Thursday, May 31, 2012

SciBX: Science-Business eXchange Contents: May 31 2012, Volume 5 / Issue 22

SciBX: Science-Business eXchange

TABLE OF CONTENTS

May 31 2012, Volume 5 / Issue 22

Analysis

Cover Story
Targets and Mechanisms
Tools

The Distillery: Therapeutics

Cancer
Endocrine/metabolic disease
Infectious disease
Musculoskeletal disease
Neurology
Transplantation

The Distillery: Techniques

Assays and screens
Disease models
Drug platforms
Markers
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Analysis

Cover Story

Top

Channel-tuning neuropathy
Michael J. Haas
doi:10.1038/scibx.2012.564
International researchers have shown that a methylglyoxal-scavenging peptide treated painful diabetic neuropathy in mice by preventing structural changes to a sodium channel in peripheral neurons. The team is seeking venture capital to spin out the findings into a new company.
Full Text | PDF

Targets and Mechanisms

Top

Going to BAT
Joanne Kotz
doi:10.1038/scibx.2012.565
A Brigham and Women's Hospital team has identified an enzyme that regulates white adipose plasticity, whereas a University of Cambridge team has identified a secreted protein that activates brown fat. Testing the potential of these new targets for boosting or activating calorie-burning brown fat will require developing lead therapeutic molecules.
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Tools

Top

Reprogramming heart failure
Kai-Jye Lou
doi:10.1038/scibx.2012.566
UCSF and UT Southwestern researchers have shown that direct reprogramming of cardiac fibroblasts into cardiomyocyte-like cells is feasible in vivo and could promote the recovery of cardiac function after myocardial infarction. LoneStar Heart has exclusively licensed the UT Southwestern technology.
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Sequencing human diversity
Lev Osherovich
doi:10.1038/scibx.2012.567
Two teams have generated extensive data on sequence variation in genes that encode drug targets. The next step is figuring out if—and how—the variants influence drug response and disease susceptibility.
Full Text | PDF

Distillery: Therapeutics

Cancer

Top

Casein kinase 1ε (CSNK1E; CKI-ε); c-Myc (MYC)
doi:10.1038/scibx.2012.568
In vitro and mouse studies identified MYC-associated genes including CSNK1E that could be targeted to treat MYC-amplified cancers.
Full Text | PDF

Endometrial differential 3 (EDI3)
doi:10.1038/scibx.2012.569
Patient sample and in vitro studies suggest inhibiting EDI3 could help treat cancer.
Full Text | PDF

NADPH oxidase (NOX)
doi:10.1038/scibx.2012.570
In vitro and mouse studies suggest inhibiting NOX could help treat cancer.
Full Text | PDF

Peptidyl arginine deiminase type IV (PADI4)
doi:10.1038/scibx.2012.571
In vitro and mouse studies suggest PADI4 inhibitors could help treat sarcoma and other cancers.
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β-Catenin (CTNNB1); forkhead box O3 (FOXO3; FOXO3a); phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K); protein kinase B (PKB; PKBA; AKT; AKT1)
doi:10.1038/scibx.2012.572
Patient and cell studies suggest inhibiting wingless-type MMTV integration site (WNT) and CTNNB1 signaling could help prevent drug resistance in colon cancer.
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FERM domain containing 4A (FRMD4A)
doi:10.1038/scibx.2012.573
Patient sample and mouse studies suggest inhibiting FRMD4A could be used to treat head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC).
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Zinc and ring finger 3 (ZNRF3); ring finger protein 43 (RNF43)
doi:10.1038/scibx.2012.574
An in vitro study identified two new components of the wingless-type MMTV integration site (WNT) signaling pathway that could be targeted to treat pancreatic cancer or trigger tissue regeneration.
Full Text | PDF

Endocrine/metabolic disease

Top

Bone morphogenetic protein 8b (BMP8B)
doi:10.1038/scibx.2012.575
A study in cell culture and in mice suggests BMP8B could act both peripherally and centrally to help treat obesity.
Full Text | PDF

Infectious disease

Top

Resolvin D1 (RvD1); RvD5
doi:10.1038/scibx.2012.576
A study in mice suggests RvD1 and RvD5 could be useful for treating bacterial infections.
Full Text | PDF

Musculoskeletal disease

Top

Semaphorin 3A (SEMA3A)
doi:10.1038/scibx.2012.577
Studies in cell culture and in mice suggest SEMA3A could be useful for bone repair.
Full Text | PDF

Neurology

Top

Claudin 5 (CLDN5)
doi:10.1038/scibx.2012.578
Mouse studies suggest blocking CLDN5 in the brain could help relieve brain edema and help treat traumatic brain injury.
Full Text | PDF

Leucine-rich repeat kinase 2 (LRRK2)
doi:10.1038/scibx.2012.579
Computational and in vitro studies identified a LRRK2 inhibitor that could be optimized to treat PD.
Full Text | PDF

Transplantation

Top

Thrombomodulin (THBD; CD141)
doi:10.1038/scibx.2012.580
In vitro and mouse studies suggest vitamin D–treated CD141+ dendritic cells (DCs) could induce immune tolerance and help treat GvHD.
Full Text | PDF

Distillery: Techniques

Assays and screens

Top

Cellular assay for detection of immune responses triggered by aggregated antibody therapeutics
doi:10.1038/scibx.2012.581
An in vitro assay using human peripheral blood mononuclear cells could help assess the immunogenic risk of aggregates formed by antibody therapeutics.
Full Text | PDF

High throughput human leukocyte antigen (HLA) genotyping
doi:10.1038/scibx.2012.582
A high throughput HLA sequencing method could help identify disease-associated alleles.
Full Text | PDF

Screen of sequentially administered cancer therapeutics to identify new combination therapies
doi:10.1038/scibx.2012.583
A screen of drug combinations could help identify new therapeutic combinations to help treat cancer.
Full Text | PDF

Disease models

Top

Zinc finger nuclease (ZFN)-engineered human cell lines for probing the function of polypeptide N-acetylgalactosamine transferase (GalNAc) isoforms
doi:10.1038/scibx.2012.584
ZFN-engineered human cell lines that express polypeptide GalNAc transferase isoforms could help identify the role those enzymes play in disease.
Full Text | PDF

Drug platforms

Top

Generation of myeloid precursors from embryonic stem cells (ESCs) and induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells
doi:10.1038/scibx.2012.585
In vitro and mouse studies identified a method to differentiate ESCs and iPS cells into skeletal muscle cells to help treat muscular dystrophy.
Full Text | PDF

In vivo reprogramming of cardiac fibroblasts into cardiomyocytes
doi:10.1038/scibx.2012.586
In vivo conversion of cardiac fibroblasts into cardiomyocytes could help treat heart damage.
Full Text | PDF

Markers

Top

Genetic variation in drug target genes
doi:10.1038/scibx.2012.587
A human genetic study suggests genetic variation in drug targets may influence patient disease susceptibility and drug response.
Full Text | PDF

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