B cells

[Blood Advances] Zanubrutinib, a highly selective Bruton tyrosine kinase inhibitor, was evaluated in a phase I/II study in patients with various B-cell malignancies. Zanubrutinib was well tolerated and demonstrated activity in patients with relapsed/refractory mantle cell lymphoma.

[Nature Immunology] Using mice that bear the corresponding variant and recapitulate the B and T cell phenotypes, researchers showed that the mutant AIOLOS homodimers and AIOLOS–IKAROS heterodimers did not bind the canonical AIOLOS–IKAROS DNA sequence.

[Blood] Scientists performed an extensive medicinal chemistry campaign and identified KIN-8194 as a novel dual inhibitor of HCK and BTK. KIN-8194 showed potent and selective in vitro killing of MYD88 mutated lymphoma cells, including ibrutinib resistant BTKCys481Ser expressing cells.

[Nature Communications] Researchers showed that nasal infection controls two sequential processes to induce neutralizing IgG antibodies recognizing the hemagglutinin (HA) of heterotypic strains.

[Nature Reviews Drug Discovery] The authors summarize key discoveries that aid the clinical translation of PI3Kα and PI3Kδ inhibitors, including the PI3Kα isoform-selective inhibitor alpelisib for the treatment of breast cancer, highlighting lessons learnt and future opportunities.

[Journal of Cellular and Molecular Medicine] Since angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2)-positive cells were hosts for COVID-19, researchers focussed on this cell type to explore the underlying mechanisms of COVID-19.