Current Pharmaceutical Design - Volume 21, Issue 9, 2015

Innate and adaptive immunity has been shown to be critically involved in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis. In particular, immune suppression mediated by regulatory T cells (Tregs) or tolerogenic dendritic cells (DCs) serves as a vital mechanism for regulating pathogenic chronic inflammation in atherogensis, suggesting that promotion of endogenous regulatory immune responses could be a possible therapeutic a Read More

Functional heterogeneity of dendritic cells (DCs) observed in atherosclerosis suggest for their complex and multifaced role in the pathogenesis of atherosclerotic disease. A delicate balance between anti-inflammatory and pro-inflammatory mechanisms drives atherogenesis, and local microenvironment triggers the actual involvement of DCs in atherosclerosis-associated inflammation. Responding to microenvironment Read More

The ability of a human artery to pass through 150 million liters of blood sustaining 2 billion pulsations of blood pressure with minor deterioration depends on unique construction of the arterial wall. Viscoelastic properties of this construction enable to re-seal the occuring damages apparently without direct immediate participance of the constituent cells. Collagen structures are considered to be the elements that determine the Read More

The volume of publications on the role of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in biological processes has been increasing exponentially over the last decades. ROS in large amounts clearly have detrimental effects on cell physiology, whereas low concentrations of ROS are permanently produced in cells and play a role as signaling molecules. An imbalance in ROS production and defense mechanisms can lead to pathological vascul Read More

Atherosclerosis has been widely recognized as a slow progressing inflammatory disease of the aorta and other large caliber arterial vessels. Accumulating evidence suggest that interleukin (IL)-35 can represent an attractive target for future anti-atherosclerotic therapy due to several atheroprotective properties. First, immunosuppressive and anti-inflammatory activity of this cytokine could be beneficial against vascula Read More

Tissue factor (TF) is known to be the key element in the initiation of the extrinsic pathway of the coagulation cascade and appears to be a critical determinant of atherosclerotic plaque thrombogenicity. TF is needed to produce thrombin from prothrombin. In the extrinsic pathway, TF activates factor Vll. TF is expressed mainly on subendothelial tissues, but TF expression may be induced on endothelial cells by inflammatory medi Read More

Atherosclerosis, the primary cause of cardiovascular disease, is a complex and multifactorial pathology resulted from the harmful interactions between genetic and environmental factors. There is a growing body of evidence in support of the role of mitochondrial factors in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis. Impaired mitochondrial function and structural and qualitative changes in mitochondrial components such as mitoch Read More

Interventions aimed to prevent cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are more effective if administered to subjects carefully selected according to their CVD risk. Usually, this risk is evaluated on the basis of the presence and severity of conventional vascular risk factors (VRFs); however, atherosclerosis, the main pathologic substrate of CVD, is not directly revealed by VRFs. The measurement of the arterial wall, using ima Read More

Immunopathology plays important roles in the development of different life-threatening diseases, such as atherosclerosis and its consequences (acute myocardial infarction and stroke), cancer, chronic inflammatory diseases. Effective modulation of the immune system may significantly increase the efficacy of prevention and therapy efforts. Currently there are no marketed drugs capable of normalizing immune system f Read More

Prevention through evaluation and treatment of cardiovascular risk factors is an efficient approach to reduce the risk of cardiovascular events, however, the problem remains that the available treatment options are underused. Implementation of cardiovascular disease prevention guidelines into clinical practice is therefore important for decreasing the burden of cardiovascular disease in general population. However, there ar Read More

Atherosclerosis is a smoldering disease of the vasculature that can lead to the occlusion of the arteries, resulting in ischemia of the heart and brain. For many years, the asserted underlying mechanism of atherosclerosis, supported by its epidemiology, was based on the "cholesterol hypothesis" that people with high blood cholesterol are at higher risk of developing cardiovascular disease. This hypothesis instigated a vigorous sea Read More

Atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases are a worldwide major public health concern. Atherosclerosis is driven by a chronic inflammatory process which is present since the early stages of the disease, as a response to endothelium aggression by a variety of offending agents, to subsequent formation of foam cells, atheromatous plaque development and the clinical complications of the disease, due to plaque rupture and thr Read More

Epidemiological studies suggest that the cardioprotective properties of olive oil, particularly extra-virgin type, result from a positive influence of its components, such as phenolic compounds, on the cardiovascular system. One of the most abundant phenolic compounds of extra virgin olive oil is the dialdehydic form of elenolic acid conjugated with 3, 4-(dihydroxyphenyl)ethanol (3, 4- DHPEA-EDA), also known as oleacein. Due to it Read More

Sensitive to the massive diffusion of purported metabolic and cardiovascular positive effects of green tea and catechincontaining extracts, many consumers of cardiovascular drugs assume these products as a “natural” and presumably innocuous adjunctive way to increase their overall health. However, green tea may interfere with the oral bioavailability or activity of cardiovascular drugs by various mechanisms, potenti Read More

Statins reduce cardiovascular mortality and morbidity as well as cardiovascular events in patients with a very high risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and also in subjects with high or moderate risk by reducing the levels of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C). Although they are considered to be drugs with a very good safety profile, because of their wide use there are many concerns that their adverse effects mi Read More

The review is devoted to a subcellular drug delivery system, modular nanotransporters (MNT) that can penetrate into target cells and deliver a therapeutic into their subcellular compartments, particularly into the nucleus. The therapeutics which need such type of delivery belong to two groups: (i) those that exert their effect only when delivered into a certain cell compartment (like DNA delivered into the nucleus); and (ii) Read More