After an initial chemical screening, researchers at the University of Pennsylvania and Weill Cornell Medicine identified the Chk1/Chk2 dual inhibitor AZD-7762 among the strongest to induce insulin secretion in various assays.
Freeline Therapeutics plc is being taken private by its founding investor and majority shareholder Syncona Ltd, in an all-cash transaction that values the Nasdaq-listed gene therapy specialist at $28.3 million. Syncona also will provide up to $15 million cash to keep Freeline afloat as it awaits the next tranche of data on its lead program FLT-201, which is positioned as a one-off treatment for the lysosomal storage disorder, Gaucher’s disease.
Lysophosphatidylcholine acyltransferase 3 (LPCAT3), highly expressed in the liver, intestine, and adipose tissues, is an enzyme that preferentially incorporates polyunsaturated fatty acyl chain into lysophospholipids. Previous work showed that LPCAT3 and phospholipid remodeling play a crucial role in regulating glucose metabolism and contribute to the development of insulin resistance in type 2 diabetes.
The Swedish Medical Products Agency has authorized Uppsala University's clinical trial application to initiate an investigator-sponsored, first-in-human study of UP-421, an allogeneic, primary islet cell therapy engineered with Sana Biotechnology Inc.'s hypoimmune technology, in patients with type 1 diabetes.
Fractyl Health Inc. has expanded an academic-industry scientific partnership focused on advancing research on the role of the gut and pancreas in metabolic disease.
A new derivative of coumarin, a natural plant product abundant in cinnamon, could hold the key to healthy aging. Researchers at the Buck Institute have shown that it extended life span and prevented neurodegenerative disease in worms and mice. The drug, a TFEB gene inducer called MIC, promoted mitochondria recycling (mitophagy) but also interacted with lysosomes, which could have multiple applications. The scientists published the results of this aging and mitophagy study on Nov. 13, 2023, in Nature Aging.
The activity of the human drug-metabolizing enzyme cytochrome P450 3A4 (hCYP3A4) can seriously compromise the therapeutic effect of several drugs. Although CYP3A4 inhibitors may improve the in vivo efficacy of hCYP3A4-substrate drugs, most of them trigger serious adverse effects.
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.
A team of scientists at the University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School has discovered the putative cancer target UDP-glucuronate decarboxylase 1 (UXS1) in cancer cells expressing high levels of UDP-glucose 6-dehydrogenase (UGDH). UXS1 is a Golgi enzyme that appears downstream of UGDH and converts UDP-glucuronate (UDPGA) to UDP-xylose. The study also showed that UXS1 not only cleared away UDPGA but also limited its production through negative feedback on UGDH. They published their results on Oct. 25, 2023, in the online edition of Nature.
Gasherbrum Bio Inc. patent details heterocyclic glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor (GLP-1R) agonists reported to be useful for the treatment of type 2 diabetes, among others.
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