Protein homeostasis is disrupted in response to an uncontrolled stress condition, a hallmark of many diseases, such as cataracts. Lens protein accumulation and aggregates are a cause of cataract development.
A collaboration led by the Flywire Consortium and comprising hundreds of scientists has completed a whole map of the adult fruit fly brain after several decades of collaborative work. By using electron microscopy and three-dimensional reconstruction supported by AI tools, the researchers have revealed the neural wiring of the Drosophila melanogaster brain, a connectome of 140,000 neurons with 50 million synaptic connections. In the future, researchers could possibly use this map as an artificial in silico model to study the brain as a simulator through its connections, though a lot of work remains to be done for this.
Neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) is an autoimmune demyelinating disorder of the optic nerves and the spinal cord that is linked to the presence of anti-aquaporin (AQP4) autoantibodies. Satralizumab, a humanized anti-IL-6 receptor (IL-6R) antibody, has been approved for the treatment of NMOSD but the effects of IL-6R inhibition in myelitis severity have not been fully explored.
Uveitis is a disease involving the eye, affecting the iris, ciliary body, retina and their associated blood vessels, among others. The non-infectious type of uveitis is linked to immune-related factors and its pathogenesis remains poorly understood.
Surrozen Inc. has announced that Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co. KG will further develop SZN-413 to advance the compound and prepare it for clinical testing. Boehringer decided to move forward with development based on the completion of the initial period of joint research under the companies’ strategic partnership for the research and development of SZN-413 for the treatment of retinal diseases.
Nicox SA has entered into an exclusive research and license option agreement with Glaukos Corp. for NCX-1728, Nicox’s novel nitric oxide (NO)-donating phosphodiesterase PDE5 inhibitor.
A novel gene therapy that leads to cellular rejuvenation could restore vision after non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (NAION) and glaucoma. The technique is based on a reprogramming process that reverses the epigenetic DNA alterations caused by aging. Preclinical studies in glaucoma mice and nonhuman primates (NHP) models for this stroke-like disorder that affects the eye, showed an improvement of vision and restoration of the damaged axons of the optic nerve.
Researchers from The University of Melbourne published data from a study that aimed to establish a novel myopia model that would facilitate large-scale in vivo studies for investigating molecular signaling and gene-environment interactions in myopia development.
Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC has identified plasma kallikrein (KLKB1) Inhibitors reported to be useful for the treatment of diabetic retinopathy, retinal vein occlusion, hereditary angioedema, diabetes, pancreatitis, intracerebral hemorrhage, nephropathy and inflammatory disorders.
Skyline Therapeutics (Shanghai) Co. Ltd.’s SKG-1108, a novel one-time intravitreally delivered gene therapy, has been awarded U.S. orphan drug designation for the treatment of retinitis pigmentosa.
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