All Translational Science articles
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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.
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NewsRepurposed cancer drugs target root cause of Crohn’s Disease
Researchers at the University of Houston have identified epithelial stress signalling as a key driver of Crohn’s disease and demonstrated that two FDA-approved cancer drugs can interrupt the pathological cycle of cell death and inflammation.
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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.
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NewsNew method streamlines C–N bond formation for amine synthesis
Researchers at the University of Wisconsin–Madison have reported a new approach to forming carbon–nitrogen bonds, a critical step in the synthesis of amines widely used in pharmaceuticals, agrochemicals and polymers.
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NewsOvarian follicles provide new platform for angiogenesis research
A novel microphysiological system using ovarian follicles enables physiologically relevant three-dimensional angiogenesis modelling within 24 hours, offering improved drug screening capabilities that distinguish therapeutic effects from general toxicity.
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ArticleBeyond serendipity: rational design and AI’s expansion of the undruggable target landscape
For decades, drugging the ‘undruggable’ was thought to require luck rather than logic. Today, AI is transforming serendipity into strategy by enabling rational, data-driven approaches to previously inaccessible targets.
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NewsChampions Oncology to present eight studies at AACR 2026
Champions Oncology will present eight studies at AACR 2026 spanning KRAS-mutant tumours, ovarian cancer, glioblastoma and emerging therapies including radiopharmaceuticals and CAR-T, using patient-derived models to improve early-stage decision-making in oncology drug development.
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NewsMassey Cancer Center funds drug discovery projects targeting Hsp27-CerS1 and ferroptosis pathways
The VCU Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center has awarded $50,000 each to two innovative drug discovery projects through its collaborative programme with Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute.
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NewsNew osteoarthritis therapy targeting joint repair advances following preclinical success
A Duke Health-led consortium has achieved key preclinical milestones in developing regenerative therapies that target cartilage and bone damage in osteoarthritis, potentially offering an alternative to symptom management and joint replacement surgery.
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NewsFGF21 hormone targets hindbrain pathways to reverse obesity
New research reveals that FGF21, a hormone under investigation for obesity and metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH), works by signalling to the hindbrain rather than the hypothalamus. The discovery of this distinct neural circuit—which increases metabolic rate rather than simply suppressing appetite—could enable development of more precise therapies with fewer adverse effects than current FGF21 analogues.
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ArticleFrom fragments to maps: scaling drug–target interaction data
Most drug–target data were never designed to be compared at scale. Pharmome mapping takes a different approach, building a shared dataset intended to support more predictable discovery.
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ReportCRISPR & Genomics: Turning Data into Confident Drug Discovery Decisions
Early drug discovery has no shortage of genomic data, but confidence remains scarce. This report examines how CRISPR, functional genomics and human-relevant models are being applied to determine which signals matter, how they influence disease biology and which targets and strategies are worth pursuing.
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NewsScientists scale up neural organoid studies for drug testing
Researchers at King’s College London have developed a hybrid neural organoid approach that addresses longstanding limitations in scalability, reproducibility and longitudinal analysis. By dissociating 3D organoids and culturing pooled cells on microelectrode arrays, the team created 2D networks that retain cellular diversity whilst enabling consistent, long-term tracking of neural activity across parallel cultures.
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NewsImplantable ‘living pharmacy’ device produces multiple drugs inside the body
Scientists have developed an implantable device that acts as a ‘living pharmacy’, using engineered cells to continuously produce multiple therapeutic biologics inside the body. The wireless system, which generates its own oxygen supply, maintained stable drug levels for 30 days in preclinical studies.
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News$13.9M UCLA study maps autism and schizophrenia biology for drug discovery
A $13.9 million UCLA-led research programme will use CRISPR gene editing and ‘cell villages’ to systematically map the molecular differences underlying autism and schizophrenia, addressing the absence of medicines targeting the biological roots of both conditions.
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InterviewComputational design drives new generation of synthetic promoters
Designing gene control from scratch is becoming possible. SynGenSys is using computational design to create synthetic promoters for advanced therapies.
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InterviewPhysics-based modelling offers a new way to study drug targets
Australian start-up OmnigeniQ has demonstrated what it describes as the first deterministic, physics-based computation of a human protein in its native state.
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ArticleAnticipating adaptation: understanding and overcoming cancer drug resistance
Neil Bhowmick explores how understanding the mechanisms of cancer drug resistance has reframed our approach to treatment, revealing containment and control as realistic goals for therapeutic strategies.
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ArticleKMA and LMA antigens emerge as high value targets for plasma cell dyscrasia treatment
Research published in Clinical Lymphoma, Myeloma and Leukemia identifies Kappa Myeloma Antigen and Lambda Myeloma Antigen as highly selective immunotherapy targets across plasma cell dyscrasias.
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NewsNew evidence links autoantibodies to Long COVID
Dutch researchers have demonstrated that IgG autoantibodies from Long COVID patients can induce persistent pain-like hypersensitivity in mice, with effects lasting at least two weeks. The study identifies distinct biological subgroups and suggests that autoimmune mechanisms may drive the condition’s diverse symptomatology, opening avenues for targeted immunotherapies.