some of the stuff we’re reviewing over the holiday break. N.b. paywalls ahead!  And at the very end, some current non-science favorites.

Tumor Mutational Landscape

Age related variants of variants occurred in three genes (DNMT3A, TET2, and ASXL1) are associated with hematological malignancy risk  http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa1408617 and  http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa1409405

News and Views on the NEJM papers  http://www.nature.com/nrg/journal/vaop/ncurrent/full/nrg3889.html

using siRNA to identify driver genes in breast cancer  http://www.nature.com/nrg/journal/v16/n1/full/nrg3875.html

Immunotherapy

a primer on the role of PD-1 pathway inhibitors in Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, from Nat Rev Clin Oncol  http://www.nature.com/nrclinonc/journal/vaop/ncurrent/full/nrclinonc.2014.227.html

the role of TILs and TIL-associated TNF in the survival of CRC patients  http://www.jci.org/articles/view/74894

nivolumab in metastatic RCC, published data  http://jco.ascopubs.org/content/early/2014/12/22/JCO.2014.59.0703.abstract

resistance to T cells in melanoma (hint: they lose MHC expression)  http://clincancerres.aacrjournals.org/content/20/24/6593.abstract

interesting look at PD-L1 expression of the response of RCC to targeted therapies  http://clincancerres.aacrjournals.org/content/early/2014/12/23/1078-0432.CCR-14-1993.abstract

it’s hard to control ipilimumab-induced tox  http://clincancerres.aacrjournals.org/content/early/2014/12/23/1078-0432.CCR-14 2353.abstract

IO combination review  http://clincancerres.aacrjournals.org/content/20/24/6258.abstract

tumor/microenvironment cross-talk mediated by microRNAs  http://clincancerres.aacrjournals.org/content/20/24/6247.abstract

functional blockade of miR-23a releases TILs in an ex vivo NSCLC assay  http://www.jci.org/articles/view/69094

neutrophils, T cells and lung cancer  http://www.jci.org/articles/view/77053

Given the new immunotherapy data in bladder cancer, a review of the molecular drivers of this tumor type is most welcome  http://www.nature.com/nrc/journal/v15/n1/abs/nrc3817.html

MDSC requirements for survival  http://www.cell.com/immunity/abstract/S1074-7613(14)00436-1

Gene Therapy and CAR T

Novel gene therapy methods puts a safety brake on a retrovirus-based vector  http://www.nature.com/nrd/journal/v13/n12/full/nrd4495.html

a new review of the CRISPR, Talen, and ZFN technologies for gene editing  http://www.jci.org/articles/view/72992

NY-ESO-1 CAR T P1 results in solid tumors: long term follow-up and correlates of response  http://clincancerres.aacrjournals.org/content/early/2014/12/23/1078-0432.CCR-14-2708.abstract

Targeted Therapies

A very timely primer of the role of different PI3K isoforms in diverse cancers  http://www.nature.com/nrc/journal/v15/n1/abs/nrc3860.html

a Notch in the cancer treatment belt? Nope, a bit of a toxic mess made with anti-DLL4 antibody Demcizumab from OncoMed  http://clincancerres.aacrjournals.org/content/20/24/6295.abstract

IL-17 and colon cancer?  http://www.cell.com/immunity/abstract/S1074-7613(14)00446-4

Hematological Malignancies

von Adrian and Sharpe tease apart Follicular Lymphoma  http://www.jci.org/articles/view/76861

the role of one of gp130 in multiple myeloma  http://www.jci.org/articles/view/69094

Fibrosis, Inflammation, Metabolism, MS

a brand new fibrosis review  http://www.jci.org/articles/view/74368

the TRPV4 pathway, TGFbeta and IPF  http://www.jci.org/articles/view/75331

The role of novel branched fatty acid esters of hydroxy fatty acids in Type 2 diabetes  http://www.nature.com/nrd/journal/v13/n12/full/nrd4501.html

will STING finally yield a useful target in lupus?  http://www.jci.org/articles/view/79100

an animal model of JCV infection and PML  http://www.jci.org/articles/view/79186

Investment and Deals

Pharma funding to pull programs out of the academic space  http://www.nature.com/nrd/journal/vaop/ncurrent/full/nrd3078-c2.html

some color from NRDD on the Genentech + NewLink IDO-1 inhibitor deal  http://www.nature.com/nrd/journal/v13/n12/full/nrd4502.html

Also notable

300,000,000. A violent graphic lurid hypnotic novel of the dissolution of consciousness and the consequence of multiple realities converging within our unprepared empty minds and upon our decadent culture. Horrific and wonderful, but not for the squeamish.

Thug Kitchen – eat like you give a #$%@^. Fun, but you get the idea.

Death & Co: Modern Classic Cocktails. Drink like an adult.