Current Medicinal Chemistry - Volume 23, Issue 20, 2016

The G-protein-coupled receptor 55 (GPR55) was identified in 1999. It was proposed as a novel member of the endocannabinoid system due to the fact that some endogenous, plant-derived and synthetic cannabinoid ligands act on GPR55. However, the complexity of the cellular downstream signaling pathways related to GPR55 activation delayed the discovery of selective GPR55 ligands. It was only a few years ago that the hi Read More

The last five years have seen a renaissance of semiempirical quantum mechanical (SQM) methods in the field of virtual drug design, largely due to the increased accuracy of so-called enhanced SQM approaches. These methods make use of additional terms for treating dispersion (D) and hydrogen bond (H) interactions with an accuracy comparable to dispersion-corrected density functional theory (DFT-D). DFT-D in turn wa Read More

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) offer unique insights into ongoing biochemical processes in healthy and diseased humans. Yet, their diagnostic use is hampered by the limited understanding of their biochemical or cellular origin and their frequently unclear link to the underlying diseases. Major advancements are expected from the analyses of human primary cells, cell lines and cultures of microorganisms. In this review, a Read More

Non-cholesterol sterols have been used as markers of cholesterol intestinal absorption and hepatic synthesis, leading to a better understanding of cholesterol homeostasis in humans. This review discusses the main noncholesterol sterols that are clinically useful, different methods to quantify the factors associated with blood concentration, and the potential role of non-cholesterol sterols in the diagnosis and treatment of differ Read More

Mitochondria play a critical role in regulating cellular functions, such as redox signaling, calcium homeostasis, and apoptosis. Also, mitochondria are crucial for neurogenesis and neuronal functions. Melatonin is an indole analog hormone, which is generally produced by the pineal gland. It plays a vital role in circadian rhythm and act as a powerful antioxidant by scavenging free radicals, immunomodulators, and anticancer agents. Read More

Cancer is the most dangerous disease to haunt the mankind in the world today. Generally, the overall cancer mortality rates are similar in both the sexes. The reasons for most of these deaths are inefficacy and failure of the current methods of treatments or the unavailability of treatment options. The researchers of the world are actively integrating nanotechnology of treating of various cancers. The development of smart Read More