Thursday, September 12, 2019

The new biotech coworking space, BioLabs LA at The Lundquist, is ready to welcome innovative bioscience startups

Investigator(s): The Lundquist Institute

LOS ANGELES — The Lundquist Institute, formerly the Los Angeles BioMedical Research Institute (LA BioMed), has launched the most advanced, state-of-the-art shared wet laboratory and office space facility in the Los Angeles region, BioLabs LA at The Lundquist.

Tuesday, September 10, 2019

 Former Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute Renamed After Historic $70 Million Gift

Investigator(s): The Lundquist Institute

LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute (LA BioMed) has been renamed the Lundquist Institute, after receiving the necessary approvals from its Board of Directors, the State of California, and other regulatory bodies. The institute’s new name is in honor of California philanthropists Melanie and Richard Lundquist, who pledged an unrestricted gift of $70 million in conjunction with their 70th birthdays earlier this year.

Thursday, August 22, 2019

Dr. Richard Murphy is studying a new approach that shows promise for two deadly diseases

Investigator(s): Richard Murphy, MD, MPH

LOS ANGELES — Patients infected with both HIV and multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) have historically had an uphill battle with low success rates and high mortality. Making things worse, until recently, the therapy for MDR-TB has been difficult, involving months of painful injections. But there’s a promising new oral treatment regimen for MDR-TB that could make a huge difference to patients in resource-limited settings.

Monday, August 5, 2019

Groundbreaking experiments have immunized mice against the infection caused by Candida auris.

LOS ANGELES — Researchers from the Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute (LA BioMed) have taken a major step toward the creation of vaccine that could neutralize the culprit behind a growing public health crisis. Candida auris, a “superbug” that has caused hundreds of often fatal hospital-acquired infections in the United States in recent years, is resistant to common antifungal drugs. Almost half of those who contract C. auris die within the first three months, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Wednesday, June 19, 2019

Antibiotic stewardship programs with behavioral nudges significantly reduced prescriptions

LOS ANGELES— Every year, about 10 million antibiotic prescriptions are written in emergency departments—and about half of them are inappropriate. Similar problems exist in urgent care centers. Antibiotic overuse leads to a host of issues, including adverse drug effects on patients and accelerating the rise of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, which kill more than 20,000 Americans a year.

Wednesday, June 12, 2019

Team of scientists developed antibody-based treatment that prevented infection in mice

Investigator(s): Ashraf Ibrahim, PhD

LOS ANGELES — Researchers from the Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute (LA BioMed) and Vitalex Biosciences (a spinoff company of LA BioMed) helped lead an experiment that successfully immunized mice against mucormycosis, a fungal infection that is often fatal, potentially paving the way for the development of an immunotherapy for humans.

Wednesday, May 22, 2019

New study underway to explore disease risk factors

Investigator(s): Jerome I Rotter, MD

Researchers from the Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute (LA BioMed) are participating in a novel study to understand why people born in rural communities in the South live shorter and less healthy lives than their counterparts elsewhere in the country. 

Wednesday, May 15, 2019

Post-menopausal women on low-fat diets had materially better outcomes

Investigator(s): Rowan T Chlebowski, MD, PhD

A team of scientists led by Dr. Rowan Chlebowski of the Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute (LA BioMed) have discovered that post-menopausal women suffering from breast cancer who eat a low-fat diet have a materially greater rate of survival, according to a new study released today.

Tuesday, April 30, 2019

Basepaws, a DNA-testing startup for cats, received investments from 2 "sharks"

Investigator(s): Keith Hoffman, PhD

The cat is out of the bag — Basepaws, a startup sometimes referred to as "23 and Me for cats," picked up two investments totaling $250,000 on an episode of ABC’s "Shark Tank" that aired Sunday, April 28.

Sharks Kevin O’Leary, a software entrepreneur, and Robert Herjavec, who founded a cybersecurity firm, each acquired 5% of the company for $125,000.

Monday, April 15, 2019

Researchers at LA BioMed in Torrance, CA have been working to create a therapeutic vaccine for 2 years to fight infections caused by Candida auris. The lab studies have been most encouraging. With its resistance to anti-fungal drugs, a vaccine is likely the best way to combat the antibiotic-resistant nature of this emerging and deadly pathogen.