Tumors with strong immunosuppressive microenvironments such as microsatellite-stable colorectal cancer (MSS-CRC) remain unresponsive to immune checkpoint blockade therapy, with <20% of gastrointestinal tumors responding to therapy.

Researchers from Flare Therapeutics Inc. presented the preclinical profile of FX-111, a selective active androgen receptor (ARON) degrader, in models of prostate cancer.

Gliomas are malignant tumors in the brain characterized by aggressive growth, poor prognosis and high mortality, and for which effective therapies are still lacking. Zinc finger protein 207 (ZNF207) is highly expressed in gliomas and represents a promising therapeutic target; researchers from the China Pharmaceutical University have developed and presented data for the ZNF207 inhibitor TMLZ-G46.

In a recent study published in the Journal for Immunotherapy of Cancer, researchers from the University of Chicago and Pyxis Oncology Inc. investigated the role of KLRG1 in limiting antitumor immunity and evaluated its potential as a therapeutic target in patients refractory to first-generation checkpoint inhibitors. KLRG1 is an immunoreceptor tyrosine inhibitory motif domain-containing receptor identified as a marker of senescent/terminally differentiated T and natural killer (NK) cells.

DNA methylation, catalyzed by DNMT enzymes, is a central epigenetic mechanism frequently disrupted in cancer, where aberrant hypermethylation contributes to tumor suppressor gene silencing. Researchers from Nankai University reported the discovery and preclinical characterization of [I], a selective DNMT1 degrader in models of acute myeloid leukemia (AML).

Next-generation T-cell engager (TCE) specialist Cytospire Therapeutics Ltd. has raised £61 million (US$82.7 million) in a series A round, equipping it to advance the lead program CYT-X300 to the clinic in the treatment of EGFR-positive solid tumors. The company’s pan gamma delta (γδ) TCEs are designed to overcome problems with cytokine release syndrome, on-target effects on healthy cells, and the excessive activation of CD3 that have occurred with earlier bispecific antibodies that bind to the CD3 receptor on T cells.

Beone Medicines Ltd. gained an exclusive option to develop cancer immunotherapy HH-160 worldwide in a deal potentially worth more than $2 billion for Huahui Health Ltd., the developer of the trispecific antibody.