Current Molecular Medicine - Volume 10, Issue 1, 2010

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in the western world. The major contributor of all cardiovascular deaths is myocardial infarction, which often progresses into end-stage heart failure. The loss of cardiomyocytes is a key problem in the development of cardiovascular disease. Two main processes mediate cardiomyocyte loss: necrosis and apoptosis. In contrast to necrosis, apoptosis is a well regulated p Read More

Anabolic therapy for osteoporosis has become the most desirable therapeutic option for menopausal osteoporosis. The anabolic agents currently in clinical use are reviewed. Teriparatide (recombinant human 1- 34 parathyroid hormone) is used to treat women with menopausal osteoporosis and men at high risk for fractures. Despite PTH's clinical use, the mechanism underlying its anabolic action requires greater elucidation. Prot Read More

The Plasmodium falciparum mitochondrion is an organelle that presents structural and physiological characteristics different from mitochondria in other eukaryotes. Moreover, there are substantial differences in the properties of asexual and sexual mitochondria. One of the reasons is the adaptation of the parasite to different environments, in particular the great differences in oxygen tension between the host and the mos Read More

In developing countries, oral immunization is more readily accepted than parenteral, as it accompanies the ease and safety of administration and induces the desired mucosal immune response against highly infectious pathogen transmitted through mucosal routes. Despite the obvious need and apparent merits, the success in the field of oral vaccination is limited due to factors including harsh gastric environment, enzymatic Read More

Osteopontin (OPN) is a matricellular protein that is produced by multiple tissues in our body and is most abundant in bone. It is also produced by cancer cells and plays a determinative role in the growth, progression and metastasis of cancer. Clinically, OPN has been reported to be upregulated in tumor cells per se; this is also reflected by increased levels of OPN in the circulation. Thus, increased OPN levels in the pl Read More

Cystic Fibrosis (CF) is an autosomal recessive disorder caused by mutations in the gene encoding the CF transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) that regulates epithelial surface fluid secretion in respiratory and gastrointestinal tracts. The deletion of phenylalanine at position 508 (ΔF508) in CFTR is the most common mutation that results in a temperature sensitive folding defect, retention of the protein in the endo Read More

From the morphogenetic movements of the three germ layers during development to the reactive stromal microenvironment in cancer, tissue interactions are vital to maintaining healthy organ morphologic architecture and function. The stromal compartment is thought to be complicit in tumor progression and, as such, represents an opportune target for disease therapies. However, recent developments in our understan Read More