Although CAR T-cell therapies have reached significant clinical success in hematological malignancies, their utility in solid tumors remains limited. One of the main challenges is the scarcity of truly cancer-specific antigens for precise targeting of solid tumors. The use of engineered small, specific antigen-binding domains, such as nanobodies, could be a potential strategy to improve the specificity and efficacy of CAR T cells against solid tumors.

Previous work uncovered the role of the complement system in neuroinflammation and synaptic loss in neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease (AD). The third component, C3, central in all complement activation pathways, has been proposed as a potential therapeutic target in AD.

COVID-19 has continued to alarm public health, and although several therapeutics and vaccines have been developed, the development of effective vaccines or antibodies is challenging due to mutations in the surface of the spike protein in the SARS-CoV-2 virus.

Amygdala Neurosciences Inc. has selected ANS-858 as its lead clinical candidate for substance use disorders, that includes alcohol and cocaine use disorders. The selective, reversible, orally bioavailable, small-molecule inhibitor of aldehyde dehydrogenase 2 (ALDH2) is designed to reduce the rewarding effects associated with alcohol and other substances.

During the first oral sessions on Translational Drug Discovery at the 19th Alzheimer’s & Parkinson’s Diseases (ADPD) Conference, Beka Solomon from Tel Aviv University presented her work on the therapeutic potential of bone-marrow-derived microglia in Alzheimer’s disease (AD). “After working more than 30 years in immunotherapy, I decided to totally change the subject of the work,” Solomon told the audience.