Current Medicinal Chemistry - Volume 14, Issue 29, 2007

1α,25-Dihydroxyvitamin D3 [1,25-(OH)2D3], the most active metabolite of vitamin D, exerts its biological effects by binding to a specific intracellular receptor (the vitamin D receptor, VDR) present in target cells. 1,25-(OH)2D3 is involved in a host of cell processes, including calcium homeostasis, cell growth and differentiation, and secretion of hormones. Several studies have explored the role of 1,25-(OH)2D3 in cell growth and dif Read More

Increasing evidence supports the hypothesis that nutrition habits play a critical role in the incidence and growth of colorectal cancer. Among dietary factors, fish-derived n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) have gained particular interest, since epidemiological studies have shown a reduced incidence of this cancer in populations consuming high levels of fish. Also a variety of experimental studies and different clinical trials su Read More

The central problem in cancer chemotherapy is the severe toxic side effects of anticancer drugs on healthy tissues. The use of liposomes as drug delivery vehicles for antitumour therapeutics has great potential to revolutionise the future of cancer therapy. As tumour architecture causes liposomes to preferentially accumulate at the tumour site, their use as drug carriers results in the localization of a greater amount of th Read More

This paper consists in information about structure, synthesis and biological activity of peptide-acridine/acridone conjugates which are potential anticancer, antiviral and antiprion drugs.

Angiotensin II (AngII) is the major regulator of blood pressure, electrolyte balance, and some endocrine functions related to cardiovascular diseases. Moreover, it has been shown that AngII plays a role in various pathological situations involving tissue remodelling and in cancer. Two distinct subtypes of AngII receptors [type 1 (AT1) and type 2 (AT2)] have been identified, and both belong to the G protein-coupled recep Read More

Hsp90 is an evolutionarily conserved and ubiquitously expressed molecular chaperone that mainly modulates, along with a group of co-chaperones, the general platform of protein folding and prevents the nonspecific aggregation of misfolded or unfolded proteins. In the voluminous Hsp90 clientele, a large variety of important regulatory proteins can be identified, including many whose deregulation may lead to cancer initia Read More

Acquisition of a complex immune system during evolution provided organisms with the most effective defense mechanism against “foreign&rdquo or “non-self&rdquo invaders. This efficient protection against pathogens, however, has been achieved at the expense of a higher risk for “self&rdquo-directed reaction or autoimmunity. Establishment of self-tolerance and homeostasis in the immune system is regulated at di Read More

Influenza virosomes have proven to be effective vehicles for the delivery of antigens in the vaccination of humans against a number of pathogens. However, their potential as a means for gene delivery has yet to be realized. Chemical modification of viruses is emerging as a new strategy for production of safe and efficient gene delivery systems. Influenza virosomes exhibit many of the features of the virus, such as for cell bin Read More