Anti-Inflammatory & Anti-Allergy Agents in Medicinal Chemistry (Formerly Current Medicinal Chemistry - Anti-Inflammatory and Anti-Allergy Agents) - Volume 8, Issue 1, 2009

The inflammatory response is a complex cascade of non-specific events resulting in excessive generation of inflammatory mediators such as cytokines, C-reactive protein and nitric oxide by cells of the innate (macrophages, monocytes, neutrophils) and adaptive (T-lymphocytes) arms of the immune system. Interactions of cells in the innate immune system, adaptive immune system, and inflammatory mediators orchestr Read More

It is well estabilished that ultraviolet radiations from sunlight are carcinogenetic for skin cells. These radiations at different wavelength induce damage in the skin manly through two mechanisms : direct DNA alteration and alteration of the immune system. The skin immune system is composed by a complex network of cells and soluble mediators that help to maintain the homeostasis of the skin. UV induced immunos Read More

MCs are peptide hormones involved in the regulation of an increasing list of processes: pigmentation, cortisol production, food intake, energy and metabolism homeostasis, sexual behaviour, exocrine gland function and inflammation. One of the most important players of this system is αMSH, a neuroimmunomodulatory tri-decapeptide derived from POMC; while it has been demonstrated in melanocytes, monocytes, B-cells, NK, Read More

High-performance liquid chromatographic methods for the analysis of cyclooxygenase 2 inhibitors (COX-2) in biological fluids are reviewed. In particular, sample preparation and handling procedures, chromatographic conditions and detection methods are discussed. A summary of published high-performance liquid chromatographic assays for individual nabumetone, celecoxib, rofecoxib, nimesulide, etoricoxib, etod Read More

Corticosteroids induce apoptosis in both normal and neoplastic lymphocytes. For this reason they are commonly used to treat autoimmune disorders and lymphoid malignancies also. The exact mechanism of corticosteroid-induced apoptosis is not fully understood despite the fact that much has been found in respect to several supposed involved mechanisms. This process is arbitrarily divided in several phases. Firstly, g Read More

Psoriasis has been for a long time a distressing skin disease difficult to treat. Several topical and systemic drugs have been used successfully in the treatment but the most active drugs are also the most difficult to manage in a long term treatment. Discovering the pathogenesis of this skin disorder has suggested that anti tumor necrosis factors agents could be an alternative treatment. Up to now several manuscripts show Read More

Chronic inflammation represents a key pathogenetic event of many diseases, such as psoriasis, inflammatory bowel diseases, rheumatoid arthritis, asthma, multiple sclerosis, atherosclerosis, cystic fibrosis, and sepsis. Conventional therapies for many of these disorders do not lead to the resolution of the inflammatory disorder, and frequently are associated with limited effectiveness and severe side effects. For these reas Read More

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a frequent neurological disorder of the basal ganglia, which is characterized by the progressive loss of dopaminergic neurons mainly in the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNpc). Recently, increasing evidence from human and animal studies has suggested that neuroinflammation is a cause or rather a consequence of neurodegeneration. Activated microglia, as well as to a lesser extent reactive Read More

Alzheimer disease (AD) is a frustrating health disorder agitating millions in this era of modern science and technology. AD is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder that damages the memory and cognitive systems of the body, therefore wrecking normal daily activities as well as the communicative skills of the afflicted person. To this regard special attention is required by our researchers to develop better treatment a Read More

Rhinosinusitis constitutes one of the most common respiratory tract diseases affecting up to 15% of the adult population in the Western world. Sinusitis is almost always accompained by inflammation of the contiguous nasal mucosa, thus the correct terminology is now rhinosinusitis. It can be classified into acute and chronic form by duration, or into acute bacterial rhinosinusitis or viral rhinosinusitis, by symptoms. This pape Read More