Current Pharmaceutical Design - Volume 16, Issue 12, 2010

Cell death and differentiation represent different types of cell response to environmental stimuli. The focus of the present issue is to outline physical and chemical conditions responsible for inducing various modes of cell damage and death useful for successful anti-cancer treatment. In recent years new demanding fields of research have developed with the aim of studying human exposure to environmental chemical, physical Read More

The eye and the skin are protected by a multi-layered epithelial barrier that provides the first line of defence against invading pathogens and environmental stresses such as damaging solar ultraviolet radiation. Extensive epidemiological findings supported by compelling experimental evidence in culture and animal models suggest that ultraviolet radiation is the most important environmental carcinogen leading to the Read More

Based on the study of the recent literature, the aim of this report is to present and discuss in vitro cell death, and, more specifically, apoptosis appearing after exposure to physical conditions such as hyperthermia, hypothermia, UVB radiation and static magnetic fields. Hyperthermia (i.e. variable exposures to 42 ° C) as well as hypothermia conditions (i.e. variable exposures to 0 ° C) were considered mild and were both fol Read More

Stress is a stimulus or a succession of stimuli tending to disrupt the homeostasis of an organism. An organism is consisting of a multitude of cells that singly undergo the effects of external factors that disturb or upset their homeostatic regulation. Stimuli acting as potential stressors are numerous, and include physical agents (ionizing radiation), non-physiological oxygen levels (hypoxia, hyperoxia) and chemotherapeutics. Read More

During the last decades, the improvement of our knowledge of the mechanisms responsible for cancer development has led to the introduction of new promising strategies of treatment, based on “molecular targeted” drugs. These drugs are designed to act on specific molecules, identified as major players in the maintenance of the malignant status. The development of inhibitors, mainly monoclonal antibodies and small-mole Read More

The resistance of many types of cancer to chemotherapies represents the major hurdle in successful cancer treatment. Cancer cells can escape the toxic effect of most commonly used drugs despite their different chemical structure and intracellular targets. The mechanisms underlying the failure of chemotherapeutic drugs have been well studied. Here I review the role of a signalling pathway activated by the lipid kinase ph Read More

The cell cycle consists of a number of complex biochemical pathways that ensure that the start of a particular event depends on the successful and right end of previous steps in the pathway. An important role is played by cyclin/cyclin-dependent kinase (cdk) complexes which are critical regulators of cell cycle progression and RNA transcription. To ensure proper progression through each phase, cells have developed a ser Read More

Radioresistance stands as a fundamental barrier that limits the effectiveness of radiotherapy in cancer treatment. Recent evidences suggest that radioresistance is due to tumour repopulation and involves several signalling pathways, including p53/MDM2 interaction. Ionizing radiation induces p53-dependent MDM2 gene transcription that, in turn, inhibits p53 transcriptional activity, favouring its nuclear export and stimulating its Read More