Overview

• Researchers at the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute (WEHI) have identified WEHI-3773, a small molecule that inhibits the pro-apoptotic BAX protein to prevent cell death.
• The molecule blocks BAX’s ability to damage mitochondria, preserving neurons and potentially slowing the progression of neurodegenerative conditions such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s.
• WEHI-3773 was discovered through ultra-high-throughput screening of over 100,000 compounds at WEHI’s National Drug Discovery Center in Melbourne, Australia.
• This breakthrough builds on decades of WEHI’s cell-death research, which has previously led to transformative cancer therapies.
• The findings, published in the journal Science Advances, position WEHI-3773 as a key candidate for developing disease-modifying neuroprotective drugs.