Current Medicinal Chemistry - Volume 22, Issue 11, 2015

Imidazoles and benzimidazoles are privileged heterocyclic bioactive compounds used with success in the clinical practice of innumerous diseases. Although there are many advancements in cancer therapy, microtubules remain as one of the few macromolecular targets validated for planning active anti-cancer compounds, and the design of drugs that modulate microtubule dynamics in unknown sites of tubulin is one of the go Read More

Cancer patients need better anticancer drugs, and medicinal chemistry can play a critical role in the discovery of these drugs. For an efficient drug discovery process, chemists working on the synthesis of potential anticancer agents need to use reliable screening methods. These methods should not only detect the compounds with the highest therapeutic potential, but should also predict whether such potential is high enough to d Read More

Recent advances in cancer molecular biology have resulted in parallel and unprecedented progress in the development of targeted cancer therapy. Targeted therapy can provide higher efficacy and lower toxicity than conventional chemotherapy for cancer. However, like traditional chemotherapy, molecularly targeted cancer therapy also faces the challenge of drug resistance. Multiple mechanisms are responsible f Read More

Tumor vasculature is an important target in cancer treatment. Two distinct vasculartargeting therapeutic strategies are applied to attack cancer cells indirectly. The antiangiogenic approach intervenes in the neovascularization processes and blocks the formation of new blood vessels, while th e antivascular approach targets the established tumor blood vessels, making vascular shutdown and resulting in rapid haemorrhagic ne Read More

The annual flu season causes thousands of deaths and millions of hospitalizations, which pose a great burden to global health and economy. Moreover, a flu pandemic arising from reassortment viruses, such as H5N1 and H1N1, raises even greater concern due to the lack of effective vaccines at the initial stage of flu outbreak. The influenza virus is the causative agent of flu infection. Currently there are four drugs in u Read More

Chorismate-utilizing enzymes (CUE) such as chorismate mutase, anthranilate synthase, chorismate pyruvate-lyase, 4-amino-4-deoxychorismate synthase, isochorismate synthase and salicylate synthase are responsible for converting chorismate into various products necessary for the survival of bacteria. The absence of these enzymes in humans and their importance in the virulence and survival of bacteria make them suitable Read More

Mexiletine belongs to class IB antiarrhythmic drugs and it is still considered a drug of choice for treating myotonias. However some patients do not respond to mexiletine or have significant side effects limiting its use; thus, alternatives to this drug should be envisaged. Mexiletine is extensive metabolized in humans via phase I and phase II reactions. Only a small fraction (about 10%) of the dose of mexiletine administered is re Read More

Oleanolic acid and related triterpenoids from olives modulate different signaling pathways, showing a wide range of pharmacological activities against inflammation, cancer or cardiovascular diseases. In particular, emerging evidences reveal the potential of oleanolic acid to restore vascular disorders associated to cardiovascular risk factors, i.e. hypertension, obesity and diabetes, and atherosclerosis. During the previous year Read More