Current Drug Therapy - Volume 5, Issue 4, 2010

Chronic Pain syndromes and Major Depressive Disorder account for two of the most costly and prevalent illnesses worldwide and are frequently comorbid and treatment resistant. In this review, we examine the current role of ketamine, a potent NMDA (N-methl-D-aspartic acid) receptor blocker, in treating chronic pain and major depression. The role of the NMDA receptor and glutamatergic system are increasingly being Read More

The ability to deliver therapeutic agents to a patient in a pulsatile or staggered release profile has been a major goal in drug delivery research. Smart polymeric materials display a dramatic physiochemical changes in their properties to small changes in their environment (stimuli) e.g. temperature, light, pH. This behaviour can be utilised for the preparation of ‘smart’ or ‘intelligent’ drug delivery systems, which mimic bi Read More

Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is a progressive disease that is commonly associated with bothersome lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) such as incomplete emptying, frequency, intermittency, urgency, weak stream, straining and nocturia. Surgical therapy, mainly transurethral resection of the prostate, used to be the major method of BPH therapy, but it is now being applied in more limited case, and medical the Read More

Poor adherence and persistence can have a major negative impact on the long-term clinical effectiveness of recombinant human growth hormone (r-hGH) treatment. However, real-time monitoring of adherence and persistence can be difficult. The easypod™ injection device is an electronic auto-injector for r-hGH (Saizen®, Merck Serono S.A. - Geneva, Switzerland) that includes an automatic memory feature for monitoring i Read More

A monolayer of endothelial cells (ECs) lines the lumen of blood vessels and forms a multifunctional transducing organ that regulates cardiovascular homeostasis. Disruption of endothelial integrity, as a result of either angioplasty or stent deployment, may produce a late in-stent restenosis and limit the beneficial outcome of reconstructive vascular surgery. Restoration of endothelial lining requires spreading, migration and prolif Read More

Coronary artery disease remains a major cause of death globally despite the introduction of novel therapeutics. Experimental evidences in the past decade have proved beyond doubt that innate and adaptive immune responses play an important and complex role in atherosclerosis, contributing to both atheroprotective and proatherogenic effects. The reduction of atherosclerotic lesions in animal models upon immunization with Read More

Neuroendocrine tumors are usually characterized by the overexpression of somatostatin receptors, the presence of secretory granules and the ability to secrete amines or hormones. Somatostatin receptor expression profiles vary by tumor type and may even vary over the course of the disease. Furthermore, multiple somatostatin receptor subtypes are also expressed in a number of non-neuroendocrine tumors. Pasireoti Read More