Colonization of the stomach by the bacterium Helicobacter pylori can cause gastric cancer by secreting the CagA oncoprotein. Now, a Japanese laboratory has discovered that CagA disrupted Wnt/PCP signaling and altered the polarity in which the squamous cells of the developing gastric epithelium are arranged, causing the hyperproliferation of the stem cells.
Researchers from China Pharmaceutical University have disclosed the discovery and preclinical evaluation of a new receptor-interacting serine/threonine-protein kinase 2 (RIPK2) inhibitor, Zharp2-1, as a potential therapeutic candidate for the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).
Avoidance of graft-vs.-host disease (GVHD) after a hematopoietic stem cell transplant could depend on certain members of the microbiome. According to a study led by scientists at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center (FHCC), while some species of intestinal bacteria repressed the expression of the major histocompatibility complex II (MHC-II), others induced it and triggered the immune response that produces GVHD.
Newly formed Mage Biologics Inc. is set to receive investment of $28 million from TVM Capital Life Science and Tillotts Pharma AG. Mage plans to advance to clinical proof of concept a novel, orally administered, humanized monoclonal antibody (MAb) for an initial indication of ulcerative colitis.
Immunic AG has identified deuterated dihydroorotate dehydrogenase (DHODH) inhibitors containing a carboxylic acid bioisostere. They are reported to be useful for the treatment of Crohn’s disease, influenza, lupus erythematosus, multiple sclerosis, psoriasis, rheumatoid arthritis, SARS-CoV-2 infection (COVID-19) and cancer, among others.
The Hubmap consortium has released the atlas of three human organs, a cell-by-cell map based on overlaid images from microscopy and molecular data. Maps of the intestine, the kidney and the placenta, published in three simultaneous articles, have revealed the cellular morphology and architecture of these organs in healthy and diseased conditions.
Recent studies suggest that neutrophils are not only involved in the innate immune response but also may play extended roles in chronic inflammatory disorders and adaptive immune responses as well.
Research led by Columbia University investigators has shed light on the immune pathway of the intestinal damage caused in celiac disease after gluten consumption. As reported in the July 14, 2023, issue of Science Immunology, the investigators showed an important role for cytotoxic T cells in addition to gluten-specific CD4+ T cells in the onset of celiac disease symptoms in a range of people with the condition.
Researchers from Gat Therapeutics SL reported preclinical data for GTX-011, a first-in-class anti-inflammatory and antifibrotic drug candidate with properties mediated by the inhibition of the TGF-β pathway.
Recent genome-wide association studies have elucidated a spliced variant (rs72613567:TA) in 17β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase 13 (HSD17B13) found to be associated with decreased risk of chronic liver disorders. The presence of this variant also correlates with delayed onset of autoimmune hepatitis in carriers.