Macrophages are specialized immune cells that can either stimulate or inhibit inflammation. Studies in mice suggest that phosphoinositide 3-kinase γ (PI3Kγ), a key mediator in macrophage signaling pathways predominantly expressed in myeloid cells, may promote immune suppression both in inflammation and in the tumor microenvironment.

A precancerous condition caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV) affects up to 300,000 American women who are diagnosed each year, and yet there are no treatments, just preventive vaccines introduced in 2006 – targeted to younger generations prior to the first sexual encounter. That leaves a large proportion of the female population stuck with a “wait-and-see” approach that involves continuous monitoring of their HPV infection through pap smears to detect cellular changes that could lead to cervical cancer. South San Francisco-based Antiva Biosciences Inc. is seeking to find a better response to this condition known as high-grade cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN2,3) with its lead topical therapeutic, ABI-2280, a prodrug of an acyclic nucleoside phosphonate that is currently in phase I trials.

Albatroz Therapeutics Pte Ltd. has secured $3 million in seed funding to develop therapeutic antibodies against a new target that degrades the extracellular matrix, a key contributor to cancer and arthritis.

Onquality Pharmaceuticals LLC has received FDA clearance of its IND application for OQL-036, a potential prophylactic treatment for capecitabine-induced hand-foot syndrome (HFS).