July 9: India is stepping up efforts to expand its network of free trade agreements (FTAs) following the landmark trade pact with the European Union, marking a significant milestone in the country’s global trade strategy. The agreement is expected to strengthen India’s access to international markets, boost exports, and...

July 9: Indian equity markets opened on a positive note on Thursday, with benchmark indices recovering from the previous session’s decline as investors returned to buy stocks at attractive valuations. The gains reflected improved risk appetite in early trading, although caution persisted amid renewed geopolitical tensions. Most sectoral indices...

International partnership set to simplify access to microgravity environment for in-demand commercial research and manufacturing, as part of an in-orbit services market projected to be worth US$4.6 billion as soon as 2030.   LUXEMBOURG, 9th July 2026 – A Japanese firm pioneering the development of atmospheric technologies for returning...

New Delhi, July 9 (UDN): Railway engineers have urged the Central Government and the forthcoming 8th Central Pay Commission to address long-standing concerns over career stagnation, pay disparities and limited promotional opportunities within the Indian Railways. Representatives of railway engineers’ associations have submitted their demands, highlighting that prolonged delays...

Angul, July 9 (UDN): A major search and rescue operation is underway after three trekkers reportedly went missing while trekking on Malyagiri Hill, the highest peak in Odisha, located in Angul district. According to official sources, the group had ventured into the hilly terrain for a trekking expedition when...

Puri, July 9 (UDN): Security agencies swung into action after a drone was allegedly flown over the Shree Jagannath Temple in Puri on Thursday morning, triggering fresh concerns over the security of the 12th-century shrine just days ahead of the annual Rath Yatra.  Representational Image According to officials, the...

Milan, Italy, July 08 — Genespire, in collaboration with researchers at the San Raffaele Telethon Institute for Gene Therapy (SR-TIGET), has today announced the publication of preclinical data supporting the potential of its liver-directed immune-shielded lentiviral gene therapy approach to treat methylmalonic acidemia (MMA), a severe inherited metabolic disorder. The findings, published in the Journal of Hepatology, show that a single systemic administration of a lentiviral vector encoding the MMUT gene led to sustained improvements in disease features in a validated mouse model of MMA, with effects lasting for the average lifespan of laboratory mice. Since the mice were treated when young, the study supports the durability of the gene therapy through postnatal growth and maturation of the liver. MMA is caused by a deficiency of methylmalonyl-CoA mutase, an enzyme that plays a critical role in the body’s metabolism of food. Its absence results in the accumulation of toxic metabolites that lead to recurrent metabolic crises, growth failure, neurological impairment, and multi-organ damage. In the study, researchers also treated mice with a dose containing an optimized MMUT transgene, thereby improving therapeutic efficacy. In the same mouse model of MMA, this version exhibited a dose-dependent improvement of metabolomic biomarkers, with gene transfer efficiency exceeding 80% of the liver. The study also highlights that genetically corrected cells in the liver may, over time, replace the diseased ones, suggesting that therapeutic efficacy may progressively improve even when starting at lower initial doses. “Together, these findings indicate that Genespire is on a clear path towards the long-term correction of metabolic diseases which impact the liver and other organs,” said Lucia Faccio, CEO of Genespire. “We believe our approach has the potential to translate into human health in the form of a single-administration treatment for patients with MMA, and are committed to continuing our efforts in bringing our lead asset for MMA, GENE202, to the clinic. We would like to extend our gratitude to everyone involved in the research project, especially those at the SR-TIGET.” “We are confident that this study, together with other previous studies from our group at SR-TIGET, provides a comprehensive pre-clinical data package enabling the initiation of clinical testing in pediatric patients affected by MMA” concludes Dr Alessio Cantore, group leader at SR-TIGET and Associate Professor at Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, who supervised and coordinated the study and signed it as senior author....

New Delhi, July 8: The Poshan Tracker platform has achieved a major milestone by recording 8.93 crore beneficiaries across the country, strengthening the government’s efforts to improve nutrition monitoring and service delivery. The digital platform has become an important tool for tracking the progress of nutrition programmes and ensuring...

Kolkata, July 8:   The upcoming edition of TTF (Travel & Tourism Fair), India‘s oldest and largest travel show network, will be held in Kolkata from 10–12 July 2026 at Biswa Bangla Mela Prangan. Organised by Fairfest Media, the event will bring together tourism boards, travel companies, hospitality brands, airlines, attractions, and travel technology providers from across India and overseas, offering a strong platform for travel trade engagement in the region.  The fair...

Bhopal, July 8: The Madhya Pradesh Government is working to expand digital healthcare services to the remotest parts of the state under the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM), with the aim of improving access to quality and affordable healthcare through technology. The initiative focuses on strengthening digital health infrastructure...