News & Comment

Although the pathological hallmarks of neurodegenerative diseases have been described for over 100 years, our understanding of the molecular events leading to neuronal death has emerged over the past two decades. Despite all of this progress in basic research, why do we still lack disease-modifying therapeutics?

On 5 October, the Champalimaud Foundation opened its seaside Center for the Unknown in Lisbon, Portugal. The center will host about 600 researchers and physicians and 300 patients when it reaches full staffing levels. Former Portuguese Health Minister Leonor Beleza, who was named to lead the foundation, spoke about what lies ahead.

In Crohn's disease, immune damage to the gut wall is both induced and modified by the gut microflora, challenging researchers to solve the maze of interactions exploitable for therapeutic benefit. Whether these microbial 'guests' are worsening or helping in this scenario is still open to debate. In 'Bench to Bedside', Warren Strober highlights mice studies showing that certain microbes in the gut have a protective role promoting a shift towards an increased regulatory response that protects from recurrence of the disease. In 'Bedside to Bench', Thomas MacDonald examines how human studies using strategies to block soluble proinflammatory cytokines—despite solid supporting data from animal models—have shown disappointing results compared with therapies that neutralize soluble cytokines but also deplete proinflammatory cells, calling into question whether targeting a single soluble cytokine will ever be useful to treat people with Crohn's disease.

There has been substantial progress in understanding the neurobiological basis of pain, but these advances have yet to translate into new and improved analgesics.

Nature Medicine's relationship with the press is probably not what you think it is.

The recognition that many diseases present worldwide challenges has spurred nations and institutions to participate in the development of what is known as 'global health governance'. But this new form of governance will only succeed with strengthened country commitment, collaborations across disparate sectors and improved accountability.

Animal experiments have produced an explosion of information about pain, but this knowledge has failed to yield new painkillers for use in humans. This abysmal track record has led to calls to overhaul the design of preclinical studies. Elie Dolgin goes to great pains to learn how monitoring rodents' facial expressions and brain activity might offer a more effective and humane way to test drug candidates.

New medications to fight the altitude sickness suffered by mountain climbers promise to aid peak performance. But the same drugs could also yield new treatments for people with breathing disorders. Brendan Borrell meets one man at DARPA, the US Defense Department's research agency, who's trying to move mountains for a new therapy.