Cancer: Fibroblast subtype provides niche for cancer stem cells
Nature Reviews Drug Discovery 17, 163 (2018).
doi:10.1038/nrd.2018.23
Author: Megan Cully
The role of cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) in tumour formation has been controversial. A new paper in Cell demonstrates that a subset of CAFs, defined by the presence of the cell surface markers CD10 and GPR77, promotes tumour formation and chemoresistance by providing a niche (Source: Nature Reviews Drug Discovery)
Source: Nature Reviews Drug Discovery - February 16, 2018 Category: Drugs & Pharmacology Authors: Megan Cully Tags: Research Highlight Source Type: research
Oncologists tap the microbiome in bid to improve immunotherapy outcomes
Nature Reviews Drug Discovery 17, 153 (2018).
doi:10.1038/nrd.2018.19
Author: Asher Mullard
A pioneering Merck & Co.-funded study is set to explore the ability of the microbiome to boost immuno-oncology therapy outcomes, and other companies are quickly gearing up to enter this clinical space. (Source: Nature Reviews Drug Discovery)
Source: Nature Reviews Drug Discovery - February 16, 2018 Category: Drugs & Pharmacology Authors: Asher Mullard Tags: News and Analysis Source Type: research
2017 FDA drug approvals
Nature Reviews Drug Discovery 17, 150 (2018).
doi:10.1038/nrd.2018.18
Author: Asher Mullard
Nature Reviews Drug Discovery17, 81–85 (2018)Semaglutide is the sixth GLP1 agonist to receive FDA approval, not the fifth as originally noted. This correction has been made in the print and online versions. (Source: Nature Reviews Drug Discovery)
Source: Nature Reviews Drug Discovery - February 1, 2018 Category: Drugs & Pharmacology Authors: Asher Mullard Tags: Corrigendum Source Type: research
Inflammation: Microbiome manipulation ameliorates colitis
Nature Reviews Drug Discovery 17, 96 (2018).
doi:10.1038/nrd.2018.9
Author: Sarah Crunkhorn
Intestinal inflammation and gut microbiota dysbiosis are closely associated. Using mouse models of colitis, Zhu et al. demonstrate that administration of sodium tungstate in drinking water selectively controls the expansion of bacterial populations, such as Enterobacteriaceae, that rely on molybdenum cofactor-dependent processes, shifting the (Source: Nature Reviews Drug Discovery)
Source: Nature Reviews Drug Discovery - February 1, 2018 Category: Drugs & Pharmacology Authors: Sarah Crunkhorn Tags: Research Highlight Source Type: research
Neurodegenerative diseases: Inflammasome protein seeds plaques in Alzheimer disease
Nature Reviews Drug Discovery 17, 96 (2018).
doi:10.1038/nrd.2018.5
Author: Megan Cully
Alzheimer disease is characterized by the presence of amyloid-β (Aβ) plaques in the brain (which are thought to cause neuronal dysfunction), as well as by neurochemical changes and inflammation. Writing in Nature, Venegas and colleagues found that aggregates of apoptosis-associated speck-like protein containing a (Source: Nature Reviews Drug Discovery)
Source: Nature Reviews Drug Discovery - February 1, 2018 Category: Drugs & Pharmacology Authors: Megan Cully Tags: Research Highlight Source Type: research
Immunotherapy: Oncolytic virotherapy enables checkpoint blockade
Nature Reviews Drug Discovery 17, 96 (2018).
doi:10.1038/nrd.2018.11
Author: Sarah Crunkhorn
Immune checkpoint inhibitors have yielded promising results in various cancer types, but are only effective in a subset of cancer patients, particularly those exhibiting pre-existing anticancer immunity. Two new papers now report the use of an oncolytic virus (OV) to induce antitumour immunity and increase (Source: Nature Reviews Drug Discovery)
Source: Nature Reviews Drug Discovery - February 1, 2018 Category: Drugs & Pharmacology Authors: Sarah Crunkhorn Tags: Research Highlight Source Type: research
Cancer: Anticancer effects of alcohol abuse drug
Nature Reviews Drug Discovery 17, 96 (2018).
doi:10.1038/nrd.2018.10
Author: Sarah Crunkhorn
Although the alcohol-aversion drug disulfiram (DSF) is effective against diverse cancer types in preclinical models, its mechanism of action remains unknown. Here, Skrott et al. analysed the Danish nationwide demographic and health registries, which revealed a reduced cancer-specific mortality when the use of DSF (Source: Nature Reviews Drug Discovery)
Source: Nature Reviews Drug Discovery - February 1, 2018 Category: Drugs & Pharmacology Authors: Sarah Crunkhorn Tags: Research Highlight Source Type: research
Gene therapy: CRISPR therapies — making the grade not the cut
Nature Reviews Drug Discovery 17, 95 (2018).
doi:10.1038/nrd.2018.3
Author: Darren J. Burgess
CRISPR-based systems for therapeutic purposes have shown promise in numerous mouse models of human diseases, but one concern that is limiting roll-out to human trials is that during genome editing, unintended Cas9-induced DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) could cause off-target mutations, toxicity and harm to patients. (Source: Nature Reviews Drug Discovery)
Source: Nature Reviews Drug Discovery - February 1, 2018 Category: Drugs & Pharmacology Authors: Darren J. Burgess Tags: Research Highlight Source Type: research
Pharmacogenomics: Know your GPCR mutations (and target them right)
Nature Reviews Drug Discovery 17, 94 (2018).
doi:10.1038/nrd.2018.13
Author: M. Teresa Villanueva
Natural human genetic variations may cause patients to respond differently to the same medication. Therefore, understanding genetic variation in drug targets can maximize efficacy and reduce side effects. In a new study, a team led by M. Madan Babu present a comprehensive analysis of G (Source: Nature Reviews Drug Discovery)
Source: Nature Reviews Drug Discovery - February 1, 2018 Category: Drugs & Pharmacology Authors: M. Teresa Villanueva Tags: Research Highlight Source Type: research
Regenerative medicine: Cholesterol clearance restores remyelination
Nature Reviews Drug Discovery 17, 94 (2018).
doi:10.1038/nrd.2018.12
Author: Katie Kingwell
In progressive demyelinating diseases such as multiple sclerosis, the capacity to repair myelin damage declines with age, which limits functional recovery. Reporting in Science, Simons and colleagues have pinpointed overload of the cholesterol clearance machinery in central nervous system (CNS) macrophages as a key (Source: Nature Reviews Drug Discovery)
Source: Nature Reviews Drug Discovery - February 1, 2018 Category: Drugs & Pharmacology Authors: Katie Kingwell Tags: Research Highlight Source Type: research
Gene therapy: Reprogramming α -cells reverses diabetes
Nature Reviews Drug Discovery 17, 93 (2018).
doi:10.1038/nrd.2018.7
Author: Sarah Crunkhorn
Autoimmune destruction of insulin (INS)-producing pancreatic β-cells, resulting in persistent hyperglycaemia, underlies the pathogenesis of type 1 diabetes. Preserving and restoring functional β-cell mass is therefore a fundamental objective of diabetes therapy. Writing in Cell Stem Cell, Gittes and colleagues report the successful conversion (Source: Nature Reviews Drug Discovery)
Source: Nature Reviews Drug Discovery - February 1, 2018 Category: Drugs & Pharmacology Authors: Sarah Crunkhorn Tags: Research Highlight Source Type: research
Biopharma deal-making in 2017
This article analyses merger and acquisition (M&A) activity and partnerships in the biopharma industry in 2017, highlighting trends and major deals. (Source: Nature Reviews Drug Discovery)
Source: Nature Reviews Drug Discovery - February 1, 2018 Category: Drugs & Pharmacology Authors: Amanda Micklus Steven Muntner Tags: News and Analysis Source Type: research
EMA recommended 35 new drugs in 2017
Nature Reviews Drug Discovery 17, 86 (2018).
doi:10.1038/nrd.2018.17
Author: Asher Mullard
The European Medicines Agency (EMA) recommended approval for 35 new therapeutic agents last year, compared with 27 in 2016 and 39 in 2015.The EMA's count includes small molecules, antibodies, biologics, blood products, cellular therapies and vaccines. As such, it cannot be compared directly (Source: Nature Reviews Drug Discovery)
Source: Nature Reviews Drug Discovery - February 1, 2018 Category: Drugs & Pharmacology Authors: Asher Mullard Tags: News and Analysis Source Type: research
Pfizer exits neuroscience
Nature Reviews Drug Discovery 17, 86 (2018).
doi:10.1038/nrd.2018.16
Author: Asher Mullard
Pfizer is pulling out of neuroscience drug discovery and early development, and cutting 300 positions in its neuroscience division.Prior to the announcement, the company had eight neuroscience products in phase I and phase II trials. These consisted of four clinical programmes in Alzheimer disease, (Source: Nature Reviews Drug Discovery)
Source: Nature Reviews Drug Discovery - February 1, 2018 Category: Drugs & Pharmacology Authors: Asher Mullard Tags: News and Analysis Source Type: research
Top product sales forecasts for 2018
Nature Reviews Drug Discovery 17, 86 (2018).
doi:10.1038/nrd.2018.15
Author: Asher Mullard
The top-selling drugs of 2018 are set to be a mix of old-timers and newcomers, shows global consensus sales forecast data from EvaluatePharma.The top five products on this forecast list are repeat bestsellers, and AbbVie's adalimumab held the top slot in both 2016 and (Source: Nature Reviews Drug Discovery)
Source: Nature Reviews Drug Discovery - February 1, 2018 Category: Drugs & Pharmacology Authors: Asher Mullard Tags: News and Analysis Source Type: research
