The intended use of gene editing tools on pre-implantation human embryos would be to avoid the development of congenital diseases in the upcoming baby. But it may have its own risks. Those risks were illustrated in a publication in the March 7, 2023, issue of Nature Communications, where researchers from the Center for Embryonic Cell and Gene Therapy, Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) showed that the method that is most frequently used for evaluating the effects of gene editing zygotes did not always result in an accurate picture of those edits. Read More
A deficiency in fumarate metabolism could be behind a new mechanism of inflammation mediated by mitochondrial DNA and RNA. Two independent and simultaneous studies described how the accumulation of fumarate in the mitochondria released the genetic material of this organelle through vesicles, activating an inflammatory signaling pathway. Read More
Researchers from Wenzhou Medical University and affiliated organizations presented the discovery of novel anti-inflammatory agents. Synthesis and optimization of a series of 4-oxo-N-phenyl-1,4-dihydroquinoline-3-carboxamide derivatives led to the identification of compound [I] as the lead, as it exhibited the best inhibitory effect in vitro. More specifically, [I] demonstrated the strongest inhibitory effect on LPS-induced TNF-α (82.58%) and IL-6 (75.05%) expression, while exhibiting no cytotoxicity at 10 μM in J774A.1 macrophages. Read More
Molecular Templates Inc. has received IND clearance from the FDA for its novel MT-8421 engineered toxin bodies (ETB) program targeting cytotoxic T-lymphocyte protein 4 (CTLA-4) in patients with relapsed/refractory solid tumors previously exposed to checkpoint inhibitors. MT-8421 is designed to eliminate CTLA-4-expressing regulatory T cells (Tregs) in the tumor microenvironment (TME) through a direct cell-kill mechanism independent of the effector cell presence that antibodies rely upon while not affecting Tregs in the periphery. Read More
Homozygous familial hypercholesterolemia (HoFH) is a severe rare life-threatening condition where high blood levels (>500 mg/dL) of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), triglycerides (TG), and premature and progressive atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) are the main features. Read More
Researchers from Onxeo SA presented preclinical data for OX-425, a first-in-class oligodeoxynucleotide that operates as a poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase 1 (PARP-1) decoy, and which is being developed as anticancer agent. Read More
Researchers from IrsiCaixa Institute for AIDS Research presented data from a study that aimed to identify biomarkers associated with virus control during monitored antiretroviral pause (MAP) in patients with HIV. Read More
Reduction of renal tubular cell polynucleotide phosphorylase (PNPT1) expression has been linked to renal tubular atrophy in chronic kidney disease, according to a new study. The research, published in Nature Communications, found that renal tubular cell PNPT1 reduction causes renal tubular atrophy by inhibiting protein synthesis. Read More
Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Tongji Hospital have disclosed sulfonylurea compounds acting as bifunctional epoxide hydrolase 2 (EPHX2; sEH) inhibitors reported to be useful for the treatment of heart failure. Read More
The mechanisms behind the mortality associated with early antiretroviral therapy (ART) treatment in children infected perinatally with HIV are poorly understood. Researchers sought to find potential biomarkers associated with the increased mortality. They created three groups of subjects: deceased (dead HIV+, n=20), nondeceased HIV+ (HIV+, n=59) and healthy controls (n=13). Read More
Researchers from Case Western Reserve University presented data from a study that aimed to investigate gut integrity, oxidized lipids and inflammatory markers associated with the pathogenesis of post-acute sequelae of COVID-19 (PASC). Read More
