Current Medicinal Chemistry - Volume 14, Issue 9, 2007

We succeeded in purifying a major glycolipids fraction (i.e., Fraction-II) in the class of monogalactosyl diacylglycerol (MGDG), digalactosyl diacylglycerol (DGDG) and sulfoquinovosyl diacylglycerol (SQDG) from spinach using hydrophobic column chromatography. Fraction-II inhibited the activities of replicative DNA polymerases (pols) such as α, δ and η, and mitochondrial pol g with IC50 values of 43 - 79 μg/ml, but had no Read More

Many tumor-associated mutations result in the abnormal regulation of protein kinases involved in the progression throughout the cell division cycle. The cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) family has received special attention due to their function as sensors of the mitogenic signals and their central role in cell proliferation. These kinases are frequently upregulated in human cancer most frequently due to overexpression of their cycli Read More

The theoretical use of mass spectrometric profiling of low-molecular-weight volatile compounds, as one possible method to non-invasively and rapidly diagnose a variety of diseases, such as cancer, infection, and metabolic disorders has greatly raised the profile of this technique over the last ten years. Despite a number of promising results, this technique has not been introduced into common clinical practice yet. The use Read More

The photodynamic process induces cell damage and death by the combined effect of a photosensitizer (PS), visible light, and molecular oxygen, which generate singlet oxygen (1O2) and other reactive oxygen species that are responsible for cytotoxicity. The most important application of this process with increasing biomedical interest is the photodynamic therapy (PDT) of cancer. In addition to hematoporphyrin-based drugs, 2 Read More

Leukoaraiosis (LA), one of the most frequent causes of cognitive disturbances, is presumed to involve vascular demyelinization and cerebral small-vessel diseases. Although it has been suggested that the development of LA is associated with cerebral circulatory disturbances, the pathomechanism of this circulatory problem is not completely understood. Extensive debate is continuing as regards the detailed featur Read More

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease is characterized by an abnormal inflammatory response of the lungs to noxious particles and gases, caused primarily by cigarette smoking. Although COPD affects the lung, it also produces significant systemic consequences. Inflammation, proteases-antiproteases imbalance, oxidative stress, tissue damage and tissue repair, apoptosis and several genes seem to be involved in the path Read More

Severe and difficult-to-treat asthma patients have impaired health status and account for over half of the cost of the disease and probably all of its mortality. Guideline-based treatment for these refractory asthma patients includes high doses of inhaled steroids and long acting beta2-agonists (LABA) as well as additional medication such as theophylline, oral steroids and leukotriene-antagonists. However, management regimen Read More