Therapeutics

Inflammatory bowel disease drugs could combat COVID-19, study suggests

6 November 2020 | By Victoria Rees (Drug Target Review)

Anti-inflammatory therapies for inflammatory bowel disease could aid recovery from COVID-19 as they target an enzyme involved in both diseases.

Developing drugs for disordered proteins

6 November 2020 | By Hannah Balfour (Drug Target Review)

Scientists have developed a drug-like molecule to target amyloid-beta, a disordered protein implicated in Alzheimer's disease that has been considered undruggable.

Protease inhibitor aprotinin shows promise against SARS-CoV-2 in cells

5 November 2020 | By Victoria Rees (Drug Target Review)

Researchers have found that aprotinin, an approved drug for influenza in Russia, combats SARS-CoV-2 in cells.

Novel therapeutic approach shows promise in mice with COPD

5 November 2020 | By Hannah Balfour (Drug Target Review)

By blocking the lymphotoxin beta receptor signalling pathway, researchers were able to prevent COPD progression and induce a full restoration of lung tissue.

Age may be a primary determinant of melanoma treatment resistance

4 November 2020 | By Hannah Balfour (Drug Target Review)

Scientists have shown that age may cause genetically identical melanoma skin cancer cells to respond differently to treatment, making age a primary factor in treatment response.

Researchers develop novel class of cancer immunotherapy

30 October 2020 | By Hannah Balfour (Drug Target Review)

The scientists developed a therapy which uses nanobiologics to train the innate immune system to recognise and combat cancer cells.

Thermo Fisher Scientific – Synthetic Biology

Treating cytokine storms in COVID-19 patients

23 October 2020 | By Dr Fiona McCann (CannBioRx Life Sciences), Dr H Michael Shepard (Enosi Life Sciences), Sir Marc Feldmann (Enosi Life Sciences)

Enosi Life Science researchers Sir Marc Feldmann, Dr H Michael Shepard and Dr Fiona McCann explain why anti-TNF therapies may be effective in treating COVID-19 associated cytokine storms and other inflammatory conditions.

Novel anti-inflammatory slows progression of MS in mice

22 October 2020 | By Hannah Balfour (Drug Target Review)

When delivered intranasally, the anti-inflammatory drug VX-765 prevented axon demyelination and loss in a murine model of multiple sclerosis (MS).

Novel Alzheimer’s vaccine shows promise in murine models

21 October 2020 | By Hannah Balfour (Drug Target Review)

Scientists who developed the E22W42 DC vaccine suggest it could be safer and more effective than previous anti-amyloid Alzheimer’s therapies.

CBD could treat inflammation caused by COVID-19, study shows

20 October 2020 | By Victoria Rees (Drug Target Review)

Researchers have found that CBD reduces inflammation in the lungs of COVID-19 mouse models by increasing levels of the apelin peptide.

Novel siRNA therapy improves psoriasis in mice

19 October 2020 | By Hannah Balfour (Drug Target Review)

Topical delivery of a small interfering RNA (siRNA) using an ionic liquid complex significantly reduced levels of inflammatory cytokines and symptoms of psoriasis.

D-serine could protect against epileptic seizures

15 October 2020 | By Hannah Balfour (Drug Target Review)

Scientist identified the mechanism through which temporal lobe epileptic seizures are sparked and that D-serine can interfere with this process, preventing seizures.

Novel antimicrobial molecules derived from wasp venom

13 October 2020 | By Hannah Balfour (Drug Target Review)

Altering the mastoparan-L (mast-L) peptide found in Vespula lewisii wasp venom, researchers created several novel antimicrobial molecules.

High doses of favipiravir combat SARS-CoV-2 in hamsters

12 October 2020 | By Victoria Rees (Drug Target Review)

A team showed that high doses of favipiravir can treat hamsters infected with SARS-CoV-2, whereas hydroxychloroquine has no effect.