Pemphigus vulgaris (PV) is a life-threatening autoimmune disease affecting the skin, causing painful erosions on the skin and mucous membranes. PV is caused by IgG4 autoantibodies that target desmoglein 1 (DSG1) and DSG3, which are involved in keratinocyte cell-cell adhesion. There is a high unmet medical need for PV, since current therapies rely on systemic corticosteroids and immunosuppressants.

SARS-CoV-2 utilizes the angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptor for cell entry and triggers ACE2 ectodomain shedding, which results in elevated vasoconstrictor angiotensin II (Ang-II) while depleting the protective Ang-(1-7). This effect can lead to acute respiratory distress syndrome, hypertension, acute kidney injury and organ damage.

Researchers from Sun Yat-sen University and collaborators reported the preclinical efficacy of SGI-7079, an AXL inhibitor, in models of retinoblastoma.

Retinoid X receptor γ (RXRγ) is a key nuclear receptor that sustains androgen receptor (AR) signaling. In castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC), RXRγ contributes to disease progression by maintaining adaptive transcriptional networks that promote therapy resistance and tumor cell survival.

Vivatides Therapeutics Inc. has closed an oversubscribed $54 million series A financing to advance its work in extrahepatic RNA delivery technologies. Proceeds from the financing will be used to further advance the company’s extrahepatic delivery platform and accelerate pipeline programs.

Haisco Pharmaceutical Group Co. Ltd. has entered into an exclusive licensing agreement with Abbvie Inc., granting Abbvie the exclusive rights to develop, manufacture and commercialize novel medicines for the treatment of pain globally, excluding mainland China, Hong Kong and Macau.

The development of glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor (GLP-1R) agonists, such as semaglutide and tirzepatide, has been a game changer in the clinical management of overweight and obesity, but there is interpersonal variability in efficacy of these medications for weight loss, as well as in the incidence of undesired side effects. Investigators from the 23andMe Research Institute have shed some light on how variations in the GLP-1R and GIP receptor (GIPR) genes impact their effectiveness and the occurrence of side effects.

The loss of regenerative capacity in mammals over the course of evolution may be linked to certain environmental conditions rather than to a genetic limitation. Tissue stiffness around an amputated area, oxygen availability, or epigenetic regulation could determine this ability, according to two simultaneously published but independent studies published in Science, as reported by BioWorld yesterday.