The first selective inhibitor of protein kinase R- (PKR)-like endoplasmic reticulum kinase (PERK), GSK-2606414, has been shown to attenuate vascular remodeling in pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) in mice, according to a study reported in the January 26, 2021, edition of Science Signaling.

The Human Skin Cell Atlas, comprising transcriptomes of 528,253 single cells, shows that cellular processes involved in skin development in embryos are reactivated in inflammatory skin diseases. In addition to suggesting potential new drug targets for atopic dermatitis and psoriasis, the transcriptomes provide a new route to understanding other inflammatory diseases, and provide a template for culturing skin for wound repair, according to the authors of a paper published in the Jan. 22, 2021, issue of Science.

A packaged nanoparticle that delivered a relaxin-encoding gene therapy with microRNA reduced liver fibrosis, researchers in the laboratory of Leaf Huang at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, Eshelman School of Pharmacy described in the Jan. 21, 2021, issue of Nature Nanotechnology.

A study led by scientists at the University of Science and Technology of China in Hefei City is the first to show that astrocytic apolipoprotein E (ApoE) regulates neuronal epigenetic states via reprogramming lipid metabolism, which was shown to control brain function, in particular memory consolidation, in mice.

BioWorld looks at translational medicine, including: Growth factors linked to lysosomes, Parkinson’s risk; Adding independent costimulation revs up CARs.

An Australian-led study reported in the January 25, 2021, online edition of Nature Immunology has identified a new immunomodulatory pathway within the gut-lung axis that enhances microbial tyrosine metabolism, which could be targeted to treat or prevent atopic asthma and other inflammatory diseases.