Research highlights archive: December 2004

		Tumour supressors: A new SNP Naturally occurring genetic variants in p53 can influence susceptibility to tumour development. 23rd December 2004
		Cardiovascular disease: In keeping with tradition A herbal extract acts as a novel cholesterol-lowering drug through a distinct mechanism from statins. 23rd December 2004
		Neurological disorders: A new dimension of autism Immune cells are more active in the brains of patients with autism and cause increased inflammation. 23rd December 2004
		Viral carcinogenesis: Reactivation How patients with rheumatoid arthritis and polymyositis treated with the immunosuppresive drug methotrexate are at increased risk of developing Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-positive lymphomas. 17th December 2004
		Autoimmunity: Spot the difference How similar do foreign and self-antigens have to be for the crossreaction to lead to clinical disease? 17th December 2004
		Virology: West Nile virus makes an entrance Recognition of West Nile virus by Toll-like receptor 3 is the major factor allowing this virus to cross the blood-brain barrier and cause lethal encephalitis. 17th December 2004
		Medicinal chemistry: Some things never change... The balance between polar and nonpolar drug properties is an important and unchanging feature of oral drug molecules. 10th December 2004
		Pain: The GluRA, B, C of pain Receptors that are vital mediators of hippocampal plasticity are also important modulators of inflammatory pain. 10th December 2004
		Heart disease: Oestrogen activates COX2 pathway Study raises concern about the use of selective COX2 inhibitors in premenopausal women. 10th December 2004
		Kinases: Making gains on glioma A small-molecule kinase inhibitor could prove to be an effective treatment for human gliomas. 3rd December 2004
		Addiction: Identity of reward Researchers identify the nicotinic receptors that elicit the acute and chronic effects of nicotine dependence. 3rd December 2004
		Epigenetics: Let us join together in silence How RNA interference mediates both transcriptional and post-transcriptional silencing. 3rd December 2004