EXPERT OPINION ON THERAPEUTIC TARGETS

Targeted therapeutic strategies for the kidney
Yuan F and Lerman LO
Kidney diseases impose a significant burden with high incidence and mortality rates. Current treatment options for kidney diseases are limited, necessitating urgent development of novel and effective therapeutic strategies to delay or reverse disease progression. Targeted therapies for the kidney hold promise in significantly enhancing treatment outcomes, offering hope to patients afflicted with renal disorders.
TRPC3: how current mechanistic understanding provides a basis for therapeutic targeting
Groschner K
Intensive and detailed investigations of the molecular function and cellular role of mammalian transient receptor potential canonical (TRPC) channels started back in the early 90 of the past century. Initial TRPC research was fueled by high hopes to resolve fundamental questions of cellular Ca signaling. To date, we have learned important lessons in TRPC channel biology and biophysics, while little progress has been made in terms of therapeutic concepts.
Immunotherapies in breast cancer: harnessing the cancer immunity cycle
Lok V, Olson-McPeek S, Spiegelhoff G, Cortez J, Detz D and Czerniecki B
Immunotherapies have found limited success in breast cancerdue to significant challenges within the tumor that block T-cell activity and function.
FOXC1 and retinopathy: targeting molecular mechanisms in retinal blood vessel growth
Kume T
Progress and challenges in glypican-3 targeting for hepatocellular carcinoma therapy
Couzinet A, Suzuki T and Nakatsura T
Glypican-3 (GPC3) is a cell membrane-anchored heparan sulfate proteoglycan that has recently garnered attention as a cancer antigen owing to its high expression in numerous cancers, particularly hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), and to limited expression in adult normal tissue.
Expression of Concern: Overexpression of HMGA2 in breast cancer promotes cell proliferation, migration, invasion and stemness
Targeting the TRPV1 pain pathway in osteoarthritis of the knee
Mobasheri A, Rannou F, Ivanavicius S and Conaghan PG
The growing prevalence and lack of effective pain therapies for knee osteoarthritis (KOA) results in a substantial unmet need for novel analgesic therapies. The transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 (TRPV1) receptor is expressed in subsets of nociceptive sensory neurons and has major roles in pain transmission and regulation. In the structures of the knee joint, nociceptors are present in abundance.
Potential molecular targets for the pharmacologic management of non-traumatic osteonecrosis
Cheng EY and Mirzaei A
Non-traumatic osteonecrosis is a debilitating condition marked by bone death, primarily due to reduced blood supply. Currently, no effective pharmacologic intervention is available to manage this condition effectively.
What is holding back preclinical GPR119 agonists from their potential as the therapeutics of type 2 diabetes?
Hu J, Cao Y, Duan L and Peng J
Advantages and disadvantages of targeting senescent endothelial cells in cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases based on small extracellular vesicles
Ma W, Zhou T, Tang S, Gan L and Cao Y
With the growth of the aging population, age-related diseases have become a heavy global burden, particularly cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases (CVDs). Endothelial cell (EC) senescence constitutes an essential factor in the development of CVDs, prompting increased focus on strategies to alleviate or reverse EC senescence.
ULK1 as a therapeutic target in kidney diseases: Current perspective
Shreya S, Dagar N, Shelke V, Puri B and Gaikwad AB
Globally, ~850 million people are affected by different kidney diseases. The pathogenesis of kidney diseases is intricate, where autophagy is crucial for maintaining kidney homeostasis. Iteliminates damaged organelles, thus reducing renal lesions and allowing tissue regeneration. Therefore, targeting various autophagy proteins, e.g. Unc-51-like autophagy-activating kinase 1 (ULK1), is emerging as potential therapeutic strategy against kidney disease.
Exploring PKG signaling as a therapeutic avenue for pressure overload, ischemia, and HFpEF
Zhazykbayeva S, Budde H, Kaçmaz M, Zemedie Y, Osman H, Hassoun R, Jaquet K, Akin I, El-Battrawy I, Herwig M and Hamdani N
Heart failure (HF) is a complex and heterogeneous syndrome resulting from any diastolic or systolic dysfunction of the cardiac muscle. In addition to comorbid conditions, pressure overload, and myocardial ischemia are associated with cardiac remodeling which manifests as extracellular matrix (ECM) perturbations, impaired cellular responses, and subsequent ventricular dysfunction.
Kallikrein-related peptidases: mechanistic understanding for potential therapeutic targeting in cancer
Daneva GN, Tsiakanikas P, Adamopoulos PG and Scorilas A
Human kallikrein-related peptidases (KLKs) represent a subgroup of 15 serine endopeptidases involved in various physiological processes and pathologies, including cancer.
Target potential of miRNAs in ulcerative colitis: what do we know?
Kumar P, Kedia S and Ahuja V
The global rise in ulcerative colitis (UC) incidence highlights the urgent need for enhanced diagnostic and therapeutic strategies. Recent advances in genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have identified genetic loci associated with UC, providing insights into the disease's molecular mechanisms, including immune modulation, mucosal defense, and epithelial barrier function. Despite these findings, many GWAS signals are located in non-coding regions and are linked to low risk, suggesting that protein-coding genes alone do not fully explain UC's pathophysiology. Emerging research emphasizes the potential of microRNAs (miRNAs) as biomarkers and therapeutic targets due to their crucial role in UC. This review explores the current understanding of miRNAs in UC, including their mechanisms of action and their potential as both biomarkers and therapeutic targets. The present review provides the latest update on their potential as a biomarker and therapeutic target.
Looking ahead to targeting macrophages by CAR T- or NK-cells in blood cancers
Kegyes D, Milea PA, Mazga AI, Tigu AB, Nistor M, Cenariu D, Tomai R, Buruiana S, Einsele H, Daniela Tănase A and Tomuleasa C
The bone marrow microenvironment (BME) is critical for healthy hematopoiesis and is often disrupted in hematologic malignancies. Tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) are a major cell type in the tumor microenvironment (TME) and play a significant role in tumor growth and progression. Targeting TAMs and modulating their polarization is a promising strategy for cancer therapy.
The role of Nrf2 in immune cells and inflammatory autoimmune diseases: a comprehensive review
Xu WD, Yang C and Huang AF
Nrf2 regulates mild stress, chronic inflammation, and metabolic changes by regulating different immune cells via downstream signaling. Collection of information about the role of Nrf2 in inflammatory autoimmune diseases will better understand the therapeutic potential of targeting Nrf2 in these diseases.
Innovations in treating acute graft-versus-host disease: a review of preclinical targets and strategies
Duan H, Ru Y and Chen J
Acute graft-versus-host disease (aGVHD) is a major complication of post-allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) that severely impacts patient survival and quality of life. Despite advancements in standard care, therapeutic outcomes remain suboptimal, necessitating the exploration of innovative strategies.
Combined cancer immunotherapy based on targeting adenosine pathway and PD-1/PDL-1 axis
Fathi M, Zarei A, Moghimi A, Jalali P, Salehi Z, Gholamin S and Jadidi-Niaragh F
Cancer immunotherapy has revolutionized the field of oncology, offering new hope to patients with advanced malignancies. Tumor-induced immunosuppression limits the effectiveness of current immunotherapeutic strategies, such as PD-1/PDL-1 checkpoint inhibitors. Adenosine, a purine nucleoside molecule, is crucial to this immunosuppression because it stops T cells from activating and helps regulatory T cells grow. Targeting the adenosine pathway and blocking PD-1/PDL-1 is a potential way to boost the immune system's response to tumors.
Therapeutic indications for HDAC6 inhibitors in the peripheral and central nervous disorders
van Eyll J, Prior R, Celanire S, Van Den Bosch L and Rombouts F
Inhibition of the enzymatic function of HDAC6 is currently being explored in clinical trials ranging from peripheral neuropathies to cancers. Advances in selective HDAC6 inhibitor discovery allowed studying highly efficacious brain penetrant and peripheral restrictive compounds for treating PNS and CNS indications.
The endocannabinoid system as a therapeutic target in neuropathic pain: a review
Quintero JM, Diaz LE, Galve-Roperh I, Bustos RH, Leon MX, Beltran S and Dodd S
This review highlights the critical role of the endocannabinoid system (ECS) in regulating neuropathic pain and explores the therapeutic potential of cannabinoids. Understanding the mechanisms of the ECS, including its receptors, endogenous ligands, and enzymatic routes, can lead to innovative treatments for chronic pain, offering more effective therapies for neuropathic conditions. This review bridges the gap between preclinical studies and clinical applications by emphasizing ECS modulation for better pain management outcomes.
Can we target insulin signalling for cognition therapeutics?
Macrì S and Laviola G