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Startup Elkedonia raises €11M to advance neuroplastogen in depression
Newco Elkedonia SAS has raised €11 million (US$12.7 million) in a seed round, which will fund it to take a potentially first-in-class ELK-1 inhibitor into the clinic in the treatment of refractory depression. ELK-1 plays a pivotal role in neuroplasticity and in reward circuits in the brain, which when disrupted can lead to depression, addiction and post-traumatic stress disorder.

Startup Elkedonia raises €11M to advance neuroplastogen in depression
Newco Elkedonia SAS has raised €11 million (US$12.7 million) in a seed round, which will fund it to take a potentially first-in-class ELK-1 inhibitor into the clinic in the treatment of refractory depression. ELK-1 plays a pivotal role in neuroplasticity and in reward circuits in the brain, which when disrupted can lead to depression, addiction and post-traumatic stress disorder.
CD97-targeting CAR T cells with enhanced persistence show promise in AML xenograft models
Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is an aggressive blood cancer characterized by the accumulation of immature myeloid cells. Current treatments often fail to achieve durable remission, underscoring the need for innovative therapeutic approaches. CD97 is a cell surface protein with broad, increased expression on AML cells compared to normal blood stem and progenitor cells. Moreover, CD97 overexpression in AML patients has been associated with poor survival, thus emerging as a potential therapeutic target.
JADE-101 ameliorates IgA nephropathy features in preclinical setting
IgA nephropathy is a progressive kidney disease characterized by the deposition of immune complexes containing IgA, where a proliferation-inducing ligand (APRIL) drives the production of pathogenic IgA. Jade Biosciences Inc. has developed a novel APRIL-binding therapeutic, JADE-101, for the treatment of IgA nephropathy.
Other news to note for June 13, 2025
Additional early-stage research and drug discovery news in brief.
Haisco Pharmaceutical patents new GLP-1R agonists
Haisco Pharmaceutical Group Co. Ltd. has disclosed compounds acting as glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor (GLP-1R) agonists reported to be useful for the treatment of diabetes and obesity.
SPT6 maintains epidermal homeostasis in inflammatory skin diseases
At the ongoing International Society for Stem Cell Research meeting, Chinese researchers reported they demonstrated that SPT6 homolog, histone chaperone and transcription elongation factor (SPT6) promotes epidermal stem/progenitor cells differentiation by facilitating transcriptional elongation, but its role in vivo in skin homeostasis is not well defined.
Dual, tumor-specific TNFR2 and CD47 blockade using an oncolytic virus enhances anticancer immunity
Colorectal cancer remains one of the leading causes of cancer-related mortality worldwide. Recent advancements in immunotherapy have demonstrated the potential of targeting immune checkpoints and co-inhibitory pathways to enhance antitumor responses.

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