Venetoclax, a selective Bcl-2 inhibitor, has proven effective in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), but genetic mutations or adaptive changes over time can result in resistance to treatment and disease relapse. Researchers from Newave Pharmaceutical Inc. and collaborators described the preclinical efficacy of LP-118, a Bcl-2 inhibitor, in venetoclax-resistant models of CLL.
The absent, small or homeotic-like 1 (ASH1L) protein regulates the expression of HOXA genes, which are critical for the development of MLL1 translocations frequently found in leukemia patients. Knockdown of ASH1L leads to growth arrest and apoptosis of leukemia cells, thereby inhibiting leukemia progression suggesting that ASH1L can be considered as a therapeutic target in this setting.
Chinese researchers and their collaborators have published data on the bifunctional antibody JS-201, which exerts dual targeting of PD-1 and TGF-β signaling, for the potential treatment of cancer and its protective role against radiation-induced lung injury.
A group of researchers in China have looked into the role of apolipoprotein B100 (ApoB100) in ovarian cancer following reports of excessive levels of ApoB100 inducing endoplasmic reticulum stress and cell death in liver cancer and of a positive correlation between ApoB100 levels and survival time of patients with high-grade epithelial ovarian cancer.
Shanghai Qilu Pharmaceutical Research and Development Centre Ltd. has described histone acetyltransferase KAT6A (monocytic leukemia zinc finger protein; MOZ; MYST-3) and/or KAT6B (MOZ2; MYST-4) inhibitors reported to be useful for the treatment of cancer.
Primelink Biotherapeutics (Shenzhen) Co. Ltd. has synthesized stimulator of interferon genes protein (STING; TMEM173) agonists reported to be useful for the treatment of cancer.
Multiple molecular pathways play a role in gastric cancer development, influencing how genetic and environmental factors interact to drive tumor growth and progressiA recent study by researchers at King Khalid University investigated a single-agent approach to simultaneously inhibit Akt and MEK1 pathways instead of using two different small molecules, which could potentially lead to increased toxicity.
Although CAR T-cell treatment can lead to clinical remissions in patients with hematological malignancies, relapse rates ultimately remain high. Previous research has found that T memory stem cell content in the infused CAR T-cell products correlated with better expansion and persistence in lymphoma patients. As a result of these observations, several approaches are being investigated to generate CAR T cells characterized by a less differentiated phenotype.