CONTENTS
October 2008
The field of medical devices,
more than drugs and biologics development,
has been known as one where enormous success
is possible. As recently as a decade ago, an
inventor with a great idea could expect to be
able to raise tens of millions of dollars, and see
it tested and commercialized within a few years.
But since then, says ALLA KATSNELSON, the
industry that grew as quickly as a teenager has
faced some serious growing pains. Is it the end
of the entrepreneur era for medical devices? |
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 When Cancer Is Just the Beginning In approximately 1 in 10,000 cancer patients,
an immune response chews into the cerebellum,
causing paraneoplastic cerebellar degeneration.
All patients die. But researchers suspect that
PCD can keep a malignancy at bay for years. If so,
JULIA C. MEAD asks, could we harness that immune
response to treat cancer in other patients? |
RELATED: |
 The Orange and the Circus Tent Magnified one million times, a virus is the size
of an orange, while a human host cell is as
large as a circus tent. ARI HELENIUS has spent
his career working out how viruses take over,
learning about cellular machinery and new
antiviral targets in the process. |
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EDITORIAL Why the Philosophy of Science Matters The central tenets of science
enhance communication and our
influence on society. COLUMNS Waiting for Einstein The dawn of a unified theory of biology
may finally be upon us. OPINION What Makes Science 'Science'? Trainee teachers don't have a clue,
and most scientists probably don't either. That's bad news. Notebook The Agenda; Bacteria gladiators;Video: Shot in the Dark; Pimp my poster;Slideshow: Pimp my poster; NO problem; Nabbing bats' nemesis; A bee's life;Slideshow: Hunting for wild bees FOUNDATIONS PROFILES Persuasion Power Ed Liu has produced innovative
translational research and a world-class
genome institute using his
undeniable intellect - and charm. Scientist to Watch: Patricia Wittkopp Fresh eyes on flies BIOBUSINESS: The Orphan Drug Act Turns 25 The legislation is credited with
building biotech and spawning hundreds
of drugs for rare diseases. So
why do some analysts hesitate to call
it a success? THE LITERATURE Hot paper: Impeding PD-1 The discovery that blocking an inhibitory immune receptor restores T cell function in HIV sheds light on immune dysfunction. Hot paper in Genomics: Factor tracker Hot Paper In Bacteriology: Effector detector Hot Paper In Biochemistry: Elastic enzyme LAB TOOLS Close Encounters Protein-protein interaction assays
for all occasions. Complex ID; Membrane bound; Signal specs; Head to head; Plus a web only article on Four steps for improving your protein interaction studies CAREERS Life in a "Rent-a-Lab" Is working at a contract research organization right for you? |