Heterogeneity, in both tumors and their microenvironment, limits the success of current cancer treatments. But it also provides opportunities. Heterogeneities “are not barriers to therapy, they are vulnerabilities to be exploited,” was how David DeNardo described his take at the 2023 annual meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) on Sunday. Read More
At the ongoing AACR meeting, Amgen Inc. provided details on the discovery and preclinical characterization of AMG-305, a novel dual-targeting bispecific T-cell engager (BiTE) molecule, being developed as a potential new anticancer agent. While BiTE molecules offer a targeted immune therapy approach to treat cancer, on-target toxicity from normal tissue target expression has been a key issue in the development of T-cell engager molecules in solid tumors. Read More
Tumor-associated calcium signal transducer 2 (TROP2) is a promising therapeutic target due to its high expression observed in several solid tumors. Investigators from Jiangsu Hengrui Pharmaceuticals Co. Ltd. have reported preclinical data on the anti-TROP2 antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) SHR-A1921 for the potential treatment of non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Read More
Akthelia Pharmaceuticals ehf and the University of Iceland have announced the successful joint award of a €6 million (US$6.6 million) EU Horizon Grant to fund the IN-ARMOR project that seeks to address antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Read More
Men with advanced prostate cancer only have a 5-year survival rate of 28%, mainly due to resistance to therapy. Enolase-1 (ENO1), also known as α-enolase, is a glycolytic enzyme with promise as a target for treating neuroendocrine prostate cancer (NEPC) and an alternative to prostate-specific member antigen (PSMA) targeting. Read More
Chronic inflammatory and neuropathic pain are among the most common chronic conditions, but their treatment options present significant limitations both in efficacy and safety. Researchers from Purdue University presented data on their work aimed to develop adenyl cyclase type 1 (AC1, ADCY1) inhibitors as a new treatment for chronic pain. Read More
Curasen Therapeutics Inc. has disclosed compounds acting as β-adrenoceptor agonists reported to be useful for the treatment of neurological disorders. Read More
Researchers from Astrazeneca plc described the development and preclinical evaluation of AZD-5335, a novel antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) consisting of folate receptor α (FR-α)-targeting antibody conjugated to a proprietary topoisomerase 1 inhibitor (TOP1i), being developed as a potential new therapeutic against ovarian cancer. Read More
Shionogi & Co. Ltd. has synthesized spiroheterocycle derivatives acting as 5-HT2A and 5-HT2C receptor antagonists and/or inverse agonists reported to be useful for the treatment of neurodegeneration. Read More
Vifor Pharma Ltd. has identified solute carrier family 40 member 1 (SLC40A1; ferroportin) inhibitors reported to be useful for the treatment of iron metabolism disorders, among others. Read More
Expression of the tyrosine-protein phosphatase non-receptor type 22 (PTPN22) is restricted to hematopoietic cells where it serves critical functions in regulating T-cell signaling that have made PTPN22 the focus of potential future cancer immunotherapy. Read More
Research at Enveric Biosciences Canada Inc. has led to the development of aminated psilocybin derivatives acting as 5-HT1A or 5-HT2A receptor modulators and reported to be useful for the treatment of psychiatric disorders. Read More
The Chinese National Institute of Pharmaceutical R&D Co. Ltd. has described sulfonamide compounds acting as tyrosine-protein phosphatase non-receptor type 11 (PTPN11; PTP-2C; SHP-2) inhibitors reported to be useful for the treatment of diabetes, obesity, cancer, Noonan and LEOPARD syndromes. Read More
Among over 100 members of the PTP family, protein-tyrosine phosphatase 1B (PTP-1B) and T-cell protein-tyrosine phosphatase (PTPN2, TCPTP) have the most closely related homology (72%), sharing identical catalytic subunits. Significantly, together they serve nonredundant functions suppressing CD8+ T-cell activation and negatively impacting on tumor cells antigen presentation. Agents that can simultaneously target both PTP-1B and TCPTP have the potential to provide therapeutic benefits in the context of cancer and/or diabetes by increasing T-cell activation and reversing suppression of tumor cell MHC1 expression. Read More
Additional early-stage research and drug discovery news in brief, from: Bioaegis Therapeutics, Evaxion Biotech, Jubilant Therapeutics, Sana Biotechnology. Read More
