SciBX: Science-Business eXchange Contents: March 8 2012, Volume 5 / Issue 10

TABLE OF CONTENTS March 8 2012, Volume 5 / Issue 10 Analysis Cover Story Targets and Mechanisms The Distillery: Therapeutics Autoimmune disease Cancer Endocrine/metabolic disease Infectious disease Inflammation Musculoskeletal disease Neurology The Distillery: Techniques Assays and screens Disease models Drug platforms Imaging Markers 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.   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 Working on the brain gang(lioside) Lev Osherovich doi:10.1038/scibx.2012.243 Canadian researchers have found that ganglioside GM1, a naturally occurring lipid, improves motor function and slows disease progression in mice with Huntington's disease. The team is in talks to license the findings to an undisclosed company. Full Text | PDF Targets and Mechanisms Top Repowering the ovary Tracey Baas doi:10.1038/scibx.2012.244 Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School researchers have devised a way to generate viable oocytes from human germline stem cells. The findings have been licensed by OvaScience, which plans to use the oocyte precursor cells to develop several platforms for restoring fertility in vitro and in vivo. Full Text | PDF An obesity angle for GPR120 Kai-Jye Lou doi:10.1038/scibx.2012.245 An international team of researchers has shown that dysfunction of GPR120 leads to obesity and obesity-associated metabolic disorders such as glucose intolerance and fatty liver. The findings come less than two years after another team reignited interest in GPR120 as a diabetes target. Full Text | PDF A TEM to kill Chris Cain doi:10.1038/scibx.2012.246 Novartis and the National Cancer Institute have developed mAbs against anthrax toxin receptor 1 that inhibited tumor angiogenesis in multiple mouse models of cancer with fewer side effects than anti-VEGF therapies. A key next step is to determine how widely the target is expressed in human tumors. Full Text | PDF Distillery: Therapeutics Autoimmune disease Top Indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (INDO; IDO) doi:10.1038/scibx.2012.247 Mouse studies suggest IDO could help treat and prevent autoimmune diseases. Full Text | PDF Cancer Top Ubiquitin specific peptidase 15 (USP15); transforming growth factor-β receptor 1 (TGFBR1; ALK5) doi:10.1038/scibx.2012.248 Studies in patient samples suggest inhibiting USP15 could help treat glioblastoma by blocking transforming growth factor-β (TGFB; TGFβ) signaling. Full Text | PDF Anthrax toxin receptor 1 (ANTXR1; TEM8) doi:10.1038/scibx.2012.249 Studies in mice suggest inhibiting TEM8 could help treat cancer. Full Text | PDF c-Met receptor tyrosine kinase (MET; c-Met; HGFR); VEGF doi:10.1038/scibx.2012.250 Studies in mice suggest inhibiting both c-Met and VEGF signaling could help treat cancer by preventing anti-VEGF–induced tumor invasion and metastasis. Full Text | PDF Telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT); peroxisome proliferation–activated receptor-γ coactivator 1β (PPARGC1B; PGC-1β) doi:10.1038/scibx.2012.251 Studies in mice suggest combined inhibition of telomerase and mitochondrial function could help treat cancer. Full Text | PDF Sirtuin 1 (SIRT1) doi:10.1038/scibx.2012.252 In vitro and mouse studies suggest inhibiting SIRT1 could eliminate cancer stem cells to help treat CML. Full Text | PDF γ-Secretase doi:10.1038/scibx.2012.253 Studies in mice suggest inhibiting γ-secretase could help treat pancreatic cancer. Full Text | PDF Endocrine/metabolic disease Top Not applicable doi:10.1038/scibx.2012.254 Germline stem cells could be used to produce viable oocytes and might potentially be used for in vitro fertilization (IVF) techniques. Full Text | PDF G protein–coupled receptor 120 (O3FAR1; GPR120) doi:10.1038/scibx.2012.255 Mouse and genetic studies suggest defects in GPR120 signaling increase susceptibility to obesity and obesity-related pathologies. Full Text | PDF Infectious disease Top Clostridium botulinum toxin type A; botulinum neurotoxin type A1 nontoxic-nonhemagglutinin component (ntnH) doi:10.1038/scibx.2012.256 Structural and in vitro studies suggest inhibiting binding between C. botulinum toxin and ntnH could prevent botulism. Full Text | PDF Killer cell lectin-like receptor subfamily K member 1 (KLRK1; CD314; NKG2D) doi:10.1038/scibx.2012.257 Mouse studies suggest the efficacy of T cell–based vaccinations could be improved with NKG2D. Full Text | PDF Inflammation Top Neutrophil cytosolic factor 2 (NCF2; p67bphox); NADPH oxidase 2 (NOX2); Ras-related C3 botulinum toxin substrate 1 (rho family, small GTP binding protein Rac1; RAC1) doi:10.1038/scibx.2012.258 In vitro studies identified small molecule p67bphox inhibitors that could help treat inflammation mediated by reactive oxygen species (ROS). Full Text | PDF Musculoskeletal disease Top Glutamyl-prolyl-tRNA synthetase (EPRS) doi:10.1038/scibx.2012.259 An in vitro study identified EPRS as the target of the antifibrotic drug halofuginone, which could help identify antifibrotic molecules with increased potency or selectivity and new therapeutic targets in fibrosis. Full Text | PDF Neurology Top Glycogen synthase kinase 3β (GSK3B) doi:10.1038/scibx.2012.260 In vitro and mouse studies suggest GSK3B inhibition could help treat peripheral nerve injury. Full Text | PDF Platelet derived growth factor receptor B (PDGFRB; PDGFR1; CD140B) doi:10.1038/scibx.2012.261 Rat studies suggest antagonizing PDGFRB could help prevent morphine tolerance. Full Text | PDF Prostaglandin E2 receptor EP2 subtype (prostanoid EP2 receptor; PTGER2) doi:10.1038/scibx.2012.262 Cell culture, mouse and SAR studies suggest antagonizing PTGER2 could help treat status epilepticus seizures. Full Text | PDF Protein phosphatase 1 regulatory inhibitor subunit 9A (PPP1R9A; neurabin-1); regulator of G-protein signaling 4 (RGS4) doi:10.1038/scibx.2012.263 Mouse studies suggest inhibiting PPP1R9A or RGS4 could help treat seizures. Full Text | PDF Distillery: Techniques Assays and screens Top High-throughput microfluidic platform for the isolation of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) from blood samples doi:10.1038/scibx.2012.264 A high throughput microfluidic platform for isolating serum CTCs could help guide cancer diagnosis and prognosis. Full Text | PDF Nanopore-based DNA sequencing using phage DNA polymerase and blocking oligomers doi:10.1038/scibx.2012.265 A method to combine phage DNA polymerase and blocking oligomers to move DNA molecules through a nanopore could be used for sequencing. Full Text | PDF Disease models Top Neuroprotection and functional recovery in macaque models of stroke doi:10.1038/scibx.2012.266 Macaque models could aid the development of neuroprotective therapies to treat stroke. Full Text | PDF Drug platforms Top Ganglioside GM1 (GM1) for Huntington's disease (HD) doi:10.1038/scibx.2012.267 Mouse studies suggest the lipid GM1 could be useful for treating HD. Full Text | PDF Increasing oncolytic viral therapy efficacy by agonizing tumor necrosis factor receptor superfamily member 9 (TNFRSF9; 4-1BB; CD137) doi:10.1038/scibx.2012.268 Studies in mice suggest agonizing CD137 could improve the efficacy of oncolytic viral therapy. Full Text | PDF Imaging Top Ferumoxytol, heparin and protamine nanocomplexes for cellular tracking with MRI doi:10.1038/scibx.2012.269 Self-assembling Feraheme ferumoxytol, heparin and protamine nanocomplexes could be useful labels for detecting cells with MRI. Full Text | PDF Markers Top Sequencing the family with sequence similarity 175 (FAM175A; abraxas) gene to determine breast cancer susceptibility and guide treatment doi:10.1038/scibx.2012.270 Studies in cell culture and in patient samples suggest germline mutations in abraxas could contribute to susceptibility to breast cancer and help guide treatment decisions. Full Text | PDF You have been sent this Table of Contents Alert because you have opted in to receive it. 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