Synthesis and optimization of a series of 1H-pyrazolo[4,3d]pyrimidine molecules at Bristol Myers Squibb Co. led to the identification of compound [I] as the lead Toll-like receptor 7 (TLR7) agonist, with EC50 values of 21 and 94 nM for human and mouse TLR7, respectively.

Interleukin-17A (IL-17A) is a pro-inflammatory cytokine involved in the pathogenesis of inflammatory, immune-mediated diseases such as psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis and others.

Apolipoprotein C3 (APOC3) is one of the main regulators of triglyceride metabolism. Hypertriglyceridemia (HTG) is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease and there is evidence that loss-of-function mutations in APOC3 correlate with decreased plasma triglyceride levels and subsequent reduced cardiometabolic dysfunction.

Longaevus Technologies Ltd. has announced the spin-off of Elastin Biosciences following breakthrough preclinical results of three of its assets. Elastin Biosciences has successfully conducted experiments and identified three novel drug combinations that inhibit elastin degradation and foster its deposition, leading to an increase in elastin expression by 5-fold, and improving aortic elasticity in aged mice in vivo.

Boston Immune Technologies and Therapeutics Inc. (BITT) has been awarded funding by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to support the preclinical development of BITT-101, its CD40 antagonist antibody for treating Sjögren’s syndrome. The award will help support steps toward an IND filing next year.

A Spanish study led by scientists from the Cajal Institute and the National Center of Oncological Research (CNIO) combined the power of artificial neural networks and biological neuronal circuits to identify abnormal brain activity produced by secondary metastases in the CNS and classify these tumors. The work, published online on Aug. 30, 2023, in Cancer Cell, showed how damage in the brain did not depend on the tumor size but on the effect it produced on neuronal circuits, interrupting cell communication.