Computational pathology, which assesses molecular-level features of diseases directly from tissue images (rather than testing the tissue via methods such as staining or sequencing) is making rapid strides.

Targeting rare cardiomyopathy conditions with no approved disease-modifying therapies, Atrium Therapeutics Inc. started operations in San Diego, assuming the public listing and technology once held by Avidity Biosciences Inc., an RNA company acquired by Novartis AG for about $12 billion. Novartis closed the M&A, announced last October, as Atrium unveiled its pipeline and a $270 million cash position.

Researchers from Sutro Biopharma Inc. presented data on dual-payload antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) engineered to overcome drug resistance, demonstrating enhanced cytotoxicity and potential efficacy in resistant cancer models.

Mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase kinase kinase 1 (HPK1) is a serine/threonine protein kinase that is expressed in the hematopoietic compartment, exerting regulatory functions in myeloid and innate immune cells. It has been associated with decreased T-cell activation and proliferation.