Current Pharmaceutical Design - Volume 25, Issue 39, 2019

The extraordinary rise in the old population in the Western world underscores the importance of studies on aging and longevity to decrease the medical, economic and social problems associated with the increased number of non-autonomous individuals affected by invalidating pathologies. Centenarians have reached the extreme limits of the human life span. They are the best example of extreme longevity, representing sel Read More

Patterns of DNA methylation, the best characterized epigenetic modification, are modulated by aging. In humans, different studies at both site-specific and genome-wide levels have reported that modifications of DNA methylation are associated with the chronological aging process but also with the quality of aging (or biological aging), providing new perspectives for establishing powerful biomarkers of aging. In this article, th Read More

Aging is a multifactorial process that affects the organisms at genetic, molecular and cellular levels. This process modifies several tissues with a negative impact on cells physiology, tissues and organs functionality, altering their regeneration capacity. The chronic low-grade inflammation typical of aging, defined as inflammaging, is a common biological factor responsible for the decline and beginning of the disease in age. Read More

With advancing age, immune responses of human beings to external pathogens, i.e., bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites, and to internal pathogens - malignant neoplasm cells - become less effective. Two major features in the process of aging of the human immune system are immunosenescence and inflammaging. The immune systems of our predecessors co-evolved with pathogens, which led to the occurren Read More

Aging is characterized by a general decline in a range of physiological functions, with a consequent increase in the risk of developing a variety of chronic diseases and geriatric syndromes. Additionally, increasing age is accompanied by a progressive decline in both innate and acquired immune system, referred to as immunosenescence. This impaired ability to mount an efficient immune response after exposure to micr Read More

Chronic neuroinflammation is a common feature of the pathogenic mechanisms involved in various neurodegenerative age-associated disorders, such as Alzheimer's disease, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, and dementia. In particular, persistent low-grade inflammation may disrupt the brain endothelial barrier and cause a significant increase of pro-inflammatory cytokines and immune cells into the cerebral tissue that, i Read More

Increasing age is a strong, independent risk factor for atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease. Key abnormalities driving cardiovascular risk in old age include endothelial dysfunction, increased arterial stiffness, blood pressure, and the pro-atherosclerotic effects of chronic, low-grade, inflammation. The identification of novel therapies that comprehensively target these alterations might lead to a major breakthrough in Read More

Melatonin, an indoleamine secreted mainly by the pineal gland, is known to modulate a wide range of circadian functions. However, this neurohormone is also synthesized within the eye and acts directly on ocular structures to mediate a variety of physiological processes. This review is focused on the role and therapeutic potential of melatonin in ocular diseases. We summarize data indicating that melatonin may repr Read More

Background: Most of the anticancer chemotherapies are hampered via the development of multidrug resistance (MDR), which is the resistance of tumor cells against cytotoxic effects of multiple chemotherapeutic agents. Overexpression and/or over-activation of ATP-dependent drug efflux transporters is a key mechanism underlying MDR development. Moreover, enhancement of drug metabolism, changes in drug targets a Read More

Background: Traumatic brain injury (TBI) can cause disorders of consciousness (DOC) by impairing the neuronal circuits of the ascending reticular activating system (ARAS) structures, including the hypothalamus, which are responsible for the maintenance of the wakefulness and awareness. However, the effectiveness of drugs targeting ARAS activation is still inadequate, and novel therapeutic modalities are urgently needed. Read More