The May 2014 Vol. 139, Issue 1 of Toxicological Sciences is now available online. To have the email Table of Contents (eTOC) alerts delivered to you as well as Advance Access notification of the latest papers and research in Toxicological Sciences as soon as they are accepted and posted to the website, please register online.
The Editorial this month by Toxicological Sciences Editor–in–Chief Gary W. Miller is on Improving Reproducibiltiiy in Toxicology. Dr. Miller writes "As a leading outlet of research in the field of toxicology, Toxicological Sciences can and will take steps to improve the reproducibility of the research published in our journal." More he states that " The current discussion on reproducibility provides an opportunity for the journal to move closer towards the essence of science. If we ignore the concern over the lack of reproducibility in our own scientific sphere, both as a field and as a journal, we do so at our own peril. Toxicology just is not toxicology without reproducibility."
The paper selected for the Editor's Highlight in this issue is Catechol-O-Methyltransferase and 3,4-(±)-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine Toxicity by Joseph M. Herndon, Aram B. Cholanians, Lucina E. Lizarraga, Serrine S. Lau, and Terrence J. Monks. The Editor's Highlight notes "Ecstasy, Molly, Mandy, X.The street names for methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), as well as its euphoric properties, are well known to many young adults. Unfortunately, few are aware of the names and effects of the many MDMA metabolites that give rise to the drug's neurotoxic effects. The fact that a paper on MDMA is being featured in the pages of Toxicological Sciences should give the potential or current user cause for concern. In this issue, Herndon and coworkers examine the role of catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) in MDMA toxicity. Using enzyme inhibitors and knockout mice, the authors demonstrate that COMT plays an important role in preventing the formation of toxic MDMA metabolites. While all users face potential neuronal damage with the use of MDMA, individuals with low COMT activity would be predicted to be much more vulnerable."
The mission of Toxicological Sciences. the official journal of the Society of Toxicology, is to publish the most influential research in the field of toxicology.