NK cells are effector innate lymphoid cells (ILCs) that do not require antigen-specific priming. NK cells are not only killer cells that help to suppress tumors, but also are involved in the generation and maintenance of adaptive immune responses.  The process of antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity (ADCC) makes use of innate immune cells which provide antitumor …Read More >

Rat tumor models are a better mimic of human pathology compared to mice. The tumor stroma component of rats is about 1.5 to 2-fold higher relative to mice. Rats are considered an ideal model for preclinical efficacy studies, as they are physiologically, metabolically, and genetically more similar to humans.  To support drug discovery teams, WuXi …Read More >

PD-1 blockade has demonstrated remarkable clinical efficacy across various tumor types. However, primary or acquired resistance eventually leads to cancer progression in clinical settings. Understanding the underlying mechanisms of resistance is both necessary and urgent to enhance clinical outcomes. At AACR 2024, WuXi AppTec presented a poster describing the development of two types of anti-PD-1 …Read More >

The efficacy of CAR-T therapy is substantially influenced by the tumor microenvironment. This is particularly evident when PD-L1 is activated through CAR-T, leading to the inhibition of CAR-T cell activity via the PD-1 pathway.  At AACR 2024, WuXi AppTec presented a poster describing an engineered CAR-T therapy that targets mesothelin and concurrently expresses a membrane-bound …Read More >

WuXi AppTec scientists published a study in the open access archive ChemRxiv describing the discovery of highly selective, novel, heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) targeting molecules. HO-1, primarily a heme-degrading enzyme, has been identified as a potential therapeutic target in diseases such as cancer and neurodegenerative disorders. Here, we report the discovery of five series of novel …Read More >

Despite the success of delivery technologies such as lipid nanoparticles and trivalent GalNAc conjugation, targeted delivery of oligonucleotides to extra hepatic tissues remains a challenge.  At this year’s OPT Congress, WuXi AppTec presented a poster showing the utilization of our peptide-based DNA-encoded library screening platform to identify endocytosis receptor-binding peptides.  The binding affinity of hit …Read More >

Fragment-based drug discovery (FBDD) is one of the most well-developed approaches for projects starting from small, low-affinity compounds.  At the SLAS 2024 meeting in Boston, WuXi AppTec presented a poster reporting on the assembly of a covalent fragment library that is suited to tackle protein targets via serine, lysine, and cysteine residues. In a case …Read More >

Despite improvement in clinical outcomes observed with the use of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) tyrosine kinase inhibitors (EGFR-TKIs), long-term prognosis remains unfavorable due to the development of either intrinsic or acquired resistance.  Understanding the mechanisms underlying this resistance is vital for designing strategies to address this challenge, and one approach involves the establishment of …Read More >

WuXi AppTec scientists contributed to a research article in the journal Translational Medicine Communications which characterized the antitumor immune responses generated by iMN041, a prodrug of a DNA methyl transferase/ribonucleotide reductase inhibitor.  This study also assessed the efficacy of iMN041 in mouse xenografts of human clear cell renal cell cancer, pancreatic cancer, and triple negative …Read More >