Current Drug Targets - Volume 12, Issue 4, 2011

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is characterized by airflow limitation and abnormal inflammatory response of the lungs to exogenous stimuli such as particles and gasses, primarily cigarette smoke [1]. COPD management is based mainly on smoking cessation, bronchodilator therapy and antinflammatory treatment such as steroids, prompt treatment of exacerbations and support of ventilation Read More

The lungs of smokers are exposed to the toxic substances of cigarette smoke, but only 10-20% of them will develop chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). For COPD to develop, cigarette smoke has to bypass or overwhelm the host front lines of defence, i.e. the respiratory tract mucosal epithelium, which serves as an effective physical barrier and the innate immune system, which provides an immediate, yet non Read More

Apoptosis of bronchial epithelial cells and the phagocytic clearance of these cells by alveolar macrophages (a process termed efferocytosis) are integral processes leading to repair of airway epithelial injury. Efferocytosis allows for the removal of apoptotic material with minimal inflammation and prevents the development of secondary necrosis and ongoing inflammation. Defective efferocytosis and the increased presence of Read More

The lung is the organ with the highest exposure to ambient air in the entire human architecture. Due to its large surface area and blood supply, the lung is susceptible to oxidative injury in the form of myriads of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and free radicals. In order to provide defense against the oxidative burden, the lungs produce various endogenous agents called antioxidants. The antioxidant species help the lungs ward off Read More

Respiratory muscle dysfunction is a cardinal feature of acute and chronic respiratory failure in COPD. Diaphragm and accessory inspiratory muscles face increased load due to increased lung resistance and elastance, as well as increased ventilatory demands. Concomitantly, the capacity of the inspiratory muscles to generate pressure is decreased due to mechanical disadvantage imposed by hyperinflation. Additionally, inflamm Read More

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is characterized by small airways, alveolar and systemic inflammation and remodeling causing airflow limitation and parenchymal destruction. Mechanisms of oxidative stress include exposure to cigarette smoke and environmental stimuli that activate proinflammatory responses, stimulate alveolar neutrophils and macrophages and lead to apoptosis of endothelial and epithelial Read More

The incidence of mild to moderate pulmonary hypertension (PH) is highly prevalent, reaching to 50% in advanced chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). However, a subpopulation (1-4% in most studies) with grim prognosis despite moderate airflow limitation, present with “out-of-proportion” severe PH, as arbitrarily defined by a mean PH≥40 mmHg, at rest. The sequence of changes that lead to PH in COPD begins Read More

Although noninvasive ventilation (NIV) use in severe acute exacerbation of COPD has substantially reduced the need for intubation, an important number of COPD patients still are mechanically ventilated through a tracheal tube in the ICU. Intubation is a major risk factor for lower respiratory tract colonization (LRTC) in ICU patients. Other risk factors for LRTC include colonization of the oral cavity, nasopharynx, and gastric cont Read More

A key characteristic of airway inflammation in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is the persistent presence of bacteria in the lower airways. The most commonly isolated bacteria in the lower respiratory tract of COPD patients are nontypeable Haemophilus influenzae, Moraxella catarrhalis and Streptococcus pneumoniae, with growing evidence of the significance of Pseudomonas aeruginosa infections in severe C Read More

Today, liposomes are one of the most effective carrier systems employed in biological, pharmaceutical, medical and nutritional research. In order to optimize a liposomal formulation for the encapsulation, delivery and release of the entrapped material, it is necessary to study material passage through the lipidic and aqueous phases of the lipid vesicle. Towards this end, this article aims to review the mechanisms of bioactive tran Read More

The Janus kinases (or Jak kinases) mediate cytokine and growth factor signal transduction. Acquired or inherited Jak mutations can result in dysregulation of Jak-mediated signal transduction and can be critical to disease acquisition in neoplasias including acute myeloid, acute lymphoblastic and acute megakaryoblastic leukemias, and in rare X-linked severe combined immunodeficiency. The discovery of an acq Read More

Neutrophil-dominated inflammation plays an important role in many airway diseases including asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), bronchiolitis and cystic fibrosis. In cases of asthma where neutrophil-dominated inflammation is a major contributing factor to the disease, treatment with corticosteroids can be problematic as corticosteroids have been shown to promote neutrophil survival which, in turn, acc Read More

Dasatinib (BMS-354825, Sprycel®) is an oral, multitargeted inhibitor of receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs), including BCR-ABL fusion protein, stem cell factor receptor (c-KIT), platelet-derived growth factor receptor (PDGFR), and Src family kinases (SFKs). Several early- and late-phase clinical trials for chronic myelogeneous leukaemia (CML) have demonstrated the direct inhibition of BCR-ABL fusion protein and SFKs, which led to da Read More

Recently, the skin has emerged as a potential alternative route for non-invasive delivery of vaccine. It has been recognized as a highly immune-reactive tissue containing an abundance of antigen presenting cells, especially within the epidermis. Transcutaneous immunization, introduction of antigen through topical application onto the intact skin, has many practical merits compared to injectable routes of administration. It co Read More