Stimulating the body’s immune defenses against a tumor can reduce or eliminate it. However, in cancer immunotherapy, when immune checkpoint inhibitors unleash the immune system, severe autoimmunity can result. A hematological technique, extracorporeal photopheresis (ECP), could offer a solution. It reduces the therapy-induced inflammation without altering antitumor immunity. According to scientists at the Universities of Basel and Freiburg, the key lies in adiponectin, a hormone produced by fatty tissue. Read More
The scientific establishment has launched a fight back against the Trump administration and the slew of executive orders that threaten to dismantle research funding, with a warning that the next month could be critical for the future of U.S. science. Read More
Bambusa Therapeutics Inc. has completed an oversubscribed series A financing of approximately $90 million to support its lead programs through phase I trials and advance its pipeline of long-acting bispecific antibodies for immunological and inflammatory disorders. Read More
Researchers from Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, The University of Melbourne and affiliated organizations presented the development of a new reporter mouse model designed to study the role of MDM2 and its transcriptional regulation in p53-mediated tumor suppression. Read More
Glenmark Pharmaceuticals Ltd. has described proteolysis targeting chimera (PROTAC) compounds comprising an E3 ubiquitin ligase binding moiety covalently linked to an interleukin-1 receptor-associated kinase 3 (IRAK-3; IRAK-M) targeting moiety via linker reported to be useful for the treatment of cancer. Read More
In autoimmune diseases such as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), the function of regulatory CD8 T cells (CD8 Treg) is compromised, in part due to the expression of inhibitory KIR receptors (KIR2DL1/2/3) and insufficient inducible T-cell co-stimulator (ICOS) signaling. Mozart Therapeutics Inc. has discovered MTX-201, a new bispecific antibody targeting inhibitory KIR and ICOS that are co-expressed by CD8 Tregs. Read More
Glucocorticoid-induced tumor necrosis factor receptor (GITR) and its ligand, GITRL, are involved in immune response regulation. GITR is mainly expressed in activated T cells while GITRL is primarily found in antigen-presenting cells. Read More
Fudan University has disclosed phosphatidylcholine:ceramide cholinephosphotransferase 2 (SGMS2; SMS2) inhibitors reported to be useful for the treatment of cancer, atherosclerosis, dry eye, pulmonary edema, fatty liver, obesity, type 2 diabetes and Alzheimer’s disease. Read More
2A Biosciences Inc. has synthesized tryptamine derivatives acting as 5-HT2A receptor agonists reported to be useful for the treatment of psychiatric, neurodegenerative, neurodevelopmental, inflammatory and eye disorders. Read More
Researchers from Shanxi Medical University, Nanjing Agricultural University and China Pharmaceutical University, have detailed the discovery and preclinical characterization of antibiotic candidates against multidrug-resistant gram-positive pathogens. Read More
Bial-Portela & Ca SA has identified orexin OX1 receptor antagonists reported to be useful for the treatment of cognitive, sleep, anxiety and eating disorders, depression, obesity, schizophrenia, substance abuse and dependence, among others. Read More
The tumor microenvironment plays a crucial role in the resistance of solid tumors to immunotherapy. In particular, fibroblast activation protein (FAP)-expressing cancer-associated fibroblasts have been shown to contribute to immune evasion. Read More
