Viewpoints:

Dispatches from the Frontlines of Research - edited by John W. Nelson

Christopher D. Heger and Ruth N. Collins

Platelet Activation and "Crossover Appeal": Rab and Rho Families United by Common Links to Serotonin
Mol. Interv. 2004 4: 79-81. [Summary] [Full Text] [PDF]  

Panagiotis A. Tsonis

Stem Cells from Differentiated Cells
Mol. Interv. 2004 4: 81-83. [Summary] [Full Text] [PDF]  

Sungwoo Kim, Gus R. Rosania, and Young-Tae Chang

Dedifferentiation? What’s next?
Mol. Interv. 2004 4: 83-85. [Summary] [Full Text] [PDF]  

R E V I E W S:

Pavlina T. Ivanova, Stephen B. Milne, Jeffrey S. Forrester, and H. Alex Brown

LIPID Arrays: New Tools in the Understanding of Membrane Dynamics and Lipid Signaling
Mol. Interv. 2004 4: 86-96. [Summary] [Full Text] [PDF]  

Once regarded as little more than a tiny bag whose sole purpose was to retain the really interesting constituents of the cell, the plasma membrane is now appreciated for its vital elegance. Cell surface receptors in particular have become a staple of biomedical research, and the turnover of membrane phospholipid is a fundamental concept in signal-transducing mechanisms. Still, the dynamic complexity of lipid signaling has gone largely unexplored, primarily due to difficulties in identifying the multiple lipid species that fall under each of a slew of rubrics, such as "phosphoinositide," "phosphatidylcholine," and "diacylglycerol." Today, advancing technologies in mass spectrometry and computational analysis promise to deliver detailed snapshots of the full complement of lipid species over the course of cellular responses to physiological cues.

Natalie J. Serkova, Uwe Christians, and Leslie Z. Benet

Biochemical Mechanisms of Cyclosporine Neurotoxicity
Mol. Interv. 2004 4: 97-107. [Summary] [Full Text] [PDF]  

Of the several immunosuppressive drugs used to facilitate organ transplantation, the undecapeptide cyclosporine serves as a cornerstone in the prevention of graft rejection. A high percentage of treated patients, however, suffer from serious neurotoxic side effects. Paradoxically, cyclosporine ameliorates brain injury induced by cerebral ischemia-reperfusion in vivo, and this neuroprotective function has magnified interest in elucidating the biochemical mechanisms of cyclosporine action in the central nervous system. Magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) is being increasingly used to quantify metabolic consequences of drug neurotoxicity and has revealed that cyclosporine evokes morphological changes in the brain.

Dennis L. Murphy, Alicja Lerner, Gary Rudnick, and Klaus-Peter Lesch

Serotonin Transporter: Gene, Genetic Disorders, and Pharmacogenetics
Mol. Interv. 2004 4: 109-123. [Summary] [Full Text] [PDF]  

The serotonin transporter (SERT) modulates the concentration of serotonin in extracellular fluids. Given this essential role, genetic variability in SERT is of considerable interest in elucidating disorders of serotoninergic activity. Genetic disturbances within the chromosome 17q region where SERT is located have been mapped and may be associated with a variety of disorders, including autism, attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder, bipolar disorder, and Tourette's syndrome. Studies of knockout mice, moreover, suggest SERT as a determinant of additional clinical conditions, ranging from irritable bowel syndrome to obesity. The association of certain polymorphisms with poorer therapeutic responses to SERT antagonists, including more frequent serious side effects, also has important implications for the treatment of emotional disorders.

D E P A R T M E N T S:

Speaking of Pharmacology:

Peter C. Preusch

Integrative and Organ Systems Pharmacology: A New Initiative from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences
Mol. Interv. 2004 4: 72-73. [Full Text] [PDF]  

CrossTalk:

Interviews with people in the world of pharmacology

Robert F. Furchgott: A Pharmacologist’s Pharmacologist
Mol. Interv. 2004 4: 74-78. [Full Text] [PDF]  

Beyond the Bench:

Representations of pharmacology and science in the media

Ken Moore

Great Molecules in History
Mol. Interv. 2004 4: 124-126. [Full Text] [PDF]  

Net Results:

Sites of interest on the World Wide Web

Sites of interest on the World Wide Web–edited by Rick Neubig
Mol. Interv. 2004 4: 127. [Full Text] [PDF]  

Outliers:

Cartoon

Mol. Interv. 2004 4: 132. [Full Text] [PDF]  

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