SciBX: Science-Business eXchange Contents: March 22 20212, Volume 5 / Issue 12

TABLE OF CONTENTS March 22 2012, Volume 5 / Issue 12 Analysis Cover Story Translational Notes Targets and Mechanisms Tools The Distillery: Therapeutics Cancer Cardiovascular disease Endocrine/metabolic disease Infectious disease Musculoskeletal disease Neurology Renal disease The Distillery: Techniques Chemistry Drug platforms Imaging 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 Bioartificial pancreas beta test Kai-Jye Lou doi:10.1038/scibx.2012.298 Beta-O2 Technologies and an international team of academic collaborators have shown that the company's bioartificial pancreas normalizes blood glucose levels in rat models of diabetes for up to three months. The team hopes to start a trial of the implant in a single patient this year. Full Text | PDF Translational Notes Top Merck's reCalibration Chris Cain doi:10.1038/scibx.2012.299 Merck is investing up to $90 million over the next seven years to fund the California Institute for Biomedical Research. The pharma is hoping the wide spectrum of translational research to be covered by the institute will yield first access to drugs against new targets that might not yet be on the company's radar. Full Text | PDF Targets and Mechanisms Top Gleevec for pain Lauren Martz doi:10.1038/scibx.2012.300 Researchers at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center have found that Novartis' Gleevec can reduce tolerance to opioid analgesics. Novartis isn't pursuing the new indication, but the academics are pressing forward and plan to submit an IND for a reformulated version of the drug within the next year. Full Text | PDF Tools Top Monkeys bridge the stroke gap Michael J. Haas doi:10.1038/scibx.2012.301 NoNO has become the first company to show that macaque models could bridge the rodent-human gap to potentially derisk clinical testing of new stroke therapies. The company reported that its neuroprotective peptide NA-1 was effective both in macaque models and in a Phase II trial for the indication. Full Text | PDF Distillery: Therapeutics Cancer Top Lysine-specific histone demethylase 1 (KDM1A; LSD1) doi:10.1038/scibx.2012.302 Cell culture and mouse studies suggest inhibition of LSD1 in combination with all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) could help treat AML. Full Text | PDF Proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) doi:10.1038/scibx.2012.303 In vitro studies suggest the triiodothyronine T3 derivative PCNA inhibitor T2AA could help treat cancer. Full Text | PDF Myeloid leukemia cell differentiation protein (MCL1) doi:10.1038/scibx.2012.304 In vitro and cell culture studies suggest marinopyrrole A could help treat hematological malignancies. Full Text | PDF Transcription factor CP2 (TFCP2; LSF) doi:10.1038/scibx.2012.305 In vitro and mouse studies identified a small molecule inhibitor of the transcription factor LSF that could help treat hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Full Text | PDF Cytidine deaminase (CDA) doi:10.1038/scibx.2012.306 Mouse studies suggest inhibiting CDA with Abraxane nab-paclitaxel could help improve the efficacy of gemcitabine by reducing its breakdown in tumor cells. Full Text | PDF Cardiovascular disease Top Hypoxia-inducible factor 1α (HIF1A; HIF1α); transforming growth factor-β1 (TGFB1) doi:10.1038/scibx.2012.307 Mouse studies suggest inhibiting TGFB1 could help protect against heart failure. Full Text | PDF Endocrine/metabolic disease Top Adenosine kinase doi:10.1038/scibx.2012.308 Cell culture and rodent studies identified adenosine kinase inhibitors that could help treat diabetes. Full Text | PDF Infectious disease Top v-abl Abelson murine leukemia viral oncogene homolog 1 (ABL1) doi:10.1038/scibx.2012.309 Cell culture studies suggest ABL1 inhibitors could help treat Ebola infection. Full Text | PDF Not applicable doi:10.1038/scibx.2012.310 In vitro studies suggest hybrid macrolide antibiotic–quinoline compounds could help treat malaria. Full Text | PDF Musculoskeletal disease Top Dystrophia myotonica-protein kinase (DMPK; DM1); RNaseH doi:10.1038/scibx.2012.311 Mouse and cell culture studies identified modified antisense oligonucleotides that could help treat myotonic dystrophy type 1, which is caused by nuclear accumulation of mutant DMPK mRNA with expanded CUG repeats. Full Text | PDF Neurology Top Microtubule-associated protein-τ (MAPT; TAU; FTDP-17) doi:10.1038/scibx.2012.312 Transgenic mouse studies suggest microtubule-stabilizing compounds that penetrate the blood brain barrier could help treat AD. Full Text | PDF Neurotrophic tyrosine kinase receptor 2 (NTRK2; TrkB) doi:10.1038/scibx.2012.313 Patient sample and mouse studies suggest inhibiting TrkB on astrocytes could help treat MS. Full Text | PDF Chondroitin sulfate proteoglycan (CSPG); chondroitin sulphate E (CS-E) doi:10.1038/scibx.2012.314 In vitro and mouse studies suggest inhibiting the CSPG disaccharide subunit CS-E could help treat CNS damage. Full Text | PDF Transient receptor potential cation channel subfamily M member 2 (TRPM2) doi:10.1038/scibx.2012.315 Studies in mice suggest inhibiting TRPM2 could help treat inflammatory and neuropathic pain. Full Text | PDF Renal disease Top Homeodomain interacting protein kinase 2 (HIPK2) doi:10.1038/scibx.2012.316 Patient tissue and mouse studies suggest inhibiting HIPK2 could help prevent or treat kidney fibrosis. Full Text | PDF Distillery: Techniques Chemistry Top Hydrogen bond acceptor-donor pairs to increase peptide membrane permeability doi:10.1038/scibx.2012.317 Engineering hydrogen bond acceptor-donor pairs into peptide-based drugs could help increase membrane permeability and improve efficacy. Full Text | PDF Drug platforms Top Implantable, bioartificial pancreas for type 1 diabetes doi:10.1038/scibx.2012.318 An implantable, bioartificial pancreas system could help treat type 1 diabetes. Full Text | PDF Skin-delivered vaccines doi:10.1038/scibx.2012.319 Mouse studies suggest that vaccines designed to generate virus-specific memory T cells in the skin might provide better viral protection than vaccines that generate memory T cells in circulation. Full Text | PDF Targeted RNA import to correct diseases caused by mitochondrial mutations doi:10.1038/scibx.2012.320 A sequence that targets RNA molecules to mitochondria could help generate compounds to treat mitochondrial diseases. Full Text | PDF Imaging Top In vivo synthetic chemistry for generating tumor-specific fluorescence and PET imaging agents doi:10.1038/scibx.2012.321 An in vivo method for conducting selective chemical reactions in organisms could efficiently generate tumor-specific fluorescence and PET imaging agents. 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