Nrf2 Activation Offers Therapeutic Promise, Yet Requires Caution
Nrf2 Activation in Inflammatory Diseases: A Review of Natural and Synthetic Modulators 🔑 Mechanistic insights and preclinical and clinical evidence on the role of Nrf2 in inflammatory diseases and evaluates the therapeutic potential of its key activators. “ The nuclear factor erythroid 2–related factor 2 (Nrf2) pathway is a central regulator of the cellular antioxidant response, playing a key role in modulating inflammation and defending against oxidative stress-induced damage. A range of natural and synthetic compounds, including dimethyl fumarate, bardoxolone, oltipraz, RTA-408, ursodiol, curcumin, sulforaphane, and resveratrol, have been shown to activate Nrf2 via distinct molecular mechanisms” (“ However, it is vital to acknowledge that excessive or dysregulated Nrf2 activation can lead to adverse effects. This is especially true under conditions of chronic exposure or in certain diseases like cancer, where continuous activation might inadvertently promote the survival and proliferation of malignant cells.”) https://t.co/3rg8YyLmiH
AI-Designed Enzymes Poised to Replace Petrochemicals in Everyday Products
The detergent you use. The fabric on your Gore-Tex jacket. The fragrance in your shampoo. For a century, making these products meant petrochemicals and harsh industrial chemistry. AI protein design is changing the underlying process. @ArzedaCo builds custom enzymes for real...
KRAS Targeting Fuels $30B Valuation for RVMD
The race to catch KRAS, pancreatic cancer’s ‘greasy ball,’ and create the most promising drug in decades Or, how $RVMD is now worth $30B https://t.co/iFilUpezjn via @angRchen #AACR26
USC Compound Halts Alzheimer-Linked Brain Inflammation
As a medical school professor at USC, this one is personal. My colleagues at Keck School of Medicine developed a compound that stops brain inflammation linked to Alzheimer's -- while preserving normal brain function. The target: cPLA2, an enzyme that drives inflammation...
Order Set to Speed Psychedelic Drug Research Access
the order will dramatically accelerate access to new medical research and treatments based on psychedelic drugs
HHS Partners to Boost Psychedelic Trial Data, Prioritize Breakthroughs
HHS will work with the Department of Veterans Affairs, as well as the private sector, to increase clinical trial participation, data sharing, and real-world evidence generation regarding psychedelic drugs, and shall prioritize drugs that have received Breakthrough Therapy status
Rejuvenation Stems From Removing Old Blood, Not Young Transfusions
Munger was right to “avoid crazy” regarding young blood transfusions. While animal data is compelling, evidence shows rejuvenation (in mice) comes mostly from removing old blood components to dilute age-elevated factors. 🩸
Chinese Biotech's Global Surge May Hinge on AI
China’s drug makers are speeding up – will AI be their secret weapon? Chinese biotech firms are striking big global deals as drug makers, but could artificial intelligence take them to the next level? No "overcapacity" here.... https://t.co/sktFORaVey via @scmpnews
Amgen's Potts Lab Unveils Universal Molecular Glue Platform
Next up #aacr26 is @pottslab from Amgen discussing their broad and diverse molecular glue & degrader platform “any target, every time” https://t.co/SfJ0jGYene
Sidewinder Cuts DNA Assembly Errors to One‑in‑Million
Biology's source code is DNA. For 40 years, we've been able to read it. Writing it, especially long, complex sequences, is still painfully slow, expensive, and error-prone. Current DNA assembly methods fail about once every 10 to 30 connections. Kaihang Wang's lab...
DepMap's Future: PRMT5 Inhibitor Differences Unveiled
Excellent talk from Bill Sellers on future directions with DepMap. Interesting differences between different PRMT5 inhibitors (SAM & MTA) and how they compare with selective inhibitors #aacr26 https://t.co/xfmKVqEpp1
Late‑stage Oral Cocktail Adds 33% Lifespan in Obese Mice
An oral drug combination, including a senolytic (quercetin), NR, urolithin A, and alpha-lipoic acid, extended median remaining lifespan in mice by 33%. Important to note, however, that the mice were fed a high-fat "Western Diet" and the intervention started at 18...
NAD+ Rhythms Drive Sleep, Aging; Resetting Delays Decline
NEW PAPER: Ups & downs in NAD+ over 24 h dictates our body's clock & sleep but declines with age. Disrupting the cycle promotes mouse aging & restoring it improves fitness & metabolic function, pointing to "circadian reprogramming" as a...
AI Maps Tumors in 3D Single‑cell Detail for Early Detection
For anyone w/ access to #AACR26 recordings and interested in early cancer detection, @deniswirtz gave a beautiful talk yesterday on AI-driven mapping of tumours in 3D and at single-cell resolution. Two examples from the pancreas and fallopian tubes: https://t.co/sLXh5FX6du
Hassan Predicted Sugammad
Also, after all these years and all the FDA delays, Fred Hassan was right about sugammadex... except it took a really long time. (This is a pharma deep cut, links in the comments.)
President Signs Order to Boost PTSD Drug Research
JUST IN: The president signed an executive order to ramp up research on drugs for PTSD and other mental health issues.
Illuminating the Dark Proteome: Protein Sequencing’s Next Frontier
The Human Genome Project mapped our DNA. We still can't read most of our proteins. There are billions of proteins in biology we've never sequenced: no function known, no structure solved, no role in disease understood. They're not hypothetical, they're real...
FDA Poised to Approve Psychedelics Amid Strong Political Push
It seems clear that the administration is poised to approved psychedelic applications at the FDA. This is strong political momentum & it seems approval is extremely likely so long as phase 3 data resemble phase 2 data. FDA Commissioner Makary: There...
Choosing Risk Over Safetyism to Save Millions
Ultimately humanity will have to decide, are we open to risk and hundreds of new therapies and cures or does safetyism win as we watch millions unnecessarily die each year (for the price of hundreds or thousands of deaths for...
NovaSeq 6000 Two‑color Chemistry Creates T>G Artifact
NovaSeq 6000's two-color chemistry introduces a recurrent T>G substitution artifact that doesn't show up on HiSeq X10's four-color chemistry. Germline and high-VAF somatic calls are fine. Low-VAF mosaicism calls are not. https://t.co/9PknN8Vyrb
Never Confuse DNA Plus/Minus Strands Again
1/17 Confused by plus/minus strands, coding/template, or forward/reverse in DNA data? You're not alone. Here's how to never mix them up 🧵 https://t.co/4kVXfhJssL
Microfluidic Lens Rivals Electronics for Glaucoma Monitoring
Can a microfluidic contact lens match electronic systems for glaucoma care while staying comfortable enough for daily wear? https://spectrum.ieee.org/smart-contact-lens-glaucoma-microfluidics?share_id=9388906
Protein Aggregates Damage Brain Vascular Barrier in Parkinson’s
Organ-on-a-chip technology demonstrates that Parkinson's-associated protein aggregates disrupt the brain's vascular barrier, leading to endothelial dysfunction and impaired blood flow. This insight highlights the vascular component of neurodegenerative disease. neuroscience
Implantable Islet Cells May Eliminate Insulin Injections
Implantable islet cells could control diabetes without insulin injections by Anne Trafton @MIT Learn more: https://t.co/aPCxukXMW1 #MedTech #HealthTech #Tech #TechForGood https://t.co/IwjlYaJitu
China Favors Grassroots, Market-Driven Trials; US Stays Centralized
Interesting look at how China may have a more grassroots and market-oriented approach to early, experimental trials vs. the American, centralized politburo approach:
Peptides: Unregulated, Risky, and Growing in Popularity
"What's your star sign?" "I'm a Taurus." "Cool, and what's your peptide stack?" Special Lifers episode on Peptides Part 1 with Sunita Mohanty Spotify: https://t.co/nRCBnLOjqm Apple: https://t.co/iibWpZHNZ7 Youtube: https://t.co/ijtPosgt4t Timestamps: (00:00) Intro (00:04) Peptides everywhere (00:42) Meet Sunita and Ultralight (01:08) Regulatory whiplash explained (01:58) Stacks and the gray area (03:34) Black market...
R&D Hype Unchecked: No Accountability for Drug Promises
Nice article by @TClozel in @FastCompany. Link in comments. The funny thing is that every company he mentioned and many others promised many years ago and still promise cheaper, faster, higher PoS drugs and many of them do not...
Genetic IL6R Blockade Shows No Impact on Disease or Longevity
Genetic interleukin-6 receptor blockade, chronic disease risk, and longevity: results from the women’s health initiative "Genetic IL6R blockade was not associated with incident chronic-disease risk, including invasive cancer and longevity, in a large, ethnically diverse cohort of postmenopausal women. No significant...
Fish‑skin Graft with Silicone Accelerates Wound Healing
Kerecis Shield: Fish-Skin Graft with Silicone Layer for Faster Wound Healing by @IntEngineering #MedTech #HealthTech #TechForGood #Tech https://t.co/k1FaNFInaH
Partnering with Epigen
Dr. @M_S_Ringel is a knowledge fountain. COO of @lifebiosciences & a world's expert in epigenetic rejuvenation. Formerly Senior Partner @BCG for 20 years, it's a thrill to be working with him on the trials
Blood‑based ECM Protein Clock Predicts Biological Age and Disease
An Extracellular Matrix Aging Clock Based on Circulating Matrisome Proteins Predicts Biological Aging and Disease https://t.co/3VOwhGCz5S
Design‑First Protein Engineering Delivers Round‑One Success
Protein engineering has a dirty secret: most of the work is in the lab, not the algorithm. You design, you test, most variants fail, you iterate for months. Scala Biodesign's bet is that the design layer can do most of that...
AI Pharma Success Measured by Speed, Cost, Not Approvals
Very often I am being asked when will the first drugs designed using AI receive regulatory approval. The answer is very simple - there are several drugs that were already approved. For example, the first antibody to receive regulatory approval...
Sex Differences Crucial for Glucagon Obesity Drug Efficacy
Male and female bodies respond differently to glucagon-based obesity drugs, and FGF21 plays an important role—especially in females. This means future treatments need to account for sex differences to be effective and safe. https://t.co/Z9gllk02Dj
STAT's Live AACR Coverage: Newsletter, Event, Recap
A heads up: starting Sunday, and through the beginning of next week, STAT is going to be taking the annual meeting of the American Association of Cancer Research by storm. This is one of the best venues for spotting new ideas...
France Leads Approval of IV Ketamine for Suicidal Crises
Scientists test if ketamine has antidepressant effects under anesthesia; France is the first to approve IV ketamine for severe suicidal crisis https://t.co/s7W7YlAOMr
UCB to Acquire Neurona for $1.2B, Targeting Seizure Cell Therapy
UCB, betting on seizure cell therapy, to buy Neurona for up to $1.2B https://t.co/LxI1Omodan by @realJacobBell $UCB
Nanobody Fixes CFTR Misfolding, Boosts Cystic Fibrosis Therapy
A cell-penetrating nanobody repairs misfolded CFTR proteins in cystic fibrosis cells, restoring chloride channel function and showing strong synergy with existing therapies, potentially advancing treatment for protein misfolding disorders. biotechnology
OpenAI and InSilicoMeds Partnership Promises Significant Growth
A collaboration between @OpenAI and @InSilicoMeds has great upward potential. Would you be open to exploring this @sama ?
AI and Cheap Sequencing Will Unlock Health Risk Genomics
Our use of genomic data is woefully minimal for establishing health risks but the low cost of sequencing along with improved AI analytics can get this moving forward. Nice example here
Pancreatic Cancer Study May Usher New Treatment Era
A pancreatic cancer expert on why Revolution Medicines’ study could ‘open up a new era’ of treatment https://t.co/npSBO8iR7n via @statnews
JNJ's HLD-0117 Enters Phase 1, Target Unreve
Second $JNJ ex-Halda "riptac", HLD-0117, goes into phase 1. Previously only known as "breast cancer riptac", target still undisclosed https://t.co/aJRe55AgYH
Scaling Bio‑Products: Funding, Forecasting, and Partnerships
Getting from pilot plant to commercial scale is where most bio-based products die. The science works. The economics don't. Or the capital isn't there. Or the supply chain can't handle the volume. This session at @SynBioBeta 2026 brings together people who've actually...
China’s Drug Innovation Surge Defies Industrial Policy Narrative
China Is Now a Global Drug Innovation Powerhouse. Industrial Policy Had Little to Do with It. .....industrial policies like Made in China 2025 played a negligible role... https://t.co/MKyZ6auvAS
Chinese Pharma Leads Speed, Insilico Wins on Novelty
Very insightful article in China Daily. There is a big delta between the AI CRO model and AI Biotech model. At Insilico, we do not compete with Xtalpi or other local companies. The most hardcore competitors now are the large...
Blood Test Identifies Molecules Predicting Short‑term Survival
New Blood Test Signals Who is Most Likely to Live Longer, Study Finds Research finds tiny molecules in blood strongly predict short‑term survival in older adults https://t.co/8bv3I5CCXE https://t.co/IdZ5eYOmwe
AZD4956
Just disclosed in #AACR26 abstracts: $AZN AZD4956 = DNA pol theta inhibitor. My story from when it entered phase 1/2 Parthenon study +/-saruparib -> https://t.co/bHoOKqd7da
Minibinder Data for $149—Custom Assays Available
Get data on your minibinders for $149! Sequence in -> data out. Let us know other assays or protocols you'd like to see and we're happy to add to Ginkgo Cloud Lab.
Rejecting Life Extension = Costly, Intentional Aging Choice
"If you have access to life extension therapies and decline them, you’re making a deliberate choice to age and die on an old biological timeline." -- the additional medical cost associated with NOT choosing these therapies, may make it an...
AI‑Driven Trials Could Propel India’s Pharma Leaders
One of the most amazing encounters at Semafor World Economy was with Satish Reddy of Dr. @bindureddy's Laboratories , the largest or second largest pharma company in India, depending on how you look at it. Now, they are also looking...