Viewpoints:

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

Paula H. Stern

The Calcineurin-NFAT Pathway and Bone: Intriguing New Findings
Mol. Interv. 2006 6: 193-196. [Summary] [Full Text] [PDF]  

Wolfgang Sadée and Laura Bohn

How Specific Are "Target-Specific" Drugs? Celecoxib as a Case in Point
Mol. Interv. 2006 6: 196-198. [Summary] [Full Text] [PDF]  

R E V I E W S:

Ravindra Rajakariar, Muhammad M. Yaqoob, and Derek W. Gilroy

COX-2 in Inflammation and Resolution
Mol. Interv. 2006 6: 199-207. [Summary] [Full Text] [PDF]  

In view of the widespread and effective use of the nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), the importance of limiting the side effects of these agents is self-evident. A major goal for both clinicians and drug developers has thus been to improve the specificity with which novel NSAIDs would inhibit their canonical targets, the cyclooxygenase (COX) enzymes. A number of lessons, in a variety of arenas, have been learned in the pursuit of this goal. Some of these lessons have unearthed new challenges in understanding the biology and pharmacology of the COX enzymes. Particularly important is the growing recognition that the inhibition of the COX enzymes, even with the attainment of absolute specificity for one or both of the major COX isoforms, may itself undermine anti-inflammatory therapy or even exacerbate inflammatory disease.

Elizabeth Jonas

BCL-xL Regulates Synaptic Plasticity
Mol. Interv. 2006 6: 208-222. [Summary] [Full Text] [PDF]  

Mitochondria produce energy in the form of ATP for highly energy-dependent processes of synaptic vesicle recycling and the operation of ion pumps. Mitochondrial localization to presynaptic sites alters the kinetics of transmitter release by the localized production of ATP and by calcium buffering. BCL-xL changes the conductance of mitochondrial membranes and alters mitochondrial bioenergetics to enhance the life of the synapse. Therapeutic attempts to modulate neuroplasticity and other synaptic activities may thus rest on a more thorough understanding of the organellar trafficking and constitution of neurons.

Allan E. Rettie and Guoying Tai

The Pharmocogenomics of Warfarin: Closing in on Personalized Medicine
Mol. Interv. 2006 6: 223-227. [Summary] [Full Text] [PDF]  

As with most drugs, the prescription of warfarin is a balancing act. In this case, the patient who receives too much is at risk for hemorrhagic complications, whereas the patient who receives too little may not be adequately protected against thromboembolism. Dose-response curves for warfarin are especially complex, and the basis of this complexity lies in part in the interindividual variability among patient genomes. Research into the pharmacogenomics of warfarin responsiveness, based on an appreciation of the multiple gene products that metabolize or mediate the efficacy of the drug, has arisen as a model for the considerations that must me addressed in bringing personalized medicine into practice.

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

Speaking of Pharmacology:

Benedict R. Lucchesi and Darrell R. Abernethy

Speaking of Pharmacology
Mol. Interv. 2006 6: 185. [Full Text] [PDF]  

Reflections:

Science in the cultural context

Stanley Scheindlin

Rare Diseases, Orphan Drugs, and Orphaned Patients
Mol. Interv. 2006 6: 186-191. [Full Text] [PDF]  

Nascent Transcripts:

Emerging concepts from the recent literature
Mol. Interv. 2006 6: 192. [Full Text] [PDF]  

Beyond the Bench:

Representations of pharmacology and science in the media

Christie Carrico

Breaking the Mold: A Lesson in Perseverance
Mol. Interv. 2006 6: 228-229. [Full Text] [PDF]  

Net Results:

Sites of interest on the World Wide Web

Sites of interest on the World Wide Web—edited by David Roman
Mol. Interv. 2006 6: 230. [Full Text] [PDF]  

Outliers:

Cartoon

Outliers
Mol. Interv. 2006 6: 236. [Full Text] [PDF]  

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