Serine/threonine-protein kinase NEK7 inhibitors are described in a recent Beijing Primegene Therapeutics Co. Ltd. patent. They are reported to be useful for the treatment of gout, osteoarthritis, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, multiple sclerosis, ulcerative colitis, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s disease and cancer.
DCB-USA LLC and the Development Center for Biotechnology have patented heterocycle compounds acting as fMet-Leu-Phe receptor (fMLP; FPR1) antagonists reported to be useful for the treatment of cancer, acute respiratory distress syndrome, asthma, arthritis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, lung injury, ischemia-reperfusion injury and septicemia.
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a respiratory disease characterized by chronic inflammation and structural damage to the alveoli, with irreversible declined lung function. M1 pro-inflammatory macrophages mainly participate in airway inflammation and in tissue destruction, and are involved in COPD, but the mechanisms need to be elucidated.
AC Immune SA has synthesized new heterocyclic modulators acting as NLRP3 inflammasome inhibitors. As such, they are reported to be potentially useful for the treatment of asthma, atherosclerosis, obesity, gout, cryopyrin-associated periodic syndromes, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s disease, among others.
Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a progressive disease characterized by lung scarring, fibrosis and finally respiratory failure. Currently, few treatment options are available for IPF and they only slow down disease progression and do not reverse fibrosis. There is a need for new therapeutic targets that aid in the management of the disease.
Chiesi Farmaceutici SpA has identified new D-3-phosphoglycerate dehydrogenase (3-PGDH; PHGDH) inhibitors for the treatment of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.
Eli Lilly & Co. and Evotec International GmbH have disclosed Rho-associated protein kinase 2 (ROCK2) inhibitors reported to be useful for the treatment of cancer, autoimmune disease, fibrosis, and inflammatory and neurological disorders.
Researchers at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center have developed a new human cell model for VEXAS syndrome, a rare, severe disorder marked by systemic inflammation, bone marrow failure and high mortality. VEXAS (short for vacuoles, E1-enzyme, X-linked, autoinflammatory, somatic) is a recently identified, acquired clonal hematopoietic disease that often co-occurs with myelodysplastic syndrome.
Agonists of immune checkpoint modulators for treating autoimmune and inflammatory disorders have shown high potential in immunotherapy. P-selectin glycoprotein ligand 1 (PSGL-1) is known to exert immune checkpoint regulator functions in T cells aside from its classic role as an adhesion molecule involved in leukocyte trafficking.