A combination of radiation therapy and CD47 blockade induced an abscopal effect in animal studies even in animals that lacked T cells, researchers reported in the Nov. 21, 2022, online issue of Nature Cancer. The findings are “the first demonstration of T-cell-independent abscopal response,” co-corresponding author Edward Graves told BioWorld. “We’re not trying to say that all abscopal responses are macrophage-mediated. There are plenty that require T cells,” Graves clarified. But “there is another avenue of abscopal responses that has not been reported. ... All the abscopal literature is about stimulating an adaptive response.” Read More

Heat-shock protein 90 (HSP90) is known to be a key member of the epichaperome complex that is involved in the maintenance of protein homeostasis during stressful and nonstress conditions, and known to be overexpressed in glioma tumors, conferring cancer cells survival and resistance to therapy. In this study, researchers at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center investigated the activity and toxicity profile of MPT-0B640, an HSP90 inhibitor, for treating gliomas and its ability to cross the blood-brain barrier (BBB) using glioma stem-like cell (GSC) lines. Read More

Hyloris Pharmaceuticals SA has announced the development of HY-083, a new proprietary intranasal formulation of a TRPV1 agonist to treat idiopathic rhinitis. Hyloris' treatment approach is to activate and depolarize TRPV1 receptors leading to restoration of a normal function of the nasal mucosa. Read More

Researchers presented data from a study that aimed to assess the repair potential of acute intermittent hypoxia (AIH) treatment for compression injuries. Read More

Immunocytokines (ICs) engage multiple mechanisms of action by the use of antibodies to deliver cytokine payloads to the surface of the same immune cell, known as cis-signaling. Researchers from Bright Peak Therapeutics AG have developed ICs by using a novel approach based on site-specific chemical conjugation of engineered cytokines to existing nonmodified antibodies. Read More

Researchers from Elpiscience Biopharma Ltd. have reported the construction of a PD-L1/SIRPα bispecific macrophage engager (BiME), ES-019. A panel of anti-PD-L1/SIRPα antibodies based on single domain antibody was generated, with the candidates containing different orientations, ratios and IgG isotypes of anti-PD-L1 arm and anti-SIRPα arm. Read More

Sitryx Therapeutics Ltd. has disclosed 2-methylene-4-oxo-butanoic acid derivative compounds acting as nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (NFE2-related factor 2; NFE2L2; NRF2) activators reported to be useful for the treatment of inflammatory disorders. Read More

Viva Star Biosciences Ltd. has synthesized lysophosphatidic acid receptor 1 (LPAR1; EDG2) antagonists reported to be useful for the treatment of fibrosis, chronic kidney disease, diabetic nephropathy, nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), systemic scleroderma (systemic sclerosis) and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. Read More

Subpopulation of senescent-like cells are known contributors to acquiring drug resistance in cancer. Potential therapies are increasingly being developed with designs to reduce the proportion of slowly dividing cells rather than to kill hyperproliferative cells. Insufficient RNA-binding protein HuR/ELAVL1 levels are known to cause cell senescence, while increased HuR is associated with proliferation. Read More

Sichuan Haisco Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd. has identified proteolysis targeting chimera (PROTAC) compounds comprising an E3 ubiquitin ligase binding moiety covalently bonded to an EGFR (HER1; erbB1) targeting moiety through a linker reported to be useful for the treatment of non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Read More

Shanghai Xucheng Pharmatech Co. Ltd. has divulged retinoid acid receptor γ (RARγ) agonists reported to be useful for the treatment of acne, psoriasis, ichthyosis, keratosis, skin hyperpigmentation and dry eye. Read More

The liver X receptor (LXR) is a nuclear hormone receptor that is one of the most important regulators of cholesterol homeostasis and plays a key role in triglyceride (TG) regulation. Researchers from Orsobio Inc. and Phenex Pharmaceuticals AG have presented preclinical data on TLC-2716, a potent, small-molecule LXR inverse agonist for the treatment of lipid disorders. Read More

Wigen Biomedicine Technology (Shanghai) Co. Ltd. has described pyrrolopyrimidine derivatives as Wee1-like protein kinase (Wee-1) inhibitors reported to be useful for the treatment of cancer. Read More

Additional early-stage research and drug discovery news in brief, from: Altamira Therapeutics, Lantern Pharma, Marvel Biosciences, Olix Pharmaceuticals. Read More