Current Molecular Medicine - Volume 10, Issue 8, 2010

MicroRNAS (miRNAs) are a class of endogenously single-stranded non-coding RNA molecules that can negatively modulate the expression of target messenger RNAs by 3´ UTR base pairing. During the processing of a miRNA, a network of orchestrated molecular events provides a dynamic manner to posttranscriptionally modulate gene expression. Recent research has demonstrated that although these molecules are small, Read More

Prostate cancer is a long latency type of tumor that usually develops in men older than 50 years of age. Prostate epithelial neoplasia (PIN), the initial malignant lesion, progresses to invasive carcinoma over the course of years. Because of the particular features of prostate carcinogenesis, this type of tumor may represent a paradigm for cancer prevention. Several clinical trials have evaluated the effect of different compou Read More

Monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) constitute the most rapidly growing class of human therapeutics and the second largest class of drugs after vaccines. The treatment of B-cell malignancies and HER2/Neu+ breast cancer has benefited considerably from the use of therapeutic mAbs, either alone or in combination with standard chemotherapy. Frequent relapses, however, demonstrate that the bioactivity of these mAbs is still Read More

HIV-1 can establish both long lived and productive infection of macrophages (Mφ) but circulating monocytes are less permissive to infection. Multiple studies have identified extensive changes to monocyte and Mφ phenotype, differentiation or function. These include alterations in Toll-like receptor signaling and resultant changes to cytokine responses, specific defects in phagocytosis and microbial killing and modulation of Read More

The metabolic syndrome is characterized by a state of metabolic dysfunction resulting in the development of several chronic diseases that are potentially deadly. These metabolic deregulations are complex and intertwined and it has been observed that many of the mechanisms and pathways responsible for diseases characterizing the metabolic syndrome such as type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease are linked Read More

Induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cell research has been growing a new height throughout the world due to its potentialities in medical applications. We can explore several therapeutic applications through the iPS cell research. In this review, we have first discussed the development of iPS cells, reprogramming factors, and effectiveness of iPS cells. Then we have emphasized the potential applications of iPS cells in pharmaceutica Read More

The molecular mechanism of membrane fusion essential to vital cellular activities such as intracellular transport, hormone secretion, enzyme release, or neurotransmission, involve the assembly and disassembly of a specialized set of proteins in opposing bilayers. Recent evidences shed new light on the role Ca2+ has in the regulation of this mechanism in which the Golgi apparatus works as a central station; from here, C Read More