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  • Discovering the right compound that can treat an infection such as HIV is only the first piece of the drug development puzzle. The next challenge is to make the manufacturing process more efficient—and thereby cheaper. Killugudi Jayaraman meets with the 'process chemistry' experts honing these reactions to bring down the cost of antiretrovirals.

    • Killugudi Jayaraman
    News Feature
  • It begins as a slowly expanding spot of light or similar visual disturbance, often accompanied by phantom noises and other sensory distortions. People who experience such 'auras' know all too well that these early warning signs will culminate in a head-splitting migraine, yet scientists have little idea what causes the debilitating deluge of symptoms. Elie Dolgin talks to neurologists hoping to change that—by triggering auras in the laboratory in order to study them.

    • Elie Dolgin
    News Feature
  • An experimental approach promises to change the future for boys diagnosed today with cancer, allowing them to genetically father children of their own instead of facing a life of infertility. But will the science be ready when the children grow up, or are researchers subjecting families to another stressful decision for a hope that might not pan out? Alison McCook reports on the cutting-edge science—and controversy—surrounding the freezing of prepubescent tissue.

    • Alison McCook
    News Feature
  • The resource-poor countries of Africa have traditionally relied on Western nations for their drug supply, but a new drug development center with a promising antimalarial agent could pave the way for a homegrown pharmaceutical pipeline. Linda Nordling investigates how this one facility at the southern tip of the continent promises to embolden an entire African drug industry.

    • Linda Nordling
    News Feature
  • A new regulatory pathway established last year allows drugs with dramatic early clinical promise to be expedited to the market quicker than ever before. To date, most of these 'breakthrough' designations have gone to cancer agents, raising the prospect of faster access to the latest lifesaving therapies for the estimated 4,500 people newly diagnosed with cancer each day in the US. Elie Dolgin looks at what sets these breakthrough medicines apart.

    • Elie Dolgin
    News Feature
  • Health insurance covers drugs approved by regulatory agencies, but it often doesn't pay for the products known as 'medical foods' needed to keep individuals alive and well. This lack of reimbursement means that many who cannot afford these life-saving diets suffer brain deterioration and disability—or worse. Roxanne Khamsi reports on the battle for medical foods and how it could affect the treatment of diseases as diverse as osteoporosis and Alzheimer's.

    • Roxanne Khamsi
    News Feature
  • Natural compounds produced by the world's microbes were once the go-to source of molecules for the drug industry before the chemistry dried up and big pharma went packing. Now, researchers hope that advances in genomics will bring companies back into the fold. Daniel Grushkin visits one startup hoping to accelerate the process.

    • Daniel Grushkin
    News Feature
  • The massive rise of patient advocacy in the US has led to an aggressive, if inadvertent, contest between disease-specific lobbyists. Advocacy groups say they're just trying to get taxpayer-backed research dollars distributed equitably according to public health need and they deny any outright competition with one another. But with research budgets shrinking, advocacy becomes a zero-sum game. Some scientists worry that pitting one disease against another threatens the leadership of government funding bodies—not to mention the basic research enterprise. Virginia Hughes reports.

    • Virginia Hughes
    News Feature
  • Stitches offer a suitable means of sealing up simple wounds. But when it comes to suturing tissues inside the body, the existing methods for closing wounds fall short. Elie Dolgin meets scientists taking inspiration from nature to develop the next generation of surgical adhesives.

    • Elie Dolgin
    News Feature
  • Recent headlines have promised that a 'universal flu vaccine' may be within reach, pointing to antibodies that offer broad protection in animal studies. But the scientists behind this effort had to first overcome great skepticism from their peers—as well as an imperfect laboratory test. Hannah Hoag reports on one virologist's 20-year effort to challenge the tenets of the field.

    • Hannah Hoag
    News Feature
  • The most common genetic killer of infants, a disease known as spinal muscular atrophy, is caused by mutations in a single gene. The human genome contains its own backup system—near-identical copies of the defective gene—yet these secondary sequences rarely get used correctly. As Elie Dolgin finds out, drug companies hope to change that, with the first wave of targeted therapies that reboot the body's backup system now entering clinical trials.

    • Elie Dolgin
    News Feature
  • Synthetic biology has historically relied on bacteria as a testing ground for engineering cell behavior through genetic signals. But a small group of researchers have their sights set on redesigning mammalian cells, which have more complex genetic machinery. Daniel Grushkin meets the scientists aiming to reprogram our bodies' cells for a new generation of tailor-made treatments.

    • Daniel Grushkin
    News Feature
  • The idea of using bacteria-fighting viruses as a weapon against hard-to-treat infections is making a surprising comeback, but with a twist on how it has been attempted for nearly a century. Researchers and companies are now tweaking and deconstructing these bacteria killers in an effort to develop a new arsenal against antibiotic-resistant superbugs—one with more potency and a better likelihood of regulatory approval. Lauren Gravitz reports.

    • Lauren Gravitz
    News Feature
  • When it comes to clinical trials, physicians almost always run the show. But a determined group of nurses is taking the reins, which some hope will lead to improved patient recruitment, particularly in women's health. Rebecca Hersher looks into whether the nurse is the principal investigator of the future.

    • Rebecca Hersher
    News Feature
  • Drugs designed to protect or rescue neurons from damage wrought by stroke have repeatedly failed in clinical trials, prompting a mass flight of pharmaceutical companies from the field. A small Canadian startup is bucking the trend—and it hopes that monkey data will help the field evolve. Elie Dolgin reports.

    • Elie Dolgin
    News Feature
  • Humans and other animals suffer from many of the same ailments. Yet, aside from cases in which diseases cross the species barrier, veterinarians and physicians rarely work together to tackle common health problems. That may soon change. Katharine Gammon profiles one cardiologist who is pioneering a species-spanning approach to biomedical research.

    • Katharine Gammon
    News Feature
  • Everyone from rock stars to nonagenarians experiences hearing loss, but no drugs have ever been approved specifically to prevent or treat this problem. Recently, a handful of drug companies have started to make some noise, with a number of experimental compounds now in human trials. Elie Dolgin sounds off on what could be a multibillion dollar market.

    • Elie Dolgin
    News Feature