Table of contents
September 2008 Vol 7 No 9
In this issue
p713 | doi:10.1038/nrd2666
Editorial: 60 years studying heart-disease risk
p715 | doi:10.1038/nrd2667
News and Analysis
Mixed results for disease-modification strategies for Alzheimer's disease | PDF (166 KB)
p717 | doi:10.1038/nrd2676
Industry concern over EU hepatotoxicity guidance | PDF (113 KB)
p719 | doi:10.1038/nrd2677
News in Brief
Patent watch
Gene sequence patent knocked down | Who should be sheltered by safe harbour? | Adenosine 2A receptor agonists | PDF (362 KB)
p722 | doi:10.1038/nrd2679
An Audience With
Frank Torti | PDF (154 KB)
p724 | doi:10.1038/nrd2680
The FDA's Chief Scientist discusses his scientific vision for the agency.
From the analyst's couch
Osteoporosis: overview and pipeline | PDF (211 KB)
p725 | doi:10.1038/nrd2620
Fresh from the Pipeline
Alvimopan | PDF (252 KB)
p727 | doi:10.1038/nrd2668
Research Highlights
Informatics: New targets for old drugs | PDF (156 KB)
p729 | doi:10.1038/nrd2670
Protein-Folding Diseases: Chaperones to the rescue | PDF (138 KB)
p730 | doi:10.1038/nrd2671
Anticancer drugs: Proteasome inhibitor unleashes three-pronged attack | PDF (122 KB)
p730 | doi:10.1038/nrd2673
Anticancer drugs: Autophagy targeted in kidney cancer | PDF (147 KB)
p731 | doi:10.1038/nrd2674
Pharmacology: Flip to open | PDF (133 KB)
p732 | doi:10.1038/nrd2672
In brief
Lead identification | Biotechnology | Neurological disorders | RNA interference | PDF (139 KB)
p732 | doi:10.1038/nrd2675
Perspectives
Outlook
Economic issues with follow-on protein products
Michael Lanthier, Rachel Behrman & Clark Nardinelli
p733 | doi:10.1038/nrd2636
The potential for cost savings from the introduction of 'follow-on' versions of protein therapeutics is a major focus of the ongoing debate around the creation of a regulatory pathway for the abbreviated approval of such products. Lanthier and colleagues explore the economic issues relevant to this debate by assessing total sales, product complexity and patent expiry for current protein products.
Opinion
Perspectives on NMR in drug discovery: a technique comes of age
Maurizio Pellecchia, Ivano Bertini, David Cowburn, Claudio Dalvit, Ernest Giralt, Wolfgang Jahnke, Thomas L. James, Steve W. Homans, Horst Kessler, Claudio Luchinat, Bernd Meyer, Hartmut Oschkinat, Jeff Peng, Harald Schwalbe & Gregg Siegal
p738 | doi:10.1038/nrd2606
In the past decade, the ability of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy to provide information on intermolecular interactions that is valuable in drug discovery has been increasingly appreciated. Pellecchia and colleagues provide their collective evaluation of the major applications of NMR in drug discovery, focusing on hit and lead generation, and critically analyse its current and potential utility.
Reviews
Targeting of tetraspanin proteins — potential benefits and strategies
Martin E. Hemler
p747 | doi:10.1038/nrd2659
Tetraspanins are a family of transmembrane proteins with emerging roles in both normal and pathological processes including development, fertilization, malignancy, immune-cell function and infectious disease. Here, Hemler reviews the functions of specific tetraspanins with the potential to be therapeutically targeted, and proposes possible strategies that may be pursued.
Adenosine receptors: therapeutic aspects for inflammatory and immune diseases
György Haskó, Joel Linden, Bruce Cronstein & Pál Pacher
p759 | doi:10.1038/nrd2638
Here, Haskó and colleagues discuss how an increased awareness of the role of adenosine in the control of immune and inflammatory systems has generated excitement regarding the potential use of adenosine-receptor-based therapies in the treatment of infection, autoimmunity, ischaemia and degenerative diseases.
Nanoparticle therapeutics: an emerging treatment modality for cancer
Mark E. Davis, Zhuo (Georgia) Chen & Dong M. Shin
p771 | doi:10.1038/nrd2614
Several nanoscaled systems for cancer therapy are approved or in clinical trials. Here, Davis and colleagues discuss the key properties of nanotherapeutics for cancer, summarize clinical findings with first- and second-generation nanoparticles, and discuss the issues involved in translating experimental nanotherapeutics to the clinic.
