• Cover story

    • Taking the inflammation out of epilepsy

      by Tim Fulmer, Senior Writer

      January 08 2009, Volume 2 / Number 1

      Italian and U.S. researchers have proposed treating epileptic seizures by targeting an inflammatory pathway outside the blood-brain barrier. The strategy could potentially help patients whose seizures are not adequately controlled by existing epilepsy drugs, while also avoiding psychiatric side effects.

    • Read more
  • Analysis

    • Besieging RSV

      U.S. and Chilean researchers have reported that a vaccine derived from bacillus Calmette-Guérin could prevent respiratory syncytial virus infection in infants and children. But it's unlikely such a vaccine would compete with MedImmune's RSV antibody, Synagis palivizumab, because it would target different pediatric populations.

    • Gazing deeper into cancer

      Three studies in glioblastoma multiforme, acute myeloid leukemia and lung cancer reveal potential new drug targets and demonstrate how the improving performance of whole-genome sequencing technologies provides a next step toward personalized cancer diagnostics.

    • Bright idea in cancer

      University of Tokyo and NCI researchers have developed pH-sensitive fluorescent probes selective for viable cancer cells. The probes may be useful for surgical and diagnostic imaging, but companies in the space suggest that the targeting mechanism and the fluorophore have limitations.