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Chronic inflammation is clearly associated with an increase in the risk of cancer. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are well documented as agents that inhibit tumor growth and with long-term use can prevent tumor development. NSAID-activated gene (NAG-1), a unique member of the TGF-beta superfamily, is highly induced by NSAIDs and numerous drugs and chemicals with anti-tumorigenic activities.

Airway diseases, such as Asthma and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), constitute a major health burden worldwide. It is estimated, for example, that nearly 15.0% of the adult population in the US are affected with such diseases, and the economic cost burden is over $23 billion annually. Unfortunately, the current options for treatment of such diseases are quite limited, consisting only of bronchodilators and inhaled steroids. The need for a novel and more effective class of therapeutics agents is imperative.

Gaucher disease is a rare lysosomal storage disease that is characterized by a loss of function of the glucocerebrosidase (GCase) enzyme, which results in a decreased ability to degrade its lipid substrate, glucocerebroside. The intracellular build up of this lipid causes a broad range of clinical manifestations, ranging from enlarged spleen/liver and anemia to neurodegeneration. In Gaucher disease, the loss of GCase function has been attributed to low levels of the protein in the lysosomal compartment, resulting from improper GCase folding and transport.

There are two related technologies, the first being small molecule inhibitors of the malarial plasmodial surface anion channel (PSAC) and the second being the PSAC protein itself as a vaccine candidate. The PSAC protein is produced by the malaria parasite within host erythrocytes and is crucial for mediating nutrient uptake. In vitro data show that the PSAC inhibitors are able to inhibit growth of malaria parasites, have high specificity, and low toxicity.

Adenosine modulates many physiological processes by activating specific adenosine receptors. These adenosine receptors play a critical role in the regulation of cellular signaling and are broadly distributed throughout the body. Thus, the ability to modulate adenosine receptor-mediated signaling is an attractive therapeutic strategy for a broad range of diseases. This technology relates to a group of compounds that display high affinity and specificity for the A1 adenosine receptor subtype.

The invention is directed to modification of a particular sugar by the enzyme arylsulfatase B (ARSB), which results in axon regeneration.

There is no vaccine for malaria, and there is growing resistance to existing anti-malarial drugs. Sexual stage-specific antigens are of interest as vaccine candidates because disruption of these antigens would reduce the fertility and, thus, the infectivity of the parasite.

JC Virus causes a fatal disease in the brain called progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML) that occurs in many patients with immunocompromised conditions. The finding of JCV DNA in the patients with neurological symptoms of PML is a diagnostic criterion and is needed to confirm the diagnosis of PML to rule out other neurological conditions. Certain JC virus variants are known to have a greater association with PML. For example, "Prototype" JC virus is far more pathogenic than "Archetype" JC virus.

The NIH announces a novel method for fast, simple, and accurate detection of nucleic acids outside the modern laboratory. Nucleic acid testing is highly specific and often provides definitive identification of a disease or pathogen. Methods to detect nucleic acid sequences and identify a disease or pathogen are dominated by PCR, but applying PCR-based techniques in remote settings is challenging. Researchers at the NIH have developed a universal, colorimetric, nucleic acid-responsive diagnostic system that uses two short peptide nucleic acid (PNA) probes and does not rely on PCR.