Viewpoints:

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

Izabela Podgorski and Bonnie F. Sloane

Loss of Caspase-8 in Tumor Cells: Mechanism to Overcome Integrin-Mediated Death?
Mol. Interv. 2006 6: 132-136. [Summary] [Full Text] [PDF]  

Thomas E. Willnow and Olav M. Andersen

Pin-pointing APP Processing
Mol. Interv. 2006 6: 137-139. [Summary] [Full Text] [PDF]  

R E V I E W S:

Michael Dean

CANCER STEM CELLS: Redefining the Paradigm of Cancer Treatment Strategies
Mol. Interv. 2006 6: 140-148. [Summary] [Full Text] [PDF]  

Cancer cells divide rapidly and are immortal, as are embryonic stem cells. Indeed, the term "cancer stem cells" has arisen to describe self-renewing cells within a tumor. The cancer stem cells appear to be a minority of cells in a tumor capable of immortal growth and allowing tumor transplantation. Many researchers now suspect all cancers are composed of a mixture of renewing stem cells and "committed" cells that continue to proliferate but have a limited life span. The implications of this concept are important for basic science as well as cancer therapy, because cancers that are refractory to chemotherapy, typically comprised of cells that express drug transporters and DNA repair systems, could represent the survival of cancer stem cells.

Christian C. Felder, Amy K. Dickason-Chesterfield, and Steven A. Moore

Cannabinoids Biology: The Search for New Therapeutic Targets
Mol. Interv. 2006 6: 149-161. [Summary] [Full Text] [PDF]  

Anandamide is an endogenous lipid agonist of cannabinoid CB₁ and CB₂ receptors, and drugs that mimic or block anandamide agonism are currently being sought to treat numerous ailments, including pain, anxiety-related disorders, and obesity. But the unique routes of anandamide synthesis, turnover, and reuptake may offer avenues for therapeutic intervention other than modulation of cannabinoid receptor activation per se. Anandamide is generated from N-arachidonoyl phosphatidylethanol-amine within the plasma membrane, and the cellular activities that must be engaged for its arrival at the cannabinoid receptor, as well as its hydrolysis by enzymes that appear primarily in the cytoplasm, continue to be unraveled by investigators. As the mechanisms for anandamide transport become elucidated, novel targets within the endocannabinoid signaling system may be identified for drug design.

Emily M. Jutkiewicz

The Antidepressant -like Effects of Delta-Opioid Receptor Agonists
Mol. Interv. 2006 6: 162-169. [Summary] [Full Text] [PDF]  

Initially, it was expected that agonists of the delta-opioid receptor (DOR) would have antinociceptive properties similar to those of other opioids, without negative side effects such as respiratory depression, physical dependence, and abuse potential. Indeed, nonpeptidic delta-opioid agonists, which have greatly advanced our appreciation of DOR function, are devoid of undesirable effects, such as respiratory depression, reinforcing effects, and withdrawal symptoms, but they also have minimal pain-relieving qualities. Most intriguing is the finding that DOR agonists may have antidepressant-like effects, but the development of these compounds as antidepressants is hindered by their apparent convulsive activity. Although polypharmacy may circumvent the convulsive properties of delta-opioid agonists, the development of new nonpeptidic delta-opioid antidepressants without side effects is an ongoing goal.

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

Reflections:

Science in the cultural context

Stanley Scheindlin

The Fight Against Tuberculosis
Mol. Interv. 2006 6: 124-130. [Full Text] [PDF]  

Nascent Transcripts:

Emerging concepts from the recent literature
Mol. Interv. 2006 6: 131. [Full Text] [PDF]  

Beyond the Bench:

Representations of pharmacology and science in the media

Dan Collinge

The Dark Side of the Periodic Table
Mol. Interv. 2006 6: 170-171. [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: 172. [Full Text] [PDF]  

Outliers:

Cartoon

Mol. Interv. 2006 6: 180. [Full Text] [PDF]  

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