Drug Discovery@nature.com 9 December 2011

TABLE OF CONTENTS 9 December 2011 News Analysis Research Highlights Research & Reviews Careers Nature Reviews Drug Discovery is on Twitter Advertisement Miami 2012 Winter Symposium: Nanotechnology in Biomedicine February 26-29, 2012 • Miami, FL, USA The 45th Miami Winter Symposium will bring together leaders in the field to discuss breakthroughs in new nanomaterials and the challenges in translating these materials into products for the clinic and laboratory. For more information and to register, visit: www.nature.com/natureconferences/miami/   News Top Novartis to shut brain research facility doi:10.1038/480161a Drug giant redirects psychiatric efforts to genetics. Full Text Deal watch: MicroRNA collaboration to target cardiovascular disease pathways doi:10.1038/nrd3621 Les Laboratoires Servier and MiRagen Therapeutics have agreed to jointly research, develop and commercialize three preclinical-stage oligonucleotide microRNA inhibitors for the treatment of cardiovascular disease. Full Text Gene therapy can protect against HIV doi:10.1038/nature.2011.9516 An introduced gene conveys long-lived resistance to HIV infection in mice. Full Text An audience with Marc Kirschner doi:10.1038/nrd3613 Marc Kirschner, Chairman of Harvard Medical School's Department of Systems Biology, discusses Harvard's new Initiative in Systems Pharmacology. Full Text Analysis Top Turning back the malarial hordes doi:10.1038/scibx.2011.1282 Researchers have identified a host receptor, basigin Ok blood group, that allows Plasmodium falciparum to trigger a blood-stage malaria infection, and are now developing a vaccine to neutralize the P. falciparum antigen that binds the receptor. Full Text Crizotinib doi:10.1038/nrd3600 In August 2011, crizotinib (Xalkori; Pfizer), a small-molecule kinase inhibitor, was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of patients with locally advanced or metastatic non-small-cell lung cancer that is anaplastic lymphoma kinase-positive, as detected by an FDA-approved test. Full Text Personalized medicine in oncology: next generation doi:10.1038/nrd3603 This article outlines the challenges, such as clinical trial design, biomarker selection, accurately forecasting sales potential and pricing, that face pharmaceutical companies in the development of targeted drugs. Full Text Research Highlights Top Analgesia: Unravelling epigenetic mechanisms of chronic pain doi:10.1038/nrd3606 Results from a new study suggest that histone deacetylase inhibitors could be used as analgesics to target the development of chronic pain. Full Text Medical devices: A protective stent coating doi:10.1038/nrd3604 Researchers have shown that coating stents with cathelicidin, an antimicrobial peptide released from neutrophils, could represent a novel strategy for preventing restenosis. Full Text Therapeutics: Another tool in the BCR–ABL kit? doi:10.1038/nrc3173 Inhibiting an interaction between the SH2 and kinase domains of BCR–ABL, which facilitates kinase activation, prevents leukaemogenesis in mice and can restore sensitivity to tyrosine kinase inhibitors. Full Text Research & Reviews Top Taking aim at the extracellular matrix: CCN proteins as emerging therapeutic targets doi:10.1038/nrd3599 This article summarizes the evidence for the participation of CCN matricellular proteins in disease pathologies, explores their potential as diagnostic markers and therapeutic targets, and outlines various strategies to target these proteins. Full Text MicroRNAs en route to the clinic: progress in validating and targeting microRNAs for cancer therapy doi:10.1038/nrc3166 In addition to highlighting the use of mouse models to understand the roles of miRNAs in cancer and metastasis, this article reviews the recent literature regarding the transition of these master regulators into clinical settings both as direct cancer therapeutics and as tools to sensitize tumours to traditional chemotherapeutics. Full Text The effects of dexpramipexole (KNS-760704) in individuals with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis doi:10.1038/nm.2579 Preliminary evidence indicates that the drug dexpramipexole may have clinical activity in a small placebo-controlled trial in patients with the neurodegenerative disease amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Full Text RAF inhibitor resistance is mediated by dimerization of aberrantly spliced BRAF(V600E) doi:10.1038/nature10662 Researchers have identified a novel mechanism of acquired resistance to RAF inhibitors in patients: expression of splicing isoforms of BRAF(V600E) that dimerize in a RAS-independent manner. Full Text Drug Discovery JOBS of the week High Resolution Mass Spectrometry applied to food, drugs and environmental problems Universita' degli Studi di Torino Scientist –Cancer Drug Discovery H3 Biomedicine Drug Discovery and Development Services Sales Manager 1975 Millipore Corp. Graduate studentship in genomics of drug reponse and drug safety University of British Columbia Aerosol Scientist – Drug Delivery – Cambridge Paramount Recruitment More Science jobs from Drug Discovery EVENT Parenteral Packaging Strategies For Drug Developers 01.-02.02.12 US More science events from Careers Top Career snapshots archive Career snapshots feature people associated with drug discovery and drug development, with the aim of providing expert insights and advice on a wide range of positions and career paths in this field. Full Text Top Advertisement SciBX: Science-Business eXchange is a weekly publication that identifies and analyzes the most important translational research articles from over 40 journals. Find out which papers have real scientific and commercial potential, and why. Recommend SciBX to your library today.   Natureevents is a fully searchable, multi-disciplinary database designed to maximise exposure for events organisers. The contents of the Natureevents Directory are now live. The digital version is available here. Find the latest scientific conferences, courses, meetings and symposia on natureevents.com. For event advertising opportunities across the Nature Publishing Group portfolio please contact natureevents@nature.com More Nature Events

You have been sent this Table of Contents Alert because you have opted in to receive it. You can change or discontinue your e-mail alerts at any time, by modifying your preferences on your nature.com account at: www.nature.com/myaccount (You will need to log in to be recognised as a nature.com registrant) For further technical assistance, please contact our registration department For print subscription enquiries, please contact our subscription department For other enquiries, please contact our customer feedback department Nature Publishing Group | 75 Varick Street, 9th Floor | New York | NY 10013-1917 | USA Nature Publishing Group's worldwide offices: London - Paris - Munich - New Delhi - Tokyo - Melbourne San Diego - San Francisco - Washington - New York - Boston Macmillan Publishers Limited is a company incorporated in England and Wales under company number 785998 and whose registered office is located at Brunel Road, Houndmills, Basingstoke, Hampshire RG21 6XS. © Nature Publishing Group, a division of Macmillan Publishers Limited. All Rights Reserved.