Fumagillin is a natural antibiotic produced by soil fungus and is thought to inhibit the RNA synthesis and growth of microsporidial parasites. Fumagillin is being investigate for treatment of diarrhoea and malaria.
A new study published on the preprint server bioRxiv in November 2020 discusses the characteristics of COVID-19 associated pulmonary aspergillosis (CAPA).
Zafgen, Inc., a pharmaceutical company pioneering novel obesity therapeutics to help the body regain and sustain a lean, healthy state by targeting imbalances in fat metabolism, today announced data on ZGN-201, a prototype methionine aminopeptidase 2 inhibitor, for the treatment of obesity. Preclinical studies demonstrate MetAP2 inhibition eliminates excess body weight through the regulation of fat metabolism and food intake, and normalizes glucose tolerance in animal models.
Mersana Therapeutics, a platform-based cancer therapeutics company, today announced that it has initiated a Phase 1 clinical trial to study the safety and pharmacokinetics of XMT-1107 in patients with refractory advanced solid tumors. XMT-1107 is a novel anti-angiogenic fumagillin analog that employs Mersana's Fleximer platform. Mersana's XMT-1001, a conjugate of Fleximer and camptothecin, is currently completing a Phase 1 study.
Mersana Therapeutics, a platform-based cancer therapeutics company, today announced that it has entered into a research and exclusive license agreement with Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. to develop and commercialize XMT-1107, a novel fumagillin analog, for the treatment of all indications, including cancer.
Approximately 350 million to 500 million cases of malaria are diagnosed each year mostly in sub-Saharan Africa. While medications to prevent and treat malaria do exist, the demand for new treatments is on the rise, in part, because malaria parasites have developed a resistance to existing medications.
One of the defining characteristics of solid tumors is the development of a network of new blood vessels to nourish the rapidly reproducing malignant cells. Now, using a nanoparticle targeted to those new blood vessels, a joint academic-industrial research team, led by investigators from the Siteman Center of Cancer Nanotechnology Excellence, has developed a way to construct a three-dimensional (3-D) map of tumor-induced angiogenesis and monitor the effects of drug therapies on those new blood vessels.
Perfluorocarbons, a class of inert, oily polymers, have a proven track record in a variety of clinical uses, including in contrast-enhanced ultrasound imaging and in eye surgery to correct a detached retina.