Research and development
Explore research and development advances across molecular biology, genetics, immunology, pharmacology, neuroscience and emerging scientific disciplines, highlighting discoveries, technologies and translational approaches that drive innovation throughout the drug discovery and therapeutic development pipeline.
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Research and development
ArticleCerebral organoids reveal how Ebola virus persists in neural tissue
How does Ebola virus survive long after recovery? A new study using human cerebral organoids explores viral persistence in neural tissue and the growing role of organoid models in drug discovery research.
ReportContext is everything: how spatial biology is changing our understanding of disease
Researchers can now analyse individual cells in extraordinary detail, yet understanding disease often requires more than studying cells in isolation. This report explores how spatial biology is revealing aspects of disease biology that cannot be captured through individual cells alone, and what that could mean for biomarker discovery, immunotherapy and drug development.
ArticleFlow-based human tumour models reveal immune responses missed by static culture
Static cultures may not tell the whole story when it comes to immunotherapy performance. Results from the Mera™ flow-based human tissue model show stronger T-cell activity and cytokine responses under physiological flow, highlighting the role of dynamic immune–tumour interactions in preclinical testing.
ArticlePomegranate-derived compound shows therapeutic potential in heart disease
Researchers at Cardiff University have identified urolithin A – a compound produced by gut bacteria during the metabolism of substances found in pomegranates – as a potential new approach for treating cardiovascular disease.
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ArticleAACR 2026 part two: integrating AI, spatial biology and next-gen therapeutics
In part two of our AACR 2026 coverage, industry leaders were focussed on how the field is no longer constrained by data generation or molecular design, but by the challenge of connecting systems, standardising workflows and ensuring biological insights.
ArticleWhy scaling human-derived models is pharma’s next big challenge
Many drugs still fail after promising preclinical results, raising difficult questions about how disease is modelled in the lab. Researchers are now turning to organoids and iPSC-derived systems to build more predictive models for drug discovery and reduce costly late-stage failures.
ArticleWhy targeted therapies are exposing the limits of animal models – and what comes next
Traditional preclinical models are struggling to keep pace with a new generation of targeted therapies. As regulators embrace new approach methodologies (NAMs), vascularised tissue platforms are offering a more human-relevant approach to predicting drug efficacy and safety.
ArticleFrom chemist to AI agent builder: inside the rise of agentic AI in drug discovery
Dr Raminderpal Singh speaks with Dr Srijit Seal about why specialised AI agents are outperforming general-purpose models in drug discovery and what a new consortium paper shows about their use in practice.
ArticleBeyond tangles: why soluble intracellular tau should guide drug discovery
Tau tangles are a hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease and related disorders, but evidence suggests the real damage may come from rare, soluble tau species inside neurons. Targeting these hidden drivers of circuit dysfunction could be key to restoring memory and cognition.
ArticleWhy AI models need patient data to deliver in drug discovery
Despite rapid advances in AI, many drug discovery models still struggle to translate computational predictions into clinical outcomes. Thomas Clozel explains how Owkin is training AI on large-scale patient-derived data while integrating experimental and clinical validation directly into model development.
ArticleTurning GWAS signals into drug targets with scalable CRISPR
Genome-wide association studies have linked thousands of genetic variants to disease, yet most remain disconnected from drug-relevant biology. Neville Sanjana, Professor at New York University and Core Faculty Member at the New York Genome Center, explains how scalable CRISPR screens systematically link noncoding variants to causal genes and therapeutic targets.
ArticleWhen antibiotics are not enough: the case for immune-engaging therapies
As antimicrobial resistance grows and patient populations become more complex, the limitations of antibiotics are becoming harder to ignore. Dr Helen Bright, CSO at Centauri Therapeutics, discusses a new approach that targets both the pathogen and the host.
ArticleAACR 2026 part one: AI design, precision biology and the next wave of oncology innovation
At AACR 2026, industry leaders discussed how oncology R&D is moving beyond isolated technological advances towards integrated discovery systems.
ArticleWomen in STEM: resilience and leadership in rare disease research
Rare neurological diseases remain one of the most challenging areas in drug discovery, with many patients still lacking treatment options. Dr Nitza Thomasson discusses returning to Servier to lead its rare neurology therapeutic area and explains why resilience, curiosity and persistence are essential for those looking to build a meaningful career in STEM.
ArticleWhy lower organisms matter for neurodegeneration drug discovery
In the wake of recent government policy aimed at actively replacing animal models in drug discovery, we consider a possible solution to the translational shortfalls of current cellular methodologies for neurodegenerative disease.
ArticleVariant or viable target? How resolving complex genomic regions is reshaping rare disease therapeutics
Dr Aaron Wenger reveals how improvements in long-read sequencing technology is enabling the elucidation of complex disease mechanisms for targeted and effective treatments for rare diseases.
ArticleAI builds dual-action cancer drug targeting PKMYT1
Research published in Nature Communications shows how generative AI can be used to design complex dual-action cancer drug candidates. Insilico Medicine has developed a PKMYT1 degrader that both eliminates the target protein and blocks its activity, demonstrating the growing role of AI in advanced drug discovery.
ArticleAI to antibody in days: breaking the wet lab bottleneck via high-throughput integration
AI is accelerating drug discovery at an unprecedented pace. Thousands of antibody candidates can now be designed in silico within hours. The challenge now is keeping experimental workflows fast enough to keep up. High-throughput expression and integrated developability assessment are making it possible to move from sequence to data in days.
ArticleImproving selectivity in antibody–drug conjugates
Promatix Biosciences is developing a new generation of bispecific antibody–drug conjugates using proprietary membrane proteomics data to identify highly selective target pairings. CEO Dr Michael Hunter explains how the company’s TXPro database enables discovery of previously unexplored tumour biology to improve therapeutic index and reduce on-target/off-tumour toxicities in solid tumours.
ArticleTurning CRISPR hits into confident drug discovery decisions
Functional genomics is central to modern drug discovery, yet high attrition rates persist. In this article, Dr Salman Tamaddon-Jahromi, a postdoctoral research associate at the University of Cambridge, discusses how end-to-end CRISPR screening strategies, iPSC-derived neuronal models and layered quality control can convert functional genomics signals into actionable therapeutic hypotheses.