Current Medicinal Chemistry - Volume 16, Issue 34, 2009

Cysteine (cysteinyl residue) modifications in proteins result in diversity in protein functions. The reaction specificity of a protein with a modified cysteine residue is determined by the overall conditions of the protein, including the spatial position of the cysteine residue, electrostatic interactions between cysteine residue and other charged residues, spatial interactions between the cysteine residue and a chemical co Read More

Objective: Biomacromolecule like exogenous Kallikrein is difficult to pass through biomembrane and blood brain barrier. So, the use of exogenous Kallikrein for the therapy of nervous system diseases is restricted. We constructed the Protein Transduction Domain-Kallikrein (PTD-Kallikrein), checked its function of penetration and biotoxicity, and observed its influence on neurons and ischemic brain tissues. Methods: PTD-Kalli Read More

The protective role of dietary n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) against cardiovascular diseases has been partly related to their ability to modulate the risk condition known as “endothelial dysfunction”, by reverting the endothelial alterations associated to it (reduced vascular reactivity, the proinflammatory state, and the prothrombotic properties). Moreover, vasculature represents the target for inhibition of pathologic n Read More

Methods that allow visualisation of proteins in living systems, in real time have been key to our understanding of the molecular underpinnings of life. Although the use of genetically encoded fusions to fluorescent proteins have greatly advanced such studies, the large size of these tags and their ability to perturb protein activity have been major limitations. Attempts to circumvent these issues have seen the genesis of complemen Read More

Platinum-based anticancer chemotherapy is associated to severe side effects because of its poor specificity. In particular, the hydrolysis of Pt-based drugs generates cationic complexes with electrophylic properties able to target DNA. The effectiveness of this kind of chemotherapy relies solely on the proliferation index of tumour cells, which is higher than in healthy cells. In recent years, the “drug targeting and delivery” approach Read More

Inflammation is a local or systemic tissue reaction caused by external or internal stimuli with the objective to remove the noxa, inhibit its further dissemination and eventually repair damaged tissue. Blood vessels and perivascular connective tissue are important regulators of the inflammatory process. After a short initial ischemic phase, inflamed tissue is characterized by hyperaemia and increased permeability of capillaries. T Read More

In stroke research, a significant focus is to develop therapeutic strategies that prevent neuronal death and improve recovery. Yet, few successful therapeutic strategies have emerged. Hypoxia-inducible factor 1 (HIF-1) is a key regulator in hypoxia. It has been suggested to be an important player in neurological outcomes following ischemic stroke due to the functions of its downstream genes. These include genes that prom Read More

A key risk factor in the development of atherosclerosis is a high concentration of serum low density lipoprotein (LDL)-cholesterol. The main purpose of this study was to assess the LDL and high density lipoprotein (HDL) content in human serum by employing near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy and multivariate calibration techniques. Initially a qualitative principal component analysis (PCA) based cluster model was generated to evalu Read More

Worldwide, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) causes severe bronchiolitis and pneumonia in children, the elderly and immuno-compromised individuals. Moreover, RSV is the mayor cause of infant hospitalization due to lower respiratory infection, regardless socioeconomic status. Accumulating data support the notion that immune responses elicited against naturally acquired RSV infections are non-lasting and inap Read More