SciBX: Science-Business eXchange Contents: April 19 2012, Volume 5 / Issue 16

TABLE OF CONTENTS April 19 2012, Volume 5 / Issue 16 Analysis Cover Story Translational Notes Targets and Mechanisms Tools The Distillery: Therapeutics Cancer Cardiovascular disease Endocrine/metabolic disease Infectious disease Neurology Ophthalmic disease The Distillery: Techniques Assays and screens 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 A super kind of cytokine Tracey Baas doi:10.1038/scibx.2012.405 Researchers from Stanford and Zurich have engineered a variant of IL-2 that shows a better antitumor response in mice than wild-type IL-2. The new variant, dubbed an IL-2 superkine, is licensed to Teva, which is planning further preclinical studies of the molecule. Full Text | PDF Translational Notes Top Building tools against autism Lev Osherovich doi:10.1038/scibx.2012.406 An academic-industry consortium headed by King's College London and Roche launched this month with €29.6 million ($38.9 million) to develop research tools and diagnostics for autism spectrum disorder and to help select clinical endpoints for future autism trials. Full Text | PDF Targets and Mechanisms Top Blocking p75 NTR in diabetes Lauren Martz doi:10.1038/scibx.2012.407 UCSF researchers have shown that genetic deletion of the p75 neurotrophin receptor improves insulin sensitivity in diabetic mice. Targeting this receptor may offer a new way to treat insulin resistance, although the challenge will be figuring out how to inhibit it in skeletal muscle and adipose tissue without impairing its function in neurons. Full Text | PDF Tools Top RNA profiling pathogens Tim Fulmer doi:10.1038/scibx.2012.408 Massachusetts researchers have developed an RNA-based method for the rapid detection of pathogens in clinical samples. The team is now designing an integrated diagnostic platform that contains a comprehensive set of bacterial, viral and fungal probes to help pinpoint specific pathogens and their degree of drug resistance more efficiently than conventional diagnostics. Full Text | PDF Distillery: Therapeutics Cancer Top Not applicable doi:10.1038/scibx.2012.409 Cell culture and mouse studies suggest a quinolinylhydrazone analog could help treat ALL and CML. Full Text | PDF NF-κB doi:10.1038/scibx.2012.410 In vitro and mouse studies suggest dithiolethiones could help treat estrogen receptor (ER)-negative breast cancers. Full Text | PDF APEX nuclease multifunctional DNA repair enzyme 1 (APEX1) doi:10.1038/scibx.2012.411 In vitro studies identified APEX1 inhibitors that could help prevent resistance to chemotherapeutics. Full Text | PDF IL-2; IL-2 receptor α-chain (IL2-RA; CD25); IL-2 receptor β-chain (IL2-RB; CD122) doi:10.1038/scibx.2012.412 Ex vivo and mouse studies suggest an engineered IL-2 superkine, called super-2, could be used as an immunotherapy to help treat cancer. Full Text | PDF 6-Phosphofructo-2-kinase/fructose-2,6-biphosphatase 4 (PFKFB4) doi:10.1038/scibx.2012.413 Cell culture and mouse studies suggest inhibiting PFKFB4 could help treat prostate cancer. Full Text | PDF Cardiovascular disease Top Purinergic receptor P2Y G protein–coupled 12 (P2RY12; P2Y12) doi:10.1038/scibx.2012.414 A study in rats suggests vicagrel may help prevent blood clotting in Plavix-resistant patients. Full Text | PDF Atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP); corin serine peptidase (CORIN) doi:10.1038/scibx.2012.415 Patient sample and mouse studies suggest upregulating CORIN or activating ANP could help treat pre-eclampsia, a condition characterized by hypertension and proteinuria during pregnancy. Full Text | PDF Endocrine/metabolic disease Top Nuclear receptor subfamily 1 group D member 1 (NR1D1; Rev-ERBAα); NR1D2 (Rev-ERBAβ) doi:10.1038/scibx.2012.416 Mouse studies suggest dual NR1D1 and NR1D2 agonists could help treat obesity. Full Text | PDF Infectious disease Top HCV envelope glycoproteins doi:10.1038/scibx.2012.417 In vitro and mouse studies have identified mAbs binding to HCV envelope glycoproteins that could help treat or prevent infection. Full Text | PDF HCV protease doi:10.1038/scibx.2012.418 Rat and in vitro studies have identified macrocyclic urea–based HCV protease inhibitors that could help treat HCV infection. Full Text | PDF Viral polymerase doi:10.1038/scibx.2012.419 In vitro studies have identified a small molecule inhibitor of influenza viral polymerase that could help treat influenza A and B infections. Full Text | PDF Not applicable doi:10.1038/scibx.2012.420 In vitro studies suggest terpenes from copaiba oils could help treat Chagas disease, which is caused by the Trypanosoma cruzi parasite. Full Text | PDF Neurology Top β-Amyloid (Aβ) doi:10.1038/scibx.2012.421 Studies in mice suggest monomeric proanthocyanidin metabolites could help treat AD. Full Text | PDF β-Site APP-cleaving enzyme 1 (BACE1) doi:10.1038/scibx.2012.422 Cell culture studies suggest spiropyrrolidine-based compounds could help treat AD. Full Text | PDF Insulin receptor substrate 1 (IRS1) doi:10.1038/scibx.2012.423 In vitro, mouse and nonhuman primate studies suggest improving insulin sensitivity could help treat AD. Full Text | PDF Histone deacetylase 6 (HDAC6) doi:10.1038/scibx.2012.424 Mouse studies suggest inhibiting HDAC6 could help treat stress-related neurological disorders. Full Text | PDF Moesin pseudogene 1 antisense (MSNP1AS) doi:10.1038/scibx.2012.425 Studies in human tissue and in cell culture suggest antagonizing MSNP1AS expression could help treat autism. Full Text | PDF Opioid receptor δ1 (OPRD1; DOR) doi:10.1038/scibx.2012.426 Mouse studies suggest DOR agonists that also promote DOR recycling could help treat pain without causing opioid addiction and tolerance. Full Text | PDF Ophthalmic disease Top Glycosylation dependent cell adhesion molecule 1 (GLYCAM1) doi:10.1038/scibx.2012.427 Mouse studies suggest localized X-ray radiation could help prevent glaucoma by blocking neuroinflammation. Full Text | PDF Distillery: Techniques Assays and screens Top RNA-based molecular diagnostic of infectious diseases doi:10.1038/scibx.2012.428 Real-time RNA expression profiling of pathogens could provide a rapid diagnostic of infectious diseases. Full Text | PDF Drug platforms Top RNA-based inhibitors of endogenous antisense transcripts for locus-specific gene upregulation doi:10.1038/scibx.2012.429 Mouse and cell culture studies have shown that knockdown of endogenous antisense transcripts could enable targeted upregulation of specific gene loci. Full Text | PDF Imaging Top MRI contrast agent targeting vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1) for detection of early brain metastases doi:10.1038/scibx.2012.430 VCAM-1-targeting MRI contrast agents could help detect early brain metastases and enable early therapeutic intervention. Full Text | PDF You have been sent this Table of Contents Alert because you have opted in to receive it. 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