Partially blocking a receptor that helps regulate the activity of the inflammatory cytokine molecule interleukin-6 (IL-6) seems to promote tissue regeneration and block degeneration in a model of osteoarthritis. As reported in the March 22, 2023, issue of Science Translational Medicine, the receptor, called glycoprotein 130 (gp130), regulates both positive and negative inflammatory responses that can help regenerate tissue, but also cause degeneration. Read More
RHOJ, a small GTPase, could hold the key to the survival of tumor cells during cancer treatments. When epithelial cells transformed into mesenchymal cells, the Rho-related GTP-binding protein RhoJ regulated their resistance to chemotherapy. The scientists observed this mechanism in mouse models of skin squamous cell carcinoma, but their results could go beyond just one type of cancer. When the team started its experiments, which were published March 23, 2023, in Nature, “I had never heard about RHOJ before,” the lead author Cédric Blanpain told BioWorld. Blanpain is the director of the Laboratory of Stem Cells and Cancer at the Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB). Read More
Calcium-dependent protease calpain-2 (CAPN2) has been previously proposed as a critical effector of axonal degeneration, which is a key early... Read More
Uncontrolled growth, invasion and angiogenesis are malignant characteristics of cancer cells mediated by increased reactive oxygen species... Read More
SBT-272 (Stealth Biotherapeutics Inc.) is a small molecule for treating mitochondrial dysfunction in neurodegenerative disorders, and the function... Read More
Kunshan Xinyunda Biotechnology Co. Ltd. has disclosed antibody-drug conjugates comprising an antibody linked to cytotoxic drug through a linker... Read More
Evaxion Biotech A/S has developed a new proprietary artificial intelligence (AI) platform technology, Observ, to identify a new source of targets for personalized cancer therapy, potentially enabling treatment for patients with cold tumors, normally unresponsive to immunotherapy. Read More
Institute of Rheological Function of Food Co. Ltd. and Kyushu University have synthesized plasmalogen derivatives reported to be useful for the treatment of dementia, Rett syndrome, Parkinson’s disease, depression and schizophrenia. Read More
When tissue injury occurs, stressed cells release a bunch of intracellular molecules called damage-associated molecular pattern (DAMP) proteins. S100 calcium binding protein A9 (S100A9) is a DAMP usually found in macrophages and is involved in multiple inflammatory responses, such as activation of Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4). Read More
Facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD) is a skeletal muscular dystrophy characterized by DNA hypomethylation of D4Z4 repeat units of a macrosatellite array found at the distal end of chromosome region 4q35, which causes a myotoxic expression of DUX4. Researchers from Epic-Bio presented the discovery of EPI-321, a novel gene therapy candidate for the treatment of FSHD. Read More
F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd. and Hoffmann-La Roche Inc. have identified macrocyclic compounds acting as GTPase KRAS (G12C) mutant inhibitors reported to be useful for the treatment of cancer. Read More
Nanjing Zhihe Pharmaceutical Technology Co. Ltd. has divulged cytidine derivatives reported to be useful for the treatment of viral infections. Read More
The AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) is a sensor of metabolic stress and a key mediator in preserving metabolic homeostasis both at the cellular and organism levels. AMPK activation is considered a targetable mechanism for diseases associated with metabolic perturbations, such as diabetes, obesity, fatty liver disease and cancer, among others. However, the regulators of AMPK that antagonize AMPK activators remain unknown, although they are critical to efficiently target AMPK activation for therapeutic purposes. Read More
Northwest Agriculture & Forestry University has described thiazolecarboxamidine compounds acting as NADH-ubiquinone oxidoreductase (complex I) inhibitors reported to be useful for the treatment of cancer. Read More
