Distillery: Therapeutics

October 29 2009, Volume 2 / Number 42

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Autoimmune disease

Autoimmune disease; Crohn's disease; multiple sclerosis (MS); myasthenia gravis; rheumatoid arthritis (RA); selective IgA deficiency; systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE); ulcerative colitis (UC)

Major histocompatibility complex class I C (HLA-C); major histocompatibility complex class II DQ α1 (HLA-DQA1); HLA-DQB1; major histocompatibility complex class II DR β1 (HLA-DRB1)

doi:10.1038/scibx.2009.1558

A genotyping study identified HLA genetic loci that could help predict susceptibility to seven autoimmune disorders.

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE)

Peroxisome proliferation–activated receptor-δ (PPARD; PPARδ)

doi:10.1038/scibx.2009.1559

Studies in cell culture and in mice suggest that PPARδ agonists could help treat SLE.

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Cancer

B cell lymphoma

CD20

doi:10.1038/scibx.2009.1560

In vitro and mouse studies identified a mutant variant of the anti-CD20 mAb Rituxan rituximab that could be used to treat B cell lymphomas.

Cancer

ATG3 autophagy-related 3 homolog (ATG3); viral FLICE-like inhibitory protein (FLIP)

doi:10.1038/scibx.2009.1561

Studies in mice and in cell culture suggest that triggering cell death with FLIP-derived peptides could help prevent virus-induced cancers like Kaposi's sarcoma and primary effusion lymphoma.

Cancer

K-Ras (KRAS); NF-κB; TANK-binding kinase 1 (TBK1)

doi:10.1038/scibx.2009.1562

A study in cell culture suggests that inhibiting TBK1 could help treat K-Ras-driven cancers.

Cancer

Mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR; FRAP; RAFT1); mTOR complex 1 (mTORC1); mTORC2

doi:10.1038/scibx.2009.1563

Studies in cell culture identified pyrazolopyrimidine analogs as mTOR inhibitors that could help treat cancer.

Cancer

T helper 17 (Th17) cells; IL-17; chemokine CC motif ligand 20 (CCL20; MIP3A); monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1; CCL2)

doi:10.1038/scibx.2009.1564

Studies in mice suggest that adoptive transfer of tumor-specific Th17 cells could help treat cancer.

Cancer

TTK protein kinase (TTK; MPS1)

doi:10.1038/scibx.2009.1565

A study in cell culture suggests that antagonizing MPS1 could increase the efficacy of paclitaxel in treating cancer.

Colon cancer

TRAF2 and NCK interacting kinase (TNIK)

doi:10.1038/scibx.2009.1566

In vitro studies suggest that TNIK inhibitors could help treat colon cancer.

Non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC)

Epidermal growth factor receptor 1 (HER1; ERBB1); HER2 (ERBB2; neu)

doi:10.1038/scibx.2009.1567

Studies in cells and in rats suggest that a class of dual HER1 and HER2 inhibitors could help treat drug-resistant NSCLC.

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Cardiovascular disease

Ischemia; reperfusion injury

Hypoxia-inducible factor 1α (HIF1A; HIF1α)

doi:10.1038/scibx.2009.1568

Studies in mice suggest that adenoviral delivery of HIF1A could help treat critical limb ischemia in diabetics.

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Endocrine disease

Diabetes

Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor (GLP1R; GLP-1R)

doi:10.1038/scibx.2009.1569

A study in mice identified several long-acting, bile acid–derivatized exendin-4 molecules that could help treat type 2 diabetes.

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Gastrointestinal disease

Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD); gastroparesis

Motilin receptor

doi:10.1038/scibx.2009.1570

In vitro studies identified a methylacetamide analog of erythromycin A as a motilin receptor agonist that could help treat gastric emptying disorders, which are at least partly mediated by the motilin hormone.

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Inflammation

Allergy; asthma

MicroRNA-126 (miRNA-126)

doi:10.1038/scibx.2009.1571

Studies in mice suggest that inhibiting miRNA-126 could help treat allergen-induced asthma.

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Musculoskeletal disease

Bone repair

Integrin α5 (CD49e)

doi:10.1038/scibx.2009.1572

In vitro studies suggest that agonizing CD49e in human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) could help treat bone disorders.

Muscular dystrophy

Transient receptor potential cation channel, subfamily C, member 3 (TRPC3)

doi:10.1038/scibx.2009.1573

Studies in mice suggest that blocking TRPC3 could help treat muscular dystrophy.

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Neurology

Alzheimer's disease (AD)

Amyloid-β (A4) precursor protein (APP)

doi:10.1038/scibx.2009.1574

A study in mice suggests that targeting the intracellular domain fragment of APP could help treat AD.

Multiple sclerosis (MS)

Notch homolog 1 translocation-associated (NOTCH1)

doi:10.1038/scibx.2009.1575

Studies in human cells and in mice suggest that inhibiting NOTCH1 could help treat MS and other demyelinating diseases.

Neurology

Phosphodiesterase-4 (PDE-4)

doi:10.1038/scibx.2009.1576

Studies in murine hippocampal samples and in mice suggest that inhibiting PDE-4 could help reduce cognitive deficits associated with sleep deprivation.

Pain

9-Hydroxyoctadecadienoic acid (9-HODE); 9-oxo-octadecadienoic acid (9-oxoODE); 13-hydroxyoctadecadienoic acid (13-HODE); 13-oxo-octadecadienoic acid (13-oxoODE); transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 (TRPV1; VR1)

doi:10.1038/scibx.2009.1577

A study in rats suggests that inhibiting the activation of TRPV1 by oxidized linoleic acid metabolites could help treat pain.

Spinal cord injury (SCI)

Protein tyrosine phosphatase receptor type S (PTPRS; PTPδ)

doi:10.1038/scibx.2009.1578

In vitro and mouse studies suggest that inhibiting PTPRS could help treat SCI.

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Ophthalmic disease

Glaucoma; ocular hypertension

LIM domain kinase 2 (LIMK2)

doi:10.1038/scibx.2009.1579

In vitro and mouse studies identified inhibitors of LIMK2 that could help treat ocular hypertension.