Despite having lower smoking habits than other groups in the U.S., Black Americans are more likely to develop lung cancer, and their survival rates are significantly worse. What explains this disparity? Scientists at Vanderbilt University Medical Center have analyzed the genetics of their African ancestry in search of risk genes related to the disease and tobacco use. The results reveal new risk factors and confirm the presence of genetic variants that may contribute to the greater impact of lung cancer in this population. Read More
On Thursday, the Supreme Court handed the Trump administration another significant victory in its attempts to defund NIH-sponsored research. In a 5-4 decision, the justices paused the June 16 order of U.S. District Judge William Young to restore funding for hundreds of canceled NIH research grants focusing on gender and diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI). The funding had first been cut through a series of executive orders shortly after President Donald Trump resumed power in January. Read More
Small-cell lung cancer (SCLC) and some other cancers involve dysregulation of the transcription factor E2F, and apoptosis can be induced in those cells by blocking the interaction of the RxL sequence motif in E2F with cyclin A, which leads to hyperactivation of E2F. Researchers from Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and collaborators have developed macrocyclic peptides that inhibit this interaction and thereby hyperactivate E2F, leading to anticancer activity in various preclinical systems. Read More
At last week’s American Chemical Society meeting, Novartis AG presented the discovery of IID-432, a highly efficacious and safe inhibitor of Trypanosoma cruzi topoisomerase 2 (Top2), offering a short-duration curative treatment for Chagas disease. Read More
Ennovathera Inc. has described compounds acting as non-receptor tyrosine-protein kinase TYK2 (JH2 domain) inhibitors reported to be useful for the treatment of cancer, transplant rejection, inflammation, and endocrine, autoimmune and neurological disorders. Read More
The discovery of the ‘Warburg effect’ more than 80 years ago implied that inhibiting tumor cells’ ability to consume abnormally large amounts of glucose could prevent them from growing. Taking advantage of the fact that hexokinase-2 catalyzes the first step of glucose metabolism, researchers at Yıldız Teknik Üniversitesi and collaborators identified novel derivatives of the hexokinase-2 inhibitor lonidamine and identified at least one that was potentially more potent and less toxic. Read More
Osteoarthritis arises from breakdown of cartilage covering bone joints, which leads to chronic inflammation, and current therapies provide only short-term relief with risk of side effects. In an effort to identify next-generation treatments, researchers at Chang Gung University and Chang Gung Memorial Hospital have identified a potential novel therapeutic target, platelet-derived growth factor receptor-like protein (PDGFRL). Read More
Relay Therapeutics Inc. has disclosed compounds acting as phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase α (PI3Kα) inhibitors reported to be useful for the treatment of cancer and PIK3CA-related overgrowth spectrum (PROS). Read More
Haisco Pharmaceutical Group Co. Ltd. has synthesized soluble guanylate cyclase (sGC) activators reported to be useful for the treatment of cardiovascular, renal and respiratory disorders. Read More
CAR T-cell therapy works by engineering a patient’s T cells to express synthetic receptors that recognize and kill cancer cells without relying on HLA presentation. This approach has shown remarkable success in relapsed or refractory B-cell cancers and multiple myeloma, resulting in several approved treatments. However, no CAR T therapy is currently approved for acute myeloid leukemia (AML) or T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL). Read More
Apex Biosciences Pte Ltd. has identified phosphodiesterase PDE4B inhibitors reported to be useful for the treatment of cancer, neurological disorders, inflammatory bowel disease, skin inflammation, lung inflammation, eye inflammation and inflammatory joint diseases. Read More
Individuals who develop antibodies against the GluN1 subunit of NMDA receptors can develop NMDA receptor encephalitis (NMDARE), which can lead to psychosis, cognitive deficits and movement disorders. Current treatments are not effective in all patients, and many patients relapse after treatment. Read More
