SciBX: Science-Business eXchange Contents: April 18 2013, Volume 6 / Issue 15

TABLE OF CONTENTS April 18 2013, Volume 6 / Issue 15 Analysis Cover Story Translational Notes Tools The Distillery: Therapeutics Autoimmune disease Cancer Cardiovascular disease Infectious disease Musculoskeletal disease Neurology Ophthalmic disease Renal disease The Distillery: Techniques Chemistry Disease models Drug delivery Drug platforms Imaging 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 and contains a special feature on novel antibody technology platforms. This week, find out about how you can collaborate with Crystal Bioscience Inc. and Crescendo Biologics. 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.  Scotland is a global leader in the drug discovery and development process. We are home to an established network of 50+ pharmaceutical clinical trials support and Contract Research Organisations (CROs). Explore our drug discovery strengths in; • Neuroscience • Oncology • Cardiovascular medicine • Diabetes and metabolic diseases http://www.sdi.co.uk/sectors/life-sciences.aspx   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 Targeting tankyrase Lev Osherovich doi:10.1038/scibx.2013.353 Researchers from the University of Oslo and Roche's Genentech Inc. unit have developed several selective inhibitors of tankyrases TNKS and TNKS2, two druggable targets in the otherwise hard-to-hit WNT pathway. The lead compound has been licensed to Odin for colorectal cancer. Full Text | PDF Translational Notes Top Multiple myeloma partners Joanne Kotz doi:10.1038/scibx.2013.354 The U.K.-based Institute of Cancer Research and Cancer Research Technology Ltd. are collaborating with Janssen to target an undisclosed step in the unfolded protein response in multiple myeloma. Previous results from the U.K. team have suggested the kinase domain of IRE1 as a potential target in the pathway. Full Text | PDF Tools Top Crystalline sponges to aid X-ray analysis Tracey Baas doi:10.1038/scibx.2013.355 University of Tokyo researchers have used porous metal complexes dubbed crystalline sponges to enable X-ray crystallography of natural small molecules that do not readily crystallize. The group is forming a company to extend the method to large peptides and proteins. Full Text | PDF Expanding the aptamer alphabet Kai-Jye Lou doi:10.1038/scibx.2013.356 A RIKEN and TagCyx team has used unnatural nucleotides to generate DNA aptamers with 100-fold higher binding affinities than aptamers containing only natural nucleotides. The group plans to develop the aptamers for diagnostic uses before exploring therapeutic applications. Full Text | PDF Distillery: Therapeutics Autoimmune disease Top Endothelin 1 (EDN1; ET1); endothelin receptor doi:10.1038/scibx.2013.357 Patient studies suggest antagonizing ET1 signaling could be useful for treating MS. Full Text | PDF Cancer Top CD19 doi:10.1038/scibx.2013.358 An investigator-led clinical study suggests T cells modified to express a chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) targeting CD19 could help treat patients with relapsed B cell ALL (B-ALL). Full Text | PDF Proteasome doi:10.1038/scibx.2013.359 Cell culture studies identified peptide-based, noncovalent inhibitors of the 20S proteasome that could be useful for treating cancer. Full Text | PDF ADAM17; microRNA-145 (miR-145); SRY (sex determining region Y)-box 9 (SOX9); IL-6 doi:10.1038/scibx.2013.360 Mouse and cell culture studies suggest increasing miR-145 expression could be useful for treating head and neck squamous cell carcinomas. Full Text | PDF Hypoxia-inducible factor 1α (HIF1A; HIF1α); endothelial PAS domain protein 1 (EPAS1; HIF2A) doi:10.1038/scibx.2013.361 In vitro and mouse studies suggest inhibiting HIF1A or HIF2A could prevent metastatic melanoma. Full Text | PDF NMDAR doi:10.1038/scibx.2013.362 In vitro and mouse studies suggest antagonizing NMDAR could help treat various cancers including pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (PNETs). Full Text | PDF Cardiovascular disease Top Phospholipase Cε (PLCε) doi:10.1038/scibx.2013.363 Mouse studies suggest inhibiting PLCε could help prevent pathological cardiac hypertrophy and heart failure after MI. Full Text | PDF Infectious disease Top HCV NS4B protein; HCV NS5B polymerase doi:10.1038/scibx.2013.364 In vitro and in vivo studies identified NS4B-binding compounds that could help treat HCV infection. Full Text | PDF HSV glycoprotein B doi:10.1038/scibx.2013.365 Mouse studies suggest the mAb hu2c could prevent or treat drug-resistant HSV infections. Full Text | PDF Sphingomyelin synthase 1 (SGMS1) doi:10.1038/scibx.2013.366 Cell studies suggest inhibiting the sphingomyelin biosynthetic pathway could help treat influenza infection. Full Text | PDF Pseudomonas aeruginosa pyoverdine doi:10.1038/scibx.2013.367 Mouse and in vitro studies suggest the antifungal drug flucytosine could be useful for treating P. aeruginosa infection. Full Text | PDF Musculoskeletal disease Top Dual specificity phosphatase 10 (DUSP10; MKP5) doi:10.1038/scibx.2013.368 Mouse studies suggest inhibiting MKP5 could help treat Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). Full Text | PDF Small conductance calcium-activated potassium channel (KCNN; SK) doi:10.1038/scibx.2013.369 Cell culture and Caenorhabditis elegans studies suggest blocking KCNN signaling could be useful for treating SMA, which is caused by insufficient levels of survival of motor neuron (SMN) protein. Full Text | PDF Neurology Top Protease-activated receptor 1 (PAR1); PAR3 doi:10.1038/scibx.2013.370 Cell culture studies suggest PAR1 and PAR3 agonists could be useful for stimulating neural regeneration in ischemic stroke and neurodegenerative disease. Full Text | PDF Ophthalmic disease Top ATP-binding cassette sub-family A member 1 (ABCA1); liver X receptor (LXR); microRNA-33 (miR-33) doi:10.1038/scibx.2013.371 In vitro and mouse studies suggest increasing ABCA1 levels or antagonizing miR-33 could help treat AMD. Full Text | PDF Renal disease Top MicroRNA-193a (miR-193a) doi:10.1038/scibx.2013.372 Patient tissue and mouse studies suggest antagonizing miR-193a could help treat focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS), which can lead to renal failure. Full Text | PDF Distillery: Techniques Chemistry Top Generation of high-affinity DNA aptamers using non-natural nucleotides doi:10.1038/scibx.2013.373 Non-natural nucleotides could be useful for generating high-affinity DNA aptamers. Full Text | PDF Disease models Top In vitro 3D biomimetic model for angiogenic sprouting doi:10.1038/scibx.2013.374 An in vitro biomimetic model for angiogenic sprouting could be useful for identifying and evaluating compounds for their ability to modulate angiogenesis. Full Text | PDF Drug delivery Top Integrin αvβ3 (CD51/CD61)-targeting nanoparticles for retinal capillary endothelial cell drug delivery doi:10.1038/scibx.2013.375 In vitro and mouse studies suggest integrin αvβ3–targeted nanoparticles could be useful for delivering drugs to retinal capillary endothelial cells to help treat ophthalmic diseases such as age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and diabetic retinopathy. Full Text | PDF Drug platforms Top Optimizing antigen affinity in T cell tumor vaccines doi:10.1038/scibx.2013.376 Cell culture and mouse studies suggest strong T cell receptor (TCR) binding by antigens may not improve the efficacy of tumor vaccines. Full Text | PDF Rational design of HIV gp120 immunogen to induce broadly neutralizing antibodies doi:10.1038/scibx.2013.377 HIV gp120 immunogen complexes could be used to induce the production of broadly neutralizing HIV antibodies. Full Text | PDF Imaging Top High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC)–single-crystal diffraction (SCD) analysis to guide drug development doi:10.1038/scibx.2013.378 HPLC-SCD analysis could be used to determine structures of noncrystalline compounds or proteins to guide drug development. Full Text | PDF You have been sent this Table of Contents Alert because you have opted in to receive it. 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