Featured
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News Round-Up |
COVID vaccine enthusiasm, astronomy bullies and an enzyme chip
The latest science news, in brief.
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Book Review |
The COVID vaccine makers tell all
A book from the Oxford–AstraZeneca team, and a documentary, go behind the scenes in the race to vaccinate the world.
- Heidi Ledford
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News |
Single chip tests thousands of enzyme mutations at once
The technique vastly speeds up understanding of how the proteins function and how to target drugs.
- Sara Reardon
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Outlook |
Alopecia areata: why the battle isn’t over
Molecular geneticist Angela Christiano explains why one treatment is not enough for this neglected autoimmune disease that causes hair loss.
- Laura Vargas-Parada
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Obituary |
Ei-ichi Negishi (1935–2021)
Organic chemist whose cross-coupling reaction builds many drugs.
- Kit Chapman
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News |
Controversial Alzheimer’s drug approval could affect other diseases
Aducanumab’s fast-tracking has researchers both worried and hopeful about the future of drugs for neurodegenerative diseases such as Huntington’s and Parkinson’s.
- Asher Mullard
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Outlook |
A drug to block fat intake and combat cancer spread
The start-up ONA Therapeutics is developing an antibody directed at cells that initiate metastasis in cancer.
- Elie Dolgin
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Outlook |
Turning transient structures into drug targets
Start-up Sibylla Biotech has developed a drug-discovery platform to look for protein folding intermediates to target therapeutically.
- Elie Dolgin
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Comment |
A white-knuckle ride of open COVID drug discovery
In early 2020, a spontaneous global collaboration came together to design a new, urgent antiviral treatment. There are lessons in what happened next.
- Frank von Delft
- , Mark Calmiano
- & Annette von Delft
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Outlook |
Immune cells that remember inflammation could offer treatment targets for atherosclerosis
A type of immune-cell priming called trained immunity is helping researchers to understand the disease mechanisms behind the build up of fatty deposits in arteries.
- Amanda B. Keener
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Outlook |
Cells or drugs? The race to regenerate the heart
Researchers are debating how to convince the heart to heal itself instead of laying down scar tissue after a heart attack.
- Benjamin Plackett
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News |
Landmark Alzheimer’s drug approval confounds research community
Many scientists say there is not enough evidence that Biogen’s aducanumab is an effective therapy for the disease.
- Asher Mullard
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Article |
Nasal delivery of an IgM offers broad protection from SARS-CoV-2 variants
An engineered IgM antibody administered intranasally in mice shows high prophylactic efficacy and therapeutic efficacy against SARS-CoV-2, and is also effective against multiple variants of concern that are resistant to IgG-based therapeutics.
- Zhiqiang Ku
- , Xuping Xie
- & Zhiqiang An
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Article |
BNT162b2 vaccine induces neutralizing antibodies and poly-specific T cells in humans
In a phase-I/II trial in healthy adults, the BNT162b2 vaccine induces neutralizing antibodies and poly-specific T cells against SARS-CoV-2 epitopes that are conserved in a wide range of currently circulating variants.
- Ugur Sahin
- , Alexander Muik
- & Özlem Türeci
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News Feature |
The mini lungs and other organoids helping to beat COVID
Virologists have infected millions of miniature organs with SARS-CoV-2, to learn how the virus wreaks havoc and how to stop it.
- Smriti Mallapaty
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Nature Podcast |
Audio long-read: How harmful are microplastics?
Scientists are trying to figure out whether these pervasive plastic specks are dangerous.
- XiaoZhi Lim
- & Benjamin Thompson
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Article |
In vivo CRISPR base editing of PCSK9 durably lowers cholesterol in primates
In a cynomolgus macaque model, CRISPR base editors delivered in lipid nanoparticles are shown to efficiently and stably knock down PCSK9 in the liver to reduce levels of PCSK9 and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol in the blood.
- Kiran Musunuru
- , Alexandra C. Chadwick
- & Sekar Kathiresan
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News |
Mice with severe COVID symptoms could speed vaccine effort
A new rodent model of COVID-19 promises an easier and quicker way to test treatments and vaccines.
- Ewen Callaway
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News |
Failure of genetic therapies for Huntington’s devastates community
Hopes were high for drugs designed to lower levels of a mutant protein, but development has stalled.
- Diana Kwon
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Article |
ARAF mutations confer resistance to the RAF inhibitor belvarafenib in melanoma
The development, characterization and phase I clinical testing of the RAF inhibitor belvarafenib in cancer and a new resistance mechanism mediated by ARAF mutations are described.
- Ivana Yen
- , Frances Shanahan
- & Shiva Malek
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News Feature |
Microplastics are everywhere — but are they harmful?
Scientists are rushing to study the tiny plastic specks that are in marine animals — and in us.
- XiaoZhi Lim
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News |
Psychedelic drugs without the trip? This sensor could help seek them out
An easier way to identify non-hallucinogenic psychedelics could aid treatment for illnesses such as depression and PTSD.
- Ariana Remmel
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Nature Podcast |
Audio long-read: How drugmakers can be better prepared for the next pandemic
Researchers race to develop new antiviral drugs.
- Elie Dolgin
- & Benjamin Thompson
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Article |
Small-molecule inhibition of METTL3 as a strategy against myeloid leukaemia
Treatment with a specific inhibitor of the N6-methyladenosine methyltransferase METTL3 leads to reduced growth of cancer cells, indicating the potential of approaches targeting RNA-modifying enzymes for anticancer therapy.
- Eliza Yankova
- , Wesley Blackaby
- & Tony Kouzarides
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News Feature |
The race for antiviral drugs to beat COVID — and the next pandemic
Despite dire warnings, a stockpile of ready compounds to fight viral pandemics was sorely lacking. Can drugmakers finally do the right thing?
- Elie Dolgin
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News Feature |
Genetic therapies offer new hope against incurable brain diseases
A class of drugs that silence the effects of faulty genes could help tackle brain diseases — but a halted clinical trial has brought the field up short.
- Diana Kwon
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Article |
Bispecific IgG neutralizes SARS-CoV-2 variants and prevents escape in mice
The bispecific IgG1-like CoV-X2 prevents SARS-CoV-2 spike binding to ACE2, neutralizes SARS-CoV-2 and its variants of concern, protects against disease in a mouse model, whereas the parental monoclonal antibodies generate viral escape.
- Raoul De Gasparo
- , Mattia Pedotti
- & Luca Varani
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Article |
Structural insights into the lipid and ligand regulation of serotonin receptors
Cryo-electron microscopy structures of three different serotonin receptors in complex with serotonin and other agonists provide insights into the role of lipids in regulating these receptors and the structural basis of ligand recognition.
- Peiyu Xu
- , Sijie Huang
- & H. Eric Xu
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Nature Index |
COVID-19 acts as a catalyst in India’s quest for self-sufficiency
Funding for translational research is boosted under joint initiatives to develop indigenous vaccines.
- Priyanka Pulla
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Comment |
A wealth of discovery built on the Human Genome Project — by the numbers
A new analysis traces the story of the draft genome’s impact on genomics since 2001, linking its effects on publications, drug approvals and understanding of disease.
- Alexander J. Gates
- , Deisy Morselli Gysi
- & Albert-László Barabási
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News Feature |
How COVID unlocked the power of RNA vaccines
The technology could revolutionize efforts to immunize against HIV, malaria, influenza and more.
- Elie Dolgin
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News & Views |
RETRACTED ARTICLE: A two-pronged attack on antibiotic-resistant microbes
Isoprenoid molecules are essential in many disease-causing microorganisms, and intermediates made during their synthesis trigger immune-defence responses by γδ T cells. ‘Immunoantibiotics’ exploit this dual vulnerability.
- Youcef Mehellou
- & Benjamin E. Willcox
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Article |
RETRACTED ARTICLE: IspH inhibitors kill Gram-negative bacteria and mobilize immune clearance
A class of compounds with a dual mechanism of action—direct targeting of IspH and stimulation of cytotoxic γδ T cells to enhance pathogen clearance—are active against multidrug-resistant bacteria.
- Kumar Sachin Singh
- , Rishabh Sharma
- & Farokh Dotiwala
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News Feature |
The lightning-fast quest for COVID vaccines — and what it means for other diseases
The speedy approach used to tackle SARS-CoV-2 could change the future of vaccine science.
- Philip Ball
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News & Views |
Psychedelics re-engineered for potential use in the clinic
An analogue of the psychedelic drug ibogaine has been developed. The analogue mirrors ibogaine’s ability to treat addiction and depression in animal models, has fewer side effects and is much simpler to synthesize.
- Gabriela Manzano-Nieves
- & Conor Liston
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Article |
A non-hallucinogenic psychedelic analogue with therapeutic potential
Psychedelic alkaloids served as lead structures for the development of tabernanthalog, a non-hallucinogenic and non-toxic analogue that reduces alcohol- and heroin-seeking behaviour and produces antidepressant-like effects in rodents.
- Lindsay P. Cameron
- , Robert J. Tombari
- & David E. Olson
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Spotlight |
Inside China’s response to COVID
Researchers and officials reveal how the pandemic has shifted the country’s scientific landscape and global reputation.
- Flynn Murphy
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News |
‘It will change everything’: DeepMind’s AI makes gigantic leap in solving protein structures
Google’s deep-learning program for determining the 3D shapes of proteins stands to transform biology, say scientists.
- Ewen Callaway
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Outlook |
Will the reclassification of multiple myeloma change how people are treated?
The disease is now recognized as several distinct cancers. Some researchers think that this will lead to more tailored treatments.
- Benjamin Plackett
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Outlook |
Research round-up: Multiple myeloma
Immunotherapy that targets a hair-follicle protein, genetic changes that underlie disease development and other highlights from clinical trials and laboratory studies.
- Jyoti Madhusoodanan
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Article |
Metallaphotoredox aryl and alkyl radiomethylation for PET ligand discovery
A versatile and rapid metallaphotoredox catalytic method of making 3H- and 11C-labelled tracer compounds for use in positron emission tomography (PET) is reported.
- Robert W. Pipal
- , Kenneth T. Stout
- & David W. C. MacMillan
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Article |
Small-molecule-induced polymerization triggers degradation of BCL6
Binding of the small molecule BI-3802 to the oncogenic transcription factor B cell lymphoma 6 (BCL6) induces polymerization of BCL6, leading to its ubiquitination by SIAH1 and proteasomal degradation.
- Mikołaj Słabicki
- , Hojong Yoon
- & Benjamin L. Ebert
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Article |
Identification of SARS-CoV-2 inhibitors using lung and colonic organoids
The use of lung and colonic organoid systems to assess the susceptibility of lung and gut cells to SARS-CoV-2 and to screen FDA-approved drugs that have antiviral activity against SARS-CoV-2 is demonstrated.
- Yuling Han
- , Xiaohua Duan
- & Shuibing Chen
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Book Review |
How precision medicine paved the way to the first cystic fibrosis drug
Heartbreak, sacrifice, genetics and venture philanthropy — this book has it all.
- Heidi Ledford
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Outlook |
Antimicrobial resistance
Efforts to reduce the use of existing drugs and incentives to invest in research could help combat resistance to antimicrobial drugs.
- Sarah O’Meara
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Outlook |
Why big pharma has abandoned antibiotics
A lack of financial incentive has meant large pharmaceutical companies have left the market
- Benjamin Plackett
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Outlook |
How China is getting its farmers to kick their antibiotics habit
Worries about antimicrobial resistance and disease outbreaks have pushed farms to decrease drug use and improve hygiene.
- Kevin Schoenmakers
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Outlook |
Research round-up: Antimicrobial resistance
A microscopic molecular drill, a machine-learning system for drug discovery and other highlights from clinical trials and laboratory studies.
- Elizabeth Svoboda
Why severe sickle-cell pain has been neglected