Current Drug Targets - Volume 4, Issue 7, 2003

Identification of new targets is of utmost importance for the development of efficient apoptosis-modulating drugs. This has become possible from the unraveling of the basic apoptosis mechanisms and notably, from the demonstration of the mitochondrial membrane permeabilization as a central rate-limiting step of numerous models of cell death. Indeed, molecular and pharmacological studies revealed that the adenine n Read More

Immune system plays an important role in control of tumor progression. Effective antitumor immune response depends on close interaction of several elements of immune system. They include antigen-presenting cells, different subsets of T cells, B cells and NK cells. However, tumor cells developed a number of mechanisms to escape recognition and elimination by immune system. In this review we will discuss these mech Read More

As soon as the natural polyamines (PAs), putrescine (Put), spermidine (Spd) and spermine (Spm), were recognized as ubiquitous constituents of eukaryotic cells, their involvement in growth-related processes attracted particular interest. The high activities of ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) and S-adenosylmethionine decarboxylase (AdoMetDC) in rapidly growing tissues and cells, particularly in tumour cells, suggested PA bios Read More

Owing to their role in growth-related processes the natural polyamines (PAs), putrescine (Put), spermidine (Spd) and spermine (Spm) were identified about 30 years ago as potential targets for the development of anticancer drugs. It was presumed that inhibition of a key enzyme of PA biosynthesis, followed by the depletion of the intracellular PA pools results in the prevention of cell growth. Initial efforts were nearly excl Read More

The melanocortins are a group of small protein hormones derived by post-translational cleavage of the proopiomelanocortin (POMC) gene product. The known melanocortin hormones include α-melanocyte stimulating hormone (MSH), β-MSH, γ-MSH and adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH). Five melanocortin receptors (MC1R through to MC5R) have been identified and most of these show tissue-specific expression patterns, a Read More