●Focus on Pharmacogenetics.Nature Reviews Genetics and Nature Reviews Drug Discovery September (2004) This Focus covers the latest approaches to pharmacogenetics research (genome-wide screening and mouse models), evolving regulatory frameworks, ethical problems and solutions.

●The endocannabinoid system and its therapeutic exploitation. Di Marzo, V., Bifulco, M. & De Petrocellis, L. Nature Reviews Drug Discovery September (2004) The endocannabinoid system is involved in many pathological conditions, including cancer. This review discusses the development of therapeutics that target this system.

●TCR ζ-chain downregulation: curtailing an excessive inflammatory immune response. Baniyash, M. Nature Reviews Immunology September (2004) This review provides new insights into the mechanism responsible for T-cell receptor ζ-chain downregulation — which has been shown in cancer — its significance and its clinical implications.

●From chromatin to cancer: a new histone lysine methyltransferase enters the mix. Sims, R. J. & Reinberg, D. Nature Cell Biology August (2004) This News and Views article discusses the characterization of SMYD3, which is upregulated in some cancers.

●Apoptosis and genomic instability. Zhivotovsky, B. & Kroemer, G. Nature Reviews Molecular Cell Biology September (2004) This review discusses the complex interplay between genomic instability and apoptosis, which is likely to be involved in oncogenesis.

●TGFβ in health and disease. Akhurst, R. J. Nature Genetics August (2004) This News and Views article discusses the finding that inactivating mutations in the tumour suppressor transforming growth factor-β type 2 receptor (TGFβR2) occur in about 10% of people with Marfan syndrome, but, surprisingly, these individuals do not have increased rates of cancer.

●Zooming in and out with quantum dots. Jain, R. K. & Stroh, M. Nature Biotechnology August (2004) In this News and Views article Jain and Stroh discuss the use of nanoscale quantum dots with whole-body imaging to study biodistribution and tumour targeting in mice.