June 28 Preclinical Quick Takes: BioNTech targets pancreatitis; plus new targets for HIV and more

Anti-glycan mAb licensed by BioNTech could prevent pancreatitis
A Science study from Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory suggests the glycan CA19.9 (sialyl Lewis A), long known as a biomarker of pancreatic disease, actively drives the progression of pancreatitis and pancreatic cancer, and showed an anti-CA19.9 mAb reversed disease in a mouse model of CA19.9-driven pancreatitis. CSHL filed a patent application on using anti-CA19.9 mAbs to treat and prevent pancreatitis, which MabVax Therapeutics Holdings Inc. (Pink:MBVX) licensed. In May, BioNTech AG (Mainz, Germany) acquired the license along with MabVax’s Phase I-stage anti-CA19.9 mAb MVT-5873.

Epidermal dendritic cells as an HIV target
A Westmead Institute for Medical Research team implicated a dendritic cell population in the genitoanal epidermis, HIV's first site of contact, in the virus’ sexual transmission and suggest targeting the cells to prevent or treat HIV transmission. Reported in a Nature Communications paper, the dendritic cells express high levels of HIV entry receptor CCR5, are readily infected by HIV and could transmit the virus to CD4+ T cells in cell culture...