The immune system is a critical factor of host survival, allowing resistance to infections and maintaining tissue integrity. The activation of immune responses requires precise regulation to assure a balance between the benefits and costs of these responses. Moreover, the theory of antagonistic pleiotropy proposes that traits beneficial to early-life fitness may sustain costs that manifest later in life, after the period of strongest natural selection, where aging introduces further complexities for cooperative defenses. As a result of this, hosts of different ages may manifest distinct disease courses despite infection with the same pathogen. Read More
Alveus Therapeutics Inc. has obtained IND clearance from the FDA for ALV-100, for chronic weight management, enabling initiation of a phase Ib study. Dosing has now commenced in the study. Read More
Renal ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI) is a type of acute kidney injury commonly affecting hospitalized patients and associated with poor outcomes, including increased risk of death in severe cases. IRI is caused by a transient reduction in renal blood flow followed by blood reperfusion. Read More
B-cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia (BCP-ALL) is the most common pediatric cancer. Although pediatric ALL is cured in over 90% of cases, children with high-risk BCP-ALL present increased chance of treatment failure and relapse. Read More
Centre Hospitalier Regional Universitaire de Lille has patented new 3C-like proteinase (3CLpro; Mpro; nsp5) (SARS-CoV-2; COVID-19 virus) inhibitors reported to be useful for the treatment of SARS-CoV-2 infection (COVID-19). Read More
MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small noncoding RNAs gaining increasing attention due to their crucial role in gene expression regulation and influence in various cellular processes and diseases. miRNAs can be encapsulated in extracellular vesicles (EVs), which are released by most cell types to modulate gene expression in recipient cells. Read More
Researchers from Lanzhou University and Southern Medical University (China) have presented the discovery of a structurally distinct pyrimidine-based chemotype for the inhibition of KRAS G12C. Read More
Hyperactivity of the transmembrane adaptor protein STING, which normally helps the cell respond to infection and injury, has been implicated in several autoimmune or inflammatory diseases, including systemic lupus erythematosus and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Read More
Scientists from the Smidt Heart Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center (Los Angeles, CA, USA) recently explored adeno-associated virus (AAV) vectors carrying the T-box transcription factor 18 (TBX18) transgene to produce a physiologically responsive biological pacemaker activity for the treatment of bradycardia. Read More
Bio-Thera Solutions Ltd. has synthesized new antibody-drug conjugates comprising trastuzumab targeting HER2 (erbB2) covalently linked to exatecan through a linker reported to be useful for the treatment of cancer, inflammation, autoimmune disorders and infections. Read More
Acerand Therapeutics (Hong Kong) Ltd. has divulged new cholesterol side-chain cleavage enzyme, mitochondrial (CYP11A1) inhibitors reported to be useful for the treatment of cancer. Read More
Recent evidence has suggested threonine tyrosine kinase (TTK) as a crucial element of the mitotic checkpoint for the correct functioning of spindle assembly checkpoint (SAC), making it a potential therapeutic target in cancer. Read More
Beijing Tide Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd. has patented new cathepsin C (dipeptidyl peptidase I) inhibitors reported to be useful for the treatment of bronchiectasis. Read More
Chengdu Kanghong Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd. has disclosed leucine-rich repeat kinase 2 (LRRK2; dardarin) inhibitors reported to be useful for the treatment of cancer, type 1 diabetes, glaucoma, inflammatory bowel disease, multiple sclerosis, neurodegeneration, psoriasis and rheumatoid arthritis, among others. Read More
Facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD) is an autosomal dominant skeletal muscle disorder with a prevalence of approximately 1 in 8,000. The disorder is driven by aberrant expression of double homeodomain protein 4 (DUX4) within the D4Z4 macrosatellite array. Currently, effective treatments for FSHD are lacking. Strategies aimed at reducing DUX4 expression could hold promise as potential therapeutic approaches for FSHD. Read More
