STAT6 plays a central role in regulating Th2-driven immune responses. Recent studies have identified gain-of-function mutations in the STAT6 gene that are associated with early-onset, severe allergic diseases. As a result, STAT6 has emerged as a promising therapeutic target in conditions such as asthma, eosinophilic inflammation, food allergies and atopic dermatitis, particularly in cases that are refractory to standard therapies.
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a prevalent and heterogeneous respiratory disorder with limited effective treatments. IL-33 and IL-4Rα are key mediators of airway inflammation in COPD and hence represent potential therapeutic targets.
Atyr Pharma Inc. has advanced ATYR-0101 into IND-enabling studies for pulmonary fibrosis, and is targeting an IND application in the second half of next year.
The metabotropic nucleotide receptor P2Y14 shows strong potential as a therapeutic target against various inflammatory diseases, particularly acute lung injury, yet the small-molecule inhibitors described so far have performed poorly in preclinical studies.
BLR Bio LLC has announced new data on BLR-200, its lead compound for systemic sclerosis and lung fibrosis. In the new study, BLR-200 demonstrated the ability to reduce key disease tissue markers for fibrotic lung disease.
Equillium Inc. is advancing EQ-504, a potent aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) modulator acquired through the acquisition of Ariagen Inc., a company that was majority owned by Equillium’s largest investor, Decheng Capital.
A recent study in Respiratory Research further investigated the expression and role of the myristoylated alanine-rich C kinase substrate (MARCKS) protein in a horse model of asthma.
Aclaris Therapeutics Inc. has gained IND clearance from the FDA for ATI-052, a bispecific anti-thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP)/interleukin-4 receptor (IL-4R) monoclonal antibody being developed to treat certain immuno-inflammatory diseases. A phase Ia/Ib trial, including a proof-of-concept portion in an undisclosed indication, will begin in the current quarter.
A large-scale study has revealed the impact of germline variants on proteins in 10 cancer types. Scientists from the National Cancer Institute’s Clinical Proteomic Tumor Analysis Consortium (CPTAC) conducted a precision proteogenomic analysis in a pan-cancer study with data from 1,064 patients, identifying tumor heterogeneity and tumorigenesis associated with heritable genetic alterations. The results provide a broad view of cancer risk that could be useful for patient stratification and the design of prevention strategies.
Insmed Inc. has divulged cathepsin C (dipeptidyl peptidase I, DPP1) inhibitors reported to be useful for the treatment of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, asthma, metastatic cancer, chronic rhinosinusitis, heart failure, inflammatory bowel disease, psoriasis and thrombosis, among others.
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