SciBX: Science-Business eXchange Contents: February 23 2012, Volume 5 / Issue 8

TABLE OF CONTENTS February 23 2012, Volume 5 / Issue 8 Analysis Cover Story Targets and Mechanisms The Distillery: Therapeutics Cancer Endocrine/metabolic disease Infectious disease Musculoskeletal disease Neurology Ophthalmic disease Renal disease The Distillery: Techniques Assays and screens Disease models Drug delivery Drug platforms Recommend to your library Web feed Available online only Subscribe Advertisement Cell Symposia on Genetics and Chemistry Sharing a Language of Discovery May 23 - 25, 2012 Boston Marriott Cambridge, Cambridge, USA Keynote Speakers: Gary Gilliland, Merck & Co., USA Eric Green, National Human Genome Research Institutes, USA Submit your abstract before March 2, 2012 for consideration in our poster program and register before March 30, 2012 to save $100!   Advertisement SciBX: Science-Business eXchange Recommend SciBX to your library today SciBx 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. Subscribe to SciBX and you won't miss the next big thing. For more information visit: www.nature.com/scibx.   Advertisement Trade Secrets A Nature Network blog by BIOENTREPRENEUR Brought to you by Nature Biotechnology Access the insights, advice and commentary from scientists and entrepreneurs building biotech sectors around the world. Join the global dialogue on life science entrepreneurship: http://blogs.nature.com/trade_secrets   Analysis Cover Story Top Cystic fibrosis two-step Chris Cain doi:10.1038/scibx.2012.192 A Canadian and a U.S. team have independently shown that restoring normal function to mutant CFTR requires correcting two distinct folding steps. The findings could provide a road map to guide the rational development of more effective therapies to treat cystic fibrosis. Full Text | PDF Targets and Mechanisms Top Broadening TDO's base Kai-Jye Lou doi:10.1038/scibx.2012.193 Belgian researchers have shown in mice that a small molecule TDO inhibitor promotes immune rejection of tumors without signs of toxicity. The group plans to screen for a more stable inhibitor that could be advanced into the clinic, and the team is in discussions to spin out a company this half. Full Text | PDF Rebuilding a better bone Tracey Baas doi:10.1038/scibx.2012.194 A University of California, Davis Medical Center team has designed a chimeric molecule that could treat osteoporosis by increasing the homing of transplanted mesenchymal stem cells to bone surfaces in mice. The next step is showing the method works in large animal models of bone diseases. Full Text | PDF The TAU of PD Lev Osherovich doi:10.1038/scibx.2012.195 An Australian team has shown that loss of microtubule-associated protein-τ leads to accumulation of toxic intracellular iron, a shared feature of Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's disease. The findings could mean that companies developing AD therapies that target the aggregated protein will need to be mindful of iron levels. Full Text | PDF Distillery: Therapeutics Cancer Top Insulin-like growth factor binding protein 2 (IGFBP2); integrin α5 (CD49e); integrin β1 (CD29); integrin-linked kinase (ILK); NF-κB doi:10.1038/scibx.2012.196 Patient sample and mouse studies suggest inhibiting the integrin/ILK/NF-κB pathway could help treat IGFBP2-driven gliomas. Full Text | PDF IL-4 receptor (CD124) doi:10.1038/scibx.2012.197 A study in mice identified an aptamer targeting CD124 that depleted tumor-promoting myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) and could help treat breast cancer. Full Text | PDF Solute carrier family 7 member 11 cystine glutamate transporter (SLC7A11; xCT) doi:10.1038/scibx.2012.198 In vitro and mouse studies suggest the xCT inhibitor sulfasalazine could be repurposed to help treat CLL. Full Text | PDF α-1,4-N-acetylglucosaminyltransferase (A4GNT) doi:10.1038/scibx.2012.199 Patient sample and mouse studies suggest increasing A4GNT signaling could help prevent gastric cancer. Full Text | PDF Peroxisome proliferation–activated receptor-γ (PPARG; PPARγ) doi:10.1038/scibx.2012.200 Studies in mice suggest combining Yondelis trabectedin and PPARγ agonists could help treat p53-mutant round cell liposarcoma. Full Text | PDF Ret proto-oncogene (RET); KIF5B-RET oncogenic fusion protein doi:10.1038/scibx.2012.201 Three separate studies in patient samples and in cell culture identified KIF5B-RET translocation proteins that could be targeted by approved NSCLC drugs. Full Text | PDF MicroRNA-155 (miR-155) doi:10.1038/scibx.2012.202 Studies in mice suggest anti-CD40 antibodies plus nanoparticles carrying pre-miR-155 could be used to treat ovarian cancer. Full Text | PDF Endocrine/metabolic disease Top Taste receptor, type 1, member 2 (TAS1R2; T1R2) doi:10.1038/scibx.2012.203 In vitro and mouse studies suggest activation of T1R2 by fructose could increase glucose-stimulated insulin secretion. Full Text | PDF Family with sequence similarity 132 member A (FAM132A; CTRP12) doi:10.1038/scibx.2012.204 A study in mice suggests CTRP12 could help treat obesity and type 2 diabetes. Full Text | PDF Natriuretic peptide precursor A (NPPA; ANP); B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP; NPPB) doi:10.1038/scibx.2012.205 A study in mice suggests ANP or BNP might increase energy expenditure to help treat obesity. Full Text | PDF Infectious disease Top Streptokinase doi:10.1038/scibx.2012.206 In vitro and mouse studies identified inhibitors of streptokinase gene expression that could help treat group A streptococcus infection. Full Text | PDF Musculoskeletal disease Top Integrin α4β1 (CD49D/CD29) doi:10.1038/scibx.2012.207 Mouse studies suggest LLP2A-Ale alone or in combination with mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) could help treat osteoporosis and bone fractures. Full Text | PDF Neurology Top DNA-damage-inducible transcript 3 (DDIT3; CHOP10; CHOP; GADD153); x-box binding protein 1 (XBP1) doi:10.1038/scibx.2012.208 Mouse studies suggest inhibiting CHOP or activating XBP1 could help treat neurodegenerative diseases. Full Text | PDF Dopamine D2 receptor; dopamine D3 receptor doi:10.1038/scibx.2012.209 Studies in cell culture suggest antagonizing heterodimers of D2 and D3 receptors could help treat schizophrenia. Full Text | PDF Ophthalmic disease Top Neurotrophic tyrosine kinase receptor 2 (NTRK2; TrkB) doi:10.1038/scibx.2012.210 Mouse studies identified an N-acetyl serotonin (NAS) derivative that could help treat retinal degeneration. Full Text | PDF Renal disease Top MicroRNA-21 (miR-21) doi:10.1038/scibx.2012.211 Studies in humans and mice suggest inhibiting miR-21 could help prevent or treat fibrosis caused by renal damage. Full Text | PDF Solute carrier family 29 nucleoside transporter member 1 (SLC29A1; ENT1) doi:10.1038/scibx.2012.212 Studies in mice suggest antagonizing ENT1 could help prevent acute kidney injury. Full Text | PDF Distillery: Techniques Assays and screens Top Next-generation sequencing for diagnosis of infantile mitochondrial disease doi:10.1038/scibx.2012.213 Next-generation sequencing of mitochondrial DNA and nuclear genes encoding mitochondrial proteins could help diagnose infantile mitochondrial disease. Full Text | PDF Disease models Top Microtubule-associated protein-τ (MAPT; TAU; FTDP-17) knockout model of Parkinson's disease (PD) doi:10.1038/scibx.2012.214 Studies in mice suggest that loss of function of TAU could contribute to PD. Full Text | PDF Drug delivery Top DNA nanorobots for programmable and targeted drug delivery doi:10.1038/scibx.2012.215 In vitro studies suggest DNA nanorobots could be used for targeted drug delivery. Full Text | PDF Poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL)-based nanoparticles for targeted delivery of antibiotics doi:10.1038/scibx.2012.216 PCL-containing nanoparticles could be useful for delivering antibiotics to cells infected by lipase-secreting bacteria such as Staphylococcus aureus. Full Text | PDF Targeted delivery of chemotherapeutics with an EPH receptor A2 (EPHA2)-targeting peptide doi:10.1038/scibx.2012.217 Conjugates of a chemotherapeutic and an EPHA2-targeting peptide could help treat cancer more effectively and safely than unconjugated chemotherapy. Full Text | PDF Drug platforms Top Binding scaffolds based on variable lymphocyte receptors (VLRs) doi:10.1038/scibx.2012.218 In vitro studies suggest VLR-based binding scaffolds could be an alternative to immunoglobulin-based antibody scaffolds, which are large, expensive to produce in mammalian cells and difficult to design. Full Text | PDF You have been sent this Table of Contents Alert because you have opted in to receive it. 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