Beigene Ltd. has identified heterocyclic compounds acting as E3 ubiquitin-protein ligase CBL-B (CBLB) inhibitors reported to be useful for the treatment of hematologic cancer and glioblastoma.
Beactica Therapeutics AB has selected BEA-17 as a preclinical candidate from its lysine demethylase 1 (LSD1) program targeting aggressive brain tumors and other cancers, and IND-enabling toxicology studies will now be initiated.
The non-receptor tyrosine kinase (TK) Src is the first oncogene ever identified. In tumors, Src hyperactivation is usually linked to the aberrant activation of upstream receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs). In previous work, researchers from IRCCS-Fondazione Santa Lucia and collaborators developed a library of pyrazolo[3,4-d]pyrimidines inhibiting Src and other cytoplasmic TKs. Several compounds showed in vitro and in vivo activity in tumor models characterized by a deregulation of those kinases, such as osteosarcoma, neuroblastoma and glioblastoma.
Novaccess Global Inc. has signed a letter of intent and formed a partnership with BCN Biosciences LLC to expand its immunotherapy platform. Utilizing BCN’s small-molecule drug BCN-057, Novaccess Global has begun the development of a fourth generation of its novel brain tumor immunotherapy TLR-AD-1, targeting glioblastoma.
Novel therapeutic strategies are urgently needed to treat glioblastoma, the most aggressive type of primary brain tumor frequently associated with poor survival.
Glioblastoma is a particularly aggressive form of brain cancer characterized by rapid infiltration into surrounding brain tissue, especially in areas of increased neuronal activity. Neurons and nerve fibers have recently been identified as vital components of the tumor microenvironment that favor the initiation and progression of a variety of solid tumors, including gliomas. Researchers have gained new insights into the molecular mechanisms driving glioblastoma infiltration and identified subtypes of neurons that serve as the substrate for driving tumor progression.
Carthera SA raised €37.5 million (US$40 million) in a series B funding round that will allow the company to embark on the first pivotal trial of its Sonocloud technology. The Sonocloud-9 is the only implantable ultrasound device that can repeatedly open the blood-brain barrier and deliver effective treatment in patients with recurrent glioblastoma, Frédéric Sottilini, CEO of Carthera, told BioWorld.
Lantern Pharma Inc. has received IND clearance from the FDA for LP-184, which is being developed for advanced solid tumors and central nervous system (CNS) cancers.
Mesenchymal glioblastoma, a phenotype associated with poor clinical outcomes, is characterized by the expression of CD44 and chitinase 3-like protein 1 (CHI3L1) in mesenchymal glioma stem cells (GSCs). CHI3L1 has been implicated in several oncogenic pathways driving mesenchymal differentiation. However, the role of CHI3L1 as a paracrine modulator of GSC states, as well as the transcriptional regulatory network induced by CHI3L1 in GSCs, remains unknown.
