Leishmaniasis is a life-threatening parasitic infection and one of the most concerning neglected vector-borne tropical diseases worldwide. Current leishmaniasis chemotherapeuticals are poorly effective and cause significant adverse effects. Metal-containing drugs have been little explored as antibacterial and antiparasitic agents, although some have shown promise against Leishmania.

Ulcerative colitis is a chronic, immune-mediated disorder of the colon and rectum characterized by mucosal inflammation that damages the bowel wall surface. Current therapeutic options include 5-aminosalicylates, corticosteroids or anti-TNF agents, but there is a need for new strategies to obtain higher remission rates and less systemic immunosuppression.

Death receptor 3 (DR3) is the only signaling receptor for TNF superfamily ligand TL1A, the dysregulation of which has been implicated in multiple inflammatory diseases such as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Blockade of TL1A has been shown to induce significant clinical responses in IBD.

Ellipses Pharma Ltd. has agreed to in-license global rights to GENA-104, a first-in-class immuno-oncology monoclonal antibody that targets CNTN4, from Genome & Co. Ltd. Targeting CNTN4 is a new approach that blocks the CNTN4-APP checkpoint interaction on T cells, promoting tumor cell killing, with potential use in cancers that respond poorly to conventional checkpoint inhibitors.

Researchers from the QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute in Queensland, Australia and Emory University have shown that a potential new targeted therapy for childhood brain cancer was effective in infiltrating and killing tumor cells in mouse models.

A large-scale study cross-referencing genomic data from multiple sources with primary care health records has identified genetic overlaps in 72 chronic diseases, opening the way for a more holistic approach to researching, treating and preventing multimorbidity.