In Alzheimer’s disease, microglia act as a double-edged sword. They can either protect the brain or worsen the damage, depending on their activation state. Inflammatory activation harms healthy neurons. However, a study reveals that a special type of microglia expressing specific receptors and behaving like T cells may help mitigate this neurodegenerative condition.

Kaigene Inc. has entered into an exclusive global licensing agreement with Celltrion Inc. for two of Kaigene’s nonclinical-stage assets, KG-006 and KG-002. Kaigene’s pipeline leverages its technology to selectively degrade pathogenic antibodies that mainly exacerbate various autoimmune diseases.

In atopic dermatitis (AD), the itch-scratch cycle is tied to skin inflammation exacerbation that accelerates the progression of the disease, thus impacting the patient’s quality of life, where IL-31 is crucial to induce skin itching. Helixon Ltd. has developed a bispecific antibody targeting both IL-31 and OX40L, HXN-1022, for the treatment of AD.

Innovent Biologics Co. Ltd. presented data for IBI-3034, a chimeric Fc fusion protein comprising transmembrane activator and CAML interactor (TACI) and B-cell maturation antigen (BCMA) for the treatment of autoimmune diseases.

For 75 years, the standard tools for autoimmune disease have consisted of steroids, cytotoxics and broad biologics that tamp down the entire immune system. They can help, but they are rarely curative. “They’re blunt instruments,” Regcell Inc. CEO Mike McCullar told BioWorld. “They can’t distinguish good immune cells and bad immune cells,” which is why many carry black-box warnings and must be taken for years, sometimes for life.

Boehringer Ingelheim GmbH and Kyowa Kirin Co. Ltd. have announced that Boehringer Ingelheim has licensed a preclinical program from Kyowa Kirin to develop a potential first-in-class, small molecule for the treatment of autoimmune diseases.