Current Molecular Medicine - Volume 1, Issue 6, 2001

Progressive accumulation of cholesterol in the arterial wall causes atherosclerosis, the pathologic process underlying most heart attacks and strokes. Low density lipoprotein (LDL), the major carrier of blood cholesterol, has been implicated in the buildup of cholesterol in atherosclerotic plaques. Endothelial cells that line arteries function to transport LDL into the vessel wall. Models for the mechanism of cholesterol accu Read More

Endometriosis, defined histologically as the presence of endometrium-like glands and stroma outside the uterus, is a chronic, invasive and metastasising disease. It shares features with malignant tumours (invasion and metastasis) but is not neoplastic. Despite the fact that endometriosis is one of the most frequent gynaecological diseases, it is under researched, puzzling and highly debated. The aetiology an Read More

Proteasomes are multisubunit enzyme complexes that reside in the cytoplasm and nucleus of eukaryotic cells. By selective protein degradation, proteasomes regulate many cellular processes including MHC class I antigen processing. Three constitutively expressed catalytic subunits are responsible for proteasome mediated proteolysis. These subunits are exchanged for three homologous subunits, the immunosubunits, i Read More

Following terminal mitosis, neuronal precursor cells leave their site of origin and migrate towards their definitive site of residency. In order to establish the intricate cytoarchitecture described in the adult human brain, neuronal migration must be finely regulated. In humans, brain malformations can result from neuronal migration defects. The spectrum of migration disorder severity extends from few heterotopic n Read More

Immune responses usually take place in secondary lymphoid organs such as spleen and lymph nodes. Most lymphocytes within these organs are in transit, yet lymphoid organ structure is highly organized; T and B cells segregate into separate regions. B cell compartments include naïve cells within follicles, marginal zones and B-1 cells. Interactions between TNF family molecules on hematopoietic cells and their receptors on Read More

Chromogranins are acidic secretory glycoproteins with a widespread but specific distribution in neuroendocrine tissues. The chromogranin family is heterogenous, consisting of propeptides such as chromogranin-A, chromogranin-B and secretogranin II, which can either elicit an effect themselves, or serve as precursors to a large number of peptides, which are biologically more active. Chromogranin processing varies i Read More

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a common neurodegenerative disease that affects cognitive function in the elderly. Large extracellular beta-amyloid (Aβ) plaques and tau-containing intraneuronal neurofibrillary tangles characterize AD from a histopathologic perspective. However, the severity of dementia in AD is more closely related to the degree of the associated neuronal and synaptic loss. It is not known how neurons die and s Read More

Phospholipases A2 (PLA2s) represent a growing family of enzymes that catalyze the hydrolysis of phospholipids at the sn-2 position leading to the generation of free fatty acids and lysophospholipids. Mammalian PLA2s are divided into two major classes according to their molecular mass and location: intracellular PLA2 and secreted PLA2 (sPLA2). Type-IIA sPLA2 (sPLA2-IIA), the best studied enzyme of sPLA2, plays a role in the Read More