The gut microbiota may be altered in people with depression as a result of treatment. These microorganisms reorganize differently in individuals who respond to therapy. In a multiomics study of antidepressant-naive patients presented at the 2026 World Congress of Neuropsychopharmacology (CINP), scientists from National Taiwan University found that patients who improved after antidepressant treatment maintained a more balanced and functional microbial ecosystem, recovered beneficial metabolites, and displayed blood-based biological signals that aligned with these changes.

Elixirgen Therapeutics Inc. has entered into an option agreement with Nippon Shinyaku Co. Ltd. for the development and commercialization of EXG-7001 for Duchenne muscular dystrophy. EXG-7001 is a locally administered, full-length dystrophin mRNA therapeutic that is currently in preclinical development for the treatment of Duchenne muscular dystrophy.

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)-associated genes provide direct therapeutic targets and reveal pathways that can be used to develop treatments that counteract their harmful molecular effects. Because the underlying causes of most ALS cases remain unknown, identifying disease-associated variants is essential to uncover the mechanisms that drive the disease, as shown at the European Network to Cure ALS (ENCALS) meeting, held in Madrid from June 24 to 26, 2026.

Nippon Shinyaku Co. Ltd.’s NS-035 has been awarded Japanese orphan drug designation for the treatment of Fukuyama congenital muscular dystrophy.

Unixell Biotechnology Co. Ltd. has obtained IND clearance from the FDA for UX-DA003, its allogeneic induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived therapy for Parkinson’s disease. IND approval was also gained in China earlier this month, enabling concurrent clinical development in both China and the U.S.

X-tosis Inc. has been awarded a $2.74 million grant from The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research (MJFF) to support advancement of XTS-001, the lead candidate from the company’s Mitoxts platform, toward clinical development for the treatment of Parkinson’s disease. The grant will support confirmatory studies, biomarker development and IND-enabling work.

Some proteins embedded in the structure of prions may have antimicrobial activity, according to a study led by scientists at the University of Pennsylvania. An AI analysis of millions of fragments from prion-related proteins has revealed more than a thousand peptides that disrupt bacterial membranes and reduce infection in animal models, suggesting these proteins could be an unexpected source of new antibiotics.

Matricelf Ltd. has initiated a pivotal IND-enabling efficacy study evaluating its engineered human neural tissue implant for the treatment of chronic spinal cord injury.