Evolution in a test tube: harnessing Darwin's theory to design new molecules.
Harnessing Darwin's theory to design new molecules Charles Darwin set off on a voyage in 1831 to study the exotic plants and animals of faraway places. Five years later, he returned with the discovery of a bittersweet truth about life: To leave a lasting legacy on Earth,...

Group to Study the genetics of serious adverse drug events.
A group of eight of the largest drug manufacturers has formed a consortium to study the genetics of serious adverse drug reactions. The Serious Adverse Events Consortium will work closely with the Food and Drug Administration on the projects that it will undertake. It is...

Protocol targets frontal cortex.
NEW YORK -- Researchers at Columbia University and the New York State Psychiatric Institute are using the tools of neuroimaging to modernize electro-convulsive therapy for severe depression and other psychiatric disorders. By applying principles similar to those used in rational drug design, they are endeavoring to design...

BIOCRYST INITIATES INTRAVENOUS PHASE I/II OF FODOSINE.
BioCryst Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:BCRX), Birmingham, Ala., has initiated a Phase I/II clinical trial of Fodosine(TM) (forodesine hydrochloride), the company's lead anti-cancer compound, to determine the safety of repeat doses of an intravenous (IV) formulation of the drug in patients with B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL). Fodosine(TM) is a purine...

Hijacking bacterium for energy use.
For anyone suffering from cystic fibrosis or AIDS, the bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosa is bad news. While the organism is found everywhere--including in sediment on the ocean floor--it can cause lung infections in those with weak immune systems. Researcher Dianne Newman of the California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, thinks her...

TRANSCRIPTION OF ANTISENSE RNA FROM HUMAN GENOME COMMON.
Compugen Ltd. (NASDAQ: CGEN) has announced the discovery that the transcription of antisense RNAs from the human genome, a phenomenon usually regarded as very rare, is actually a fairly common occurrence. Until recently, only tens of genes were believed to have an antisense partner, but Compugen's scientists to date...

The war on cancer.
To the Editor: I would like to respond to the "Unquiet Front" (HCR, May-June 2003). I read Andrew von Eschenbach's comments and heard them at the American Urological Association meeting in April. I did not get the impression that there would be a "cure" per se, rather the wise...

Buckymedicine: coming soon to a pharmacy near you?
In 1991, graduate student Simon Friedman was studying drug design at the University of California in San Francisco. One day, he was chatting with Diana Roe, a fellow student, about one of the field's latest rages--HIV protease inhibitors designed to combat the AIDS virus--and the discussion turned to unexpected...

Laureates' techniques enable researchers to probe large biomolecules. (Nobel Chemistry).
The 2002 Nobel Prize in Chemistry, awarded Oct. 9, recognizes the work of three scientists who created tools for analyzing proteins and other large biological molecules. The techniques developed by these laureates have transformed pharmaceutical development by enabling researchers to quickly determine the identities and structures of...

THE SYNTHETIC APPROACH TO D-ALA-D-ALA PEPTI-DOMIMETICS, A NEW CLASS OF POTENTIAL ANTIBACTERIALS.
THE SYNTHETIC APPROACH TO D-ALA-D-ALA PEPTI-DOMIMETICS, A NEW CLASS OF POTENTIAL ANTIBACTERIALS. N. K. Dunlap, Garry D. [Pennycuff.sup.*], and Tao [Meng.sup.*], Middle Tennessee State University, Muifreesboro, Tennessee. In the past few years the newsmedia and Internet have been flooded with details of new "Superbugs" being added to the already...