Cancer both imitates and hijacks the nervous system, to the extent that some researchers consider tumor-neuronal interactions a new hallmark of cancer. Unsurprisingly, the parallels are particularly strong in brain cancers. Glioblastomas form electrically interconnected networks, similar to neuronal-glial gap junctions, that help them grow. Now, researchers have identified key players in these networks, as well as ways to target them and possibly take down the networks. Read More
Researchers in Japan may have found a way to repair cardiac damage in patients suffering from chronic heart attack and heart failure by reprogramming cardiac fibroblasts (CFs) to cardiomyocytes (CMs) in a mouse model of chronic myocardial infarction (MI). Published online Dec. 12, 2022, in Circulation, the study showed that by tweaking the expression of a few key genes, researchers could reverse the lasting damage caused by heart attacks. Read More
Innocure Therapeutics Inc. has synthesized piperidinedione derivatives acting as proteolysis targeting chimeric (PROTACs) compounds comprising an E3 ubiquitin ligase cereblon (CRBN) binding moiety covalently linked to hepatocyte growth factor receptor (HGFR; MET; c-MET)-targeting moiety via linker reported to be useful for the treatment of cancer. Read More
Cyclin-dependent kinase 4 (CDK4) and CDK6 inhibitors, in combination with letrozole or fulvestrant, have been approved for treating hormone receptor-positive breast cancer. Even though the therapy shows benefits in some patients, resistance develops in other treated patients. Read More
The FDA has cleared an IND for a clinical trial in the U.S. of NBL-020, a fully human antibody drug independently developed by CSPC Pharmaceutical Group Ltd.'s subsidiary Novarock Biotherapeutics Ltd., for the treatment of advanced solid tumors. Read More
Jiangsu Hengrui Medicine Co. Ltd. and Shanghai Hengrui Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd. have identified nitrogen-containing heterocyclic compounds acting as poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase 1 (PARP-1; ARTD1) inhibitors reported to be useful for the treatment of cancer. Read More
Elpiscience Biopharmaceuticals Inc. has announced Center of Drug Evaluation (CDE) clearance of its IND application for ES-014 for a phase I study in patients with advanced solid tumors. Read More
Affimed NV has received clearance of a clinical trial application (CTA) by the French National Agency for the Safety of Medicines and Health Products (ANSM) for a phase I study of AFM-28 (AFM28-101) in CD123-positive relapsed or refractory acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Read More
Insitu Biologics Inc. has entered into an agreement with the Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research to further develop its prolonged-release drug delivery technology for cancer therapeutics. Read More
