SciBX: Science-Business eXchange Contents: May 30 2013, Volume 6 / Issue 21

TABLE OF CONTENTS May 30 2013, Volume 6 / Issue 21 Analysis Cover Story Targets and Mechanisms Tools The Distillery: Therapeutics Cancer Cardiovascular disease Endocrine/metabolic disease Infectious disease Musculoskeletal disease Neurology Ophthalmic disease The Distillery: Techniques Assays and screens Disease models Drug delivery Drug platforms Markers Advertisement Biopharma Dealmakers A supplement to Nature Biotechnology and Nature Reviews Drug Discovery The April 2013 issue of Biopharma Dealmakers showcases companies with partnering opportunities. This week, find out about how you can collaborate with Sanofi Pasteur and GenScript. Advertisement SciBX: Science Business eXchange Innovation in Drug Discovery Challenge: Harnessing Endocytosis for Drug Discovery SciBX, in partnership with Innocentive, is requesting ideas from the scientific community to progress the understanding of how large therapeutic molecules can effectively intercept and use the endocytosis process to achieve class-wide cell permeability.   Click here to find out more!   Advertisement Nature Publishing Group and Relay Technology Management present: The Epigenetics Target Explorer Click here to access this free online tool and the accompanying article in Nature Reviews Drug Discovery.   Analysis Cover Story Top RON's new role Chris Cain doi:10.1038/scibx.2013.507 A Utah team has shown that inhibiting the kinase RON could fight cancer metastasis by stimulating an antitumor immune response. The findings build a case for focusing drug discovery efforts specifically against the target, which has long been neglected in favor of its more famous relative, MET. Full Text | PDF Targets and Mechanisms Top Doubts about Targretin in AD Lev Osherovich doi:10.1038/scibx.2013.508 Last year, a widely publicized report by Case Western researchers suggested the cancer drug Targretin could be useful for treating AD. Now, studies by four independent academic teams have failed to replicate some aspects of the original work, but the main conclusions—that Targretin reduces levels of soluble β-amyloid and improves cognitive function in mice—appear to stand. Full Text | PDF Tools Top Synthetic influenza seeds Amy Donner doi:10.1038/scibx.2013.509 An international team led by Novartis and the J. Craig Venter Institute has improved the speed and accuracy of seed influenza virus production for large-scale vaccine manufacture. Adoption of the platform could shave weeks off the time needed to generate vaccine in response to a pandemic. Full Text | PDF Optimizing transferrin-mediated transcytosis Kai-Jye Lou doi:10.1038/scibx.2013.510 Caltech researchers have shown how modulating the transferrin content on gold nanoparticles can optimize their delivery into the brain via the transferrin receptor. The group now needs to determine whether its strategy will translate to drug-nanoparticle conjugates amenable for use in the CNS. Full Text | PDF Distillery: Therapeutics Cancer Top Aldehyde dehydrogenase 1 family member A3 (ALDH1A3) doi:10.1038/scibx.2013.511 Patient sample and mouse studies suggest inhibiting ALDH1A3 could help treat a subset of high-grade gliomas. Full Text | PDF Baculoviral IAP repeat-containing 2 (BIRC2; cIAP1); cIAP2 (BIRC3); diablo homolog (DIABLO; SMAC); X-linked inhibitor of apoptosis (XIAP) doi:10.1038/scibx.2013.512 Rodent and in vitro studies identified an orally bioavailable, bivalent SMAC mimetic that could help treat cancer. Full Text | PDF Lysine-specific demethylase 4A (KDM4A; JMJD2A); jun (AP1) proto-oncogene doi:10.1038/scibx.2013.513 Cell culture and mouse studies suggest inhibiting KDM4A could help treat metastatic squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). Full Text | PDF Macrophage stimulating 1 receptor c-Met–related tyrosine kinase (MST1R; RON; CD136); c-Met proto-oncogene (MET;HGFR) doi:10.1038/scibx.2013.514 Mouse studies suggest inhibiting RON could help treat metastatic cancers by inducing an antitumor immune response. Full Text | PDF Mdm2 p53 binding protein homolog (MDM2; HDM2); p53 doi:10.1038/scibx.2013.515 In vitro and mouse studies identified MI-888 as an inhibitor of MDM2-p53 protein-protein interactions that could help treat cancer. Full Text | PDF Signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) doi:10.1038/scibx.2013.516 In vitro and mouse studies suggest a new STAT3 inhibitor could help treat cancer. Full Text | PDF Nicotinamide phosphoribosyl transferase (NAMPT; NamPRT) doi:10.1038/scibx.2013.517 In vitro and mouse studies identified thiourea inhibitors of NAMPT that could be useful for treating ovarian cancer. Full Text | PDF Cardiovascular disease Top Peptidyl arginine deiminase type IV (PADI4; PAD4) doi:10.1038/scibx.2013.518 Mouse studies suggest PAD4 inhibition could help treat or prevent thrombosis. Full Text | PDF Endocrine/metabolic disease Top Not applicable doi:10.1038/scibx.2013.519 Mouse studies suggest molecules produced by the bacterial strain Akkermansia muciniphila could help treat obesity and type 2 diabetes. Full Text | PDF Infectious disease Top Accessory gene regulator cognate receptor (AgrC receptor) doi:10.1038/scibx.2013.520 An in vitro study suggests autoinducing peptide III (AIP-III) mimetics that inhibit AgrC receptors could help treat toxic shock syndrome and Staphylococcus aureus infections. Full Text | PDF Musculoskeletal disease Top Myocilin (MYOC) doi:10.1038/scibx.2013.521 Cell culture and mouse studies suggest MYOC could improve the efficacy of mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) therapy for bone repair. Full Text | PDF Neurology Top Legumain (LGMN; AEP) doi:10.1038/scibx.2013.522 Patient sample, tissue culture and in vitro studies suggest inhibiting AEP could help treat AD. Full Text | PDF Not applicable doi:10.1038/scibx.2013.523 Mouse studies suggest increasing ATP release from astrocytes could help treat depression. Full Text | PDF Serum/glucocorticoid regulated kinase 1 (SGK1) doi:10.1038/scibx.2013.524 Patient, rodent and cell culture studies suggest inhibiting SGK1 could help treat stress-induced depression. Full Text | PDF Sirtuin 1 (SIRT1) doi:10.1038/scibx.2013.525 In vitro and mouse studies suggest inhibiting SIRT1 could help treat myelination disorders. Full Text | PDF Adenosine A2A receptor (ADORA2A); monoamine oxidase B (MAO-B) doi:10.1038/scibx.2013.526 In vitro studies suggest dual antagonists of ADORA2A and MAO-B could be useful for treating PD. Full Text | PDF Ophthalmic disease Top PC4 and SFRS1-interacting protein (PSIP1; LEDGF; p75; LEDGF/p75) doi:10.1038/scibx.2013.527 Cell culture and rat studies suggest the lens epithelium–derived growth factor fragment LEDGF1–326 could help treat dry AMD and retinitis pigmentosa (RP). Full Text | PDF Distillery: Techniques Assays and screens Top Small molecule fruit fly screening platform for regulators of sleep doi:10.1038/scibx.2013.528 A small molecule fruit fly screening platform could be useful for identifying new candidates to treat insomnia. Full Text | PDF Whole-exome sequencing to identify antigens for adoptively transferred, autologous tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) doi:10.1038/scibx.2013.529 Whole-exome sequencing could help to identify mutated antigens to express in TILs for adoptive transfer immunotherapy. Full Text | PDF Disease models Top Human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) derived from somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) doi:10.1038/scibx.2013.530 SCNT could be useful for creating patient-matched hESCs for disease modeling and therapeutic applications. Full Text | PDF Drug delivery Top Transferrin-coated, brain-penetrant gold nanoparticles doi:10.1038/scibx.2013.531 Mouse studies suggest transferrin-coated gold nanoparticles could be useful for delivering therapeutics across the blood brain barrier (BBB). Full Text | PDF Drug platforms Top Efficient generation of seed virus for production of synthetic influenza vaccines doi:10.1038/scibx.2013.532 A synthetic approach for assembling influenza A virus genome segments could improve the efficiency of generating seed virus for vaccine production. Full Text | PDF IL-15 and soluble IL-15 receptor α-chain (sIL-15RA) heterodimers doi:10.1038/scibx.2013.533 Mouse studies suggest heterodimers of IL-15 and sIL-15RA could be more potent than IL-15 monomers for stimulating the immune system against diseases such as cancer. Full Text | PDF Markers Top Genetic markers underlying respiratory droplet transmission of influenza virus doi:10.1038/scibx.2013.534 Reverse genetics and guinea pig studies identified components of influenza virus that enable respiratory droplet transmission, which could aid epidemiological studies. Full Text | PDF You have been sent this Table of Contents Alert because you have opted in to receive it. 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