Despite the availability of advanced therapeutic options, about 40%-50% of patients with hidradenitis suppurativa do not achieve significant improvement in disease activity, thus there is a need for novel medications.
Toll-like receptors (TLRs) are important regulators of immune responses upon recognition of pathogens or endogenous molecules released from damaged tissues. Among them, the endosomal TLRs TLR7 and TLR8 recognize single-stranded RNAs and share a similar structure and function.
Myopia is a refractive disorder caused by excessive axial elongation, leading to blurred distance vision. Its development involves genetic, environmental and molecular factors, including retinal N6-methyladenosine (m6A) RNA modification.
Delonix Bioworks Ltd. has obtained IND clearance from China’s National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) for its group B meningococcal (MenB) vaccine candidate, DX-104. This follows the successful completion last month of clinical trial notification (CTN) procedures and ethics committee approval in Australia.
Beijing Innocare Pharma Tech Co. Ltd. has gained IND clearance in China to conduct clinical trials of ICP-538, an orally administered molecular glue degrader targeting VAV1, which is a key protein downstream of T-cell and B-cell receptors. ICP-538 is being studied for the treatment of autoimmune diseases, such as inflammatory bowel disease, systemic lupus erythematosus and multiple sclerosis.
Vesalic has characterized a systemic metabolic dysfunction that creates a toxic exosome cargo in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) patients, which is carried to the CNS, where it binds to and damages neurons, yielding a novel druggable target against the disease.
TMEM97 regulates microglial activation and neuronal stress pathways linked to neuropathic pain and neuroinflammation in multiple sclerosis (MS). Pharmacological targeting of TMEM97 has shown neuroprotective effects in models of traumatic brain injury, Huntington’s disease and retinal ganglion cell degeneration, and may reduce pain while preserving neuronal function.
The neural and neuroimmune mechanisms behind myocardial infarction-triggered cardiac events, immune responses and activation of the nervous system remain largely unexplored. The heart and the brain talk to each other in what is known as cardioception. This communication between the two organs is orchestrated through neurons of the vagus nerve or the dorsal root ganglia, among others. Researchers from the University of California, San Diego have now shown that the dynamics of these interactions may play a crucial role in modulating inflammation, repair and cardiac functioning.
Newco ALTx Therapeutics Ltd. has launched with a £12.55 million (US$17.1 million) seed round to develop inhibitors of the alternative lengthening of telomeres (ALT) pathway, by which 10% to 15% of cancers become immortal.
Shenzhen Salubris Pharmaceuticals Co. Ltd. has discovered new proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin-type 9 (PCSK9) and 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase dual inhibitors. They are described as potentially useful for the treatment of hypercholesterolemia.