SciBX: Science-Business eXchange Contents: December 20 2012, Volume 5 / Issue 49

TABLE OF CONTENTS December 20 2012, Volume 5 / Issue 49 Analysis Cover Story Translational Notes Targets and Mechanisms The Distillery: Therapeutics Autoimmune disease Cancer Cardiovascular disease Endocrine/metabolic disease Infectious disease Musculoskeletal disease Neurology The Distillery: Techniques Assays and screens Drug platforms Advertisement BioPharma Dealmakers A supplement to Nature Biotechnology and Nature Reviews Drug Discovery The October 2012 issue of BioPharma Dealmakers showcases companies with partnering opportunities and contains a focus feature on those active in Neuro-partnering. This week, find out about how you can collaborate with Galantos Pharma. New Partnering Opportunities in Alzheimer's Disease! A comprehensive interactive dashboard from Relay Technology Management.  Click here for more information on Alzheimer's partnering opportunities.   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 Translating mRNA vaccines Chris Cain doi:10.1038/scibx.2012.1273 CureVac and the Friedrich Loeffler Institute have in vivo evidence that an mRNA-based vaccine can prevent influenza A infection. The results provide proof of concept for the company's vaccine platform in infectious disease, and Sanofi has options to the technology. Full Text | PDF Translational Notes Top MRC Technology extends reach Tracey Baas doi:10.1038/scibx.2012.1274 The U.K. 's Medical Research Council is taking its search for targets to Asia. The MRC's commercialization arm, MRC Technology, has announced a deal with the Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology. Full Text | PDF Targets and Mechanisms Top Losing sleep over flumazenil Lauren Martz doi:10.1038/scibx.2012.1275 Emory University School of Medicine researchers have identified excessive daytime sleepiness as a repurposing opportunity for flumazenil, a generic GABAA receptor antagonist. Although safety issues have stymied prior attempts to use GABAA receptor antagonists in this chronic indication, the group thinks a new formulation could make it possible. Full Text | PDF Targeting interleukins in Alzheimer's disease Kai-Jye Lou doi:10.1038/scibx.2012.1276 Researchers at Charité–University Hospital Berlin and the University of Zurich have shown that p40, a protein subunit shared by IL-12 and IL-23, could be a new therapeutic target in Alzheimer's disease. The group now is further deciphering the downstream mediators of the pathway and wants to find an industry partner to test late-stage or marketed p40-targeting therapies. Full Text | PDF Distillery: Therapeutics Autoimmune disease Top 4-1BB ligand (4-1BBL; TNFSF9; CD137L) doi:10.1038/scibx.2012.1277 Mouse studies suggest inhibiting CD137L signaling could help treat MS. Full Text | PDF Cancer Top Unknown doi:10.1038/scibx.2012.1278 Cell culture and mouse studies suggest the generic malaria drug mefloquine could help treat AML. Full Text | PDF Sialidase 3 (NEU3; SIAL3) doi:10.1038/scibx.2012.1279 Studies in cell culture suggest antagonizing NEU3 could help treat RCC. Full Text | PDF Insulin-like growth factor 1 receptor (IGF1R; CD221); arrestin β1 (ARRB1); MAPK (ERK) doi:10.1038/scibx.2012.1280 Cell culture studies suggest inhibiting ARRB1 or ERK could help increase the efficacy of IGF1R-targeting molecules. Full Text | PDF Cardiovascular disease Top MicroRNA-199a-3p (miR-199a-3p); miR-590-3p doi:10.1038/scibx.2012.1281 Rodent studies suggest exogenous human miR-590-3p and miR-199a-3p could help promote cardiac repair following MI. Full Text | PDF Endocrine/metabolic disease Top Fibroblast growth factor receptor 1 (FGFR1; CD331); klotho-β (KLB); fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21) doi:10.1038/scibx.2012.1282 In vitro and nonhuman primate studies identified an agonistic mAb of the FGFR1-KLB complex that could help treat type 2 diabetes. Full Text | PDF G protein–coupled receptor family C group 5 member B (GPRC5B) doi:10.1038/scibx.2012.1283 Mouse studies suggest inhibiting GPRC5B could help treat obesity and type 2 diabetes. Full Text | PDF Infectious disease Top HIV gp120; CD4 doi:10.1038/scibx.2012.1284 Ex vivo tissue and nonhuman primate studies suggest topical formulations of miniCD4 could be used to prevent HIV infection. Full Text | PDF Protease-activated receptor 1 (PAR1) doi:10.1038/scibx.2012.1285 Mouse studies suggest inhibiting PAR1 could help treat influenza virus infection. Full Text | PDF Unknown doi:10.1038/scibx.2012.1286 Mouse studies identified a series of bile acid trioxanes that could help treat malaria. Full Text | PDF G protein–coupled receptor 109A (GPR109A; HM74A) doi:10.1038/scibx.2012.1287 A study in macrophages and mice suggests inhibiting GPR109A could help treat tuberculosis. Full Text | PDF Musculoskeletal disease Top C-type natriuretic peptide (CNP; NPPC); fibroblast growth factor receptor 3 (FGFR3; CD333) doi:10.1038/scibx.2012.1288 Ex vivo and mouse studies suggest a CNP analog that antagonizes FGFR3 could help treat achondroplasia, the most common form of dwarfism. Full Text | PDF Neurology Top Amyloid precursor protein (APP); β-amyloid (Aβ) doi:10.1038/scibx.2012.1289 Cell culture and mouse studies suggest hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextran could help treat AD. Full Text | PDF Apolipoprotein E (APOE) doi:10.1038/scibx.2012.1290 Mouse studies suggest mAbs against APOE could help treat AD. Full Text | PDF Triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells 2 (TREM2) doi:10.1038/scibx.2012.1291 Genetic association studies identified a TREM2 variant that could be associated with AD. Full Text | PDF Guanine nucleotide binding protein α-activating activity polypeptide olfactory type (GNAL) doi:10.1038/scibx.2012.1292 Human genetic studies suggest mutations in GNAL could cause primary torsion dystonia, a musculoskeletal disorder characterized by repetitive motions and abnormal postures. Full Text | PDF Distillery: Techniques Assays and screens Top Identifying natural-product antibiotics through induced expression of biosynthetic gene clusters doi:10.1038/scibx.2012.1293 Induced expression of biosynthetic gene clusters isolated from environmental DNA could help generate new antibiotic leads. Full Text | PDF Multiplexed, microfluidic protease activity assay for biomarker detection doi:10.1038/scibx.2012.1294 A multiplexed, microfluidic assay that measures protease activity could be used to detect biomarkers. Full Text | PDF Scalable, automated microfluidic western blotting doi:10.1038/scibx.2012.1295 A scalable, automated microfluidics system could help improve the efficiency of western blots. Full Text | PDF Drug platforms Top Crystal structure to guide the design of protease-activated receptor 1 (PAR1) antagonists doi:10.1038/scibx.2012.1296 The crystal structure of human PAR1 bound to vorapaxar could be used to guide the development of improved PAR1 antagonists. Full Text | PDF mRNA vaccines to prevent influenza A infection doi:10.1038/scibx.2012.1297 Vaccination with a mixture of protamine-complexed mRNAs could help prevent influenza A infection. Full Text | PDF You have been sent this Table of Contents Alert because you have opted in to receive it. 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