In the tumor microenvironment, cancer cells activate various signaling pathways to promote their growth. This includes the formation of blood vessels. However, the circulatory system is not the only one attracted to the tumor. Researchers at Sanford Research have uncovered a mechanism to circumvent the immune response that would destroy them. Read More

Sialic acid-binding immunoglobulin-like lectin 10 (SIGLEC10) is a microglia-specific surface receptor in the central nervous system, whose expression has been increasingly implicated in regulating microglial responses and identified as a genetic driver of amyloid plaque formation during Alzheimer’s disease (AD) progression. Read More

Cadherin 17 (CDH17), a member of the cadherin family protein involved in intestinal development and cell adhesion, is recognized as a potential therapeutic target in gastrointestinal (GI) cancers. Its tumor-specific overexpression and limited presence in normal tissues offer a favorable profile for the development of selective, targeted treatments. Read More

Lysoway Therapeutics Inc. announced that it has received a research grant of $2.93 million from The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research. The funding will support the preclinical development of Lysoway’s highly brain-penetrant small molecule mucolipin TRP Cation channel 1 (MCOLN1/TRPML1) agonist. Read More

A quarterly dynamic table featuring new molecular entities (NMEs) revealed for the first time in current literature, at congresses and in company communications during the quarter. NMEs include compounds chosen for further pharmacological evaluation or as clinical candidates; new leads whose structural optimization could provide new therapeutic agents; new additions to the structural diversity of known mechanistic classes of drugs; and new pharmacological tools for investigating drug targets. Read More

T-cell engagers (TCEs) are a new class of immuno-oncology therapies that have proven effective for the treatment of both solid tumors and hematological malignancies. Among validated targets in this field, claudin 18.2 (CLDN18.2) is one of the most clinically established. Researchers from Astrazeneca plc and collaborators reported the preclinical evaluation of AZD-5863, a bispecific fully human monoclonal antibody targeting claudin CLDN18.2 and CD3. Read More

Scandiedge Therapeutics AB has divulged pyruvate kinase PKLR inhibitors reported to be useful for the treatment of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease and hepatocellular carcinoma. Read More

Glioblastoma, one of the most lethal brain cancers, remains a challenge to treat despite advancements in conventional therapies. Oncolytic virus therapy, which can selectively target and kill tumor cells while stimulating the immune system, has shown promise in clinical trials. Read More

Scientists from Shanghai Zelgen Pharmatech Co. Ltd., Suzhou Zelgen Biosciences Co. Ltd. and Zejing Pharmaceutical (Zhejiang) Co. Ltd. have presented GTPase KRAS (G12D mutant) inhibitors reported to be useful for the treatment of cancer. Read More

Gan & Lee Pharmaceuticals Co. Ltd. has discovered proteolysis targeting chimera (PROTAC) compounds comprising a cereblon (CRBN) binding agent coupled to interleukin-1 receptor-associated kinase 4 (IRAK-4) targeting moiety through a linker acting as IRAK-4 degradation inducers reported to be useful for the treatment of cancer, inflammatory and immunological disorders. Read More

Abnormal tau aggregation is a hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and a major contributor to neurodegeneration, synaptic dysfunction, and progressive functional decline. Antibodies against extracellular tau represent a potential therapeutic approach aimed at reducing pathological spread and delaying the clinical progression of AD. Researchers from Merck & Co., Inc. presented the preclinical development of MK-2214, a murine IgG2a monoclonal antibody that selectively targets the pathological phospho-epitope pSer413 of the tau protein. Read More

Shanghai Ruotuo Biotechnology Co. Ltd. has identified antibody-drug conjugates consisting of antibodies targeting HER2 (erbB2) covalently linked to camptothecin derivatives through a linker reported to be useful for the treatment of cancer. Read More

Alicorn Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd. has synthesized protein arginine N-methyltransferase 5 (PRMT5) inhibitors reported to be useful for the treatment of cancer, genetic disorders, cardiovascular disorders, and inflammation, autoimmune, hematologic, liver and metabolic diseases, among others. Read More

Chronic infection with hepatitis B virus affects around a quarter of a billion people globally, and it can increase risk of cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. Such infection is typically treated with nucleoside analogues, which do not eliminate it entirely. Therefore researchers have been searching for effective vaccines that could work not only in the classical sense of preventing infection from becoming chronic, but also in a therapeutic sense of curing already chronic infection. Read More