Sponsored by
In a new study published in Science Translational Medicine, researchers led by Dr. Hui Li at the University of Virginia School of Medicine report a first-in-class small-molecule inhibitor targeting AVIL, an oncogene previously shown to drive glioblastoma growth. Discovered through high-throughput screening, the molecule crosses the blood–brain barrier and suppressed tumor growth in multiple cell and mouse models. AVIL is mostly absent in normal brain tissue, and the molecule did not significantly affect healthy brain cells in preclinical studies, supporting its potential selectivity. While the current molecule form is not yet a finished drug, we're eager to see these researchers finalize chemical optimization of the compound and move into human trials within the next year or two.