Cardiovascular & Hematological Agents in Medicinal Chemistry (Formerly Current Medicinal Chemistry - Cardiovascular & Hematological Agents) - Volume 7, Issue 2, 2009

The aim of cardiac cell therapy is to restore at least in part the functionality of the diseased or injured myocardium by the use of stem/progenitor cells. Recent clinical trials have shown the safety of cardiac cell therapy and encouraging efficacy results. A surprisingly wide range of non-myogenic cell types improves ventricular function, suggesting that benefits may result in part from mechanisms that are distinct from tr Read More

Hypoxia-ischemia constitutes a risk in infants by altering cerebral blood flow regulatory mechanisms and causing loss of cerebral vascular auto-regulation. Hypotension, cerebral ischemia, and reperfusion are the main events involved in vascular auto-regulation leading to cell death and tissue damage. Reperfusion could be critical since organ damage, particularly of the brain, may be amplified during this period. An exag Read More

Reperfusion therapy has significantly improved survival and prognosis of patients with acute myocardial infarction. However, the development of heart failure, particularly in patients after a large myocardial damage, remains a major challenge. Cell therapy may provide a novel therapeutic option to modify left ventricular remodeling processes and prevent postinfarction heart failure. Experimental studies have suggested th Read More

Atrial fibrillation is a frequent complication after CABG. It occurs in 20-50% of patients, most often between the 2nd and 3rd postoperative day. About 40 % of patients experience more than 1 episode. Postoperative AF (POAF) is associated with an increase in adverse events and hospital stay and, therefore, costs of care. The incidence of POAF is not influenced by the technique of CABG with or without cardiopulmonary by-pas Read More

Direct inhibition of blood coagulation factors such as thrombin, factor VIIa, and factor Xa has shown great promise for treating thrombosis disorders. Inhibitors of these serine proteases have been designed, synthesized, and evaluated. Small molecule thrombin inhibitors typically contain P1-P2-P3 components targeting the active binding site. Structure optimizations on the P1 position and the P3 position have been done e Read More

Diagnostic and interventional cardiac imaging modalities employing contrast media (CMs) have become increasingly widespread in the recent years, especially multi-slice coronary computed tomography (MSCCT) and percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Contrast medium induced nephropathy (CIN), defined as impairment of renal function within 48-72 hours after administering CM, is one of the most common caus Read More