Eli Lilly and Co. shared insights into an inhibitor targeting ANGPTL3, named solbinsiran. Solbinsiran, a N-acetylgalactosamine (GalNAc) conjugated Dicer-substrate small interfering RNA (DsiRNA), is designed to target ANGPTL3 expression in the liver.
Bitterroot Bio Inc. presented data on an anti-CD47 hybrid protein, BRB-002, tested in a murine model of atherosclerosis. BRB-002 was tested at 2.5 or 10 mg/kg i.p. 3x/week after a high-fat diet. Firstly, BRB-002 was seen to bind CD47 with high affinity in several cell lines, but not in Jurkat CD47-knockout cells.
The outcomes from two investigational CRISPR-based therapies were presented by researchers from Crispr Therapeutics at the recent American Heart Association’s scientific sessions.
While the human epididymis protein 4 (HE4) has been previously identified as a blood biomarker of fibrosis, the relationship HE4 has with other blood biomarkers has not been established.
The generation of in vitro small blood vessels mimicking the alterations of cerebral small vessel disease (CSVD) allowed a British research group to identify a way to seal leaks to treat conditions such as stroke or vascular dementia. The inhibition of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), enzymes that participate in the formation of new vessels, restored the normal union of the cells, preventing the permeability of the system.
A recognized link exists between oxidative stress, obesity and atrial fibrillation (AF). NADPH oxidase 2 (NOX2) serves as a significant contributor to reactive oxygen species (ROS) production in the heart, and it is known to be elevated in obese mice.
More details of Novo Nordisk A/S’ phase III Select trial indicate that risk reductions in major adverse cardiovascular events were achieved regardless of age, gender, ethnicity and starting body mass index when obese and overweight patients were treated with Wegovy (semaglutide, 2.4 mg). Statistical significance was seen, however, only with the reduction of heart attacks and not other measures that were part of the trial.
For Verve Therapeutics Inc., the good news was the first human proof-of-concept data for a single-course in vivo base-editing treatment, presented at the American Heart Association Scientific Sessions over the weekend, showed treatment with VERVE-101 led to promising dose-dependent reductions in low-density lipoprotein cholesterol in patients with heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia. The bad news was to be found in the safety data for the 10 patients treated to date, which included a myocardial infarction in one patient deemed potentially related to treatment.
Researchers from the University of Michigan have filed for patent protection of methods and systems to identify actual esophageal tissue changes and/or damage during cardiac ablation procedures.
Ethris GmbH and Heqet Therapeutics srl, a company spun out last year from King’s College London, have entered into a collaboration agreement to harness the potential of non-coding RNA (ncRNA) for heart tissue regeneration following acute myocardial infarction and in heart failure.