A study of more than a thousand tumor samples, led by the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel, gives valuable insight into the different gene expression patterns seen in different cancers. The new findings could help address challenges associated with targeting many types of tumors, which are hard to treat in large part due to the variable nature of their cells and gene expression patterns, by helping to create better targeted therapeutics. Read More
With age, senescent cells become detrimental to tissues. Mayo Clinic scientists have observed this phenomenon in the lung alveoli, where senescent macrophages accumulated in aging tissue and in early stages of non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) driven by the Kras oncogene. “We found that the macrophages were present in the earliest stages of the disease. Strategies targeting these cells for elimination or preventing their accumulation would be worthwhile to test in other conditions (assuming we find they occur),” Darren Baker, a Mayo Clinic senescent cell biologist and senior author of the study, told BioWorld. Read More
α-Synucleinopathies constitute a set of neurological disorders including Parkinson’s disease (PD), dementia with Lewy bodies, multiple systems atrophy (MSA), and other rare disorders. The development of positron emission tomography (PET) tracers for imaging α-synuclein aggregates is essential for performing efficient and accurate diagnosis, tracking disease progression and monitoring efficacy of potential therapies. Read More
Insilico Medicine IP Ltd. has identified small-molecule inhibitors of ubiquitin carboxyl-terminal hydrolase 1 (USP1) reported to be useful for the treatment of cancer. Read More
C4x Discovery Holdings plc has announced further progress in its MALT1 inhibitor program for cancer. Building on anti-cancer activity in a preclinical xenograft study, the company completed a preclinical study demonstrating its MALT1 lead compounds were free of UDP glucuronosyltransferase 1 family, polypeptide A1 (UGT1A1) liability shown by competitor chemistries. The program is continuing to identify a shortlist of preclinical candidates for further development, and a partnering program has been initiated. Read More
Medigene AG has announced its pipeline expansion into neoantigens with KRAS as the first target in its MDG-10xx program, a T-cell receptor engineered T cell (TCR-T) therapy being developed in combination with the company's PD1-41BB switch receptor technology. Read More
Qilu Regor Therapeutics Inc. has divulged protein-arginine deiminase type-4 (PADI4) inhibitors reported to be useful for the treatment of sepsis, cancer, bacterial, viral infections, inflammatory disorders, autoimmune diseases and metabolic diseases. Read More
Bayer AG and Cedilla Therapeutics Inc. have entered into an exclusive license agreement to develop and commercialize Cedilla Therapeutics' cyclinE1/cyclin dependent kinase 2 (CDK2) complex inhibitors, which selectively address oncogenic drivers. Read More
Vanda Pharmaceuticals Inc.'s antisense oligonucleotide (ASO) VCA-894A has been awarded orphan drug designation by the FDA for the treatment of Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease, axonal, type 2S (CMT2S), caused by cryptic splice site variants within IGHMBP2. Read More
Researchers at Abbvie Inc. and Calico Life Sciences LLC have described protein tyrosine phosphatase inhibitors, particularly tyrosine-protein phosphatase non-receptor type 2 (PTPN2; TCPTP) and/or PTPN1 (PTP-1B), reported to be useful for the treatment of non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Read More