Current Pharmaceutical Design - Volume 12, Issue 2, 2006

Autoimmune diseases occur when the immune response is targeted to self-antigens, leading to destruction or altered function of specific cells and tissues. Although the aetiology of these diseases has not yet been fully elucidated, it is believed that genetically determined susceptibility and environmental triggers are both implicated in the detrimental immune response against the body's own tissues. Dendritic cells (DCs) are Read More

The size of the peripheral T lymphocyte pool remains relatively constant throughout adult life, but individual populations undergo expansion and contraction upon antigen encounter due to signals delivered by members of the B7- CD28 family of costimulatory molecules. This family includes receptors on T cells that can provide either activating or inhibitory signals. In general, activation occurs in response to pathogens, when Read More

New therapies directed at ameliorating or altering autoimmune diseases represent an area of significant medical need. Included amongst autoimmune diseases are problems related to transplantation rejection, as well as a number of neurological diseases such as Multiple Sclerosis (MS). A new group of molecular targets that may lead to novel therapies are lysophospholipid (LP) receptors. A large range of biological Read More

Intravenous immunoglobulins (IVIg) are concentrated preparations of purified human plasma-derived IgG routinely used in the treatment of many autoimmune diseases. Their precise mechanisms of therapeutic action have remained unclear in most diseases and are attracting much interest due to the rapidly increasing use of this precious plasma-derived product. The presence in IVIg of IgG reactive with various human struc Read More

Immunoglobulin G (IgG) concentrates for therapeutic purposes, like passive immunotherapy, supplementation in inherited or aquired deficiencies or immunomodulation, are prepared from multidonor-derived plasma pools. They usually contain varying amounts of dimeric IgG. The essential factor influencing dimer formation is the pool size; in addition, molecular properties of IgG and a variety of production process- and formulatio Read More

New pharmaceutical approaches, such as biotechnology industry, genomic and proteomic studies, require the development of new analytical and preparative tools that should allow the resolution and the characterisation of complex sets of molecule mixtures in a high-throughput mode with the isolation of a single substance from complex matrices in a high degree of purity, low costs and wide availability. In this review we dis Read More

Estrogen and hormone replacement therapies are being tested to prevent the incidence of cardiovascular disease in postmenopausal women. In spite of the evidence from several epidemiological studies suggesting that estrogens protect against atherosclerosis and associated diseases, controversy exists. Moreover, it is important to develop synthetic compounds that achieve the beneficial effects of estrogens on the car Read More

The peripheral anionic site of acetylcholinesterase lies at the entrance to the active site gorge. It is composed of five residues (Tyr 70, Asp 72, Tyr 121, Trp 279 and Tyr 334; Torpedo numbering); associated with it are a number of surface loops, conferring a high degree of conformational flexibility on the area. The site is involved in the allosteric modulation of catalysis at the active centre and is the target of various anti-ch Read More

Endogenous cannabinoids (endocannabinoids), produced from membrane-bound precursors via calcium and/or G-protein dependent processes, mimic the effects of cannabinoids by activating cannabinoid CB1 and/or CB2 receptors. Several reports however, also indicate that endocannabinoids can produce effects that are independent of cannabinoid receptors. Thus, in pharmacologically relevant concentratio Read More

During the last decade immunomodulatory treatments have been shown to influence the natural course of multiple sclerosis (MS). However, demyelination in the central nervous system (CNS) still occurs and repair mechanisms are incomplete leading to neurological deficits. Currently, there is no therapy available to promote remyelination and thus enhance repair mechanisms. Both immunoglobulins directed against sp Read More

Aspirin is the most commonly used therapeutic agent in prevention of vascular ischemic events. Aspirin exerts its antithrombotic effect primarily by interfering with the biosynthesis of thromboxane A2 (TXA2) and inhibition of TXA2 -dependent platelet aggregation. A meta-analysis of secondary prevention trials indicated that aspirin reduced major cardiovascular or cerebral events by 25%. This led to the widespread use of aspiri Read More