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Relapses in malaria are caused by hypnozoites, the latent hepatic stage formed by species such as Plasmodium vivax and Plasmodium ovale. Drug discovery programs have been severely hampered by a lack of in vitro cultivation methods for malarial hypnozoites. Only one drug, primaquine, is currently available, but its use is limited in people with glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency. Here, Laurent Dembélé and colleagues offer a system that can be used to monitor the growth and development of Plasmodium cynomologi liver-stage forms, a model for P. vivax, for up to 40 d.
Delivery of HIV-specific neutralizing antibodies by adeno-associated virus vectors—termed vectored immunoprophylaxis (VIP)—has been shown to protect mice or macaques from intravenous infection by HIV or SIV, respectively. David Baltimore and colleagues now report that VIP is also effective at preventing HIV infection after vaginal challenge in humanized mice, suggesting that the approach might limit mucosal transmission between humans.
Modification of a natural product with antibiotic properties to block its efflux from Mycobacterium tuberculosis results in a new drug candidate for tuberculosis with a promising therapeutic profile in mice (pages 152–158).
A new study in mice provides a link between dietary fiber intake, amounts of intestinal and systemic short-chain fatty acids, changes in the microbiome and allergic responses in the airways. The findings support the growing appreciation of a potential therapeutic role of diet in treating allergic diseases (pages 159–166).
In October, Jeremy Farrar took the helm of the UK-based Wellcome Trust, the second largest nongovernmental funder of biomedical research in the world. The Wellcome Trust, with its £16 billion endowment, is far more than just an enabler of biomedical research. It is also a key player in wider science policy debates. Farrar sat down with Daniel Cressey to discuss his Trust issues.
Retinoic acid and arsenic trioxide cure individuals with acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL). In mouse models, these drugs eradicate tumor cells by activating the tumor suppressors p53 and PML to induce senescence of cancer cells (pages 167–174).
The important gains in supporting local biomedical science made by South Africa's Medical Research Council in recent years may be lost unless the country continues to fund and grow this important institution.
The European Medicines Agency requires that drug developers submit a 'pediatric investigational plan' to ensure that there is adequate information about how children fare on experimental medication for many indications before they go to market. But this requirement places an undue constraint on the makers of new hemophilia drugs and threatens to create an unreasonable delay in access to these therapies among adults with this disorder in the EU.