●Putting a finger on angiogenesis. Pasqualini, R., Barbas, C. F. & Arap, W. Nature Medicine December (2002) Zinc-finger transcription factors can be engineered to target specific genes. This approach is now applied successfully to a clinically relevant setting in mice — the promotion of angiogenesis.

●'Smart drugs': do they work? Are they ethical? Will they be legal? Rose, S. P. R. Nature Reviews Neuroscience December (2002) What are the ethical, social and legal issues raised by the potential use of cognitive enhancers in disease and in the enhancement of 'normal' cognition?

●uPAR: a versatile signalling orchestrator. Blasi, F. & Carmeliet, P. Nature Reviews Molecular Cell Biology December (2002)

●The final cut: How ERAP1 trims MHC ligands to size. Falk, K. & Rotzschke, O. Nature Immunology December (2002)

●Pathogenesis of Parkinson's disease: dopamine, vesicles and α-synuclein. Lotharius, J. & Brundin, P. Nature Reviews Neuroscience December (2002)

●Candida albicans: a molecular revolution built on lessons from budding yeast. Berman, J. & Sudbery, P. E. Nature Reviews Genetics December (2002) Information from the Candida albicans genome is generating an explosion of information about the intriguing biology of this pathogen and about its mechanisms of virulence.

●Special focus on atherosclerosis.Nature Medicine November (2002) The following articles are of particular relevance to researchers in drug discovery:

●The macrophage foam cell as a target for therapeutic intervention. Li, A. C. & Glass, C. K.

●Vascular proliferation and atherosclerosis: new perspectives and therapeutic strategies. Dzau, V. J., Braun-Dullaeus, R. C. & Sedding, D. G.