2025 has been the most challenging year in the efforts to fight HIV since at least the advent of antiretroviral therapy. In a report on “Overcoming disruption, transforming the AIDS response,” released last week ahead of World AIDS Day on Dec. 1, the Joint United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) described “a global system in shock” by sharply reduced funding from the U.S. and other wealthy nations. Scientifically, for now, progress is ongoing. To mark World AIDS Day, Nature published three independent studies on HIV.
Researchers from the Medical School of Nanjing University hypothesized that in ulcerative colitis, the gut-resident macrophages may be compromised, leading to impaired integrity of the epithelial barrier. “From a basic science standpoint, our work uncovers a novel etiology of ulcerative colitis. From a translational perspective, it identifies a promising therapeutic target, potentially paving the way for developing effective drugs to treat or even cure the disease,” senior author Minsheng Zhu told BioWorld.
Researchers at Shandong Second Medical University have developed a dimethyl quaternary ammonium derivative of harmane that shows strong potential for attacking the bacterium through diverse mechanisms.
Arrepath Inc. has identified UDP-2,3-diacylglucosamine hydrolase (LpxH) (bacterial) inhibitors reported to be useful for the treatment of gram-negative bacterial infections.
Invivyd Inc. has nominated VBY-329 as a preclinical development candidate for the prevention of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) among neonates, infants and children.
NIH researchers report that in severe influenza, survival improves at late stages only when antivirals are combined with therapies that repair lung damage or limit harmful T-cell responses, explaining why anti-inflammatory treatments alone are often ineffective.
Evaxion A/S is advancing its cytomegalovirus (CMV) vaccine program, EVX-V1, with new data demonstrating protective effects of lead antigens in the program. EVX-V1 is a next-generation, multicomponent vaccine program combining novel AI-discovered antigens with AI-optimized versions of established CMV vaccine antigens.
Mabloc LLC has established a strategic partnership with Instituto Butantan to co-develop and manufacture MBL-YFV-01, a monoclonal antibody therapy for yellow fever virus (YFV) infection, including emergency post-exposure use.