A noninvasive method for administering monoclonal antibodies reliably and reproducibly to central nervous system (CNS) targets remains a significant unmet need. Researchers in Switzerland have reported making headway in bypassing the blood-brain barrier through the intranasal delivery of full-length antibodies in rodent models. They show this delivery route leads to rapid transfer of significant amounts of a mouse antibody targeted against Nogo-A, a membrane protein that inhibits growth of neurites in the brain and spinal cord.
In animal models, the experimental compound IkT-148009, an inhibitor of Abelson’s tyrosine kinase (c-Abl), prevented the accumulation of the misfolded protein α-synuclein, which is associated with Parkinson’s disease (PD). Treatment with the inhibitor prevented neurodegeneration.
Jazz Pharmaceuticals plc has patented sulfonamides acting as orexin OX2 receptor agonists reported to be useful for the treatment of hypersomnia, narcolepsy and sleep disorders.
Malformations of cortical development (MCD) are a group of neurodevelopmental disorders characterized by malformation of cortical structures, which often lead to epilepsy, and include cortical dysplasia (FCD), hemimegalencephaly (HME) and tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC).
A study in a mouse model of tau protein build-up in the brain, similar to that seen in later stage Alzheimer’s disease (AD), shows that changes to the microbiome in these animals can impact the degree and progression of neurodegeneration observed. As reported in the Jan. 12, 2023, study published in Science, the researchers found that mice that were germ free and those given antibiotics to change their gut microbiome early in life had significant reductions in brain atrophy compared with those with a standard microbiome.
Sanofi SA has divulged substituted pyrrolo[2,3-d]pyrimidines acting as leucine-rich repeat kinase 2 (LRRK2; dardarin and/or G2019S mutant) inhibitors reported to be useful for the treatment of Parkinson's disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, multiple sclerosis, Lewy body dementia, progressive supranuclear palsy, frontotemporal dementia and Niemann-Pick disease.
Iama Therapeutics srl and Psychogenics Inc. have entered into a new services agreement to identify the efficacy of novel drug candidates in preclinical animal models of Dravet syndrome.
A psychiatric disorder rarely comes alone. More than half of all individuals who meet the diagnostic criteria for any psychiatric disorder are diagnosed with more than one condition. That high degree of comorbidity is often viewed as a consequence of the heterogeneity of psychiatric disorders – and as evidence that psychiatric diagnoses poorly reflect the underlying brain biology. Data published in Nature Human Behaviour on Jan. 12, 2023, has identified another likely contributor to the high degree of overlap between different psychiatric disorders.
Celgene Corp. has disclosed sphingosine 1-phosphate receptor 5 (S1PR5; EDG8) modulators reported to be useful for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease and multiple sclerosis.
Myrtelle Inc. and Raaven Therapeutics AB have partnered on the development of novel recombinant adeno-associated virus (rAAV) vectors to advance gene therapy treatments for diseases of the central nervous system (CNS) in which myelin is affected.
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