International Research Chemistry Awards

  Using an innovative risk score assessment score, heart researchers at Intermountain Health in Salt Lake City say they can accurately predict whether patients being assessed for kidney transplant will likely have a future major cardiac event, like a heart attack or stroke , according to a new study. Intermountain Health clinicians regularly review patient data through their electronic health system to determine who may have heart disease without knowing it. Now, in a major new study, Intermountain heart researchers found that using their Intermountain Risk Score (IMRS) they could also accurately predict whether patients being assessed for kidney transplant would have a major cardiac event, like a heart attack or stroke. Findings from the new study will be presented at the American Heart Association Scientific Sessions in Chicago on Sunday, November 17, 2024. The Intermountain Risk Score is a well-validated, sex-specific risk prediction tool that includes factors like age and resu...

  Antibacterial drugs are important for treating infections. But increasingly, bacterial resistance to current drugs -; so they don't work well, or even at all -; means new ones are urgently needed. Building on previous work, researchers in ACS Infectious Diseases have demonstrated a potential antibacterial treatment from a modified darobactin, a compound originally from a bacterium . The team reports proof-of-concept animal trials on infections caused by bacteria, including E. coli, that are known to develop drug resistance. This study was published during the World Health Organization's World Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) Awareness Week from November 18 to 24. Earlier in 2024, the World Health Organization updated its list of bacterial pathogens that can develop resistance to antibiotics to include Acinetobacter baumannii, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and E. coli, among others. Despite the need for new antibiotics that target these priority pathogens, scientists don't have...

  The harmful effects of air pollution on health, including an increased risk of cancer, have been well-documented. A new study in Scientific Reports highlights a specific link between PM2.5 air pollution (particulate matter smaller than 2.5 microns) and a heightened risk of head and neck cancer (HNC) . Air pollution and health risks Air pollution, defined as the contamination of indoor and outdoor environments by gases, ozone, and particulate matter (PM), is a known risk factor for various diseases, including lung, liver, and cardiovascular diseases. The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) classifies air pollution, particularly PM2.5 (particulate matter smaller than 2.5 microns), as a Group 1 carcinogen that causes lung cancer. Cells in the head and neck are especially vulnerable to air pollution, including tobacco smoke, which contains numerous carcinogens. This exposure increases the risk of malignancies like squamous cell carcinoma. Additionally, biological agent...

  In a recent study published in the journal Nature, researchers from the United States of America developed the synthetic intramembrane proteolysis receptor (SNIPR) architecture to activate engineered therapeutic cells in response to soluble ligands. This novel receptor system operates via ligand-induced dimerization followed by endocytic proteolysis , offering high sensitivity and specificity for detecting soluble factors. They found that SNIPRs allow CAR T-cells to precisely localize to tumors and support synthetic intercellular signaling while avoiding off-target effects. Background The foundation of biochemical signaling lies in the ability of cells to sense and react to soluble molecules, enabling complex functions like immune responses and tissue development. Mimicking this in synthetic biology could potentially revolutionize therapeutic applications, such as creating engineered cells that respond to distant signals or communicate exclusively through artificial pathways....

  Insilico Medicine ("Insilico"), a clinical-stage generative artificial intelligence (AI)-driven drug discovery company, announced that it has received IND clearance from FDA for ISM5939, a potential best-in-class oral small molecule inhibitor targeting ENPP1 for the treatment of solid tumors. The achievement marks the 10th AI-driven molecule self-developed by Insilico to be recognized with clearance to enter clinical trials. ENPP1 is an ecto-nucleotide pyrophosphatase that plays an important role in purinergic signaling that regulates immune, cardiovascular, neurological, and hematological system functions. Elevated ENPP1 expression is associated with metastasis and poor prognosis in multiple tumor types. ENPP1 inhibition enhances the anti-tumor effect of the host immune system by regulating extracellular cGAMP levels to activate the cGAS-STING pathway. In May 2023, Insilico Medicine announced the nomination of ISM5939 as a preclinical candidate compound (PCC) targeting ...

  Lund University’s mGPS AI tool traces recent locations based on microbial signatures, aiding forensics and epidemiology by linking bacteria to specific geographic origins. A research team from Lund University in Sweden has created an AI tool capable of tracking the most recent locations you’ve visited. Unlike a traditional navigation system that helps you reach a destination, this tool pinpoints the geographical origin of microorganisms. This innovation allows bacteria to reveal whether someone recently visited the beach, disembarked at a city center train station, or took a walk through the woods. This opens up new possibilities within medicine, epidemiology , and forensics. Microorganisms are organisms, such as bacteria, that are invisible to the naked eye. The word microbiome is used to describe all the microorganisms in a particular environment. Establishing the geographical source of a microbiome sample has been a considerable challenge up to now. However, in a new study...

  In a recent study published in Nature, a team led by researchers from Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center investigated the effects of the compound gliocidin in targeting glioblastoma , an aggressive form of brain tumor. The study found that gliadin acts on specific cellular pathways to selectively kill glioblastoma cells without harming normal cells. Moreover, the compound can penetrate the blood-brain barrier, which highlights its potential as a treatment option for glioblastoma. Background Glioblastoma is one of the most lethal forms of brain cancer and is known for its resistance to standard therapies. Despite significant advances in cancer therapies , currently used immunotherapies and targeted therapies have had minimal success in improving survival rates in glioblastoma. This resistance is believed to stem from several challenges unique to glioblastoma, such as its complex cellular heterogeneity and immune-evasive characteristics. Additionally, crossing the blood-brain...

  Attempts to discover a breakthrough dementia drug might be drawing attention these days, but traditional medicinal products can offer hints for preventive medicine . A research group led by Specially Appointed Professor Takami Tomiyama of Osaka Metropolitan University's Graduate School of Medicine has found that administering the dried seeds of a type of jujube called Ziziphus jujuba Miller var. spinosa, used as a medicinal herb in traditional Chinese medicine, holds promise in restoring cognitive and motor function in model mice. By administering hot water extracts of Zizyphi spinosi semen to model mice with Alzheimer's disease , frontotemporal dementia, Parkinson's disease, and dementia with Lewy bodies, the team found that cognitive and motor functions were restored. Furthermore, when the seeds were simply crushed into powder and administered to the model mice, the team discovered that the cognitive function of the model mice recovered to a level above that of con...

  In a recent study published in The Lancet Microbe , researchers summarized evidence on yellow fever breakthrough infections after primary vaccination. Background Yellow fever, caused by the yellow fever virus, is an acute febrile and potentially fatal hemorrhagic illness, with an estimated 30,000 annual deaths and case fatality risk of 40% in the symptomatic population. The virus is transmitted by mosquito vectors of Haemagogus or Aedes genera. Yellow fever is endemic to South America and sub-Saharan Africa. Preventive measures are paramount since there are no effective treatments. Nevertheless, a live-attenuated vaccine developed in the 1930s is available but is contraindicated for specific populations. Vaccination as pre-exposure prophylaxis confers effective immunity, with short- and long-term seroprotection rates ranging from 71% to 100% and 48% to 100%, respectively. The World Health Organization (WHO), revising its position on booster vaccination in 2015, stated that a...

  Cannabis use causes cellular damage that increases the risk of highly cancerous tumors , according to a new paper published in the scientific journal Addiction Biology. The paper describes cannabis as a "genotoxic" substance because it damages a cell's genetic information, which can lead to DNA mutations, accelerated aging, and cancer. To make matters worse, this genotoxicity may be transmitted via damaged egg and sperm to the cannabis user's offspring, making the risk of cannabis use trans-generational. In a recent publication in Addiction Biology researchers from The University of Western Australia have made a link between established knowledge that cannabis use damages cellular energy production by inhibiting mitochondria and new cancer research published in Science showing that mitochondrial dysfunction drives chromosomal damage , which shows up as increased rates of cancer, accelerated aging, and birth defects. The Science studies were not conducted in the ...

  In a recent study published in the journal Genome Medicine , researchers in the United States of America developed a neoantigen deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) vaccine platform and conducted a phase 1 clinical trial to assess its safety and immune response in patients with a high risk of triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) . They found that the vaccine was well tolerated, induced neoantigen-specific T-cell responses in 78% of patients, and showed a promising recurrence-free survival rate of 87.5% over 36 months, compared to 49% in historical controls. Background Tumor-expressed mutant proteins that can be recognized by the immune system, called cancer neoantigens, are promising targets for immunotherapy. Advances in cancer sequencing and bioinformatics have enabled the identification of these neoantigens, leading to the development of vaccines that stimulate neoantigen-specific T-cell responses and antitumor immunity. Initial studies demonstrated the efficacy of neoantigen vaccines...