Oricell Therapeutics Holdings Ltd closed a $110 million pre-IPO round to expand its global footprint and advance its lead candidate, a GPC3-targeted autologous CAR T therapy for liver cancer to registrational trials.
Researchers from Syngenta AG and collaborators reported the preclinical characterization of CHNQD-01522, a microtubule-targeting agent designed based on the marine natural product penipanoid C, in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) models.
Ring finger protein 4 (RNF4) is a SUMO-targeted ubiquitin ligase that modulates proteins involved in cancer progression. Researchers from Chongqing Medical University and collaborators reported the development and preclinical characterization of [I], the first RNF4-targeting PROTAC degrader for the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).
Previously, Chinese researchers used long-read RNA sequencing to identify a unique alternative splicing variant of CD44 transmembrane protein, named CD44E, which is highly expressed in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) tumors compared to adjacent nontumoral liver tissues. In a new study, the team analyzed the Genotype-Tissue Expression (GTEx) database and confirmed that CD44E expression is limited in essential normal organs, while CD44S standard isoform is broadly expressed on most cell types.
Akeso Inc.’s first-in-class trispecific antibody, AK-150, has received IND clearance from China’s National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) for clinical trials in patients with advanced solid tumors. Engineered using Akeso’s AI-driven drug discovery platform and its proprietary Tetrabody technology, AK-150 is a humanized anti-CSF-1R, ILT2 and ILT4 trispecific antibody that achieves multipathway blockade of both innate and adaptive immunity.
Can-Fite Biopharma Ltd.’s namodenoson met the safety endpoint in its phase IIa open-label study in advanced pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma patients, a readout that left investors hopeful for survival data, expected to be disclosed later this year.
IRAK1, a key mediator of TLR/IL-1R signaling, drives tumor cell proliferation and a pro-inflammatory microenvironment when aberrantly activated. Its overexpression has been observed in multiple cancers, including hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common form of primary liver cancer, representing approximately 75-85% of all cases. Often considered preventable, primary liver cancer ranks as the sixth most frequently diagnosed cancer and the third leading cause of cancer deaths worldwide. Through a multi-institutional effort, researchers have identified activated ATF6α as a driver of HCC that suppresses immune defenses, predicts response to immune checkpoint therapy, and represents a potential target for intervention.
CD276, also known as B7-H3, is an antigen highly expressed in several cancer types, including hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC, 79%-94% expression) and closely tied to aggressiveness and poor survival, but shows very low expression in normal tissues. Increasing evidence exists indicating B7-H3 has immune inhibitory functions, thus reducing interferon levels released by T cells and suppressing cytotoxic activity of natural killer cells, thereby aiding in tumor immune evasion.
Bispecific T-cell engagers (TCEs) aim to combat cancer by simultaneously binding T cells and tumor cells in order to induce the first to kill the second. This approach has failed to work effectively against many solid tumors because the exogenous engager proteins do not penetrate into tumors at sufficiently high concentrations.
