SciBX: Science-Business eXchange Contents: April 5 2012, Volume 5 / Issue 14

TABLE OF CONTENTS April 5 2012, Volume 5 / Issue 14 Analysis Cover Story Targets and Mechanisms Tools The Distillery: Therapeutics Autoimmune disease Cancer Dental disease Dermatology Endocrine disease Infectious disease Inflammation Neurology The Distillery: Techniques Assays and screens Disease models Markers 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 MRSA sensitivity training Tim Fulmer doi:10.1038/scibx.2012.351 Researchers at Merck have identified targets in methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus that synergize with β-lactam antibiotic targets to restore antibiotic sensitivity. The findings suggest it may now be possible to use combinations of antibiotics to treat infections previously considered intractable. Full Text | PDF Targets and Mechanisms Top AML takes LSD1 Chris Cain doi:10.1038/scibx.2012.352 Two teams have independently provided preclinical proof of concept for using lysine-specific histone demethylase 1 inhibitors to treat acute myelogenous leukemia. One of the teams is now running a clinical trial of a generic monoamine oxidase inhibitor that counts the demethylase among its many targets, whereas at least four biotechs are advancing other more potent and selective inhibitors through preclinical development. Full Text | PDF Bacterial gut shot Lev Osherovich doi:10.1038/scibx.2012.353 Two independent American teams have linked the absence of normal gut bacteria with immune system abnormalities that lead to inflammation and allergy. The findings are in line with the theory behind two new companies—Enterome and Vedanta—that respectively aim to diagnose and treat inflammatory conditions arising from gut microbe deficiencies. Full Text | PDF Tools Top Xpress sequencing for express screening Kai-Jye Lou doi:10.1038/scibx.2012.354 Researchers from UCSD and the Gladstone Institute of Cardiovascular Disease have developed a system for genomic-based drug screening that combines mRNA profiling and an automated, high throughput sequencing platform. Startup 255Xpress has licensed the technology and is adapting it for a variety of drug screening assays. Full Text | PDF Distillery: Therapeutics Autoimmune disease Top CXC chemokine receptor 6 (CXCR6); chemokine CXC motif ligand 16 (CXCL16) doi:10.1038/scibx.2012.355 Studies in mice suggest antagonizing CXCR6 or its ligand, CXCL16, could help treat IBD and ulcerative colitis. Full Text | PDF Cancer Top Lysine-specific histone demethylase 1 (KDM1A; LSD1) doi:10.1038/scibx.2012.356 In vitro and mouse studies suggest inhibiting LSD1 could help treat the mixed lineage leukemia (MLL) subtype of AML. Full Text | PDF NADPH oxidase 4 (NOX4) doi:10.1038/scibx.2012.357 In vitro and rat studies suggest imipramine blue could help treat glioblastoma multiforme (GBM). Full Text | PDF Calpain 2 (CAPN2) doi:10.1038/scibx.2012.358 In vitro and mouse studies suggest CAPN2 inhibitors could help treat breast cancer. Full Text | PDF Matrix metalloproteinase 14 (MMP14) doi:10.1038/scibx.2012.359 Mouse studies identified an inhibitor of MMP14 dimerization that could help treat breast cancer. Full Text | PDF NUAK family SNF-like kinase 1 (NUAK1; ARK5); c-Myc (MYC) doi:10.1038/scibx.2012.360 Mouse and cell culture studies suggest inhibiting ARK5 could help treat MYC-driven cancers. Full Text | PDF PTEN (MMAC1; TEP1) doi:10.1038/scibx.2012.361 In vitro and mouse studies suggest increasing PTEN expression could help treat or prevent cancer. Full Text | PDF Glioma-associated oncogene homolog 1 zinc finger protein (GLI1); mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR; FRAP; RAFT1); ribosomal protein S6 kinase 70 kDa polypeptide 1 (RPS6KB1; S6K1) doi:10.1038/scibx.2012.362 Mouse and cell culture studies suggest combining an mTOR inhibitor with a hedgehog pathway inhibitor could help improve treatment of esophageal cancer. Full Text | PDF Receptor tyrosine kinase–like orphan receptor 1 (ROR1) doi:10.1038/scibx.2012.363 In vitro and mouse studies suggest inhibiting ROR1 could help treat lung adenocarcinomas. Full Text | PDF Hyaluronan doi:10.1038/scibx.2012.364 In vitro and mouse studies suggest inhibiting hyaluronan could help treat pancreatic cancer. Full Text | PDF DNA methyltransferase doi:10.1038/scibx.2012.365 Mouse studies suggest that subcytotoxic doses of DNA methyltransferase inhibitors could help treat solid tumors. Full Text | PDF CD47 doi:10.1038/scibx.2012.366 Mouse and cell culture studies suggest anti-CD47 mAbs could help treat solid tumors and prevent disease metastasis. Full Text | PDF Dental disease Top EGF-like repeats and discoidin I-like domains 3 (EDIL3; DEL1) doi:10.1038/scibx.2012.367 Human and mouse studies suggest DEL1 could help prevent or treat periodontitis. Full Text | PDF Dermatology Top Prostaglandin D2(PGD2); prostaglandin D2 receptor (CRTH2; GPR44; CD294); prostaglandin D2 synthase (PTGDS) doi:10.1038/scibx.2012.368 Mouse and human studies suggest inhibiting PGD2 signaling could help treat androgenetic alopecia. Full Text | PDF Endocrine disease Top Cbp/p300-interacting transactivator with Glu/Asp-rich carboxy-terminal domain 2 (CITED2) doi:10.1038/scibx.2012.369 Mouse studies suggest inhibiting CITED2 could help treat diabetic hyperglycemia. Full Text | PDF Infectious disease Top Staphylococcus aureus cell division protein FtsZ doi:10.1038/scibx.2012.370 In vitro and mouse studies suggest combining standard β-lactam antibiotics with an FtsZ inhibitor could help overcome antibiotic resistance to treat methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). Full Text | PDF Inflammation Top Unknown doi:10.1038/scibx.2012.371 Studies in mice suggest the absence of normal gut microbiota could contribute to allergies. Full Text | PDF Neurology Top Purinergic receptor P2X ligand-gated ion channel 7 (P2RX7; P2X7) doi:10.1038/scibx.2012.372 Mouse and human studies suggest inhibiting P2X7 pore formation could help treat chronic pain. Full Text | PDF ATPase type 13A2 (ATP13A2) doi:10.1038/scibx.2012.373 In vitro studies suggest upregulating ATP13A2 could help treat PD. Full Text | PDF Distillery: Techniques Assays and screens Top A submicrosecond nanopore sensor for DNA sequencing doi:10.1038/scibx.2012.374 An integrated, nanopore-sensing platform with low noise and submicrosecond resolution could be useful for DNA sequencing. Full Text | PDF Mycobacterium smegmatis porin A (MspA) nanopore–based DNA sequencing using phage DNA polymerase and blocking oligomers doi:10.1038/scibx.2012.375 A method to combine mutant MspA nanopores, phage DNA polymerase and blocking oligomers to move DNA molecules through a nanopore could be used for sequencing. Full Text | PDF Disease models Top In vitro model of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD) doi:10.1038/scibx.2012.376 A cell line derived from patients with ALS could be used to screen for new therapies to treat the condition. Full Text | PDF Mouse model for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) doi:10.1038/scibx.2012.377 Mice that express an Ala56 variant of the serotonin (5-HT) transporter (SLC6A4; SERT) could be useful models to study ASD. Full Text | PDF Markers Top Intronic deletions in BCL2-like 11 apoptosis facilitator (BCL2L11; BIM) as a marker for tyrosine kinase inhibitor drug resistance and bcl2 homology domain 3 (BH3) mimetic sensitivity doi:10.1038/scibx.2012.378 Patient and cell culture studies identified an intronic deletion in BIM that could help predict resistance to tyrosine kinase inhibitors and sensitivity to BH3 mimetics in chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) and non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Full Text | PDF You have been sent this Table of Contents Alert because you have opted in to receive it. 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