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Existing guidance for the validation of biomarkers is subjective and prone to bias resulting from stakeholder interests. Williams and colleagues describe an approach in which biomarkers could be qualified according to their 'cost-effectiveness' using a set of 'good practice' principles.
Phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)γ is an emerging target for the development of drugs with anti-inflammatory and/or cardioprotective activity. Rommel and colleagues review the biology of this key signalling molecule and discuss current efforts to develop selective PI3Kγ inhibitors.
The potential market for obesity drugs is huge, and current therapies are limited by their side effects and modest efficacy. Cooke and Bloom provide insights into current anti-obesity strategies, with a focus gut peptides as a promising source for future obesity therapies.
The global infectious disease burden primarily falls on the developing world. Deen and Clemens discuss several issues in the design and implementation of vaccine trials in less developed countries, as well as ethical issues arising from such trials.
Lead discovery is a major bottleneck in the pipeline for novel drugs for tropical diseases such as malaria. Nwaka and Hudson discuss how lead-discovery strategies based on highly integrated partnerships and networks involving academia and industry in industrialized and disease-endemic countries could increase the chances of success.
Animal models contribute to advancing our understanding of the pathophysiology of complex disorders and the preclinical assessment of therapeutics for these diseases. Van Dam and De Deyn review the major rodent models of Alzheimer's disease and evaluate their usefulness for drug discovery research
