SciBX: Science-Business eXchange Contents: August 23 2012, Volume 5 / Issue 33

TABLE OF CONTENTS August 23 2012, Volume 5 / Issue 33 Analysis Cover Story Targets and Mechanisms Tools The Distillery: Therapeutics Autoimmune disease Cancer Endocrine/metabolic disease Hematology Infectious disease Neurology Ophthalmic disease Transplantation The Distillery: Techniques Assays and screens Chemistry Disease models Drug platforms BioPharma Dealmakers  The June 2012 issue of BioPharma Dealmakers showcases companies with partnering opportunities within the academic and vaccine fields in the U.S and abroad. This week, find out about how you can collaborate with Sanofi Pasteur.    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 Differentiating AMKL Joanne Kotz doi:10.1038/scibx.2012.857 A Northwestern-Broad team has shown that inhibiting Aurora-A induces cancer cell differentiation in acute megakaryoblastic leukemia, thus providing a therapeutic benefit in a mouse model of the disease. The researchers hope to start clinical trials of Aurora-A inhibitors in patients with adult AMKL next summer. Full Text | PDF Targets and Mechanisms Top CDK8 inhibitor: Senex's best thing Michael J. Haas doi:10.1038/scibx.2012.858 Chemotherapy is used to treat virtually every tumor type, but the drugs can blunt their own efficacy by inducing paracrine activity. Now, a team led by Senex has mouse data showing that a CDK8 inhibitor can block the negative effects of doxorubicin. Full Text | PDF Broader is better Tracey Baas doi:10.1038/scibx.2012.859 A team from Crucell and Scripps has identified a trio of human mAbs that protect mice from influenza, including one that hits both A and B strains of the virus. Parent company Johnson & Johnson plans to develop the antibodies and in the long run could use the antibody against A and B strains as a guide for a universal flu vaccine. Full Text | PDF Tools Top Keeping biofilms at bay Lev Osherovich doi:10.1038/scibx.2012.860 U.K. and Massachusetts researchers have built a screening platform to find biofilm-resistant polymers that can be used to protect implantable devices from biofilms. Full Text | PDF Distillery: Therapeutics Autoimmune disease Top Adenosine A2A receptor (ADORA2A); ecto-5′-nucleotidase (NT5E; NT; CD73) doi:10.1038/scibx.2012.861 Mouse studies suggest activation of ADORA2A receptors by CD73-dependent prodrugs could help treat RA while avoiding the vasodilatory effects associated with marketed ADORA2A agonists. Full Text | PDF Cancer Top Rho-associated coiled-coil containing protein kinase 1 (ROCK1); ROCK2 doi:10.1038/scibx.2012.862 In vitro and mouse studies identified an inhibitor of ROCK1 and ROCK2 that could help treat breast cancer. Full Text | PDF Topoisomerase I (TOP1); TOP2 doi:10.1038/scibx.2012.863 In vitro and mouse studies suggest a class of dual inhibitors of TOP1 and TOP2 could help treat cancer. Full Text | PDF Annexin A2 (ANXA2) doi:10.1038/scibx.2012.864 Patient sample, mouse and cell culture studies suggest inhibiting ANXA2 could help treat NSCLC. Full Text | PDF Nuclear factor (erythroid-derived 2)-like 2 (NFE2L2; NRF2) doi:10.1038/scibx.2012.865 Cell culture studies identified NRF2 activators that could help prevent skin cancer. Full Text | PDF Endocrine/metabolic disease Top Peroxisomal reductase activating PPARγ (PexRAP); peroxisome proliferation–activated receptor-γ (PPARG; PPARγ) doi:10.1038/scibx.2012.866 Cell culture and mouse studies suggest inhibiting PexRAP could help treat diabetes and obesity. Full Text | PDF Hematology Top Janus kinase-1 (JAK-1); JAK-2; heat shock protein 90 (Hsp90) doi:10.1038/scibx.2012.867 Patient tissue and cell culture studies suggest combining a JAK inhibitor with an Hsp90 inhibitor could improve treatment of myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs). Full Text | PDF Infectious disease Top CD300A doi:10.1038/scibx.2012.868 Mouse studies suggest antagonizing CD300A could help treat bacterial infections. Full Text | PDF CXC chemokine receptor 4 (CXCR4; NPY3R) doi:10.1038/scibx.2012.869 In vitro and cell culture studies identified cyclic modified peptides that could help treat HIV infection. Full Text | PDF Neurology Top μ-Opioid receptor (OPRM1; MOR); OPRK1 (KOR); OPR doi:10.1038/scibx.2012.870 Rat studies suggest buprenorphine and naltrexone could help treat cocaine addiction in nonopioid-dependent individuals. Full Text | PDF Huntingtin (HTT) doi:10.1038/scibx.2012.871 Fly, mouse and neuron culture studies suggest methylene blue, a compound known to reduce aggregation of β-amyloid (Aβ) and microtubule-associated protein-τ (MAPT; TAU; FTDP-17), could help treat HD. Full Text | PDF Tumor necrosis factor-α–induced protein 8–like 2 (TNFAIP8L2; TIPE2) doi:10.1038/scibx.2012.872 Mouse studies suggest increasing TIPE2 signaling could help treat stroke. Full Text | PDF Ophthalmic disease Top Bardet-Biedl syndrome 12 (BBS12) doi:10.1038/scibx.2012.873 Mouse studies suggest inhibiting the proapoptotic, unfolded protein response could help prevent retinal degeneration in Bardet-Biedl syndrome, which is associated with mutations in BBS genes. Full Text | PDF Transplantation Top Major histocompatibility complex (MHC) doi:10.1038/scibx.2012.874 A retrospective SNP analysis suggests screening for rs887464 and rs2281389 could lower risk of GvHD. Full Text | PDF Distillery: Techniques Assays and screens Top Assay measuring impact of secreted proteins on kinase inhibitor sensitivity in human tumor–derived cell lines doi:10.1038/scibx.2012.875 An assay measuring the impact of secreted proteins on kinase inhibitor sensitivity in human tumor–derived cell lines could guide the development of combination therapies to prevent drug resistance. Full Text | PDF In situ monitoring of dopamine metabolism to identify improved monoamine oxidase (MAO) inhibitors doi:10.1038/scibx.2012.876 A method of in situ monitoring of dopamine metabolism could be used to identify improved MAO inhibitors to treat neurological diseases. Full Text | PDF Metabochip custom genotyping arrays for detection of disease-associated SNP markers doi:10.1038/scibx.2012.877 The Metabochip genotyping array could be useful for detecting disease-associated SNP markers of endocrine, metabolic and cardiovascular diseases. Full Text | PDF Chemistry Top Biofilm-resistant polymers doi:10.1038/scibx.2012.878 Mouse and in vitro studies suggest methacrylate polymer coatings could help prevent biofilm formation in implantable medical devices. Full Text | PDF Rapid, inexpensive gram-scale synthesis of prostaglandins doi:10.1038/scibx.2012.879 A method for synthesizing prostaglandins could help generate new compounds using fewer manufacturing steps. Full Text | PDF Disease models Top Genetic mouse model of multiple myeloma (MM) doi:10.1038/scibx.2012.880 A genetic mouse model of MM could help identify new compounds to treat the disease. Full Text | PDF Induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cell–derived motor neurons from patients with familial amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) for in vitro therapeutic screening doi:10.1038/scibx.2012.881 In vitro studies suggest iPS cell–derived motor neurons from patients with familial ALS could be used to screen for new therapeutics. Full Text | PDF Mouse model of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) induced by nucleic acid–containing amyloid fibrils doi:10.1038/scibx.2012.882 A mouse model of SLE induced by nucleic acid–containing amyloid fibrils could help screen and evaluate potential lupus therapies. Full Text | PDF Drug platforms Top Expression of herpes simplex virus (HSV) thymidine kinase in human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) as a strategy to prevent teratoma formation doi:10.1038/scibx.2012.883 In vitro and mouse studies identified a strategy to prevent teratoma formation in hESC-derived cellular therapies. Full Text | PDF Fluorescent cellular assays that monitor protein tyrosine phosphatase activity doi:10.1038/scibx.2012.884 Fluorescent cellular assays that monitor tyrosine phosphatase activity could be useful for drug screening. Full Text | PDF Nanofibrous composite scaffolds with tunable pore size doi:10.1038/scibx.2012.885 Nanofibrous composite scaffolds with variable pore sizes could be useful for promoting musculoskeletal repair and regeneration. Full Text | PDF VEGF-containing, self-assembling peptide nanofiber scaffolds for promoting arteriogenesis doi:10.1038/scibx.2012.886 VEGF-containing, self-assembling peptide nanofiber scaffolds could help promote tissue repair following myocardial infarction (MI). Full Text | PDF You have been sent this Table of Contents Alert because you have opted in to receive it. 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