Evaxion Biotech A/S has unveiled the technology behind its proprietary genetic adjuvant developed to enhance the effectiveness of DNA and mRNA vaccines for infectious diseases and cancer.
Benchsci (Scinapsis Analytics Inc.), has announced a CAD$95 million (US$70 million) series D funding round. The funds will be used to expand the company’s artificial intelligence (AI) drug discovery platform, Ascend by Benchsci, which enables scientists to discover biological connections, reduce trial and error experimentation, and uncover risks early.
Cellular mediators like cytokines that are released as a reaction to cell injury or excessive stimulation can lead to the synthesis of chemotactic eicosanoid leukotriene B4 (LTB4) among others. This mediator acts as a potent chemokine promoting migration of macrophages and neutrophils into tissues during inflammation. Researchers from CNRS, Universitat de Barcelona and colleagues reported the synthesis and evaluation of new 1,4-benzodioxine derivatives with selective LTB4 antagonism activity that led to the identification of [I] as the lead compound, which had higher affinity for LTB4 receptor with an IC50 value of 288 nM.
In a study published in Cancer Cell on May 25, 2023, researchers from the University of Chicago and colleagues reported that the inhibition of YTHDF2, an immune suppressor protein, can be a valuable strategy to improve radiotherapy outcomes by overcoming resistance while enabling extra help from the immune system.
Researchers have developed a new highly effective therapeutic for pain relief by altering the chemical properties of an antinausea drug, netupitant. The modified drug is able to enter the intracellular membrane-bound endosome and target the GPCRs therein, rather than at the cell surface, that leads to optimal pain relief. The study, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) on May 22,2023, was led by Nigel Bunnett, Professor and Chair of Molecular Pathobiology at NYU College of Dentistry, and illustrates how GPCR-mediated pain signaling occurs inside the endosomes rather than at the surface, highlighting the need for drugs that can reach receptors within the cells itself.
The researchers who enabled patients with spinal cord injuries to walk independently after implanting programmable electrodes below their lesions have now taken things one step further, restoring direct communication from the brain to the spinal cord, enabling the brain rather than an external computer to direct leg movements.