Recent studies have identified HAVCR2, which encodes immune checkpoint molecule TIM-3 (T-cell immunoglobulin mucin receptor 3), as a risk gene for late-onset Alzheimer’s disease (AD).
Preclinical data were recently presented for VIO-01 (Valerio Therapeutics SA), a first-in-class pan-DNA damage response (DDR) decoy being developed for the treatment of cancer.
Ono Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd. has entered into a collaboration agreement with Sibylla Biotech SpA to generate novel drug candidates for neurological disorders. Under this collaboration, Sibylla will utilize its proprietary Pharmacological Protein Inactivation by Folding Intermediates Targeting (PPI-FIT) protein degradation technology platform.
Kv1.3 is a voltage-gated potassium channel that plays a crucial role in neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration in Parkinson’s disease and other disorders. Preclinical studies have shown that Kv1.3 inhibition confers neuroprotection against neurodegenerative disorders.
Acetaminophen overdose is still a major cause of liver toxicity (acute liver failure, ALI) in Western countries. It occurs by accumulation of the toxic metabolite NAPQI and the subsequent mitochondrial oxidative stress mediated by pJNK translocation to the mitochondria.
The University of California, Berkeley has announced the launch of the UC Berkeley Molecular Therapeutics Initiative (MTI) designed to accelerate drug discovery. The aim is to bridge fundamental research in rare neurological and metabolic diseases with drug discovery to identify and accelerate novel therapeutic modalities into the clinic.
Retinoids are derivatives of vitamin A that target the retinoid receptors and induce antiproliferative effects and cell death. George Washington University has tested a series of different retinoids, including alitretinoin, tazarotene and AM-80, also known as tamibarotene, for their efficacy against HIV-infected CD4+ T cells regarding their ability to enhance the cytotoxic effect of NK cells.
Mapping brain circuits and studying the neural signals that are activated during post-traumatic stress could provide an answer to the generalized fear associated with this disorder. Scientists at the University of California, San Diego have identified a change in the expression of neurotransmitters as an adaptive response that could trigger this effect.
Xgene Pharmaceutical Pty Ltd., a subsidiary of Xgene Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd., has received approval in Australia to initiate a phase I trial of the selective TRPM8 blocker XG-2002 (RQ-00434739).