Science Spotlight: Myosin’s non-muscle myosin inhibitors

Myosin Therapeutics Inc. published back-to-back papers in Cell describing non-muscle myosin II small molecule inhibitors for substance use disorder and cancer, respectively.

One article describes rational design of non-muscle myosin II inhibitors that do not hit cardiac muscle myosin II, improving safety. Myosin CEO Courtney Miller told BioCentury that MYH10, a non-muscle myosin II isoform, becomes constitutively active in the basal lateral amygdala, the “emotional memory center” of the brain, after methamphetamine use. This MYH10 activity increases dendritic spine motility, facilitating drug-associated memories...