Current Pharmaceutical Biotechnology - Volume 3, Issue 2, 2002

β-lactams and glycopeptides antibiotics directed against enzymes involved in bacterial cell wall synthesis have generated bacterial resistance. Search for new antibiotic molecules is widely focused on bifunctional Penicillin-Binding Proteins (PBPs), with particular emphasis on their glycosyltransferase activity. This function catalyzes glycan chain polymerization of the cell wall peptidoglycan. This review summarizes r Read More

Intrinsic and acquired multidrug resistance in Gram-negative bacteria owes much to the synergy between limited outer membrane permeability and energy-dependent multidrug efflux. The importance of the outer membrane vis-a-vis resistance is aptly demonstrated by the impact of mutational changes in outer membrane constituents on drug susceptibility. Changes in lipopolysaccharide (LPS) that correlate with incre Read More

Proteins and peptides that form membrane-spanning pores and channels comprise a diverse class of molecules ranging from short peptides that are unregulated and create nonselective pathways to large ion channel proteins that are highly regulated and exhibit exquisite selectivity for particular ions. The diversity of regulation and selectivity, together with recent advances in protein “re-engineering” technology, provide Read More

Carbapenem-hydrolyzing ß-lactamases of several Ambler molecular classes have been reported as the source of acquired ß-lactam antibiotic resistance in Gram negative bacteria. The metallo-enzymes of Ambler class B are the most prevalent enzymes in this case. These clavulanic-acid resistant enzymes have a large spectrum of hydrolysis including penicillins, cephalosporins (third and fourth generations), carbapenems Read More

Repair of tooth-supporting structures destroyed by the chronic inflammatory disease periodontitis is a major goal of oral therapy. The field of tissue engineering combines materials science and biology to repair tissues and organs. Periodontal tissue engineering has been achieved with limited success by the utilization of guiding tissue (cell occlusive) membranes and bone grafting techniques. Over the past decade investigators Read More

The human genome sequence has given us the view of the internal genetic scaffold around which human life is molded. We have inherited this heritage from our ancestors and through it we are connected to all life on earth. The sequencing of the human genome, amongst others, has led to the newer areas of healthcare and medicine. The human population is heterogeneous and consists of populations of immense ethnic div Read More

Cancer is a multigenic disorder involving mutations of both tumor suppressor genes and oncogenes. A large body of preclinical data, however, has suggested that cancer growth can be arrested or reversed by treatment with gene transfer vectors that carry a single growth inhibitory or pro-apoptotic gene or a gene that can recruit immune responses against the tumor. Many of these gene transfer vectors are modified virus Read More

Microdialysis has been used extensively in animal studies for decades and in human pharmacokinetic studies for about 10 years.Microdialysis samples from the interstitial space which is a defined, anatomical compartment there is no net loss of body fluid the sample is “purified” and no enzymatic degradation takes place because proteins do not pass through the probe membrane into the dialysate microdialysis data rela Read More