Cell signaling news
Here we present recent news items specially selected from Nature, Nature Medicine and Nature Biotechnology.
March 2008
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News | News in brief | News Features
News
Triumphs and tribulations for RNA interference
RNA interference (RNAi) can be used to silence microRNA molecules in primate cells.
Nature News (27 March 2008)
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How sperm and egg fuse into one
As the highly conserved HAP2 protein mediates the fusion of egg and sperm, drugs or vaccines that block HAP2 could potentially inhibit the reproduction of harmful parasites.
Nature News (27 March 2008)
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Stem-cell patents confirmed
The US Patent and Trademark Office has upheld two patents that cover methods for deriving and growing primate and human embryonic stem cells in culture.
Nature News (20 March 2008)
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222 NIH grants: 22 researchers
Two hundred scientists received six or more grants each from the US National Institutes of Health (NIH) in 2007; one principal investigator was awarded 32 grants, and many others got eight or nine.
Nature News (20 March 2008)
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Banking on the future of stem cells
Leszek Borysiewicz, the head of the UK Medical Research Council (MRC), discusses the efforts that members of the International Stem Cell Forum have made to coordinate stem cell banks and registries.
Nature News (20 March 2008)
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Stem-cell claim gets cold reception
The biotech company PrimeGen claims to have reprogrammed adult human cells to an embryonic-like state by using single-walled carbon nanotubes to introduce a complex of around a dozen proteins; the findings, which have yet to be published in a peer-reviewed journal, are being met with skepticism.
Nature News (13 March 2008)
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Despite potential side effects, two drugs make a comeback
Tysabri (natalizumab) and thalidomide are poised to re-enter the market as treatments for Crohn's disease and multiple myeloma, respectively, despite volumes of data describing serious safety concerns for these two drugs.
Nature Medicine 14, 226 (2008)
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The fight of your life
The 'Immune Attack' video game is designed to help students — particularly those learning high school-level biology — test and improve their knowledge of the human immune system.
Nature Medicine 14, 230 (2008)
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A matter of the heart
An increasing amount of molecular, animal and human data are helping explain why depression and negative emotions appear to worsen cardiac health, and why a good laugh might improve blood vessel function.
Nature Medicine 14, 231-233 (2008)
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Recombinant thrombin approved
Recothrom, a recombinant thrombin protein, has received US marketing approval for use to control bleeding during surgery.
Nature Biotechnology 26, 250 (2008)
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Crunch time for peer review in lawsuit
Scientists and editors have decried Pfizer's attempt to the force the New England Journal of Medicine to surrender peer review and editorial deliberations for 11 recent papers related to the painkillers Celebrex (celecoxib) and Bextra (valdecoxib), saying that a successful subpoena "would undermine the whole system of peer review, which depends utterly on confidentiality".
Nature News (6 March 2008)
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Nobel prizewinner's paper retracted
A paper in Nature co-authored by Nobel prizewinning scientist Linda Buck has been retracted after researchers in Buck's lab were unable to reproduce the results.
Nature News (6 March 2008)
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News in brief
| Science debate looking less likely in Philadelphia
| Valuable bacterial archive destroyed
| Joint drug venture to end after 30 years
| Outstanding mentors in Germany
| Wellcome awards reveal microscopic masterpieces
| Fresh safety concerns for popular anaemia drugs
| Korean institute inquiry prompts two retractions
| Bonn to play host to dementia research centre
| British government to demand clinical trial data
| Charity to focus scientists' skills on the needy
| Officials downplay vaccine's link with autism
| Massachusetts gears up to boost cash for life sciences
| First of three contested stem-cell patents upheld
| India to propose regulatory body to curb misconduct
News Features
Stem cells: 5 things to know before jumping on the iPS bandwagon
Nature discusses the five most pertinent issues surrounding the use and biomedical potential of induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells.
Nature News (27 March 2008)
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