Current Medicinal Chemistry - Volume 15, Issue 28, 2008

The underlying gene interactions that collectively govern the regulation of cellular events can be studied by simultaneous measurement of the levels of mRNA from multiple involved genes. Ideally a single cell should be studied, for comparison with other cells, like and unlike. However, conventional gene expression profiling techniques require several thousands or even millions of cells in order to obtain a sufficient amou Read More

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are widespread environmental pollutants well known as mutagenic/carcinogenic agents. This review will discuss recent theoretical studies regarding the stability and reactivity of ultimate carcinogenic metabolites from PAHs, focusing on their diol epoxide and amine derivatives. Geometrical and electronic features will be analyzed in order to obtain structure-activity relationships. C Read More

The neuronal nicotinic receptor has gained considerable recognition as a target, not just for combating drug addiction but also for treating a number of illnesses ranging from neurodegenerative diseases to psychotic disorders like schizophrenia. This recognition has led to a burgeoning field examining the receptor at all levels. A class of nicotinic receptors that contains the α7 gene product, apparently as a homomer, illu Read More

The protein glycogen phosphorylase has been linked to type 2 diabetes, indicating the importance of this target to human health. Hence, the search for potent and selective inhibitors of this enzyme, which may lead to antihyperglycaemic drugs, has received particular attention. Glycogen phosphorylase is a typical allosteric protein with five different ligand binding sites, thus offering multiple opportunities for modulation of Read More

Currently, the parathyroid hormone (PTH) is a drug approved for use in humans only in bone metabolism diseases, as the osteoporosis. The PTH acts primarily by binding to its principal receptor, PTH/PTHrP-R, a member of the class B G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) family that includes together receptors for other therapeutically important peptide hormones. PTH plays a central role in the maintenance of calcium and p Read More

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected patients are at a significantly higher risk from coronary heart diseases (CHD) and myocardial infarction (MI) compared to gender- and age-matched non-infected individuals. Combination antiretroviral therapy (cART) has transformed a fatal illness into a chronic stable condition. However, cART induces metabolic abnormalities in HIV-infected patients, while its role in vascular Read More

A superantigen or autoimmunity has been hypothesized to be the main cause of the Kawasaki's Disease but the etiology is unknown. Medical literature, epidemiological findings, and some case reports have suggested that mercury may play a pathogenic role. Several patients with Kawasaki's Disease have presented with elevated urine mercury levels compared to matched controls. Most symptoms and diagnostic c Read More

During pregnancy, the placenta ensures multiple functions, which are directly involved in the initiation, outcome of gestation and fetal growth. Human implantation involves a major invasion of the uterus wall and a complete remodeling of the uterine arteries by the extravillous cytotrophoblasts (EVCT) during the first trimester of pregnancy. Abnormality of these early steps of placental development leads to poor Read More