Small Molecules News and Research

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Could scorpion venom inspire new treatments for liver disease?

Scorpion venom peptides show promising anti-inflammatory, antiviral, analgesic, and immunomodulatory effects, with experimental evidence suggesting that some candidates could target pathways involved in chronic liver disease and viral hepatitis. The review highlights Kv1.3-blocking peptides and antiviral compounds as potential therapeutic leads, while emphasizing that limited hepatic efficacy data, poor pharmacokinetics, immunogenicity, and manufacturing challenges must be overcome before clinical translation.

8 Sep 2026

Gut bacterial molecule discovered to drive serious bile duct disease

Researchers at the University of Oslo and Oslo University Hospital have, together with international collaborators, discovered that a small molecule made exclusively by gut bacteria can actively drive disease in the bile ducts and worsen primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC), a serious liver and bile duct disease.

4 Sep 2026

Review outlines how SIRT3 protein regulates global metabolic disorders

A comprehensive review published in Engineering systematically outlines the regulatory capacity of silent information regulator 3 (SIRT3), a mitochondrial deacetylase termed the "head goose molecule", and its negentropic mechanism for intervening global metabolic disorders including type 2 diabetes, obesity, and steatotic liver disease.

21 Aug 2026

How ELRIG Is Helping Mid-Career Scientists Navigate Leadership, Career Change and Redundancy

The ELRIG Mid-Career Initiative supports scientists in drug discovery, addressing unique challenges and fostering leadership development for career transitions.

20 Aug 2026

New method enables more precise labeling of protein-protein interactions in cancer-specific cells

Using a photochemically driven labeling technique, a Cornell University-led research group has devised a strategy for capturing cancer-specific protein-to-protein interactions, which could one day spawn targeted therapies for prostate, small-cell lung, pancreatic and other deadly forms of the disease.

14 Aug 2026

Fridge-free vaccine shows promise for reaching millions more people worldwide

The world-first trial of a fridge-free tetanus-diphtheria vaccine at University Hospital Southampton (UHS) has produced encouraging results that could improve access worldwide to crucial treatments.

10 Aug 2026

New ultrasound technique breaches blood brain barrier to treat gliomas

In a promising sign for the potential of focused sound waves to improve care for brain tumors, UVA Health researchers have determined that tumors called gliomas may be even more receptive to targeted drug delivery than normal brain tissue.

30 Jul 2026

Rice University chemists develop cheaper way to synthesize drugs

Pharmaceutical drugs often rely on chemical compounds found in the body. Take phosphate, a common compound cells use as a chemical switch.

29 Jul 2026

AI-powered analytics and experimental validation: Transforming target identification in drug discovery

Discover how AI-powered analytics and experimental validation combine to improve target identification and accelerate drug discovery success.

From Axxam S.p.A 23 Jul 2026

Unlocking the untapped 90%: Membrane protein purification as a three hours routine workflow

Automated, detergent-free purification preserves native membrane protein structure while supporting more reliable target validation workflows.

From Analytik Jena 21 Jul 2026

ddPCR and NGS for viral surveillance in antiviral drug development

hVIVO explains how ddPCR and NGS support viral surveillance in antiviral trials, from detection and quantification to resistance sequencing.

From hVIVO 20 Jul 2026

New approach enhances radiotherapy by disabling cancer's DNA repair machinery

Cancer treatments like radiation and chemotherapy work by doing one main thing: shredding the DNA of cancer cells so they can no longer multiply.

16 Jul 2026

New photoswitchable drugs restore light perception in blind animals

Blinding diseases caused by the degeneration of photoreceptors, such as age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and retinitis pigmentosa (RP), affect 200 million people worldwide and represent the leading causes of visual impairment and blindness.

15 Jul 2026

How to overcome purification bottlenecks in modern drug discovery

Learn how to overcome purification bottlenecks in modern drug discovery with advanced purification strategies, streamlined workflows, and automation.

From TTP plc 15 Jul 2026

Study links PTSD to accelerated biological aging and chronic disease

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) remains a common condition affecting World Trade Center (WTC) responders 25 years after the attack on the Twin Towers.

8 Jul 2026

Blood markers reveal metabolic impact of ultra-processed food consumption

Consumption of ultra-processed food (UPF) results in a distinct metabolic 'signature' in the blood, associated with potentially adverse health conditions, a new study by an international team of researchers finds.

6 Jul 2026

New pair of techniques can speed up the search for better tuberculosis drugs

Tuberculosis, caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) is the world's deadliest single-agent caused infection, responsible for 1.23 million deaths in 2024, according to the World Health Organization.

6 Jul 2026

New viral insights lay foundation for treating infection with JC polyomaviruses

In people with severely compromised immune systems, the JC polyomavirus can trigger a currently untreatable, usually fatal brain disease.

6 Jul 2026

Study reveals how manufacturing methods affect herbal medicine potency

In a study published in Signal Transduction and Targeted Therapy, the researchers used MIR2911, a plant microRNA enriched in honeysuckle, as a proof-of-concept example.

3 Jul 2026

USC scientists target brain inflammation to prevent Alzheimer's disease

An interdisciplinary team at the USC Center for Personalized Brain Health (CPBH) is targeting a family of enzymes that can increase the risk of inflammation in the brains of people with the APOE4 gene variation-the most significant genetic risk factor for late-onset Alzheimer's-as a way to prevent the disease.

2 Jul 2026