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Mark Fortner

@markfortner.bsky.social

CEO @ https://aspen.bio, bioinformatics, cheminformatics, cancer research, AI in Drug Discovery, Research Project & Portfolio Management, FAIR data, semantic web, web components, java, groovy, genomics, proteomics, DEL, TPDs, Pancreatic Cancer

391 Followers  |  553 Following  |  454 Posts  |  Joined: 13.11.2024  |  1.8726

Latest posts by markfortner.bsky.social on Bluesky

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MapLight eyes $227M IPO as biopharma market warms up MapLight Therapeutics aims to raise $227M in Nasdaq IPO, selling shares at $17 each. Company develops drug for schizophrenia and Alzheimer's, similar to Bristol Myers' Cobenfy.

MapLight approaches $227M IPO at Nasdaq with its experimental drug to treat schizophrenia.
endpoints.news/maplight-eye...

07.10.2025 13:29 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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SoufflΓ© Therapeutics, co-founded by Bob Langer, launches with $200M Moderna co-founder Bob Langer's SoufflΓ© Therapeutics emerges from stealth with $200M Series A, targeting muscle and heart diseases including FSHD with nucleic acid therapies.

SoufflΓ© Therapeutics, co-founded by Bob Langer, launched with $200M to develop targeted genetic medicines for muscle, heart, and metabolic diseases.

07.10.2025 20:29 β€” πŸ‘ 4    πŸ” 2    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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Hear from Remix’s Maria Alexis, Principal Scientist, Computational Biology, about the team’s published work on poison exons & how deeper insights into RNA biology are shaping the future of medicine.
➑️http://bit.ly/4pcj0v5

10.09.2025 13:27 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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Our CSO, Dom Reynolds, breaks down the science behind Remix’s pioneering new approach to treating difficult to drug diseases by targeting the cellular complexes that process RNA & working upstream of conventional therapeutic approaches.

➑️ More here: bit.ly/3VGrT2o

29.09.2025 15:44 β€” πŸ‘ 2    πŸ” 2    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

They're just starting clinical trials at the moment. As far as I can tell they'll have two arms to the trial: standard of care (SoC), and SoC + diet. Hopefully we'll see some statistically relevant results. It would be nice to do similar studies with different types of cancers, and different stages.

07.10.2025 14:23 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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Starving Glioblastoma: Diet-Based Treatment Shows Promise Lowering the levels of certain amino acids in the blood with a specialized diet may "starve" glioblastoma and support conventional treatments.

Starving glioblastoma: Diet-Based Treatment Shows Promise | #gbm #cancer

05.10.2025 00:22 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 2    πŸ“Œ 0
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Most Americans want ACA tax credits extendedβ€”even 57% of MAGA supporters Without the extension, premiums for plans on the ACA Marketplace will more than double.
03.10.2025 21:59 β€” πŸ‘ 103    πŸ” 21    πŸ’¬ 4    πŸ“Œ 2
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The complexity of misinformation extends beyond virus and warfare analogies - npj Complexity npj Complexity - The complexity of misinformation extends beyond virus and warfare analogies

Here is a cool paper that dives into the complexity of measuring the spread of misinformation
www.nature.com/articles/s44...

03.10.2025 09:03 β€” πŸ‘ 100    πŸ” 45    πŸ’¬ 3    πŸ“Œ 2
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John Singer Sargent, portraitist of the posh, is back in vogue His paintings offer a glimpse of the Gilded Age

A hundred years after his death, β€œSargentolatry” is thriving. John Singer Sargent’s portraits strike a special chord in an era of social media

04.10.2025 06:20 β€” πŸ‘ 15    πŸ” 3    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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Circadian clock protein linked to brain aging and neurodegenerative disease Impeding a link between the body's natural clock and the brain may help reduce neurodegeneration in mice modeling Alzheimer's disease, according to a new study led by researchers at WashU Medicine and...

Circadian clock protein linked to brain aging and neurodegenerative disease | #Alzheimers

04.10.2025 06:20 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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PLK1 Inhibition Boosts Gemcitabine Apoptosis in PancreaticΒ Cancer In a groundbreaking new study that could reshape therapeutic approaches for pancreatic cancer, researchers have revealed a compelling synergy between PLK1 inhibition and the chemotherapeutic agent gemcitabine. This combination appears to significantly enhance apoptotic mechanisms within pancreatic cancer cells, offering renewed hope in the fight against one of the deadliest malignancies. The study, published in Medical Oncology, meticulously dissects the molecular crosstalk between critical signaling pathways, uncovering how PLK1's suppression modulates downstream effectors to potentiate cell death.

PLK1 Inhibition Boosts Gemcitabine Apoptosis in PancreaticΒ Cancer

In a groundbreaking new study that could reshape therapeutic approaches for pancreatic cancer, researchers have revealed a compelling synergy between PLK1 inhibition and the chemotherapeutic agent gemcitabine. This combination…

04.10.2025 05:30 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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Everyone but China has pretty much stopped littering in low-Earth orbit β€œIn their rush to move quickly, they are adding to the long-term collision hazard.”…
03.10.2025 20:34 β€” πŸ‘ 43    πŸ” 6    πŸ’¬ 2    πŸ“Œ 2
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Remember that this is what the Trump-Republican big, ugly bill was all about. It's Robin Hood in reverse.

Why would any Democrat vote for a continuing resolution that greenlights this regime's cruelty?

02.10.2025 21:30 β€” πŸ‘ 1543    πŸ” 617    πŸ’¬ 33    πŸ“Œ 16
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Food is wrecking the planet. And Europe has lost its appetite for change. A landmark study says food systems are breaching Earth’s limits. Europe once promised to lead the way, but the revolution fizzled.

Even if the world stopped burning coal, oil and gas tomorrow, what we eat would still be enough to heat the climate beyond 1.5 degrees Celsius, warns the EAT-Lancet Commission.

03.10.2025 11:43 β€” πŸ‘ 138    πŸ” 77    πŸ’¬ 12    πŸ“Œ 16
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PM2.5 exposure was associated with an increased risk of developing Lewy body dementia

www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...

03.10.2025 12:36 β€” πŸ‘ 7    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 1
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How a ProvenΓ§alΒ postman became the cure for Van Gogh’s loneliness The Roulin family befriended the Dutch artist and inspired some of his greatest portraits, many of which are now being displayed together for the first time

How a ProvenΓ§al postman became the cure for Van Gogh’s loneliness |#art www.thetimes.com/world/europe...

03.10.2025 20:00 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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A systematic review and meta-analysis of the efficacy and safety of pharmacological treatments for obesity in adults - Nature Medicine A systematic review and meta-analysis of clinical trials investigating the efficacy and safety of obesity management medications reported tirzepatide and semaglutide to be the most effective in reducing body weight and obesity-related complications.

A systematic review and meta-analysis of the efficacy and safety of pharmacological treatments for obesity in adults

www.nature.com/articles/s41...

03.10.2025 04:33 β€” πŸ‘ 10    πŸ” 5    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 1
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FDA official’s comments spark Aurinia sell-off; Halozyme buys a biotech George Tidmarsh criticized Aurinia’s lupus drug in a later-retracted social media post. Elsewhere, the FDA approved a new Novartis drug and two biotechs cut staff.

FDA official's comments spark Aurinia sell-off; Halozyme buys a biotech

02.10.2025 22:29 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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A new biotech aims to get RNA drugs into the brain Dublin-based Aerska launched on Wednesday withΒ $21 million in seed funding and a technology designed to shuttle RNA interference medicines past the blood-brain barrier.

A new biotech aims to get RNA drugs into the brain.

02.10.2025 22:24 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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He was making drugs for the next pandemic. Then the feds canceled his project Sumit Chanda's search for antivirals is in limbo after NIH halted its pandemic-preparedness program

He was making drugs for the next pandemic. Then the feds canceled his project

Sumit Chanda's search for antivirals is in limbo after NIH halted its pandemic-preparedness program. cen.acs.org/pharmaceutic... #chemsky πŸ§ͺ

30.09.2025 14:08 β€” πŸ‘ 30    πŸ” 13    πŸ’¬ 2    πŸ“Œ 1
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BMS and Takeda dive into AI data pool, joining peers in collaborative push to unfold the future Astex Pharmaceuticals, Bristol Myers Squibb and Takeda have

BMS and Takeda dive into AI data pool, joining peers in collaborative push to unfold the future | #AI #OpenFold #ProteinStructurePrediction #DrugDiscovery

02.10.2025 14:10 β€” πŸ‘ 2    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0
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Scientists β€œImprove on Mother Nature” To Create Powerful Cancer-Killing Molecule A bacterial molecule enhances chemotherapy. Its synthetic form could inspire new cancer drugs. An international group of researchers, led by teams at the MRC Laboratory of Medical Sciences (LMS), Impe...

scitechdaily.com/scientists-i... | #cancer

29.09.2025 23:56 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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Events Archive 11:00 am - 12:00 pm Australian ORCID Consortium Community of Practice (CoP) call: May 2025 May 1 @ 11:00 am - 12:00 pm UTC+10 Australian ORCID Consortium Community of Practice (CoP) call: May 2025

⏳ Don't miss a chance to learn & connect with ORCID! Live webinars, in-person workshops, conferences & moreβ€”all in one calendar.

πŸ—“οΈ Check it out: https://info.orcid.org/events
#ORCIDEvents #ORCIDaroundtheCommunity

29.09.2025 18:18 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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Largest Study of Its Kind Reveals The Genes Behind Dyslexia A massive study involving genetic data from over 1.2 million people has identified over a dozen new gene regions associated with dyslexia.

Largest Study of Its Kind Reveals The Genes Behind #Dyslexia

29.09.2025 13:38 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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How fast you age may be controlled by a DNA repair boss in your cells When a key protein regulator dials down DNA repair mechanisms, our cells accumulate more mutations, which may cause us to age faster

When a key protein regulator dials down DNA repair mechanisms, our cells accumulate more mutations, which may cause us to age faster

28.09.2025 14:54 β€” πŸ‘ 5    πŸ” 3    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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A new buzzword is hanging over businesses as they rush into AI Nearly 80% of companies expect to incur "AI debt" in the future, according to a new report by Asana, which surveyed over 9,000 knowledge workers globally.

A new buzzword is hanging over businesses as they rush into #AI

28.09.2025 17:36 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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How Eli Lilly’s new platform TuneLab codevelops AI models with biotech - Data in Biotech Dr. Aliza Apple, VP of Catalyze360 AI/ML at Eli Lilly, joins Ross Katz to unveil TuneLabβ€”a first-of-its-kind federated learning platform accelerating preclinical drug discovery. Learn how Lilly’s bill...

Data in Biotech: How Eli Lilly’s new platform TuneLab codevelops #AI models with #biotech

Episode webpage: pod.co/data-in-biot...

Media file: downloads.pod.co/5fac40cd-043...

28.09.2025 17:15 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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Scientists say X (formerly Twitter) has lost its professional edge β€” and Bluesky is taking its place After Elon Musk's acquisition of Twitter, many scientists report the platform is no longer suitable for professional use. A recent survey indicates that researchers are increasingly turning to Bluesky...

www.psypost.org/scientists-s...

28.09.2025 14:03 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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The Sad Case of The Youngest-Ever Alzheimer's Diagnosis In 2023, neurologists at a memory clinic in China diagnosed a 19-year-old with what they believed to be Alzheimer's disease – making him the youngest person ever to be diagnosed with the condition.

The Sad Case of The Youngest-Ever Alzheimer's Diagnosis : ScienceAlert share.google/UIGdt5rWZArb...

27.09.2025 19:20 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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Babies' brains 'tick' more slowly than ours, which may help them learn

A baby's brain "ticks" more than an adult's does, which may put them in constant learning mode.

26.09.2025 14:10 β€” πŸ‘ 7    πŸ” 3    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

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