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One in 50 African-Americans have nonsense mutations in a gene that regulates cholesterol levels, PCSK9, accounting for a substantial lowering of blood LDL-cholesterol.
Viagra operates by increasing the levels of cGMP in target cells. This same mechanism underlies a newly discovered action of the drug in mouse hearts: counteracting hypertrophy (pages 214–222).
The phosphatase SHIP2 has been the focus of drug development efforts for diabetes. This distinction is based in part on work suggesting that the molecule is central to the regulation of glucose levels in tissues and blood. An analysis of a SHIP2 knockout mouse changes this viewpoint and provides new directions for therapeutic intervention (pages 199–205).