Current Pharmaceutical Design - Volume 13, Issue 1, 2007

Molecular imaging refers to the use of non-invasive imaging techniques to detect signals that originate from molecules, often in the form of an injected tracer, and observe their interaction with a specific cellular target in vivo. This technique is capable of measuring the biodistribution of minute concentrations of radio-labelled biomolecules in vivo and quantifying the molecular kinetic processes in which they participate. T Read More

Molecular imaging is an important scientific discipline that plays a major role in clinical medicine and pharmaceutical development. While several imaging modalities including X-ray computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) generate high-resolution anatomical images, positron emission tomography (PET) and single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) offer insight into the physiologi Read More

Angiogenesis, the process whereby new capillaries are formed by outgrowth from existing microvessels, is required for tumor growth and metastasis, and is also necessary for natural healing after ischemic injury. Because angiogenesis, excessive or deficient, underlies many pathological situations, there is a need for the development of noninvasive imaging to allow monitoring of angiogenesis related molecul Read More

As we celebrate the bicentennial of the isolation of morphine by Sertürner, opioids continue to dominate major sectors of the analgesic market worldwide. The pharmaceutical industry stands to benefit greatly from molecular imaging in preclinical and early clinical trials of new or improved opioid drugs. At this juncture, it seems fitting to summarize the past twenty or so years of research on molecular imaging of the opioid s Read More

Sigma receptors have been implicated in a myriad of cellular functions, biological processes and diseases. While the precise biological functions of sigma receptors have not been elucidated, recent work has shed some light on to these enigmatic systems. Sigma receptors have recently been a target of drug development related to psychiatric and neurological disorders. Sigma ligands have also been shown to modulate endothel Read More

Asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are the 2 most prevalent chronic airway diseases. Much of the morbidity, mortality and health care costs of the diseases are associated with acute exacerbations, which are episodes of increased symptoms and airflow obstruction. Over the last decade evidence has emerged implicating virus respiratory tract infections as a major cause of exacerbations of both asthma a Read More

The final aim/target of Pharmaceutical Sciences is to design successful dosage forms for effective therapy, considering individual patient needs and compliance. Development of new drug entities, particularly using peptides and proteins, is growing in importance and attracting increased interest, as they are specifically effective at a comparably low dose. These very potent and specific peptides and proteins can now be produced i Read More

It has long been known that the major irreversible toxicity of aminoglycosides is ototoxicity. Among them, streptomycin and gentamicin are primarily vestibulotoxic, whereas amikacin, neomycin, dihydrosterptomycin, and kanamicin are primarily cochleotoxic. Cochlear damage can produce permanent hearing loss, and damage to the vestibular apparatus results in dizziness, ataxia, and/or nystagmus. Aminoglycoside Read More