Protein quality control research is “almost exclusively focused on heat shock proteins, which are ubiquitously present” up and down the evolutionary chain, Xiaolu Yang told BioWorld. But “for more sophisticated organisms, which we humans like to think we are, it’s a little odd that we still use the system that bacteria started with…. It seems like we should have something more. The TRIM system,” he added, “fills that gap.”

TRIMs or tripartite motif proteins are a group of quality control proteins that are found only in animals. One of their functions is to add ubiquitin tags to proteins, marking them for transport to the proteasome system. TRIMs are part of the innate antiviral defense system. But in the July 27, 2023, issue of Science, Yang, who is a professor of cancer biology in the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, and his colleagues reported that TRIM11 interacts with tau protein in multiple ways that were beneficial in preventing tauopathies. Read More

The non-receptor tyrosine kinase (TK) Src is the first oncogene ever identified. In tumors, Src hyperactivation is usually linked to the aberrant activation of upstream receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs). In previous work, researchers from IRCCS-Fondazione Santa Lucia and collaborators developed a library of pyrazolo[3,4-d]pyrimidines inhibiting Src and other cytoplasmic TKs. Several compounds showed in vitro and in vivo activity in tumor models characterized by a deregulation of those kinases, such as osteosarcoma, neuroblastoma and glioblastoma. Read More

Alexion, Astrazeneca Rare Disease, part of Astrazeneca plc, has entered a definitive purchase and license agreement for a portfolio of preclinical gene therapy programs and enabling technologies from Pfizer Inc. Read More

858 Therapeutics Inc. has patented a series of 6,6-fused heterocyclic compounds acting as N6-adenosine-methyltransferase catalytic subunit (METTL3) inhibitors reported to be useful for the treatment of acute myeloid leukemia. Read More

Researchers from Universita degli Studi di Pavia and affiliated organizations have presented the discovery of a novel sigma-1 receptor (S1R) antagonist, RC-752, being developed as an antinociceptive agent for the treatment of neuropathic pain. Read More

Research at Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology (KRICT) has led to the identification of pyrazolopyrimidine-containing compounds acting as dual specificity protein kinase TTK (MPS1; MPS1L1) inhibitors and reported to be useful for the treatment of cancer. Read More

Suzhou Ark Biopharmaceutical Co. Ltd. researchers have prepared and tested heteroaromatic bicyclic compounds reported to be useful for the treatment of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection. Read More

Researchers from OSE Immunotherapeutics SA have published preclinical data for the novel anti-ChemR23 monoclonal antibody (MAb) (OSE-230) with anti-inflammatory properties, being evaluated for the potential treatment of cancer. Read More

Haisco Pharmaceutical Group Co. Ltd. has described propionic acid derivatives acting as integrin α4β7 (LPAM-1) antagonists reported to be useful for the treatment of inflammatory disorders. Read More

Indazole compounds acting as microsomal prostaglandin E2 synthase-1 (mPGES-1) inhibitors have been described in a recent Nippon Shinyaku Co. Ltd. patent as potentially useful for the treatment of irritable bowel syndrome, psoriasis, arthritis, bacterial infection, systemic lupus erythematosus, pancreatitis, asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, among others. Read More

Sarcopenia is the loss of muscle mass typically in the elderly that ultimately reduces mobility, diminishes quality of life, and can cause potential fall-related injuries that can become serious. While exercise is an appropriate approach, unfortunately patients with underlying health conditions and low motivation are unlikely to adhere to regimented muscle training. Moreover, there are no available effective cures for addressing age-related muscle loss. Still, it is possible that a failure to repair muscle after injury may be a major contributor to muscle mass loss in the aged that can be addressed by using muscle stem cells. Read More