An international team of researchers has created two bat stem cell lines that reveal an unusual number of viral sequences in bat cells compared with those of other mammals. Writing in an article posted online Feb. 21, 2023, in Cell, the scientists suggested that the unusual amount of viral genetic material found in the bat stem cells could explain why these mammals are largely unaffected by most viral infections, despite being able to transmit them. Read More
Researchers from the Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Oncológicas aimed to identify pathways that contribute to the metabolic reprogramming ability of cancer cells upon resistance to ataxia-telangiectasia-mutated (ATM) inhibition. Metabolism-centered CRISPR screening identified Kelch-like ECH-associated protein 1 (KEAP1), which is an oxidative stress sensor that controls the Nrf2-regulated antioxidant pathway, as a key factor involved in desensitizing cancer cells to ATM inhibition. Read More
Antibodies against tumor necrosis factor (TNF) and IL-6 receptor are the most effective available therapies against rheumatoid arthritis (RA). However, no cure for RA exists. In work published in Science Translational Medicine, scientists from Sanofi R&D (Sanofi SA) investigated whether dual inhibition of TNF and IL-6 could improve the therapeutic efficacy against RA. Read More
NRG Therapeutics Ltd. has been awarded a second US$500,000 grant from The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research (MJFF), to support its lead drug discovery program and the development of a novel treatment for Parkinson's disease. Read More
Recent findings unveiled that high serum levels of the molecular marker microRNA 371 correlate with the clinical stage and metastasis of seminomas (tumor of the testis germ cells) and nonseminomas. The expression of miR-371a-3p was evaluated in a cohort of patients with stage IIA/B seminoma and nonseminoma. Expression of miR-371a-3p was found to be positive in all 12 metastatic patients with seminoma or nonseminoma and was negative in 3 out of 4 nonmetastatic cases. Read More
The success of the treosulfan-based conditioning regimen in patients with β-thalassemia undergoing hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) is limited due to several complications, such as mixed chimerism and graft rejection. Researchers previously found that polymorphisms in the NQO1 or glutathione S-transferase A1 (GSTA1) genes had an impact on treosulfan pharmacokinetics, which then impacted related toxicities after HCT. Read More
Gate Bioscience Inc. has disclosed protein transport protein Sec61 complex inhibitors reported to be useful for the treatment of cancer, viral infections, malaria, prion infection, light chain amyloidosis, autoimmune diseases and renal and urinary system genetic disorders. Read More
Researchers from the University of Antwerp reported the characterization of a novel clinically relevant mouse model of DFNA9 (deafness, autosomal dominant 9), an autosomal dominant inherited disorder characterized by vestibular dysfunction and adult-onset progressive hearing loss caused by different heterozygous mutations in the COCH gene. Read More
PTC Therapeutics Inc. has synthesized heteroaryl compounds acting as huntingtin (HTT) (mutant) expression inhibitors reported to be useful for the treatment of Huntington's disease. Read More
Protego Biopharma Inc. has identified prodrugs of transthyretin (TTR; PALB) stabilizers acting as TTR aggregation and/or amyloid formation inhibitors reported to be useful for the treatment of familial amyloid polyneuropathy and familial amyloid cardiomyopathy. Read More
In cancer cells that aberrantly express cystine transporter solute carrier family 7 member 11 (SLC7A11), high rates of cystine uptake and cystine reduction to cysteine occur. When combined with glucose starvation, this results in a massive accumulation of intracellular disulfide molecules and rapid cell death. However, the mechanisms underlying this type of cell death remain unclear. Read More
Nura Bio Inc. has divulged NAD(+) hydrolase SARM1 (SAMD2; MyD88-5) inhibitors reported to be useful for the treatment of neurological disorders. Read More
Diffuse large B-cell lymphomas (DLBCL) with mutations in B-cell translocation gene 1 (BTG1) present poor outcomes and extensive dissemination. Missense mutations of BTG1 are specific to germinal center-derived B cell lymphomas, which suggests an oncogenic function that depends on the specific cellular context. In a recent study published in Science, researchers from Weill Cornell Medicine and collaborators investigated how BTG1 mutations further contribute to the pathogenesis of these tumors. Read More
