#76 - Fungal fowl, fertility failings and Parkinsons in our pipes

The coffee break biotech roundup, by SomX.

Hello, my fellow Franken-foodies!

This week’s biotech menu includes a gene therapy rescuing patients from once-incurable blood cancer, a fertility scandal with far-reaching consequences, growing links between water pollution and Parkinson’s, fresh billions flowing into UK life sciences, and fungi being groomed as the next great chicken substitute.

Fancy some fungal fried chicken?

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🩸New therapy offers lifeline to ‘incurable’ blood cancer patients (The Times): A new gene therapy has reversed an aggressive form of leukaemia once thought untreatable. Developed by Great Ormond Street Hospital and UCL, BE-CAR7 rewires donor immune cells using base editing to target hard-to-treat leukaemia. In clinical trials, nearly two-thirds of patients with T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (T-ALL) remained cancer-free three years on, including Alyssa Tapley, the world’s first recipient at 13, now a thriving 16-year-old aspiring scientist.

Our take: BE-CAR7 tackles a form of leukaemia that standard CAR-T cannot, because the cancer arises in T-cells themselves. By using ‘universal’ donor cells, the therapy avoids this bottleneck, achieving deep remissions in more than 80% of patients after a single infusion, while also being faster to produce and easier to scale. The technique behind it is base editing, which allows donor T-cells to function after chemotherapy without triggering immune rejection. Off-the-shelf cell therapy may finally be within reach.

👶 Sperm from a donor with a cancer-causing gene was used to conceive almost 200 children (BBC News): A European sperm donor, carrying an undetected cancer-causing mutation, has been linked to 197 children across 14 countries. Around 20% of the donor’s sperm carried a TP53 mutation, known as Li-Fraumeni syndrome, which gives carriers up to a 90% lifetime risk of developing cancer. Although the donor passed standard screening, Denmark’s European Sperm Bank has acknowledged that donor usage limits were breached in some countries.

Our take: Fertility has quietly shifted into a global distribution model with fragmented oversight and strong commercial incentives. In this environment, a rare genetic liability does not require negligence to spread, only repetition, allowing a small biological risk to scale into a system-wide failure. Importantly, experts emphasise that cases like this are extremely rare, and donor conception via licensed clinics remains highly screened and safe.

💦 Scientists thought Parkinson’s was in our genes. It might be in the water. (Wired): After decades chasing genetic culprits, researchers are finding that Parkinson’s may stem from environmental toxins lurking in our water supplies. Chemicals like trichloroethylene (TCE) and pesticides in contaminated water are emerging as major suspects, with studies linking exposure to sharply higher disease risks. Marines exposed to TCE-laced water faced a 70% higher risk, while lab mice inhaling it developed significant cognitive damage linked to Parkinson’s.

Our take: This latest line of evidence in Parkinson’s research connects two long-disconnected dots, environmental factors and neurodegeneration. While genetics explains a small slice of cases (10–15%), industrial pollutants are leaving millions vulnerable to Parkinson’s triggers. It seems there’s something in the water, and it points to a serious policy response: namely better systems for tracking chemical exposures and shifting funding towards environmental clean-up.

💰 British Business Bank backs biotech fund with £75m commitment (UK Tech News): The British Business Bank has placed its biggest bet yet on life sciences, investing tens of millions in SV Health Investors’ new SV8 Biotech Fund. This cements the Bank’s pivotal role in the UK’s life sciences superpower agenda, lifting total sector commitments to £560m across 15 funds. SV8 will back next-gen therapeutics firms, building on SV Health’s £87m Series D for Cambridge’s Artios.

Our take: This is a bold vote of confidence in UK biotech, but sustaining that momentum will take more than early-stage capital. SV Health Investors has a track record of spinning cutting-edge science into commercial success, yet the missing link remains growth-stage investment. To nurture globally competitive biotech, the UK must draw in more private co-investors ready to shoulder the risk and share the rewards.

And finally…

🍗 Lab-grown fungus ‘meat’ could be cheaper chicken substitute, scientists say (The Independent): Clucking hell! Scientists from China have bioengineered Fusarium venenatum, the same species behind Quorn, into an enhanced strain called FCPD. It provides a sustainable alternative to chicken which mimics meat’s natural texture and flavour, without the farmyard footprint. By deleting genes for two enzymes, they’ve slimmed the cell walls for denser protein packing and an increased metabolism, slashing sugar needs by 44% and ramping up production by 88%.

Our take: The precision-editing approach avoids introducing foreign DNA, helps sidestep longstanding GMO concerns, and reduces the energy demands associated with cultured meat. Rather cleverly, the protein gains come from reshaping the fungal cell itself, improving its structure and efficiency rather than relying on forcing intensive growth. Naturally, Dodo supports any protein that spares the feathered cousins. Definitely an option worth keeping an eye on.

Tune in 🎧

🦀 Diakonos Oncology on reprogramming cancer immunity breakthrough AI: Biotech 2050 host Alok Tayi speaks with Diakonos Oncology President and COO Jay Hartenbach about a highly disciplined approach to reshaping cancer immunotherapy.

🧑‍🔬 Engineering B cells with Immusoft’s Sean Ainsworth: Immusoft’s CEO reflects on his path from scientist to founder, and discusses how engineered B cell therapies could replace lifelong enzyme infusions.

🧪 Determining the cause and severity of sepsis with a point-of-care test: Inflammatix CEO Tim Sweeney explains how the TriVerity test uses gene expression signatures to identify infection type and assess sepsis risk in real time.

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🥼 Regulatory Affairs Manager, Quotient Sciences: Love navigating the maze of MHRA, HRA, and ethics approvals? Key tasks include leading regulatory submissions for phase 1–2 clinical trials across Quotient’s Nottingham unit and NHS sites.

🤑 Business Development Manager, SynGenSys Limited: Do you thrive at the intersection of science and sales? Help drive growth across biopharma, CGT, and academic sectors by spotting opportunities, shaping partnerships, and closing high-impact deals.

🔬 Scientific Operations Manager, Ellison Institute of Technology, Oxford: Interested in turning scientific blueprints into thriving labs? In this role, you’ll design, build, and run cutting-edge research facilities that meet GxP, ISO, and HTA standards.

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🧬 12-14 January | The Biotech Showcase | San Francisco, USA: The program offers in-depth panels and discussions with leading experts, investors, and innovators exploring the most transformative trends shaping the future of biotech.

🧑‍⚕️ 12-15 January | J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference | San Francisco, USA: This leading conference is the industry’s largest and most influential healthcare investment event, bringing together global leaders, fast-growing companies, technology innovators, and the investment community.

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We’re SomX – a communications and creative agency trusted by biotech, pharma and healthtech pioneers. We craft strategy, content, PR and design that translate complex biology into compelling stories and investor‑ready excitement. Get in touch to amplify your science beyond the lab bench.