Featured
-
-
News |
AlphaFold touted as next big thing for drug discovery — but is it?
Questions remain about whether the AI tool for predicting protein structures can really shake up the pharmaceutical industry.
- Carrie Arnold
-
Comment |
AI can help to speed up drug discovery — but only if we give it the right data
Artificial-intelligence tools that enable companies to share data about drug candidates while keeping sensitive information safe can unleash the potential of machine learning and cutting-edge lab techniques, for the common good.
- Marissa Mock
- , Suzanne Edavettal
- & Alan Russell
-
News |
Psychedelic drug MDMA moves closer to US approval following success in PTSD trial
Long-awaited trial data show drug is effective at treating post-traumatic stress disorder in a diversity of people.
- Sara Reardon
-
News |
Life-changing cystic fibrosis treatment wins US$3-million Breakthrough Prize
Trio of scientists who developed the combination drug Trikafta are among the winners of five major awards in life sciences, physics and mathematics.
- Zeeya Merali
-
Nature Index |
Four ways research aims to outwit cancer’s evasion tactics
From AI-enabled drug discovery to therapeutic vaccines, science is opening up fresh angles of attack against the disease.
- Michael Eisenstein
-
Article |
CD300ld on neutrophils is required for tumour-driven immune suppression
A CRISPR–Cas9 screen in a tumour mouse model identifies CD300ld as a tumour receptor on polymorphonuclear myeloid-derived suppressor cells and in vivo experiments indicate that it is a promising target for cancer immunotherapy.
- Chaoxiong Wang
- , Xichen Zheng
- & Min Luo
-
Career Feature |
‘Gagged and blindsided’: how an allegation of research misconduct affected our lab
Bioengineer Ram Sasisekharan describes the impact of a four-year investigation by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, which ultimately cleared him.
- Anne Gulland
-
Review Article |
From target discovery to clinical drug development with human genetics
This Review provides a perspective on the development of non-cancer therapies based on human genetics studies and suggests measures that can be taken to streamline the pipeline from initial genetic discovery to approved therapy.
- Katerina Trajanoska
- , Claude Bhérer
- & Vincent Mooser
-
Article
| Open AccessTRIM5α restricts poxviruses and is antagonized by CypA and the viral protein C6
The well-characterized HIV restriction factor TRIM5α also restricts orthopoxviruses and is countered by the viral protein C6 and the proviral activity of CypA, which in turn is antagonized by CsA and derivatives alisporivir and NIM811.
- Yiqi Zhao
- , Yongxu Lu
- & Geoffrey L. Smith
-
News Feature |
Four key questions on the new wave of anti-obesity drugs
Scientists want to know who will benefit most, what the long-term effects might be and whether the treatments will change views on obesity.
- McKenzie Prillaman
-
Article |
Conserved class B GPCR activation by a biased intracellular agonist
A study reports an orally available small-molecule agonist that binds between a G protein and its receptor, and characterizes this new binding mode.
- Li-Hua Zhao
- , Qian He
- & H. Eric Xu
-
News |
AI search of Neanderthal proteins resurrects ‘extinct’ antibiotics
Scientists identify protein snippets made by extinct hominins.
- Saima Sidik
-
Nature Index |
Critics wary over plans to fast-track UK drug-approval model
The UK regulator’s proposal to piggyback on other countries’ decisions might lead to an over-reliance on their systems.
- Nic Fleming
-
Where I Work |
I sample Antarctica’s seaweed to improve human health
Fisheries engineer Ekrem Cem Çankırılıgil probes the chemical make-up of aquatic creatures to determine their possible health benefits for humans.
- Nic Fleming
-
News Explainer |
Aspartame is a possible carcinogen: the science behind the decision
More research is needed to investigate a potential link between the common sweetener and cancer.
- Miryam Naddaf
-
Nature Podcast |
Audio long read: ‘Almost magical’ — chemists can now move single atoms in and out of a molecule’s core
Methods to insert, swap or delete atoms in the backbones of molecules could transform medicinal chemistry.
- Mark Peplow
- & Benjamin Thompson
-
Career Q&A |
No drug for COVID: ‘the most successful failure in my life’
Laura Walker co-founded a spin-off company, but she moved to big pharma after the therapy the firm had been testing came to nothing. She explains why.
- Rachel Brazil
-
Article
| Open AccessGDF15 promotes weight loss by enhancing energy expenditure in muscle
GDF15 treatment in mice counteracts compensatory reductions in energy expenditure, resulting in greater weight loss and reductions in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease compared to caloric restriction alone.
- Dongdong Wang
- , Logan K. Townsend
- & Gregory R. Steinberg
-
Article
| Open AccessPhase separation of FSP1 promotes ferroptosis
An inhibitor of the ferroptosis-suppressing FSP1 induces phase separation of FSP1, thereby impairing its function and reducing tumour growth.
- Toshitaka Nakamura
- , Clara Hipp
- & Marcus Conrad
-
Research Highlight |
What happens when you microwave that plastic bowl?
Tests show that certain types of plasticware give off high levels of microscopic plastic particles when heated in an microwave oven.
-
Correspondence |
Europe: hold industry accountable for forever chemicals
- Muhammad Usman
- & Khalil Hanna
-
Outlook |
Is nicotine bad for long-term health? Scientists aren’t sure yet
As e-cigarettes grow in popularity, the lack of knowledge about whether nicotine contributes to the damaging health effects of smoking is becoming more worrying.
- Anthony King
-
Article
| Open AccessClass B1 GPCR activation by an intracellular agonist
A new intracellular agonist-binding pocket is identified that is common to many G protein-coupled receptors, which will have implications for the development of biased compounds that target this large group of receptors.
- Kazuhiro Kobayashi
- , Kouki Kawakami
- & Osamu Nureki
-
News Feature |
‘It’s a vote for hope’: first gene therapy for muscular dystrophy nears approval, but will it work?
The FDA’s decision, expected this month, follows several setbacks and delays and will pose difficult choices for the families of children with Duchenne muscular dystrophy.
- Sara Reardon
-
News Feature |
‘Almost magical’: chemists can now move single atoms in and out of a molecule’s core
An explosion of skeletal editing methods to insert, delete or swap individual atoms in molecular backbones could accelerate drug discovery.
- Mark Peplow
-
Article
| Open AccessPan-KRAS inhibitor disables oncogenic signalling and tumour growth
A non-covalent inhibitor that binds preferentially to the inactive state of KRAS while sparing NRAS and HRAS is reported, indicating that most KRAS oncoproteins cycle between an active state and an inactive state in cancer cells.
- Dongsung Kim
- , Lorenz Herdeis
- & Piro Lito
-
Outlook |
Accelerating drug development with 3D neural models
A reproducible cell-culture system could help to evaluate new therapies for disorders that affect the brain.
- Christine Evans-Pughe
-
Outlook |
Disrupting protein folding to tackle cancer
Intermediate states show promise as drug targets.
- Elie Dolgin
-
Research Briefing |
Parasitic nematodes activate chemicals that can kill them
Nematode worms that parasitize plants ravage food crops and threaten global food security. Conventional nematode control relies on agrochemicals that are broadly toxic, so less-risky strategies are needed. Benign precursor chemicals that are metabolically converted to lethal products selectively in worm tissue could be the solution.
-
Article |
Selective control of parasitic nematodes using bioactivated nematicides
A metabolically bioactivated selective imidazothiazole nematicide shows comparable effectiveness at controlling plant root infection by Meloidogyne incognita to commercial nematicides, which are traditionally nonselective and toxic.
- Andrew R. Burns
- , Rachel J. Baker
- & Peter J. Roy
-
Article |
A small-molecule PI3Kα activator for cardioprotection and neuroregeneration
A new specific, small-molecule activator of the PI3Kα isoform (UCL-TRO-1938) identified through high-throughput screening can transiently activate PI3K signalling and biological responses in cells and tissues, with potential therapeutic applications in tissue protection and regeneration.
- Grace Q. Gong
- , Benoit Bilanges
- & Bart Vanhaesebroeck
-
Editorial |
For chemists, the AI revolution has yet to happen
Machine-learning systems in chemistry need accurate and accessible training data. Until they get it, they won’t achieve their potential.
-
News |
Deadly mushroom poison might now have an antidote — with help from CRISPR
Gene-editing technique might have finally cracked the mystery of how death cap mushrooms kill.
- Saima Sidik
-
News |
Menopause therapy: Brain-based treatment for hot flushes approved by FDA
Investigations into the impact of menopause on the brain have yielded a potential way to treat troublesome symptoms without hormones.
- Heidi Ledford
-
-
News |
Alzheimer’s drug donanemab: what promising trial means for treatments
Results suggest that the amyloid-targeting drug candidate slows cognitive decline in some people, but questions remain over its potential side effects.
- Sara Reardon
-
Correspondence |
Strengthen scientific review of research protocols
- John H. Powers
- , Jie Min
- & David Tribble
-
Nature Podcast |
Audio long read: Conquering Alzheimer’s — a look at the therapies of the future
Trial successes have raised hopes that the condition might eventually be preventable.
- Alison Abbott
- & Benjamin Thompson
-
Review Article |
Computational approaches streamlining drug discovery
Recent advances in computational approaches and challenges in their application to streamlining drug discovery are discussed.
- Anastasiia V. Sadybekov
- & Vsevolod Katritch
-
Article
| Open AccessA druggable copper-signalling pathway that drives inflammation
Cellular uptake of copper(ii) by CD44 has a key role in regulating cellular plasticity via copper(ii)-dependent downstream signalling events.
- Stéphanie Solier
- , Sebastian Müller
- & Raphaël Rodriguez
-
Editorial |
The gene-therapy revolution risks stalling if we don’t talk about drug pricing
Regulation and new intellectual property laws are needed to reduce the cost of gene-editing treatments and fulfil their promise to improve human health.
-
News Feature |
US could soon approve MDMA therapy — opening an era of psychedelic medicine
Perceptions have shifted dramatically in the past few years on the therapeutic value of illicit drugs such as ecstasy. But questions still linger about what FDA approval might look like.
- Sara Reardon
-
Where I Work |
Recreating the fragrance of the Moon in a lab
Scent sculptor Michael Moisseeff simulates all manner of aromas from the everyday and historical to the extraterrestrial.
- Nic Fleming
-
Outlook |
Kids and clinical trials: why the system is failing children
A panel of physicians and researchers discusses the reasons for the paucity of trials, the effect it has on patients and how the approval process for paediatric drugs could be streamlined.
-
Research Highlight |
That new car smell has a whiff of health hazards
Surface temperature drives emissions of chemicals that give a newly manufactured vehicle its signature aroma.
-
News |
Abortion-pill ruling threatens FDA’s authority, say drug firms
A US judge’s decision to overturn the approval of mifepristone could put other drugs at risk, pharmaceutical-industry executives warn.
- Mariana Lenharo
-
News Feature |
Conquering Alzheimer’s: a look at the therapies of the future
Researchers are looking to drug combinations, vaccines and gene therapy as they forge the next generation of treatments for the condition.
- Alison Abbott
-
Where I Work |
Cultivating cannabis in the shadow of a volcano
Agriculturist Rohan McDonald is rebuilding a medical-cannabis laboratory after an eruption destroyed his team’s work.
- James Mitchell Crow
-
News |
Antibody-patent row could have far-reaching impact on biotech
The results of a US case could dictate how broad patents are, and have knock-on effects for those developing drugs.
- Heidi Ledford