Ege University scientists and their collaborators have detailed the preclinical characterization of a novel DNA vaccine encoding the SRS13 protein being developed for the prevention of chronic toxoplasmosis.
The gene encoding methylthioadenosine phosphorylase (MTAP) is expressed in normal tissues but 10 to 15% of tumors present deletions of MTAP expression that lead to accumulation of its metabolite 5-methylthioadenosine (MTA). Previous research has shown that selective inhibition of protein arginine methyltransferase 5 (PRMT5) in the presence of MTA may be considered a potential therapeutic strategy for the treatment of MTAP-deleted cancer.
A collaboration led by the Flywire Consortium and comprising hundreds of scientists has completed a whole map of the adult fruit fly brain after several decades of collaborative work. By using electron microscopy and three-dimensional reconstruction supported by AI tools, the researchers have revealed the neural wiring of the Drosophila melanogaster brain, a connectome of 140,000 neurons with 50 million synaptic connections. In the future, researchers could possibly use this map as an artificial in silico model to study the brain as a simulator through its connections, though a lot of work remains to be done for this.
Researchers at QPS Clinical Services GmbH and Universitat de Barcelona have divulged dual bifunctional epoxide hydrolase 2 (EPHX2; sEH) and glutaminyl-peptide cyclotransferase-like protein (QPCTL; IsoQC) inhibitors reported to be useful for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease.
The University of Texas System has synthesized mitogen-activated protein kinase 1 (MAPK1; ERK2) inhibitors reported to be useful for the treatment of cancer.
Vesper Bio ApS has disclosed sortilin (NT3; Gp95) antagonists reported to be useful for the treatment of neurodegeneration, cancer, pain, diabetes, diabetic retinopathy, glaucoma, hearing loss and cardiovascular disorders, among others.
Loqus23 Therapeutics Ltd. has closed a £35 million (US$43 million) series A financing, with the aim of supporting its work developing small-molecule somatic expansion inhibitors for the treatment of Huntington’s disease and other triplet repeat disorders.
Phosphodiesterase 4 (PDE4) is an enzyme known to play a role in inflammatory responses, and it has been pinpointed as an interesting therapeutic target for diseases like atopic dermatitis (AD), but limited efficacy and side effects have prevented the approval of oral formulations.