Research led by investigators at Ghent University in Belgium showed dysregulation of the complement part of the immune system, regulated by the pro-inflammatory protein interleukin (IL)-6, is a key driver of severe COVID-19 and a good target for drugs to treat the effects of the disease. Writing in the Aug. 23, 2023, issue of Science Translational Medicine, the researchers also described a cellular map of the alterations seen in the complement system during COVID-19 related respiratory deterioration for use in future research. Read More

Adaptative immune response mediated by NKG2D receptor and its ligand NKG2DL could be the clue for CD8-expressing “killer” T cells to kill tumors lacking the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I, according to a group of researchers at Duke University. Read More

Abata Therapeutics Inc. has announced its second development candidate, ABA-201, which has the potential to be a disease-modifying Treg cell therapy for patients with type 1 diabetes who have remaining β cell function. Abata expects to begin clinical studies in 2025. Read More

New treatment options are needed for the prevention of relapse to alcohol use, the major problem in the treatment of alcohol dependence in humans. The neuropeptide relaxin-3/RXFP3 plays a relevant role in the motivation for the reward process and is considered a possible therapeutic target in addictive behaviors. Read More

Jiangsu Hengrui Medicine Co. Ltd. and Shanghai Hengrui Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd. have disclosed fused heterocyclic compounds acting as receptor-interacting serine/threonine-protein kinase 1 (RIPK1; RIP-1) inhibitors reported to be useful for the treatment of cancer, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and inflammatory disorders, among others. Read More

Xnk Therapeutics AB has entered into a research collaboration with the Karolinska University Hospital to evaluate the suitability of the company's preclinical autologous natural killer (NK) cell therapy candidate XNK-02 as a novel therapy for treatment of acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Read More

Ferronova Pty Ltd. has signed a licensing agreement with the Purdue Research Foundation (PRF) for the application of PRF's fibroblast activation protein (FAP) inhibitor in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and MRI-guided therapies. Read More

Xinthera Inc. has synthesized poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase 1 (PARP-1; ARTD1) inhibitors reported to be useful for the treatment of brain cancer. Read More

Vivace Therapeutics Inc. has identified transcriptional coactivator YAP1/transcriptional enhancer factor (TEAD) interaction inhibitors reported to be useful for the treatment of cancer, polycystic kidney and hepatic fibrosis. Read More

Obesity is known to be associated with metabolic and cardiovascular disorders such as insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes, hypertension, or heart failure, all presenting a chronic low-grade inflammatory component. The activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome pathway appears to be linked to the development of cardio-metabolic diseases. Read More

Researchers at F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd. and Hoffmann-La Roche Inc. have divulged monoglyceride lipase (MGLL; MAGL) inhibitors reported to be useful for the treatment of cancer, inflammatory bowel disease, neurodegeneration, neuroinflammation, pain and psychiatric disorders. Read More

Eli Lilly & Co. has described pyrrolidine compounds targeting apolipoprotein(a) (Apo[a]) and acting as lipoprotein(a)-lowering agents reported to be useful for the treatment of cardiovascular disorders. Read More

Peptigrowth Inc. and Orizuru Therapeutics Inc. have entered into a joint development agreement to create a novel synthetic peptide that will replace a recombinant growth factor used in the manufacturing of a regenerative medicine product being developed by Orizuru. Read More