Gut bacteria used liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) to organize themselves into condensates, which allowed them to adapt to nutrient deprivation, enabling them to colonize the gut. In experiments reported in the March 17, 2023, issue of Science, investigators showed that a mutant of the beneficial gut bacterium Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron was “highly defective in competitiveness, in its ability to colonize the mammalian gut,” senior author Eduardo Groisman told BioWorld. “Our paper provides the first example in which [LLPS] matters in bacterial host interactions.” Read More
For COVID-19, the limited durability of vaccines requires multiple injections, and their effectiveness is continuously challenged by emerging new spike variants of the virus. The SARS-CoV-2 main protease Mpro plays a role in major polyprotein processing events and is essential for viral replication. Read More
Lift Biosciences Ltd. has released preclinical data demonstrating that its immunomodulatory alpha neutrophil product (IMANp) possesses both cytotoxic and immunomodulatory functionalities that could signal its potential to cure solid tumors. IMANp is generated from the hematopoietic stem cells of donors with exceptional anticancer innate immunity. Read More
Nurexone Biologic Inc. has released further results from a preclinical study of Exopten demonstrating effective treatment of 75% of paralyzed rats suffering from spinal cord injuries. Read More
CSPC Megalith Biopharmaceutical Co. Ltd. has disclosed antibody-drug conjugates comprising a humanized monoclonal antibody targeting nectin-4 covalently linked to cytotoxic agents through a linker. They are reported to be useful for the treatment of cancer. Read More
Gilead Sciences Inc. has exercised its option to exclusively license Nurix Therapeutics Inc.'s investigational targeted protein degrader molecule NX-0479, now designated GS-6791. This bivalent degrader is the first development candidate resulting from the companies' collaboration to discover, develop and commercialize up to five innovative targeted protein degradation therapies. Read More
Charm Therapeutics Ltd. has entered into a strategic discovery collaboration with Bristol Myers Squibb Co. for the identification and optimization of compounds against Bristol Myers Squibb's selected targets. Read More
Fibrogen Inc. has synthesized inhibitors of lysine-specific demethylase 5 (KDM5), particularly KDM5B (JARID1B), reported to be useful for the treatment of cancer, anxiety disorder, schizophrenia, viral infection, bipolar disorder, autism, Alzheimer's and Huntington's diseases, among others. Read More
Artivila Therapeutics (Shenzhen) Co. Ltd. has identified NAD(+) hydrolase SARM1 (SAMD2; MyD88-5) inhibitors reported to be useful for the treatment of Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases, multiple sclerosis, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and peripheral neuropathy. Read More
Researchers from the University of Utah applied RNASeq analysis for an undiagnosed case of a critically ill newborn with a complex phenotype, with the aim of providing better diagnosis and improving treatment outcomes. Read More
Hangzhou Healzen Therapeutics Co. Ltd. has divulged potassium voltage-gated channel subfamily KQT member 2/3 (KCNQ2/3) activators reported to be useful for the treatment of epilepsy, among others. Read More
Coimmune Inc. has exercised its option to obtain an exclusive license to IL-18 armored chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) technology under a prior agreement with Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK). The company plans to couple the technology with allogeneic cytokine induced killer (CIK) cells to launch the clinical development of CMN-008 (armored CAR-CIK cells), with CD19 as the initial target in B-cell malignancies. Read More
