward-looking statements, including descriptions regarding the intent, belief or current expectations of the Company or its officers with respect to the business operations and financial condition of the Company, which can be identified by terminology such as "will," "expects," "anticipates," "future," "intends," "plans," "believes," "estimates," "confident" and similar statements. Such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks and uncertainties, or other factors, some of which are beyond the control of the Company and are unforeseeable. Therefore, the actual results may differ from those in the forward-looking statements as a result of various factors and assumptions, such as future changes and developments in our business, competitive environment, political, economic, legal and social conditions. The Company or any of its affiliates, directors, officers, advisors or representatives has no obligation and does not undertake to revise forward-looking statements to reflect new information, future events or circumstances after the date of this news release, except as required by law. References: 1. Expert consensus on the application of rituximab in the treatment of membranous nephropathy, Chin J Intern Med, March 2022, Vol. 61, No. 3. View original content: SOURCE Everest Medicines Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data

AI Rates Eczema Severity From Your Smartphone Snaps
AI Rates Eczema Severity From Your Smartphone Snaps

Medscape

time5 hours ago

  • Medscape

AI Rates Eczema Severity From Your Smartphone Snaps

Japanese researchers have developed an artificial intelligence (AI) tool that objectively assesses the severity of atopic dermatitis (AD) using user-uploaded photographs. The study published in the journal Allergy marks a significant advancement in the application of AI to chronic inflammatory dermatoses. To develop the AI model, three algorithms were trained and integrated: Body part detection, skin lesion detection, and severity assessment. The latter is based on the Three-Item Severity (TIS) score, a localized severity assessment ranging from 0-9, evaluating erythema, edema or papulation, and excoriation. Training relied on an extensive database from Atopiyo, the largest online AD platform, which allows 28,000+ users to share 57,000+ photos and comments about their symptoms, providing a rich dataset. The AI model was trained using 880 images, followed by testing using 220 images. A total of 9656 images with itch scores, excluding unclear images, were included to establish and validate AI-TIS in patients aged 2-71 years (median age, 33 years). The trained AI model correctly detected 98% of body parts and 100% of the eczema areas. Next, the investigators compared the AI outputs with established clinical scoring systems, including Scoring Atopic Dermatitis (SCORAD), which includes both objective measures, such as intensity parameters (oozing/crusts, lichenification, and dryness) and eczema extent, as well as subjective measures, such as pruritus and sleep loss. AI-TIS showed a lower correlation with the severity of itch on a scale of 0-5 (Itch-NRS-5) across 8556 images in 602 patients. A subgroup of 15 participants underwent an in-person evaluation by a dermatologist and received scores based on the TIS, SCORAD, and objective SCORAD scales. Pearson correlation between these clinical scores and the AI results was robust, with R = 0.73 for test images. This study demonstrated that the AI-TIS can successfully identify body parts, eczema-affected areas, and TIS scores from smartphone-uploaded images in a nonclinical setting. The strong correlation between the AI-TIS and objective measures, including the TIS and objective SCORAD scores, supports its clinical utility in assessing objective outcomes and patient perception. Because AD severity assessment still involves considerable subjectivity, the AI tool stood out for its ability to quantify objective disease signs from home photographs. This approach improved precision in clinical assessments and could enhance daily patient monitoring. In contrast, the weaker correlation between AI-TIS and Itch-NRS-5 suggests that pruritus in AD does not always correspond to eczema severity. The use of digital assessment, therefore, may be an alternative to complement subjective reporting and bring more objectivity to the management of AD. The AI model developed in this study has the potential to help patients with AD, objectively assess their skin condition, and facilitate timely and appropriate treatment. This study lays the groundwork for future advancements in AI-driven dermatological assessments, thereby enhancing patient care and clinical research. Despite these advances, the model has limitations; it needs to be expanded to cover a wider age range and diverse skin types and to incorporate elements from other well-established clinical scales, such as the Eczema Area and Severity Index. Nonetheless, this represents a meaningful step forward in dermatology and AD care.

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