●Nature Reviews Proteomics collection. A selection of recently published Reviews, Perspectives and Highlights focusing on the rapidly moving field of proteomics. The web focus will be available free online from September 2004 to February 2005.

●Cancer chromosomes in crisis. DePinho, R. A. & Polyak, K. Nature Genetics September (2004)

This News and Views article highlights a recent study providing new insights into the effects of telomere dysfunction on tumour development.

●Cell survival guide. Fearon, E. R. & Cho, K. R. Nature 2 September (2004)

The region of the genome that contains the DCC gene is frequently deleted in colorectal cancer, but whether the DCC receptor or its ligand, netrin 1, have a causative role in cancer has been a matter of debate. This News and Views article discusses recent research indicating that disrupting the normal functions of these proteins does lead to tumorigenesis.

●Integrin signalling during tumour progression. Guo, W. & Giancotti, F. G. Nature Reviews Molecular Cell Biology October (2004)

●DNA-microarray analysis of brain cancer: molecular classification for therapy. Mischel, P. S., Cloughesy, T. F. & Nelson, S. F. Nature Reviews Neuroscience October (2004)

●Spindle checkpoint protein links Rb pathway to aneuploidy. Pulverer, B. Nature Cell Biology September (2004)

A News and Views article discussing recent evidence that upregulation of the spindle checkpoint protein MAD2 through activation of E2F transcription factors links loss of function of the tumour-suppressor protein RB with aneuploidy, a hallmark of cancer cells.

●Connecting proliferation and apoptosis in development and disease. Hipfner, D. R. & Cohen, S. M. Nature Reviews Molecular Cell Biology October (2004)

●Cancer immunotherapy: breaking the barriers to harvest the crop. Pardoll, D. & Allison, J. Nature MedicineSeptember (2004)

●Cancer immunotherapy: moving beyond current vaccines. Rosenberg, S. A., Yang, J. C. & Restifo, N. P. Nature Medicine September (2004)

Two articles in the September issue of Nature Medicine focus on the future of cancer immunotherapy. In their Commentary article, Drew Pardoll and James Allison highlight regulatory barriers and features of the pharmaceutical industry that hinder the development of new agents, and suggest ways of overcoming these problems. In a Perspective article, Steven Rosenberg, James Yang and Nicholas Restifo discuss the need to reassess the strategies used in preclinical and clinical trials of cancer vaccines to develop more effective therapies.

●Genetic predisposition to cancer — insights from population genetics. Frank, S. A. Nature Reviews Genetics October (2004)