Quantitative systems toxicology (QST) models have the potential to increase confidence in the safety assessment of drug candidates and to inform project progression decisions. This article overviews the fundamentals of constructing and using QST models, presents the state-of-the-art for models of cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, hepatic and renal toxicities, and it provides recommendations for their application in drug discovery and development.

In vivo chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cell engineering uses targeted delivery systems to generate CAR-T cells directly in patients, bypassing ex vivo manufacturing. This Review examines emerging viral and lipid nanoparticle platforms, early clinical proof of concept and potential applications beyond cancer.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a progressive and severe respiratory disease featuring airway obstruction and recurrent exacerbations, driven by a complex network of inflammatory processes. In their Review, Agusti and co-authors appraise drugs in development for COPD including recently approved antibodies targeting IL-4 and IL-5 signalling. They discuss opportunities to improve the success of future interventions, including considerations to optimize clinical trial design.

RNA can be chemically modified by enzymes such as methyltransferases to regulate RNA metabolism, gene expression and other biological processes. This Review mainly focuses on the disease-relevant N⁶-methyladenosine RNA modification pathway and discusses efforts to therapeutically target N⁶-methyladenosine writer, eraser and reader proteins.