Researchers from Merck & Co. reported the development of MK-7762, a novel oxazolidine with antitubercular activity designed to overcome the off-target effects of linezolid.
Multidrug-resistant (MDR) gram-positive bacteria can evade last-line therapies, such as vancomycin, daptomycin and linezolid, through the development of sophisticated resistance mechanisms that include inactivation of target enzymes, mutations in binding sites, alterations in membrane permeability and overexpression of efflux pumps.
Two former Spero Therapeutics Inc. executives are on the hook for a total of $187,500 in civil penalties in a settlement resolving U.S. SEC allegations of issuing misleading statements centered on the FDA’s evaluation of Spero’s lead drug candidate that resulted in a 64% stock drop in May 2022.
Smartbax GmbH has in-licensed a new compound class from the antibacterial portfolio of Aicuris Anti-infective Cures AG to expand its proprietary pipeline of small-molecule antibiotics.
The range of effects caused by rhinoviruses – the pathogens responsible for the common cold – motivated scientists at Yale University to study the human nasal epithelium and uncover a previously undescribed defense mechanism. The interferon-mediated protective response in these cells can limit infection, whereas a maladaptive response tends to worsen it. Based on these findings, the researchers have identified potential therapeutic targets to reduce inflammation associated with rhinovirus infection.
In earlier work, researchers from the Institute of Medicinal Biotechnology (Beijing, China) and collaborators identified a small-molecule inhibitor (IMB-H4) of the BamA-BamD interaction. By binding to the intracellular domain of unfolded BamA, IMB-H4 disrupts the BamA-BamD assembly, leading to outer membrane damage and filamentation in gram-negative bacteria.
Using machine learning as an innovative tool for analyzing complex biological systems, researchers integrated bioinformatics with adaptive algorithms and identified dynein light chain LC8-type 2 (DYNLL2) as a key modulator of sepsis progression. Mechanistically speaking, DYNLL2 interacts with p21-activated kinase 1 (PAK1) to regulate bacterial outer membrane vesicle (OMV) internalization and caspase-11 activation.
The New York attorney general’s office has filed suit against the former CEO of Emergent Biosolutions Inc., alleging insider trading, while at the same time announcing a settlement with the company, which agreed to pay $900,000 in penalties for approving the illegal trading plan. The lawsuit stems from reports of vaccine contamination at the company’s manufacturing plant during the height of the COVID pandemic.
In recent years, messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccines have shown significant success in preventing viral and bacterial infections, as well as in cancer immunotherapy and other disease applications. In particular, the development of lipid nanoparticle (LNP)-encapsulated mRNA has revolutionized vaccine development thanks to several advantages, including elevated immunogenicity, rapid manufacturing and a generally favorable safety profile compared to viral vectors and traditional adjuvant-based vaccines.
Ebola virus (EBOV) causes severe febrile illness that frequently leads to death within 10 days of infection due to multiorgan failure. Different therapeutic strategies have been developed against EBOV infection, including small-molecule drugs, monoclonal antibodies and viral vaccine vectors. Despite their promise, all these strategies have significant limitations that limit their clinical application. Researchers from Mayo Clinic recently presented a novel molecular therapy, which they called “therapeutic minigenome,” using EBOV’s own proteins to combat itself.
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