Current Medicinal Chemistry - Volume 29, Issue 23, 2022

Background: The current coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, since first reported in Wuhan, has inspired worldwide efforts to develop effective COVID-19 vaccination strategies. mRNA vaccines encoding COVID-19 antigens have emerged prominantlyin this global race due to their high effectiveness and simple manufacturing process. Notably, two COVID-19 mRNA vaccines, mRNA-1273 and BNT162b2, have survive Read More

Carbon dots (CDs), an emerging nanoagent providing an alternative to conventional fluorescent agents, are sparking the scientist’s interest in biomedical applications owing to their unique advantages, including ease of synthesis, large scale production, low cost, prominent photoluminescence, good photostability, easy functionalization, sufficient biocompatibility, good nanocarrier, and excellent ability to gen Read More

During the last decade, the understanding of the biological functions of cholesterol biosynthesis intermediates has changed significantly. Particularly, the enzyme sterol dehydrocholesterol reductase 24 (DHCR24) has taken center stage as a potential drug target. Inhibition of DHCR24 leads to accumulation of the endogenous, biologically active metabolite cholesta-5,24-dien-3β-ol (desmosterol). Desmosterol is an endo Read More

Obesity leads to several metabolic disorders and, unfortunately, current pharmacological treatments for obesity are not very effective. In feeding mechanisms, the hypothalamus and some neuropeptides play an important role. Many data show that neuropeptide Y (NPY) is involved in these mechanisms. The aim of this review is to update the physiological actions mediated by the orexigenic peptide NPY, via its receptors, in t Read More

The gut microbiome interacts with host physiology through various mechanisms, including the cardiovascular (CV) system. A healthy microbiome has the ability to process and digest complex carbohydrates into short-chain fatty acids (SCFA). These SCFA function as signaling molecules, immune-modulating molecules, and energy sources. However, when the microbiome is altered, it produces gut dysbiosis with overgrowt Read More

Cancer, a challenging medical problem, affects millions of people around the world. Cancer cell resistance is one of the main drawbacks in the complete prosperity of even more sophisticated therapies. Pore-forming peptides (PFPs), a group of natural defense system proteins are used by nearly all living organisms as anti-bacterial and anti-- fungal agents, and could also be regarded as novel tumoricidal peptides. PFPs app Read More

Background: The survival of premature newborns increased in the last decades due to advances in neonatal care. The physiology of this group is still under investigation, once the incomplete organogenesis entails functional particularities that are not yet clarified by current clinical knowledge. The immature kidneys are especially susceptible to acute injury with potential long-term impacts. Current diagnostic parameters of acut Read More

In recent years, cyclobutyl has become more influential in the field of drug design. Its unique four-membered ring structure is not only a useful intermediate for the synthesis of biomedical candidate materials but also an indispensable framework for drug design and application. According to the therapeutic field, cyclobutyl drugs are roughly divided into tumor and cancer drugs, nervous system drugs, analgesics, antiviral drug Read More