Current Drug Targets - Volume 17, Issue 8, 2016

Mulitdrug resistance (MDR) is one of critical factorslimiting the efficacy of cancer chemoor radiotherapy. Emerging evidence has indicated that MDR is a complex process regulated by multiple factors, among which stress response molecules are considered as central players. AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) is a major regulator balancing energy supply and ultimately protects cells from harmful stresses via coordinating Read More

AMPK is a serine/threonine protein kinase that has the function of maintaining the balance between ATP production and consumption in most eukaryotic cells. It plays a relevant role in regulating cellular metabolism, preserving cellular energy homeostasis, and is involved in many other cellular processes as well as metabolic ones, including cell cycle regulation and endothelial and vascular relaxation. Recently, the effects Read More

Maintaining proper energy levels in brain neurons is crucial for many cerebral functions such as synaptic transmission, vesicle recycling and axonal transport. AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) is the main energy sensor of all living cells. Beside its role as a crucial whole-body energy sensor in hypothalamic neurons, AMPK is also expressed in neurons throughout the brain where it might play additional fundamental roles. For ins Read More

Pathological pain is an enormous medical problem that places a significant burden on patients and can result from an injury that has long since healed or be due to an unidentifiable cause. Although treatments exist, they often either lack efficacy or have intolerable side effects. More importantly, they do not reverse the changes in the nervous system mediating pathological pain, and thus symptoms often return when Read More

The AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) has emerged as an important sensor of signals that control cellular energy balance in all eukaryotes. AMPK is also involved in fatty acid oxidation, glucose transport, antioxidant defense, mitochondrial biogenesis and the modulation of inflammatory processes. The numerous roles of AMPK in cell physiological and pathological states justified the notable increase in the number of publi Read More

Aging involves the progressive deterioration of physiological functions, diminishing the individual’s capacity for survival. Indeed, aging is the main risk factor for cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular disorders and neurodegenerative diseases. The discovery that the rate of aging is controlled by conserved genetic and biochemical pathways represented an unprecedented advance in aging research. The AMPK protein is a metabol Read More

Intracellular pathogens are known to manipulate host cell regulatory pathways to establish an optimal environment for their growth and survival. Pathogens employ active mechanisms to hijack host cell metabolism and acquire existing nutrient and energy store. The role of the cellular energy sensor AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) in the regulation of cellular energy homeostasis is well documented. Here, we highlight rec Read More

Trauma-induced coagulopathy (TIC) is a recently described condition which traditionally has been diagnosed by the common coagulation tests (CCTs) such as prothrombin time/international normalized ratio (PT/INR), activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT), platelet count, and fibrinogen levels. The varying sensitivity and specificity of these CCTs have led trauma coagulation researchers and clinicians to use Viscoelastic Tes Read More