Featured
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Outlook |
Perspective: Assembly line immunotherapy
Bruce L. Levine and Carl H. June explore how to make engineered immune cells that can eradicate cancer widely available.
- Bruce L. Levine
- & Carl H. June
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Outlook |
Epigenetics: Reversible tags
Enzymes that modify gene expression without changing the DNA sequence are now viewed as central to the development of leukaemia — and may lead to new drugs.
- Jessica Wright
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Outlook |
Drug development: Target practice
Better designs for clinical trials and the use of combination therapies may improve leukaemia treatment.
- Alla Katsnelson
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Letter |
GLI activation by atypical protein kinase C ι/λ regulates the growth of basal cell carcinomas
Atypical protein kinase C ι/λ is shown to be critical, through its regulation of the transcription factor GLI, for hedgehog-dependent processes, such as the growth of basal cell carcinomas.
- Scott X. Atwood
- , Mischa Li
- & Anthony E. Oro
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Letter |
ATP-directed capture of bioactive herbal-based medicine on human tRNA synthetase
The crystal structure of prolyl tRNA synthetase simultaneously bound to its substrate ATP and its inhibitor halofuginone, a derivative of a compound used to treat malaria, indicates that (through interactions with ATP) halofuginone occupies both the amino acid and tRNA binding sites on the synthetase, revealing a new model for developing synthetase inhibitors.
- Huihao Zhou
- , Litao Sun
- & Paul Schimmel
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Outlook |
Therapeutics: Silencing psoriasis
The latest drugs hold fantastic promise for people with severe psoriasis. But where are the treatment options for the far larger number with less serious cases?
- James Mitchell Crow
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Review Article |
How cancer metabolism is tuned for proliferation and vulnerable to disruption
- Almut Schulze
- & Adrian L. Harris
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News |
Nobel work boosts drug development
Chemistry prize honours studies of cell-receptor proteins.
- Richard Van Noorden
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Outlook |
Biochemistry: A radical treatment
Researchers are counting on drugs that activate a master switch for antioxidant genes to protect lung tissue of COPD patients from an onslaught of free radicals.
- Ken Garber
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Outlook |
Therapeutics: Strength in numbers
Several new drugs for treating chronic obstructive pulmonary disease are about to hit the market, with more in the pipeline.
- Duncan Graham-Rowe
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News Feature |
Cancer research: Open ambition
Jay Bradner believes that cancer can be defeated through control of epigenetics — and he is not shy about spreading the word.
- Amy Maxmen
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News |
Wary approval for drug to prevent HIV
US regulators seek to mitigate risks of combined pill.
- Amy Maxmen
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News |
Antibody alarm call rouses immune response to cancer
Trial drug outperforms earlier efforts to marshall the body’s defences to combat tumours.
- Erika Check Hayden
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Article |
Chemical genetic discovery of targets and anti-targets for cancer polypharmacology
Using Ret-driven models of multiple endocrine neoplasia, it is shown that optimal kinase inhibition must aim to target an ideal spectrum of tumour-relevant kinases while avoiding ‘anti-targets’ that cause unwanted toxicity.
- Arvin C. Dar
- , Tirtha K. Das
- & Ross L. Cagan
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News |
Stem cells take root in drug development
Increasing use by industry showcases stem cell technology as research tool.
- Daniel Cressey
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Outlook |
Drug development: Holding out for reinforcements
Signs of emerging drug resistance are turning the hunt for new malaria treatments into a race against the clock.
- Michael Eisenstein
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Career Brief |
UK drug development
Venture-capital funding in the United Kingdom represents a boost for translational research.
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Research Highlights |
Blocking tumour sugar metabolism
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News |
Drug candidates derailed in case of mistaken identity
PARP inhibitor that wasn't highlights widespread flaws in preclinical studies.
- Heidi Ledford
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Comment |
Raise standards for preclinical cancer research
C. Glenn Begley and Lee M. Ellis propose how methods, publications and incentives must change if patients are to benefit.
- C. Glenn Begley
- & Lee M. Ellis
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News |
Mice guide human drug trial
Parallel approach to cancer study provides genetic insights.
- Heidi Ledford
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Comment |
A plan for mental illness
The Royal Society International Seminar Consortium describes what the next decade of mental-health drug development should look like.
- Thomas R. Insel
- , Barbara J. Sahakian
- & John H. Williams
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Comment |
Plug the real brain drain
Martin Schwab and Anita Buchli suggest ways to jump-start the stalled development of therapies for neurological diseases.
- Martin E. Schwab
- & Anita D. Buchli
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News |
Experimental project gives big pharma its youth back
GlaxoSmithKline's Discovery Performance Units strive to provide the advantages of a smaller company.
- Heidi Ledford
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Outlook |
Drugs: More shots on target
Drugs introduced to fight multiple myeloma in the past decade have revolutionized treatment and extended patients' lives. Are the improvements set to continue?
- Adrianne Appel
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News |
Drug research feels Europe's pain
Pharma companies see drops in revenue amid European austerity measures.
- Daniel Cressey
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Outlook |
Masterclass: The gathering brainstorm
In Lindau, a colloquy between a Nobel laureate and three students encouraged the young researchers to grapple with some of the biggest challenges in drug development.
- Kat McGowan
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News Feature |
Translational research: 4 ways to fix the clinical trial
Clinical trials are crumbling under modern economic and scientific pressures. Nature looks at ways they might be saved.
- Heidi Ledford
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News Feature |
Biodefence since 9/11: The price of protection
Since the anthrax attacks in 2001, some $60 billion has been spent on biodefence in the United States. But the money has not bought quite what was hoped.
- Erika Check Hayden
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News |
Toxic antibodies blitz tumours
Tightly targeted cancer therapy receives marketing approval.
- Heidi Ledford
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News |
Proteins chaperone drugs into development
Molecules that help others to fold emerge as targets for cancer drugs.
- Daniel Cressey
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News |
Drug buddies
The pharmaceutical industry is seeking stronger ties with academia in a bid to speed up drug development.
- Heidi Ledford
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News |
Therapeutic success stifles medical progress
Drug development loses momentum as patients shun clinical trials for tried and tested treatments. Could payment for participation be the answer?
- Heidi Ledford
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News |
New drug targets raise hopes for hepatitis C cure
As the first targeted therapies edge towards regulatory approval, attention turns to the next drugs in line.
- Heidi Ledford
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News |
Rare-disease project has global ambitions
Consortium aims for hundreds of new therapies by 2020.
- Alison Abbott
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News |
Melanoma drug wins US approval
Therapy is the first to extend lifespan in advanced cases.
- Heidi Ledford
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News |
New lead on deadly pancreatic cancer
Mouse model reveals mechanism of potential therapy for lethal tumours.
- Alison Abbott
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Feature |
Cancer research: Promise of protection
Cancer vaccines have long shown lots of potential but few results. Signs of success now suggest opportunities.
- Kelly Rae Chi
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World View |
Pharmaceutical industry must take its medicine
To fix the drug pipeline, governments must take on drug-makers instead of capitulating to their every demand, says Colin Macilwain.
- Colin Macilwain
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World View |
Drug development needs a new brand of science
We need to break with the past to develop new medicines, says Garret FitzGerald. An interdisciplinary NIH centre points the way.
- Garret FitzGerald
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News & Views |
How melanomas bypass new therapy
The promise of an exciting new drug that inhibits the mutant B-RAF protein in skin cancer is marred by the fact that most patients relapse within a year. Fresh data hint at how such resistance emerges. See Letters p.968 & p.973
- David Solit
- & Charles L. Sawyers
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News |
Slim spoils for obesity drugs
Drug makers struggle to find viable treatments for global epidemic.
- Heidi Ledford
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News Q&A |
The bridge between lab and clinic
Francis Collins makes the case for an institute focused on translational research.
- Meredith Wadman
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Editorial |
Treated fairly?
Moves to price new pharmaceuticals sensibly shouldn't damage the industry's health.
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News |
High hopes for arthritis drugs
Race is on to develop treatments that inhibit signalling proteins.
- Heidi Ledford
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News & Views |
Longer-lived proteins
Short residence times in the bloodstream reduce the effectiveness of protein drugs. Application of an approach that combines protein and polymer engineering prolongs circulation time and increases drug uptake by tumours.
- Jeffrey A. Hubbell
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Research Highlights |
Drug development: Worm surgery on a chip
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Books & Arts |
Drug development: The invisible front line
The paid participants in phase I clinical trials need more protection, finds Meredith Wadman.
- Meredith Wadman
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News |
Strategy to fight HIV shapes up
A way to nail down the shape of a viral protein segment could spur vaccine development.
- Alla Katsnelson
Mechanism of MEK inhibition determines efficacy in mutant KRAS- versus BRAF-driven cancers