Fiddling with fat

Sometimes thinking outside the box can lead to good target selection, the first step towards novel classes of drugs. Research published in Science last week by Bristol-Myers Squibb scientists illustrated how turning a problem on its head can lead to new ideas.

Syndromes where patients have too much fat in the blood have long been the focus for drug developers seeking cholesterol-lowering treatments. But instead of looking at hyperlipidemic states, the company sought instances where the body has too little fat flowing in blood...