Neoleukin’s ACE2 decoy protects hamsters from SARS-CoV-2; plus a circular RNA linked to diabetes and more

Neoleukin’s ACE2 decoy for COVID
Neoleukin Therapeutics Inc. (NASDAQ:NLTX) has reported in Science Translational Medicine that prophylactic administration of NL-CVX1, its lead COVID-19 candidate, protected hamsters from lethal SARS-CoV-2 challenge. The company is determining whether to advance the bivalent ACE2 protein decoy, which had EC₅₀ values below 5 nM in cell-based assays, into the clinic.

Circular RNA promotes insulin release
An article in Nature Communications has implicated in diabetes reduced levels of a circular RNA generation from an insulin gene intron. A University of Lausanne-led group found that pancreatic islets from Type II diabetics had lower levels of the circular RNA than islets from non-diabetics; and showed in normal rat islets that silencing the circular RNA decreased expression of β cell secretory machinery components and impaired insulin release...