Luminate (risuteganib) / Allegro Ophthalmics, Hanmi, AffaMed Therap - LARVOL DELTA

Sequential Transarterial Chemoembolization (TACE), Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy (SBRT), and Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors for Unresectable Hepatocellular Carcinoma Treated With Donafenib (clinicaltrials.gov) - P2 | N=34 | Not yet recruiting | Sponsor: Jinling Hospital, China

Checkpoint inhibition • New P2 trial • Hepatocellular Cancer • Oncology • Solid Tumor

Breaking Down Linear Low-Density Polyethylene (LLDPE) Using Fungal Mycelium (Part A): A Path Towards Sustainable Waste Management and Its Possible Economic Impacts. (PubMed, Life (Basel)) - "Among the tested fungal species, Schizophyllum commune WE032, Lentinus sajor-caju TBRC6266, and Trametes flavida AM011, S. commune demonstrated the most vigorous mycelial expansion (20.53 mm/day) and highest biomass accumulation (276.87 mg)...These findings highlight fungal mycelium's potential for plastic waste management, advocating for further research on optimizing growth conditions, enhancing enzyme expression, and scaling industrial applications. Future research will focus on integrating fungal bioremediation with biomass residues from agricultural and forestry sectors, offering a comprehensive solution for waste management and environmental sustainability."

HEOR • Journal • CNS Disorders • Inflammatory Arthritis • Psychiatry • Schizophrenia

Real-world treatment and outcomes for EGFR WT advanced/metastatic non-squamous non-small cell lung cancer: pooled analysis from project LUMINATE-101. (PubMed, Oncologist) - "Real-world median OS of second-line patients on the current standard of care was < 7 months, highlighting an unmet need for more effective therapeutics in non-squamous EGFR WT advanced/metastatic NSCLC."

HEOR • IO biomarker • Journal • Real-world evidence • Retrospective data • Lung Cancer • Lung Non-Squamous Non-Small Cell Cancer • Non Small Cell Lung Cancer • Oncology • Solid Tumor • EGFR

Transcatheter Coil Embolization: A Method to Treat Fistulae Between the Coronary Arteries and Pulmonary Artery. (PubMed, JACC Case Rep) - "Coronary artery fistulae (CAF) are defined as an abnormal connection between a coronary artery and another luminated vascular or nonvascular organ...The transcatheter approach is associated with a lower rate of complications and fistula recurrence compared with open-heart surgery. This case illustrates the effectiveness of transcatheter coil embolization in the treatment of coronary artery to pulmonary sinus fistulae."

Journal • Cardiovascular • Coronary Artery Disease • Heart Failure • Pain

The Effect of Different Bleaching Techniques Using 6% Hydrogen Peroxide: Penetration Inside the Pulp Cavity, Bleaching Efficacy and Toxicity. (PubMed, Braz Dent J) - "Sixty maxillary premolars were divided in six groups (n = 10): Pola Luminate (PL), VivaStyle Paint On PIus (VS), PolaDay (PD), White Class (WC) and Whiteness HP Automixx (AM)...No toxicity was observed when all 6% HP was compared to GC (p > 0.05). All 6% HP products tested showed bleaching efficacy, low penetration into the pulp chamber and were non-toxic to Tenebrio molitor larvae."

Journal

Crystal structure of AlPCl8. (PubMed, Acta Crystallogr E Crystallogr Commun) - "The crystal structure of aluminium phospho-rus chloride (systematic name: phospho-rus tetra-chloride tetra-chloridoa-luminate), (PCl4)[AlCl4] or AlPCl8, was determined and refined using single-crystal X-ray diffraction data...The asymmetric unit comprises one Al atom, one P atom, and five Cl atoms. The structure is characterized by isolated AlCl4 and PCl4 tetra-hedra, isostructural with FePCl8 and GaPCl8."

Journal

INhaled Sedation versus Propofol in REspiratory failure in the Intensive Care Unit (INSPiRE-ICU1): protocol for a randomised, controlled trial. (PubMed, BMJ Open) - P3 | "Sedation in mechanically ventilated adults in the intensive care unit (ICU) is commonly achieved with intravenous infusions of propofol, dexmedetomidine or benzodiazepines...Inhaled isoflurane has potential benefit for ICU sedation due to its safety record, sedation profile, lack of metabolism and accumulation, and fast wake-up time...Trial protocol has been approved by US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and central (Advarra SSU00208265) or local institutional review boards ((IRB), Cleveland Clinic IRB FWA 00005367, Tufts HS IRB 20221969, Houston Methodist IRB PRO00035247, Mayo Clinic IRB Mod22-001084-08, University of Chicago IRB21-1917-AM011 and Intermountain IRB 033175). Results will be presented at scientific conferences, submitted for publication, and provided to the FDA. NCT05312385."

Clinical • Clinical protocol • Journal • Anesthesia • Critical care • Respiratory Diseases

ROLE OF GHRELIN HORMONE IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF ALCOHOL-ASSOCIATED LIVER DISEASE VIA DYSREGULATING GLP-1 RECEPTOR-MEDIATED SIGNAL TRANSDUCTION (AASLD 2024) - "Simultaneously, in-silico prediction of protein-protein interaction was performed using Bio Luminate version 4.9... These results indicate a fundamental role of the alcohol-induced increases in ghrelin levels in impairing GLP-1/GLP-1R-mediated signal transduction in hepatocytes (and likely other organs such as pancreas and adipose) to promote the development of ALD."

Hepatology • Metabolic Disorders

LUMINATE 101-Maccabi: Real-World Study of Treatment Patterns and Clinical Outcomes in Patients with Mnsclc in an Israeli HMO (IASLC-WCLC 2024) - "The most common 1L to 2L treatment sequences were platinum-doublet chemotherapy to PD(L)1 monotherapy, and PD(L)1 monotherapy to pemetrexed. Docetaxel, the currently recommended 2L treatment and standard-of-care in clinical trials was not commonly used in this cohort. Clinical outcomes were generally poor at 2L treatment, highlighting the unmet need for more effective treatment options following progression on 1L."

Clinical • Clinical data • Real-world • Real-world evidence • Lung Cancer • Lung Non-Squamous Non-Small Cell Cancer • Non Small Cell Lung Cancer • Oncology • Solid Tumor • EGFR

RNA-seq suggests integrins as a potential therapeutic target in epiretinal membrane pathogenesis (ARVO 2024) - "The identification of upregulation of integrins α-1, α-3, α-11 and β-4 in epiretinal membranes is a new and exciting finding. Integrins have a critical role in linking the cell and extracellular matrix and play a role in cell migration and transition from quiescent to proliferative states. Anti-integrin therapies, including risuteganib, THR-687 and SF-0166 are being investigated for use in retinovascular diseases including diabetic macular oedema and age-related macular degeneration, but this study suggests that epiretinal membrane is another possible indication for these therapies."

Age-related Macular Degeneration • Diabetic Macular Edema • Macular Degeneration • Macular Edema • Ophthalmology • Retinal Disorders

Systemic Dendrimer-Peptide Therapies for Wet Age-Related Macular Degeneration. (PubMed, Pharmaceutics) - "Imaging data suggested that the difference in efficacy may be due to more D-ALG remaining in the target area than ALG-1001 after administration. The results presented here offer a clinically relevant route for peptide therapeutics by addressing the major obstacles that these therapies face in delivery."

Journal • Age-related Macular Degeneration • Macular Degeneration • Ophthalmology • Retinal Disorders • Wet Age-related Macular Degeneration

An interpretable and interactive deep learning algorithm for a clinically applicable retinal fundus diagnosis system by modelling finding-disease relationship. (PubMed, Sci Rep) - "We then define a notion of counterfactual attribution ratio (CAR) which luminates the system's diagnostic reasoning, representing how each abnormal finding contributed to its diagnostic prediction. By using CAR, we show that both quantitative and qualitative interpretation and interactive adjustment of the CAD result can be achieved. A comparison of the model's CAR with experts' finding-disease diagnosis correlation confirms that the proposed model identifies the relationship between findings and diseases similarly as ophthalmologists do."

Journal • Ophthalmology

Allegro Ophthalmics Receives FDA Agreement Under Special Protocol Assessment (SPA) for Phase 2b/3 Clinical Trial of Risuteganib for the Treatment of Intermediate Dry AMD (PRNewswire) - "Allegro Ophthalmics...today announced that the Company has received agreement from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) under a Special Protocol Assessment (SPA) for the design of its Phase 2b/3 clinical trial of risuteganib (Luminate®) for the treatment of intermediate, non-exudative age-related macular degeneration (dry AMD)."

FDA event • Age-related Macular Degeneration • Ophthalmology

"Hello, guys, how is the development of Luminate platform is going?" (@Dogtor01416800)

"Me too !. I(E)luminate us all" (@lazydoc)

Comparative life cycle assessment of conventional and novel microalgae production systems and environmental impact mitigation in urban-industrial symbiosis. (PubMed, Sci Total Environ) - "The present study uses Life Cycle Assessment approach to compare the environmental performance of conventional reactors and the proposed internally luminated novel closed reactor design, expressing impacts per kg biostimulant for the Scenedesmus almeriensis harvest from such units...This highlights that such closed and internally illuminated photobioreactors can be competitive with conventional reactors, and have potential to harness photosynthesis to reduce environmental burdens in an urban-industrial symbiosis setting. Possible economies of scale and the associated potential gains in efficiencies are further discussed."

Journal

Color Vision and Microperimetry Changes in Nonexudative Age-Related Macular Degeneration After Risuteganib Treatment: Exploratory Endpoints in a Multicenter Phase 2a Double-Masked, Randomized, Sham-Controlled, Crossover Clinical Trial. (PubMed, Ophthalmic Surg Lasers Imaging Retina) - "All color vision and MP parameters tested trended toward improvement in risuteganib-treated patients and risuteganib responders. Statistically significant improvement was evident in two metrics: confusion index (in risuteganib-treated patients and responders) and number of loci with decreased sensitivity (in responders). A significant correlation between BCVA and both TES Lanthony and TES Hue Style in risuteganib patients provides concurrent evidence of objective and subjective improvement of retinal function. [Ophthalmic Surg Lasers Imaging Retina 2022;53:430-438.]."

Journal • P2a data • Age-related Macular Degeneration • Diabetic Retinopathy • Macular Degeneration • Ophthalmology • Retinal Disorders

The Transcriptome Profile of Retinal Pigment Epithelium and Müller Cell Lines Protected by Risuteganib Against Hydrogen Peroxide Stress. (PubMed, J Ocul Pharmacol Ther) - " RSG protected cultured human RPE and Müller cell lines against HO-induced cell death and mitigated the associated transcriptome changes in biological processes and pathways relevant to the pathogenesis of retinal diseases. These results demonstrate RSG reduced oxidative stress-induced toxicity in two retinal cell lines with potential relevance to the treatment of human diseases."

Journal • Preclinical • Ophthalmology • Retinal Disorders

"As well as the launches of Luminate and Carcinome — this company needs to stop over promising" (@JonahLupton)

Impact of Baseline Quantitative OCT Features on Response to Risuteganib for the Treatment of Dry AMD-The Importance of Outer Retinal Integrity. (PubMed, Ophthalmol Retina) - "This post hoc analysis demonstrated that baseline OCT features may help determine likelihood of functional response to risuteganib. Utilization of higher order OCT feature characterization may provide an important biomarker for treatment response and could facilitate optimized clinical trial enrollment and enrichment."

Journal • Age-related Macular Degeneration • Dry Age-related Macular Degeneration • Macular Degeneration • Ophthalmology • Retinal Disorders

Risuteganib-directed staining localizes in the Retinal Pigment Epithelium of Retinal Tissue from Aged, but not Young, Mice (ARVO 2022) - "The results show an age-related specific interaction of RSG with the RPE. These findings are consistent with the hypothesis that RSG supports RPE function, which may underlie its therapeutic effects."

Preclinical • Age-related Macular Degeneration • Dry Age-related Macular Degeneration • Macular Degeneration • Ophthalmology • Retinal Disorders

Cellular Uptake of Risuteganib via Endocytosis in Cultured Human RPE Cells (ARVO 2022) - "Experiments at temperatures that permit and inhibit endocytosis suggest that cultured RPE cells take up RSG via endocytosis. Co-localization of RSG with cell organelles may be involved in RSG’s protection against HQ-induced cell damage."

Age-related Macular Degeneration • Dry Age-related Macular Degeneration • Macular Degeneration • Ophthalmology • Retinal Disorders

"@agescotland @alzassociation @alzheimerssoc @AlzResearchUK @alzscot @MusicforDemUK @MfWB_CIC @ruthannebaxter @LuminateScot @SingWellProject @NetworkSinging all might be interested in this episode" (@ScotSingHealth)

Alzheimer's Disease • CNS Disorders

"Thanks @luminateROC @Nextcorps @UoR @CVSUoR @MarcosLabUR @ARVOinfo" (@MarcoslabUr)

Ophthalmology

Several pathways under investigation for dry AMD treatment (Healio) - "'The big issue for us researchers is we don't have a good animal model to test anything,' Peter K. Kaiser, MD, said. 'We don't have preclinical models that inform us if a drug is going to work or not because the animal that we use are humans. If you look at the different approaches, it really falls along the lines of our current thinking about dry AMD.'"

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