Tools and techniques – Page 5
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ArticleEye movements as objective biomarkers: accelerating CNS drug development
Measuring disease progression remains one of the biggest hurdles in CNS drug development. Eye movements, now trackable with just a laptop and webcam, are emerging as a sensitive and scalable biomarker that could transform how trials are designed and therapies reach patients.
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ArticleAdvancing gene editing: the role of lipid nanoparticles in CRISPR delivery
CRISPR therapies depend on delivery and lipid nanoparticles are emerging as a more flexible and scalable option than viral vectors.
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ArticleAn ethical shift in NHP research: iPSC-derived cardiomyocytes for safer pharmacology
As regulators move to phase out primate testing, NHP-derived iPSC cardiomyocytes are emerging as a scalable, ethical and scientifically robust alternative - offering drug developers a clear path to faster, more predictive, and more responsible innovation.
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ArticleBeyond templates: advancing protein–protein interaction structure prediction with AI
Dr Alan Nafiiev evaluates template-based, docking and template-free approaches to PPI prediction, highlighting how AI can enhance structural accuracy.
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ArticleFighting MS progression: why GPR17 is the target to watch
Despite major advances in multiple sclerosis treatment, stopping disease progression has remained out of reach. Targeting the receptor GPR17 may harness the brain’s own repair system, offering the prospect of genuine remyelination and lasting benefit for patients.
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ArticleFast-tracking advanced therapies without compromising regulatory success
Early planning for potency CQAs, comparability and evolving global regulations can set advanced therapies on the fastest path to approval. Dr Christian Schneider shares how to prepare from the start to accelerate development without compromising the evidence regulators expect.
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ArticleMass spectrometry workflows powering the future of biologics
Analysing complex biologics is one of drug discovery’s biggest challenges. At Genentech, Rachel Shi is developing MS workflows that deliver clearer answers, faster.
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ArticleAccessible automation may change your day-to-day sooner than you think
Automation is fast and precise, but too often expensive and hard to use. Now modular, DIY tools are breaking down barriers and putting lab automation in every researcher’s hands.
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ArticleFrom data to therapy: emerging tech driving cancer drug discovery
Multiomics, AI and liquid biopsies are giving researchers real-time insight into tumour biology and enabling more personalised cancer therapies. Find out how these technologies are advancing biomarker discovery, improving patient stratification, and guiding the design of new treatments.
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ArticleInside Zasocitinib: a new model for TYK2 inhibition in immune-mediated diseases
Zasocitinib is a highly selective, investigational TYK2 inhibitor developed to target immune-mediated diseases with fewer off-target effects than traditional JAK inhibitors. This article explores its mechanism, selectivity data and clinical progress.
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ArticleThe science behind the systematic discovery of molecular glues
For decades, molecular glues have been stumbled upon rather than designed. A new scientific approach is now changing that – expanding what is considered druggable.
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ArticleOvercoming barriers to oncology combination therapies in the UK and EU
Colleagues at IQVIA discuss ways to expedite positive HTA outcomes for innovative combination therapies, alleviating the bottlenecks inherent in the current system.
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ArticleWhy scientists are targeting the gut to treat peanut allergy
A new oral immunotherapy could change how peanut allergy is treated, targeting the gut to retrain the immune system and reduce the risk of life-threatening reactions. INP20’s nanoparticle technology promises a safer, more precise approach that could replace lifelong avoidance with lasting tolerance.
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ArticlePDX models are back – and they’re exposing what cell lines missed
As cancer drugs continue to fail in translation, researchers are turning back to patient-derived xenograft (PDX) models – this time with better science. Could they be the missing link between the lab and the clinic?
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ArticleBetter assays: the key step in moving drugs from lab to clinic
From gene therapy to Long Covid, better assays are helping researchers move promising drug candidates from early studies into clinical trials. Dr Alexandre Lucas explains the technologies, challenges and innovations driving this progress.
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ArticleAdvancing antiviral therapeutics for immunocompromised populations
With few antiviral options available to immunocompromised patients, a new generation of therapies - like AIC468 - is aiming to change that.
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ArticleCAR T’s biggest hurdle: solving the toxicity problem
CAR T therapies are saving lives, but toxicities such as CRS and ICANS remain a major barrier. What will it take to overcome them?
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ArticleMaking sense of AI: bias, trust and transparency in pharma R&D
AI is increasingly used in drug discovery, but hidden bias and ‘black box’ models threaten trust and transparency. This article explores how explainable AI can turn opaque predictions into clear, accountable insights.
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ArticleAI meets human tissue to fast-track precision medicine development
By combining human tissue models with explainable AI, researchers can analyse complex patient data to identify which treatments work best for which patients. First applied to inflammatory bowel disease, this approach could improve clinical trial success rates across many diseases.
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ArticleLab of the future: four technologies to watch
From precision proteomics to AI-powered immune profiling, next-generation laboratory technologies are changing how new therapies are discovered and developed. Here are four innovations set to shape the lab of the future - and the future of drug discovery.


