Current Pharmaceutical Design - Volume 18, Issue 26, 2012

The Editorial Board wishes to dedicate this issue of Current Pharmaceutical Design to the founding Executive Editor of the journal, Prof. Dr. Atta-ur-Rahman, FRS, on his 70th birthday. The Editorial Board acknowledges the tremendous achievements of Prof. Rahman in the fields of Organic Chemistry in general and on bioactive natural products in particular. Prof. Rahman's honors include: the first scientist from the Muslim w Read More

Inflammation is part of the body's response to internal and external environmental stimuli that normally eliminate the aggressor agent and restore the tissue physiology. However, when it becomes chronic, it can cause several pathologies such as cardiovascular, diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, Alzheimer's autoimmune diseases and cancer. Currently, epidemiological data indicate that over 25% of all cancers are related to chron Read More

Autophagy, an intracellular process involved in removing and recycling cellular components, plays a major role in growth, development, and responses to stress and pathogens. Autophagy is compromised in many human diseases, including inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and colorectal cancer (CRC). Autophagy malfunction is associated to an alteration of both innate and adaptative immune responses, defects in bacteria Read More

TGF-β1 is an anti-inflammatory cytokine recognised as a key regulator of immunological homeostasis and inflammatory responses. Furthermore, TGF-β1 is important for the regulation of cell growth, differentiation and apoptosis in a wide range of tissues including the intestinal epithelium. Reduced TGF-β1 activity is thought to be responsible for the development of autoimmune disorders in several pathological conditions, in Read More

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are well recognized for playing a dual role as both deleterious and beneficial species. ROS are products of normal cellular metabolism and under physiological conditions, participate in maintenance of cellular ‘redox homeostasis. Overproduction of ROS, results in oxidative stress. Oxidative stress is a deleterious process that leads to lung damage and consequently to various disease states. The lun Read More

Cigarette smoking is the most recognized risk factor for many inflammatory diseases such as cardiovascular diseases, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and for a number of malignances such as lung cancer. Lung cancer is currently considered the leading cause of cancer-related deaths because its aggressive nature and the lack of effective therapeutic options. Recent advances in molecular biology and immunolo Read More

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a chronic inflammatory disorder caused by deregulated immune responses in a genetically predisposed individual. This is a complex process mediated by cytokines, chemokines, adhesion molecules, cytoplasm nuclear receptors, among others. Recent data support a participation of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress and mitochondrial dysfunctions in IBD. Moreover, now it is evident Read More

Inflammation is an important contributor to the development and progression of all human cancers. Inflammatory lipid metabolites, prostaglandins, formed from arachidonic acid by prostaglandin H synthases commonly called cyclooxygenases (COXs), bind to specific receptors that activate signaling pathways driving to the development and progression of tumors. Inhibitors of prostaglandin formation, COX inhibitors, includin Read More

The development of new drugs that can be valuable for the evolution of diseases' treatment is a goal for different areas of research, namely natural products chemistry, molecular biology and biochemistry, pharmacology, medicinal chemistry, synthetic organic chemistry and analytical chemistry. Nature is the main source of compounds for pharmaceutical purposes, either by providing the natural organic chemical com Read More

Background: There is evidence that aspirin is effective for the chemoprevention of colorectal cancer. Due to their similar pharmacodynamics, the use of other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) has been suggested for other cancer sites. Although this possibility has been discussed in the literature, uncertainty remains about the actual effects of NSAIDs other than aspirin in nongastrointestinal cancer. Objective: To su Read More