In mammals, the disruptor of telomeric silencing 1-like (DOT1L) is the only methyltransferase that catalyzes the mono-, di- and tri-methylation of histone H3 at lysine 79 (H3K79). The DOT1L/H3K79me is involved in several relevant physiological and pathological mechanisms, including several viral infections.
Azitra Inc. has obtained IND clearance from the FDA for a first-in-human phase I/II study of ATR-04 for moderate to severe EGFR inhibitor-associated dermal toxicity. The study is expected to begin by year-end.
IGC Pharma Inc. has reported preclinical research demonstrating the therapeutic potential of IGC-1C, a cyclic dipeptide-based small-molecule modulator, in neurodegenerative disease due to its modulation of tau protein, which is involved in the formation of neurofibrillary tangles, a key hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease.
Simcere Zaiming Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd. has obtained clinical trial approval from China’s National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) for SIM-0508, a small-molecule inhibitor of DNA polymerase θ (POLθ), allowing initiation of clinical trials in locally advanced or metastatic solid tumors.
At the recently concluded ACS Fall meeting, Bristol Myers Squibb Co. reported the discovery of potent orally bioavailable B-cell lymphoma 6 protein (BCL6) ligand-directed degraders (LDDs).
The activation of hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) is a key process in the pathogenesis of liver fibrosis, but the molecular mechanisms behind it are not fully understood. By combining the analysis of differentially expressed gene screening of HSC transcriptome and weighted gene coexpression network analysis of liver tissue, researchers searched for transcription factors involved in liver fibrosis.
Ractigen Therapeutics Co. Ltd.’s small activating RNA (saRNA) therapeutic, RAG-18, has been awarded U.S. orphan drug designation for the treatment of Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) and Becker muscular dystrophy.
The efficacy of seasonal flu vaccines varies due to the ability of the influenza virus to mutate rapidly. The achievement of a universal flu vaccine conferring protection against all strains, including those with pandemic potential, for longer than a single season would provide a great benefit and has not yet been achieved.
Researchers at the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research (WEHI) in Melbourne have discovered new cells that drive the aging process in the thymus that could unlock a way to restore function and prevent immunity from waning as we age. The thymus is the first organ in the body to shrink as people age. As this happens, the T-cell growth areas in the thymus are replaced with fatty tissue, diminishing T-cell production and contributing to a weakened immune system.