Articles tagged with Drug Design
Scientists at the University of Washington School of Medicine developed a novel protein design approach using AI, creating proteins that bind to challenging biomarkers with exceptionally high affinity and specificity. The breakthrough has implications for drug development, disease diagnosis, and environmental monitoring.
A new study found that deaths from infective endocarditis decreased overall in the US, but rose sharply among people ages 25-44, likely linked to the opioid crisis. Researchers call for more investigation into the trends and recommend comprehensive care plans including substance use disorder screening and treatment.
Researchers have identified a new enzyme, KtzT, that can form a rare nitrogen-nitrogen bond in molecules. The discovery enables the efficient production of tailored compounds with specific effects on organisms and their metabolic processes.
A new study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association found that many couples around the world share high blood pressure. The research analyzed data from over 50,000 couples in four countries and found a strong association between partners' blood pressure status.
Temperature-sensitive emulsions offer a new method to control when droplets dissolve, enabling precise targeting of medicines to specific areas in the body. The discovery could revolutionize methods of delivering medication in higher concentrations to diseased areas.
Researchers at Gladstone Institutes used CRISPR to destroy glioblastoma cells in an approach that could be applied to other highly mutated cancers. The technique, dubbed "cancer shredding," targets and rapidly eliminates tumor cells while sparing healthy ones.
Researchers at Purdue University have developed a novel cancer immunotherapy compound that targets the enzyme TC-PTP, found in both cancer cells and T cells. Deleting this enzyme promotes antigen presentation, alerting the immune system to tumor cells, while stimulating T-cell activation enhances their ability to fight and destroy tumors.
A phase 4 clinical trial found that apixaban, an anti-clotting medication, reduced the rate of stroke and blood clots in adults with implanted heart devices experiencing short bouts of asymptomatic, irregular heart rhythms. The study suggests that these individuals may benefit from receiving an anticoagulant.
A new therapeutic, lepodisiran, has shown promising results in reducing lipoprotein(a) levels to undetectable levels for nearly one year. The study found that the medication is safe and effective in lowering Lp(a) levels by more than 94%.
The ORBITA-2 trial found that stenting improves symptoms compared to a placebo procedure, providing evidence-based treatment for stable chest pain. The study suggests updating guidelines for stable coronary artery disease and offers patients and medical teams two treatment strategies with similar benefits.
The C-Path Neuroscience Annual Workshop brought together stakeholders to chart a transformative course for neurology research and drug development, focusing on chronic progressive diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's. Key highlights included recommendations for innovative therapies and tools to address complex disorders.
The Southwest-Midwest Pediatric Device Innovation Consortium has supported over 200 pediatric device innovators and companies, developing several devices in the past five years. The consortium's portfolio includes real-world evidence research projects using digital tools for collecting and analyzing patient data.
Scientists at Nagoya University developed a new gastric acid inhibitor with a binding affinity nearly 10 times higher than existing drugs. The AI-driven approach led to the creation of compound DQ-18, which exhibits stronger binding to the gastric proton pump.
Scientists have developed a novel organ-on-a-chip device with customizable screen-printed electrodes for measuring endothelial barrier integrity. The device overcomes traditional electrode fabrication challenges, providing a reliable and accurate method for studying the crucial roles of endothelial barriers in healthy and disease states.
Researchers develop 3D-printed device to encapsulate insulin-producing pancreatic cells and electronic sensors in the eye. The device enables cell-based therapy for Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes, eliminating the need for sutures and allowing real-time monitoring.
Scientists designed an mRNA nanovaccine using machine learning to overcome delivery barriers, promoting strong immune responses and activating the STING pathway to kill tumor cells. The therapeutic strategy demonstrated stronger anti-tumor effects in melanoma and colorectal cancer models.
A new model describes microswimmer self-propulsion energy requirements, enabling optimized shape designs and applications in microfluidics, biophysics, and material science. The study reveals surprising similarities between artificial and natural shapes.
A study found that people with a specific genetic mutation in the CARD9 gene have higher IL-17 protein levels, making them more responsive to IL-17 inhibitor biologics. This discovery may lead to targeted treatment recommendations for ankylosing spondylitis patients.
A new cancer drug candidate has been found to restore the effectiveness of the immune system in fighting tumors, including melanoma, bladder cancer, leukemia, and colon cancer. The drug works by lowering a toxic compound called MTA, which impairs normal functioning of immune cells and blocks immunotherapies.
The Keck School of Medicine of USC has received a $2 million grant from the California Institute of Regenerative Medicine to further enhance its cutting-edge cGMP Laboratory. The funding will support the adoption of advanced technologies, including an electronic quality management system and optimized cell therapy manufacturing processes.
A new compound developed at the University of Illinois Chicago potentially offers an alternative to injections for wet age-related macular degeneration, a leading cause of blindness. The drug targets End Binding-3 and has been shown to reverse damage and promote regenerative processes in animal models.
Researchers combined three highly potent cancer drugs in a single prodrug that is activated in tumor cells, resulting in improved efficacy and reduced side effects. The new approach has shown promise as a potential solution to reduce the burden on patients' bodies during cancer treatment.
Researchers developed a computational model to analyze glucose-responsive insulin (GRI) performance in human patients. The model predicted that differences in sugar receptor behavior between humans and lab animals led to the drug's poor effect in clinical trials. This breakthrough helps researchers design better GRIs, potentially reduc...
Researchers at University of California - Riverside uncover COVID's Achilles heel - its dependence on key human proteins. By understanding how the virus interacts with human cells, a new class of antiviral medication may be developed to block replication and treatment.
Researchers developed nanoparticles that accumulate in cancer cells and eliminate them after photoactivation, also labeling immune cells to target similar cells throughout the body. This technology has shown promise in treating mice with implanted human tumor cells and could lead to a new treatment approach for metastatic cancers.
Medical cannabis use in Australian patients with chronic health issues is linked to significant improvements in overall health-related quality of life and fatigue levels. Patients also report clinically meaningful reductions in pain and moderate-severe anxiety and depression.
A new study published in eLife reveals the folding speed limit of helical membrane proteins using a robust single-molecule tweezer method. The findings provide unprecedented insights into structural states, kinetics, and energy barrier properties, offering valuable guidance for advancing pharmaceutical research and design.
Scientists have extended a powerful molecule-building method to the broad class of chemicals known as alcohols, enabling the transformation of simple alcohols into useful molecules. The new approach uses weak interactions between ligands and starting molecules, similar to those used by enzymes in nature.
Researchers developed a liver-targeting drug that reversed obesity and lowered cholesterol in obese mice by delivering the drug via nanogel. The treatment, which was administered intraperitoneally, effectively normalized weight and reduced cholesterol levels despite continued high-fat diet consumption.
A new nanogel-based carrier delivers a synthetic thyroid hormone mimick to liver cells, resulting in weight loss and improved cholesterol levels. The treatment also resolves liver inflammation with minimal side effects, offering potential for other liver-based diseases.
Scientists at Oak Ridge National Laboratory are developing new cancer treatments that target the metabolic pathway hijacked by cancer cells. Using neutrons and x-rays, researchers mapped the enzyme structure to design roadblocks along the pathway.
A new digital headset can detect subtle forces exerted on the skull as the heart contracts, revealing brain changes even in athletes whose symptoms have subsided. The device could help clinicians and coaches make more informed decisions about when athletes are ready to return to play after a concussion.
Researchers at TUM develop an RNA agent for a lung spray that slows macrophage activity, reducing lung inflammation and fibrosis. The active substance RCS-21 is delivered via an inhaler through a special sugar molecule, showing promise in treating acute inflammatory lung damage.
Researchers at Penn State have discovered a safe and efficient way to create cyclopropanes, key features in many drugs, using a previously undescribed chemical process. The new method uses visible light and common ingredients to transform alkenes into cyclopropanes with no carbene intermediate.
Insilico Medicine's inClinico platform uses generative AI to predict Phase II to Phase III clinical trial success with an accuracy of 79%. The tool has been validated in various studies and can provide valuable insights for investors and biotech/pharma companies.
Deep learning methods significantly improved protein design success rates by 10-fold using AI-augmented pipelines and machine learning software tools AlphaFold 2 and RoseTTA fold. The study successfully generated accurate models of protein structures, paving the way for new discoveries in fields like cancer and COVID-19 research.
Researchers at Insilico Medicine discovered novel inhibitors for salt-inducible kinase 2 (SIK2), a potential target for anti-inflammation and anti-cancer therapy. The findings were published in the July 13 edition of Bioorganic & Medicinal Chemistry, demonstrating the power of Insilico's Pharma.AI platform.
A new drug formulation designed for treating children with HIV has shown safety, tolerability, and effectiveness in a study published in The Lancet HIV. The formulation contains three medications and was found to suppress HIV levels below 200 copies/mL in 98% of participants.
Researchers at Queensland University of Technology have developed a new approach to designing molecular ON-OFF switches based on proteins, which can be used in various biotechnological and biomedical applications. The novel technique allows for faster and more accurate diagnostic tests for detecting diseases and monitoring water quality.
Scientists have teamed up to improve drug delivery by designing more effective lipid nanoparticles. Their latest study documents how high-throughput workflows can produce and characterize LNPs at record speed, with neatly ordered structures leading to better silencing of faulty genes in human neurons.
Scientists have gained high-res structural insights into a key bacterial enzyme to develop new drugs that target its weaknesses and suppress disease-causing bacteria. The enzyme Lnt is not found in humans and has huge potential as a therapeutic target with fewer side effects for patients.
Scientists create optically controllable liposomes called LiDLs, which can selectively release contents inside cells upon exposure to acidic pH induced by green light. The researchers demonstrated that LiDLs efficiently deliver substances without causing side effects, showcasing exceptional extracellular stability.
Researchers from Kyoto University developed a microchip using human iPS cells to measure transport capacity of membrane proteins, potentially giving test animals respite. The model simulates glucose reabsorption and drug excretion in renal proximal tubules, enabling patient-specific disease modeling and personalized medicine studies.
Researchers from McGill University and Ontario Tech University examine the drivers of specialty drug diffusion. They propose a framework that suggests clinical studies affect the diffusion through a multi-stage scientific evidence production process. The study finds that marketing activities have no significant effect on prescriptions.
Researchers developed a mass spectrometry method to analyze molecular glues and assess their relative strengths. The technique enables the elucidation of mechanisms through which these molecules stabilize protein interactions.
Researchers at Ohio State University developed an AI framework called G2 Retro to automatically generate chemical reactions for molecules. The framework was shown to cover a vast range of possible reactions and accurately predict the best synthesis routes, offering more efficient drug design options.
AI enhances drug discovery by analyzing abundant data, identifying new targets and designing effective treatments, significantly reducing cycle time and costs. AI also improves clinical trial design and post-market surveillance, leading to safer and more personalized medications.
The new method enables the synthesis of BCBs with unprecedented ease through a formal [2+2] cycloaddition, achieving regioselectivity and expanding chemists' access to diverse BCB scaffolds. This breakthrough addresses the challenges of BCB synthesis and offers a promising route for pharmaceutical applications.
Researchers have developed a modular system to recognize chiral molecules, which could lead to more effective methods of separating enantiomers in drugs. The system uses metallopolymers with chirality to sense two enantiomeric molecules through electrochemical interactions.
Scientists have developed a new method to deliver genetic information to stem cells using nanoparticles coated with a specific polymer, enabling more efficient control over cellular differentiation. This innovation has the potential to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of regenerative medicine treatments.
Researchers have developed a system that uses generative diffusion to create new proteins, advancing the field of generative biology. The system, called ProteinSGM, learns from image representations to generate fully new proteins, which are biophysically real and functional.
Researchers at RMIT University have designed a new oral capsule that can deliver insulin and other protein drugs in a pain-free manner. The technology has shown promising results in pre-clinical studies, with good absorption rates for slow-acting insulin and potential for dosing over specific time periods.
Researchers at Argonne National Laboratory and University of Chicago developed a hybrid simulation process using IBM quantum computers to solve electronic structure problems. The new method uses classical processing to mitigate noise generated by the quantum computer, paving the way for future improvements.
A novel database, CycPeptMPDB, has been created to facilitate the development of drugs based on cyclic peptides. The database contains information on thousands of cyclic peptides and their membrane permeability values, enabling researchers to select candidate peptides that can penetrate human cell membranes.
Researchers from Tokyo University of Science reveal the crystal structure of centromere-associated protein E (CENP-E), a promising target for inhibitor therapy. The discovery is expected to facilitate the development of anticancer drugs with fewer adverse effects on patients.
Researchers at Colorado State University have created a synthetic molecule with an asymmetric oxygen atom that remains stable and nonreactive. This feat is significant because chiral molecules can have drastically different properties and are crucial in fields like drug discovery and materials engineering.
A team of scientists has designed a molecule that targets the PLpro enzyme in SARS-CoV-2, limiting its replication and hampering the host's immune response. The covalent inhibitor shows promise as a new treatment for COVID-19 and other viral diseases.
Scientists from Tokyo Medical and Dental University find that antibody fragments encapsulated in nanomicelles can reduce toxic Aβ species in the brain of an Alzheimer's disease model mouse. This breakthrough delivers treatment to where it is needed most, potentially slowing AD progression.
Researchers developed synthetic peptide nanonets that selectively entrap bacteria, rendering them vulnerable to antimicrobial components. The nanonets displayed both trapping and killing functionalities, demonstrating potential as an anti-infective strategy.
Researchers utilized the Chemistry42 platform to generate novel molecular structures and identified a hit molecule for CDK20, a promising target for hepatocellular carcinoma. The platform's customizable reward function and generative models enabled efficient design and optimization of molecules.