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Early-stage drug discovery is rapidly evolving into an endeavour in which scientific research communities in both the public and private sectors are finding new ways to share knowledge, expertise and resources. Here, we discuss some of the challenges for such collaborations and highlight examples in which traditional barriers such as intellectual property concerns have been addressed.
Regulators and health technology assessment bodies discussed early experiences with pilot programmes in which they work together to provide drug developers with joint advice on the design of clinical trials.
With European regulators preparing to launch an adaptive licensing pilot programme, Gigi Hirsch, from MIT, discusses the promise of a more flexible approach to drug approval.
Tralau-Stewart and colleagues present a survey of the academic drug discovery environment in the United Kingdom in 2013, and discuss the major trends in comparison with the United States.
Interleukin 22 receptor 1 (IL-22R1) activity affects the development and course of disorders including psoriasis, ulcerative colitis, certain infections and tumours, without directly regulating immune cell function. Here, the authors describe the biology of IL-22 and highlight the therapeutic potential of modulating the activity of IL-22 and/or its receptor IL-22R1.
EPH receptor (EPH)–ephrin signalling has crucial roles in embryonic development, as well as in adult tissue and organ maintenance, regeneration and pathogenesis. Here, Lackmann and colleagues discuss the potential and limitations of targeting EPH–ephrin function in the treatment of disorders including cancer, neurological diseases and inflammation, and assess therapeutic approaches that are currently under development.
The Hippo signalling pathway is an emerging growth control pathway with roles in organ growth control, stem cell function, regeneration and tumour suppression. Here, Johnson and Halder review the regulation and functions of the Hippo signalling pathway, focusing on its potential to be therapeutically targeted in the treatment of cancer as well as tissue repair and regeneration following injury.
