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The US FDA approval of belimumab, the first new lupus drug in 50 years, highlights how genomics can contribute to drug discovery and shows that long-standing hurdles in trial design can be overcome.
Modernized flu vaccine production systems are approaching Food and Drug Administration (FDA) submission, promising improved control over the economic and health impacts of annual cycles and pandemic outbreaks.
Nic Jones, the recently appointed Chief Scientist of the charity Cancer Research UK (CRUK), speaks about the current state of basic cancer biology research and exciting developments in oncology.
G-quadruplexes are four-stranded DNA structures that appear to be over-represented in the promoter region of various genes, including oncogenes such asMYC and KRAS. This article discusses evidence indicating the possibility of therapeutically modulating the transcription of such genes through the targeting of G-quadruplexes with small molecules, and considers challenges and opportunities for the development of such molecules as anticancer drugs.
Asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA), which is a product of post-translational methylation of arginine residues, inhibits nitric oxide synthases. This Review highlights the potential of modulating ADMA activity — by targeting the enzyme that metabolizes ADMA, dimethylarginine dimethylaminohydrolase — as a novel mechanism to regulate nitric oxide bioavailability in various pathologies, including sepsis.
Chemically reactive metabolites (CRMs) can initiate serious adverse drug reactions. In their Review, Park and colleagues discuss current approaches for the evaluation of CRMs and examine how this knowledge can inform the various stages of the drug discovery and development process.
Compounds that exhibit a covalent mechanism of action are typically avoided in drug discovery programmes, largely owing to safety concerns. Here, Singh and colleagues present the pharmacological advantages offered by covalent drugs and discuss strategies to address the potential risks and challenges that have been associated with these agents.
