Researchers from VIB, UGent, the Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth and several collaborators developed a new antiviral strategy to fight human respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), a leading cause of lower respiratory tract infections in children. The approach hinges on the use of single-domain antibodies, also known as Nanobodies®, which target and neutralize a vital protein in the virus, rendering it unable to enter lung cells. The research, published in the leading scientific journal Nature Communications, elucidates how these Nanobodies® interact with and neutralize the virus and demonstrates their ability to successfully protect mice from RSV infection and related inflammation.

A team of researchers led by Patrik Verstreken (VIB–KU Leuven) have identified an underlying mechanism in early onset Parkinson’s. Using flies, mice and patient cells, the team focused on cardiolipin, a fat unique to cells’ mitochondria, organelles that produce energy. They demonstrated that reducing the effects of the protein FASN influences the mitochondria, leading to increased cardiolipin levels and reduced Parkinson’s symptoms. These results could pave the way to therapies for Parkinson’s disease that target lipids. The team’s research was published in the scientific magazine Journal of Cell Biology.

Women’s health expert Mithra Pharmaceuticals today announces that it has been granted EUR 1.9 million in non-dilutive funding from the Walloon Region. The grant follows a decision by the region's Vice President and Minister for Economy, Industry, Innovation and New Technologies, Mr Jean-Claude Marcourt.

Life-sciences go through a number of data challenges that force the scientific community to rethink many aspects of data management. To encounter these challenges and to share data amongst European researchers, the ELIXIR initiative was launched. ELIXIR is an intergovernmental organisation that brings together life-science resources from across Europe. It coordinates, integrates and sustains bioinformatics resources across its member states and enables users in academia and industry to access vital services for their research. Belgium recently joined ELIXIR as a full member. The Belgian ELIXIR node is coordinated by the VIB-UGent Center for Plant Systems Biology.

This year, Galapagos will hire seventy new employees. Galapagos is growing so fast, that the company staff no longer fits into one building. "Since last year, we are located in two buildings in the industrial zone Mechelen Noord. We are currently looking for a larger building in Mechelen," says Evelyn Fox, spokeswoman for Galapagos. "There are 180 people working in Mechelen, and this number will be increased with seventy extra empolyess. We are especially looking for doctors, project managers and people who are skilled in legislation. These people should have the necessary experience."

MDxHealth today announced that it has been awarded a US Government Services Administration (GSA) supply contract to use ConfirmMDx for Prostate Cancer within the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).

In the Phase II TITAN study, treatment with caplacizumab significantly reduced the time to platelet count normalisation and the number of recurrences of aTTP while on drug treatment. Post-hoc analysis of the TITAN study demonstrated that caplacizumab dramatically reduced the number of patients experiencing major thromboembolic events while on drug treatment. Ablynx is on track to report results of the confirmatory Phase III HERCULES study in the second half of 2017 and these results are expected to support a BLA filing in the United States in 2018. Ablynx intends to lead the commercialisation of caplacizumab in Europe and North America.

Confo Therapeutics is awarded EUR 2.6M in non-dilutive funding for the discovery of new fibrosis treatments and for expanding the use of its unique Confo® technology