Immunotherapy, a treatment that increases the survival of cancer patients to the point of remission of the disease, can also have the opposite effect. In some patients, immune checkpoint blockade accelerates cancer. Now, researchers at the University of Michigan Medical School have discovered that the answer to this hyperprogressive disease (HPD) lies in the interconnection of the molecular pathways of interferon signaling (IFNγ), fibroblast growth factor 2 (FGF2) and the β-catenin protein. Read More
Pancreatic cancer is an exceptionally lethal cancer that is notoriously treatment resistant, in part due to poor vascularization in the tumor microenvironment. Investigators working at the Moores Cancer Center at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD), reported in the Jan. 16, 2023, issue of Nature Cell Biology on the discovery of a pathway that was initiated by isolation stresses (e.g., hypoxia, nutrient deprivation, and/or lack of extracellular matrix, ECM) leading to this cellular transformation in the tumor-initiating pancreatic cancer cell. Read More
Scientists based at Beijing Institute of Radiation Medicine have reported preclinical evaluation of a novel recombinant activated human factor VII (rFVIIa), GEN-0828, being developed as potential candidate for the treatment of hemophilia and trauma hemorrhage. GEN-0828 is rFVIIa that was mainly produced from Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells. Read More
Traumatic optic neuropathy (TON) is a serious complication combining craniocerebral, orbital and facial injuries. While there is currently no reliable animal model of this condition, it has been previously demonstrated that TON can cause the loss of retinal ganglion cells (RGC). In the current study, researchers from Shanghai Jiaotong University developed a novel mouse model of distal TON, with the aim of assessing the cascade reactions of RGCs in this disease. Read More
Hangzhou Zhongmei Huadong Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd. has patented glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor (GLP1R) agonists reported to be useful for the treatment of diabetic nephropathy, diabetic neuropathy, diabetic retinopathy, obesity, glucose intolerance, dyslipidemia, hyperinsulinemia and insulin resistance. Read More
Major histocompatibility complex class I (MHC-I) gene promoters are bivalently modified during development, which can be exploited in cancer cells to silence MHC-I expression and evade CD8+ T cells; in cells that exhibit bivalent modification of MHC-I genes, lower levels of cell surface MHC-I can be induced either by PRC2 inhibition or exposing the cells to interferon γ (IFNγ) in conjunction with polycomb inhibition to allow a permissive chromatin status. Read More
Fochon Biosciences Ltd. has disclosed mitogen-activated protein kinase (ERK) inhibitors, particularly ERK1 and/or ERK2 reported to be useful for the treatment of cancer. Read More
National Institute of Pharmaceutical R&D Co. Ltd. has discovered compounds with ability to capture reactive carbonyl species reported to be useful for the treatment of eye disorders, among others. Read More
Immunos Therapeutics AG has received full ethical institutional approval from the Human Research Ethics Committee (HREC) and regulatory approval from the Australian Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) to conduct a phase I trial of its lead program IOS-1002 in Australia. Read More
Shanghai Qilu Pharmaceutical Research and Development Centre Ltd. has presented HBeAg (hepatitis B virus; HBV) and/or HBsAg (HBV) secretion inhibitors reported to be useful for the treatment of HBV infections. Read More
Debiopharm International SA has identified enoyl-(acyl-carrier protein) reductase FabI (Acinetobacter baumannii) inhibitors reported to be useful for the treatment of bacterial infections and hospital-acquired pneumonia. Read More
Malformations of cortical development (MCD) are a group of neurodevelopmental disorders characterized by malformation of cortical structures, which often lead to epilepsy, and include cortical dysplasia (FCD), hemimegalencephaly (HME) and tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC). Read More
