SciBX: Science-Business eXchange Contents: June 27 2013, Volume 6 / Issue 25

TABLE OF CONTENTS June 27 2013, Volume 6 / Issue 25 Analysis Cover Story Translational Notes Tools The Distillery: Therapeutics Cancer Dermatology Endocrine/metabolic disease Inflammation Musculoskeletal disease Neurology Other Various The Distillery: Techniques Assays and screens Disease models Drug platforms Imaging 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 Merck.   Analysis Cover Story Top Agonizing switch in prostate cancer Amy Donner doi:10.1038/scibx.2013.615 Aragon researchers have uncovered how a specific androgen receptor mutation turns second-generation antagonists for prostate cancer into agonists. The results could allow the company, which is being acquired by Johnson & Johnson, to develop third-generation molecules that overcome the resistance mechanism. Full Text | PDF Translational Notes Top NCATS's nine lives Michael J. Haas doi:10.1038/scibx.2013.616 The NIH's National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences has awarded a total of $12.7 million to 9 academic research groups to repurpose compounds from 5 pharma partners in the center's Discovering New Therapeutic Uses for Existing Molecules program. Full Text | PDF Tools Top Finding drugs for the faint of heart Kai-Jye Lou doi:10.1038/scibx.2013.617 Harvard researchers have developed an organ on a chip that recapitulates genetic, morphological and functional markers of failing myocardium. The system could help identify therapeutic candidates that slow or reverse heart failure with better reliability than current in vitro culture systems. Full Text | PDF Bilirubin glow C. Simone Fishburn doi:10.1038/scibx.2013.618 RIKEN researchers have found a fluorescent protein in eels that potently binds bilirubin and might provide a simpler and more reliable diagnostic than existing ones. Convincing hospitals to invest in a new detection device, however, might turn out to be a bigger challenge than developing the assay. Full Text | PDF Distillery: Therapeutics Cancer Top CD47; signal regulatory protein-α (SIRPA) doi:10.1038/scibx.2013.619 Cell culture and mouse studies suggest combining tumor-targeting mAbs with an engineered SIRPA variant could help treat cancer. Full Text | PDF Not applicable doi:10.1038/scibx.2013.620 Mouse studies suggest a nonvirulent strain of Toxoplasma gondii could help treat cancer. Full Text | PDF Platelet derived growth factor receptor B (PDGFRB; PDGFR1; CD140B) doi:10.1038/scibx.2013.621 Mouse studies suggest thalidomide could help reduce cardiotoxicity in patients with cancer given Sutent sunitinib. Full Text | PDF Histone deacetylase 6 (HDAC6) doi:10.1038/scibx.2013.622 Patient sample and cell culture studies suggest inhibiting HDAC6 could help treat cervical cancer. Full Text | PDF Dermatology Top Fibroblast growth factor 9 (FGF9; GAF) doi:10.1038/scibx.2013.623 Mouse studies suggest FGF9 could help stimulate hair regrowth. Full Text | PDF Hydroxysteroid 11β dehydrogenase 1 (HSD11B1; HSD1) doi:10.1038/scibx.2013.624 Studies in mice and in human samples suggest inhibiting HSD11B1 could help prevent age-associated skin defects and improve wound healing. Full Text | PDF Endocrine/metabolic disease Top Solute carrier family 6 creatine transporter member 8 (SLC6A8; CRT) doi:10.1038/scibx.2013.625 In vitro studies suggest a dodecyl creatine ester could help treat CTD caused by SLC6A8 deficiency. Full Text | PDF Toll-like receptor 9 (TLR9); IL-21 doi:10.1038/scibx.2013.626 In vitro and mouse studies suggest adoptive transfer of TLR9-stimulated pro–B cells could help prevent type 1 diabetes. Full Text | PDF Serotonin (5-HT1B) receptor; serotonin (5-HT2C) receptor doi:10.1038/scibx.2013.627 Mouse studies suggest 5-HT1B receptor agonists could improve the efficacy of 5-HT2C receptor–targeted drugs in treating obesity. Full Text | PDF Potassium channel Kv1.3 (KCNA3) doi:10.1038/scibx.2013.628 Mouse studies suggest the KCNA3-inhibiting peptide ShK-186 could help treat obesity or metabolic syndrome. Full Text | PDF Inflammation Top Serine palmitoyltransferase (SPT) doi:10.1038/scibx.2013.629 Mouse studies suggest increasing SPT-mediated sphingolipid synthesis could help treat nonallergic asthma. Full Text | PDF Musculoskeletal disease Top SET and MYND domain containing 3 (SMYD3) doi:10.1038/scibx.2013.630 Cell culture and mouse studies suggest inhibiting SMYD3 could help prevent steroid-induced muscular atrophy. Full Text | PDF Neurology Top Nemo-like kinase (NLK) doi:10.1038/scibx.2013.631 Fly and mouse studies suggest inhibiting NLK could help treat spinocerebellar ataxia type 1 (SCA1). Full Text | PDF Ribosomal protein S6 kinase 90 kDa polypeptide 5 (RPS6KA5; MSK1); ataxin 1 (ATXN1) doi:10.1038/scibx.2013.632 Fly and mouse studies suggest inhibiting MSK1 could help treat spinocerebellar ataxia type 1 (SCA1), which is caused by a polyglutamine expansion in ATXN1. Full Text | PDF Insulin-like growth factor-2 (IGF-2); insulin-like growth factor-1 receptor (IGF1R; CD221) doi:10.1038/scibx.2013.633 A mouse study suggests restoring IGF-2 could help treat schizophrenia. Full Text | PDF Other Top Potassium channel Kv7.2 (KCNQ2); KCNQ3 doi:10.1038/scibx.2013.634 Mouse and cell culture studies suggest improving the activity of KCNQ2 and KCNQ3 could help prevent tinnitus. Full Text | PDF Various Top Fibroblast activation protein (FAP) doi:10.1038/scibx.2013.635 Mouse studies suggest restoring normal levels of FAP expression in healthy tissues could help prevent cancer-associated cachexia and anemia. Full Text | PDF Distillery: Techniques Assays and screens Top Quantitative analysis of jumonji C domain–containing histone demethylase (JHDM)-targeting compounds doi:10.1038/scibx.2013.636 An assay for quantitative analysis of JHDM inhibitor activity could aid the development of lead compounds that target the class of enzymes. Full Text | PDF Disease models Top Serine racemase (Srr) knockout mouse model for schizophrenia doi:10.1038/scibx.2013.637 Srr knockout mice could be useful for identifying and evaluating therapies to treat schizophrenia. Full Text | PDF Drug platforms Top Functionalized, methacrylated hyaluronic acid hydrogels for cartilage repair doi:10.1038/scibx.2013.638 Methacrylated hyaluronic acid hydrogels functionalized with N-cadherin mimetic peptides could be useful for cartilage repair. Full Text | PDF Modulating aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR) signaling to expand and differentiate hematopoietic progenitor cells doi:10.1038/scibx.2013.639 Modulating AHR signaling could improve the expansion and differentiation of hematopoietic progenitor cells and aid the development of blood products for therapeutic use. Full Text | PDF Sialic acid binding Ig-like lectin (SIGLEC)-engaging, tolerance-inducing antigenic liposomes (STALs) to suppress antibody response doi:10.1038/scibx.2013.640 Mouse studies identified STALs that could help treat autoimmunity and inflammation. Full Text | PDF Imaging Top Chemical reporter approach using strain-promoted alkyne-azide cycloaddition (SPAAC) to track cellular glycoproteins doi:10.1038/scibx.2013.641 A chemical approach to track glycoprotein storage in cells could help identify therapeutics to treat Neimann-Pick type C (NPC). Full Text | PDF Simultaneous PET and functional MRI (fMRI) doi:10.1038/scibx.2013.642 Nonhuman primate studies suggest simultaneous imaging by PET and fMRI could be useful for correlating drug binding to functional changes in the brain. Full Text | PDF Markers Top Tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) variants as prognostic markers in cancer doi:10.1038/scibx.2013.643 In vitro, in vivo and patient sample studies suggest TNF-α expression profiles could help guide cancer treatment. Full Text | PDF Top 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.

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