Current Medicinal Chemistry - Volume 24, Issue 40, 2017

Background: Cerebrovascular and cardiovascular diseases are caused by impairment of the brain and/or heart circulation. Insufficient blood flow results in decreased oxygen delivery (ischemia), which affects mitochondrial functioning and consequently leads to insufficient ATP production. The predominant mitochondrial outer membrane protein, the voltagedependent anion selective channel (VDAC), is considered to be crucial f Read More

Background: The voltage-dependent anion channel 1 (VDAC1), an outer mitochondria membrane protein, functions as a mitochondrial governor, controlling transport of metabolites in and out of the mitochondria and energy production, while also coordinating glycolysis and oxidative phosphorylation. VDAC1 plays a key role in mitochondria-mediated apoptosis by functioning in the release of apoptotic proteins located i Read More

Background: VDAC (Voltage-Dependent Anion selective Channel) is a small family of abundant pore-forming proteins located in the outer mitochondrial membrane. Their role range from the most intuitive, the formation of a hydrophilic conduit through the membrane thanks to its beta-barrel structure, to less understood functions that make them essential actors in the cross-talk between the bioenergetics metaboli Read More

Background: The Voltage Dependent Anion Channel (VDAC) proteins represent the most important pore-forming proteins of the mitochondrial outer membrane, directly involved in metabolism and apoptosis regulation. Literature has highlighted a key role of VDACs in mitochondrial dysfunction typical of many neurodegenerative disorders. In particular, the principal isoform VDAC1 represents the main mitochondrial Read More

Background: Anti-apoptotic members of the Bcl-2 family of proteins are upregulated in a majority of cancers and are potential therapeutic targets. Fragment-based design led to the development of clinical candidates that target Bcl-xL/Bcl-2. Although these BclxL/ Bcl-2 inhibitors showed promise in pre-clinical studies, resistance to several Bcl-xL inhibitors was observed, when used alone. This is attributed to the over-expression of Read More

Background: In addition to the considerable number of different chlorophyll structures originated naturally, prominent research is made to produce new specific semisynthetic structures. The final target is to obtain chlorophyll derivatives with even better bioactive properties than those of the natural parent compounds. Method: A detailed, extensive and critic literature search has been made in Web of Science™. Results: Great Read More