Current Medicinal Chemistry - Central Nervous System Agents - Volume 4, Issue 1, 2004

Nucleic acid based technology (antisense, ribozyme, DNA enzyme, RNAi) has made huge advances in the last few years and generated considerable expectations especially in the neurosciences. As a frontier method, these new technologies may be used to combat diseases, as well as to study gene functions by interfering in the genetic flow of information from DNA to RNA to protein. In the following article I will desc Read More

Aim of this review is to outline the relevance of the neuronal histaminergic system in cognition and to suggest potential therapeutic uses of histaminergic ligands for the treatment of cognitive disfunctions that accompany several neural disorders. Recent elegant data have shown that histaminergic neurones are one of the major excitatory sources of cortical activation, and maintain the brain awake allowing it to perfor Read More

Non-immunosuppressive immunophilin ligands (NI-IPLs) are attracting attention as new candidate drugs for neuroprotection and / or neurorestoration, particularly, since they do not have the adverse effects of immunosuppressants. However, it is not yet enough to understand that NI-IPLs are useful drugs for treating neurological disorders. In particular, the molecular mechanism of NI-IPL activity in target cells in the Read More

Adenosine is an endogenous modulator that regulates many Central Nervous System functions, and whose effects are mediated by four G-protein coupled receptors (A1 , A2A , A2B , A3 ). Adenosine A2A receptors have been recently regarded as promising targets for the development of neuroprotective strategies. In particular, since an abnormal glutamate outflow is thought to play a crucial role in triggering the cellular e Read More

At the present time, there are no drugs are approved in the U.S. for the treatment of stimulant abuse. Based on a diverse body of preclinical data, sometimes termed the “dopamine hypothesis” of drug addiction, one approach to the treatment and prevention of stimulant abuse is the development of high affinity inhibitors of the dopamine transporter. This approach awaits clinical validation. As part of our program on t Read More

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are considered to be the cause of oxidative stress, and consequently, ROS significantly contribute to aging and various diseases. Oxidative stress involves an imbalance (oxidants vs antioxidants) inclining toward oxidation, and is significant especially in the brain, because much oxygen is consumed and concentrations of antioxidants and related enzymes are relatively low. Therefore, it is con Read More