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Prozac could be repurposed to treat age-related macular degeneration
Fluoxetine - best known as Prozac - protected the macula from inflammation and degeneration in mice and could become a future treatment.
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US Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
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Targeting SARS-CoV-2 replication with inhibitors of lipid metabolism
One approach towards efficient drug targeting efforts for COVID-19 is to repurpose medicines developed for other diseases. Here, Professor Christopher Basler outlines a recent study, published in Cell Reports, where scientists from the Institute for Biomedical Sciences at Georgia State University, US, in collaboration with industry partners, developed assays to…
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Making cell culture models more physiologically relevant
A major limitation in drug development is the occurrence of drug-candidate toxicity during clinical research. This may occur because tumour-derived cell lines are limited as a pre-clinical model – in part because of an altered metabolic poise. A recent study has revealed a profound plasticity in gene expression and metabolic poise that can…
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Dual antibodies effective against SARS-CoV-2 variants in animal study
In mice and hamsters, therapies made from two antibodies were found to be mostly effective against a range of SARS-CoV-2 variants.
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How to mix the best anti-SARS-CoV-2 cocktail
Neutralisation resistance generated by Spike (S) protein mutations in Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) poses a challenge to antibody therapies for COVID-19. Antibody cocktails targeting the S protein receptor binding domain (RBD) are one way to avoid viral neutralisation escape, however only certain antibody combinations are currently effective.…
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The other end of the antibody: Fc biology and immunotherapy
Dr Björn Frendeus outlines how the growing biology surrounding the inhibitory Fc receptor FcγRIIb defines a target for improving existing and future antibody treatments.
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Screening identifies existing drugs as potential COVID-19 therapies
Scientists have found four clinically approved drugs and nine compounds with the potential to be repurposed as therapeutics for COVID-19.
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Challenges and opportunities in gene therapy development
Despite the promise of gene therapies, significant challenges have emerged in the field. Dr Carsten Brunn discusses the current obstacles and opportunities when developing gene therapies.
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Monitoring the potency of cell therapies using bioelectronic assays
Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T and natural killer (NK) therapies may become the future of cancer treatment. Dr Jim Ross explains how bioelectronic assays are a non-invasive, label-free approach built for real-time, dynamic assessment of cell therapy potency.
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Millennia in the making: unlocking the medicinal value of CBD
Dr Sotirios Karathanasis discusses the history of cannabis as a treatment and delves into the process of turning plant-based medicines into clinically proven drugs.
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Small-molecule cocktail could improve use of stem cells in treatments
Researchers have shown that Chroman 1, Emricasan and trans-ISRIB, in combination with polyamines, are effective at protecting induced pluripotent stem cells from stress.
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How RNA therapeutics can be used to treat retinitis pigmentosa
Sahm Nasseri discusses promising pre-clinical results of an RNA-based therapeutic developed to treat retinitis pigmentosa type 11.
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Developing a broadly neutralising antibody therapeutic to combat SARS-CoV-2
With the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, new treatments continue to be urgently needed. One potential solution is antibody therapeutics, which can be used to neutralise the coronavirus and provide future immunity to patients. Here, Dr Laura Walker from Adagio Therapeutics discusses how antibodies can be used in the fight against Severe…
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Inexpensive drug protects against COVID-19 inflammation in pre-clinical trials
A drug called topotecan (TPT) was administered to mice up to four days after COVID-19 infection, reducing inflammation and morbidity.
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A novel assay to reveal cyclic peptides with affinity to ubiquitin
Although macrocyclic peptides make for promising pharmaceutical candidates, screening for lead peptides has proved difficult for scientists. In a new study, researchers at the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology addressed these challenges by developing a novel high-throughput screening assay for cyclic peptides with affinity to the ubiquitin protein. Drug Target Review’s…
