SciBX: Science-Business eXchange Contents: May 17 2012, Volume 5 / Issue 20

TABLE OF CONTENTS May 17 2012, Volume 5 / Issue 20 Analysis Cover Story Targets and Mechanisms Tools The Distillery: Therapeutics Cancer Cardiovascular disease Endocrine/metabolic disease Infectious disease Inflammation Neurology Ophthalmic disease Pulmonary disease Renal disease Various The Distillery: Techniques Drug platforms 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 Eyeing the inflammasome Tim Fulmer doi:10.1038/scibx.2012.511 Two academic teams have independently shown that targeting the inflammasome reduces retinal damage in mouse models of age-related macular degeneration. One study favors inhibiting inflammasome activation to treat dry AMD, and those findings are licensed to iVeena Pharmaceuticals. The other approach suggests boosting the inflammasome to treat wet AMD. Full Text | PDF Targets and Mechanisms Top Paradoxical P2X7 Tracey Baas doi:10.1038/scibx.2012.512 Italian researchers have shown that inhibiting the P2X7 receptor can treat cancer. The findings could open up a new disease area for companies developing P2X7 antagonists to treat pain, multiple sclerosis, inflammatory bowel disease and rheumatoid arthritis. Full Text | PDF K-Ras in cancer metabolism Lauren Martz doi:10.1038/scibx.2012.513 Researchers from the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute have identified a glucose metabolism pathway that is activated by the K-Ras oncogene in pancreatic cancer. Based on the findings, it may be possible to target proteins in the pathway to block proliferation of K-Ras-driven cancers. Full Text | PDF Tools Top PROTAC the protein Kai-Jye Lou doi:10.1038/scibx.2012.514 GSK and Yale researchers have announced a collaboration to develop a platform that selectively tags disease-associated proteins with an E3 ubiquitin ligase ligand, thus targeting them to a cell's protein degradation machinery. GSK hopes the platform could be a cornerstone for a new Discovery Performance Unit at the pharma, and the partners are aiming to have proof-of-principle results in cell culture by year end. Full Text | PDF Distillery: Therapeutics Cancer Top Neutrophil elastase (NE; ELA-2); cyclin E (CCNE) doi:10.1038/scibx.2012.515 In vitro studies suggest a vaccine based on a peptide that NE cleaves from CCNE could help treat breast cancer. Full Text | PDF Phosphoinositide 3-kinase-β (PI3Kβ); PTEN (MMAC1; TEP1) doi:10.1038/scibx.2012.516 A study in mice identified PI3Kβ-selective inhibitors that could help treat PTEN-deficient cancers. Full Text | PDF Glutamine–fructose-6-phosphate transaminase 1 (GFPT1); K-Ras; MEK; ribose 5-phosphate isomerase A (RPIA) doi:10.1038/scibx.2012.517 In vitro studies identified targets involved in pancreatic cancer metabolism that could help treat K-Ras-driven cancers. Full Text | PDF Cardiovascular disease Top Phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) doi:10.1038/scibx.2012.518 In vitro and mouse studies suggest some doses of PI3K inhibitors may induce long QT syndrome when used to treat cancer. Full Text | PDF VEGF receptor 1 (FLT1; VEGFR-1) doi:10.1038/scibx.2012.519 Human and mouse studies suggest inhibiting soluble FLT1 (sFLT1) could help prevent or treat peripartum cardiomyopathy (PPCM) in women with pre-eclampsia, a known risk factor for PPCM. Full Text | PDF Perilipin 5 (PLIN5) doi:10.1038/scibx.2012.520 Mouse studies suggest PLIN5 could help protect against fatty acid–induced oxidative stress and cardiac toxicity. Full Text | PDF Toll-like receptor 9 (TLR9) doi:10.1038/scibx.2012.521 Mouse studies suggest inhibiting TLR9 could help prevent heart failure caused by inflammation. Full Text | PDF Endocrine/metabolic disease Top Not applicable doi:10.1038/scibx.2012.522 Rodent studies suggest hydroxyflavone analogs could help treat type 2 diabetes and dyslipidemia. Full Text | PDF Infectious disease Top DNA repair doi:10.1038/scibx.2012.523 In vitro studies identified a common mechanism of antibiotic-induced cell death that could aid the design of antibiotic adjuvants. Full Text | PDF Influenza A virus PB1-F2 protein (PB1-F2) doi:10.1038/scibx.2012.524 In vitro and mouse studies identified a PB1-F2 inhibitor that could help treat influenza. Full Text | PDF Inflammation Top Phosphoinositide 3-kinase-γ (PI3Kγ) doi:10.1038/scibx.2012.525 In vitro and mouse studies identified a sulfamoylphenyl pyrazine PI3Kγ inhibitor that could help treat inflammatory diseases. Full Text | PDF Neurology Top Diacylglycerol kinase-ε (DGKE) doi:10.1038/scibx.2012.526 Mouse, fly and cell culture studies suggest inhibiting DGKE could help treat HD. Full Text | PDF Bradykinin B1 receptor (BDKRB1; B1R) doi:10.1038/scibx.2012.527 An in vitro and mouse study identified cyclic peptide–based B1R antagonists that could help treat pain. Full Text | PDF Monoacylglycerol lipase (MAGL) doi:10.1038/scibx.2012.528 In vitro and rodent studies identified a class of O-hexafluoroisopropyl (HFIP) carbamates that selectively inhibited MAGL and could help treat pain. Full Text | PDF Ophthalmic disease Top IL-18 doi:10.1038/scibx.2012.529 Mouse studies suggest local delivery of IL-18 to the retina could help treat wet AMD. Full Text | PDF Myeloid differentiation primary response gene 88 (MYD88) doi:10.1038/scibx.2012.530 Mouse studies suggest inhibiting MYD88 in the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) could help treat dry AMD. Full Text | PDF Pulmonary disease Top Sirtuin 1 (SIRT1) doi:10.1038/scibx.2012.531 Mouse studies suggest activating SIRT1 could help treat emphysema. Full Text | PDF Renal disease Top Uromodulin (UMOD; THP) doi:10.1038/scibx.2012.532 Rat studies suggest antagonizing UMOD binding to immunoglobulin light chain could be useful for treating nephropathy associated with multiple myeloma. Full Text | PDF Various Top Phosphoinositide 3-kinase-γ (PI3Kγ) doi:10.1038/scibx.2012.533 In vitro, cell culture and mouse studies suggest highly selective inhibitors of PI3Kγ could help treat inflammation and autoimmune diseases. Full Text | PDF Heat shock protein 90 (Hsp90); lipopolysaccharide (LPS) doi:10.1038/scibx.2012.534 Cell culture studies suggest inhibiting the Hsp90-LPS interaction could help treat cancer and LPS-mediated inflammatory responses like sepsis. Full Text | PDF Distillery: Techniques Drug platforms Top Antisense oligonucleotides composed of 2′-deoxy-2′-fluoro (2′-F) nucleotides to modulate splicing doi:10.1038/scibx.2012.535 Antisense oligonucleotides composed of 2′-F nucleotides could help modulate splicing for therapeutic applications. Full Text | PDF You have been sent this Table of Contents Alert because you have opted in to receive it. You can change or discontinue your e-mail alerts at any time, by modifying your preferences on your nature.com account at: www.nature.com/myaccount (You will need to log in to be recognised as a nature.com registrant) For further technical assistance, please contact our registration department For print subscription enquiries, please contact our subscription department For other enquiries, please contact our customer feedback department Nature Publishing Group | 75 Varick Street, 9th Floor | New York | NY 10013-1917 | USA Nature Publishing Group's worldwide offices: London - Paris - Munich - New Delhi - Tokyo - Melbourne San Diego - San Francisco - Washington - New York - Boston Macmillan Publishers Limited is a company incorporated in England and Wales under company number 785998 and whose registered office is located at Brunel Road, Houndmills, Basingstoke, Hampshire RG21 6XS. © 2012 Nature Publishing Group, a division of Macmillan Publishers Limited. All Rights Reserved.