MxA activates the inflammasome: Specks of ASC, one of inflammasome proteins (indicated by arrows), were observed in the lung epithelial cells of transgenic mice infected with the influenza A virus (IAV), which expressed ihuman MxA, but not in IAV-infected mice without human MxA (non-Tg) at day three post-infection. © Lee et al., Sci. Immunol. 4, eaau4643 (2019)

A team of Japanese and German researchers has found the protein that helps activate the inflammasome following viral invasion.

Rotaviruses. © CDC

Researchers at University Lyon have found a potential repurposing application of two market-approved rotavirus vaccines.

Swiss Polyphor AG and researchers from the University of Zurich have presented the mechanism of action of a new class of antibiotics.
 

© Zealand Pharma A/S

Zealand Pharma A/S has acquired Encycle Therapeutics Inc, including a peptide therapeutics platform and library.
 

Localisation of FSP1 in green, cell nucleus in yellow, endoplasmic reticulum in magenta. © Rudolf Virchow Centre for Experimental Biomedicine University of Würzburg

German researchers have found a novel way to induce iron-induced necrosis, a process which they want to turn against cancer.

Ebola virus. © EMA

EMA’s human medicines committee (CHMP) recommended seven medicines for approval at its October 2019 meeting.

Formation of neuronal spines in neurons from wild type mice (left) and mice with mutations in the KCC2 transporter. © M. Watanabe et al., Science Signaling (2019)

A molecular transporter is critical for the proper maturation of neurons underlying neurodevelopmental disorders.

© pixabay/Gerd Altmann

AI-driven drug repurposing company Healx Ltd (Cambridge, UK) raises US$56m in a Series B financing and launches global accelerator programme for orphan diseases.
 

Besides DONIMI, 4SC AG is conducting clinical testing of domatinostat in a range of indications. © 4SC AG

The Netherlands Cancer Institute (NKI) has joined 4SC AG as a partner in conducting a multicentre study of dominatostat/checkpoint blocker combos in treatment-naive melanoma patients.

© Mogrifiy

British start-up company Mogrify Ltd (Cambridge, UK) has added US$16m from a Series A round to its US$3.7m seed financing in February 2019. Existing investor Ahren Innovation Capital led the round, with Parkwalk, 24Haymarket, and the University of Bristol Enterprise Fund III participating.