Senti Biosciences Inc. has received clearance of its IND application from the FDA for SENTI-202, an off-the-shelf chimeric antigen receptor natural killer (CAR-NK) cell therapy product candidate designed to selectively target and eliminate CD33- and/or FLT3-expressing hematologic malignancies, such as acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and myelodysplastic syndrome, while sparing healthy bone marrow cells.

MYB is a transcription factor essential for cell proliferation and differentiation, and is regarded as a target for cancer therapy because it is overexpressed in many different tumor types such as adenoid cystic carcinoma (ACC), acute myeloid leukemia (AML) or T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia, among others.

Researchers from Zhejiang University and affiliated organizations have reported the discovery of novel orally bioavailable bromodomain-containing protein 9 (BRD9) proteolysis-targeting chimera (PROTAC) candidates for the treatment of acute myelocytic leukemia (AML). Synthesis and optimization led to the discovery of a novel series of BRD9 PROTACs, with compound [I] selected as the lead candidate with the best degradation and proliferation inhibition activities in vitro.

CD33 is known to be highly expressed in myeloid cells and a good therapeutic target for treating acute myeloid leukemia (AML). In the search for more potent compounds, researchers from Dragonfly Therapeutics Inc. and Bristol Myers Squibb Inc. investigated the therapeutic potential of BMS-986357, also known as CC-96191.

High expression of CD123, the IL-3 receptor α chain (IL-3α), is observed on both leukemic blasts and leukemic stem cells, thus suggesting it can be considered an attractive therapeutic target in AML.

Katy Rezvani received this year’s E. Donnall Thomas Prize for her work on natural killer (NK) cells at the annual meeting of the American Society of Hematology (ASH). It was not love at first sight, though.

Disrupting apoptosis is a mechanism that cancerous cells use to avoid being killed; this can be performed by overexpressing pro-survival factors, such as induced myeloid leukemia cell differentiation protein Mcl-1. Researchers from Abbvie Inc. have recently published preclinical data on a potent and selective Mcl-1 inhibitor, ABBV-467, for the treatment of hematologic cancers.

Orum Therapeutics Inc. has entered into a definitive agreement under which Bristol Myers Squibb Co. has acquired Orum’s ORM-6151 program.