Current Pharmaceutical Design - Volume 7, Issue 2, 2001

Vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) is a neuropeptide with a broad distribution in the body that exerts very important pleiotropic functions in several systems. The present work reviews the immunology of VIP. Being daring, this neuropeptide could be included in the group of cytokines since it is produced and secreted by different immunocompetent cells in response to various immune signals, plays a broad spectrum of immunol Read More

Nerve growth factor (NGF) is known to be essential for the survival of peripheral and brain neurons, and according to more recent studies alsofor a variety of cells localized in the immune system. Basic and preclinical findings published in the last 15-20 years have prospected the hypothesis that NGF can be pharmaceutically useful for promoting healing in certain peripheral and central neurological insults. We have recently provid Read More

Leptin has emerged as a major regulator of adiposity. Leptin is released into the blood from fat cells and circulates to the brain where it crosses the blood-brain barrier (BBB) to act at receptors within the central nervous system to affect appetite, thermogenesis, and a number of other actions. In humans and in many rodent models, resistance to leptin appears to be a chief cause of obesity. Determining the cause of leptin resistan Read More

Plasma kinins are a family of peptides which play an important role in a variety of pathophysiological conditions. As a consequence of the progress in the area of kinin receptors, specific kinin receptor antagonists will be available in near future in order to provide more selective therapeutic modalities for the treatment of diseases such as asthma, cardiovascular diseases, inflammation, pain, etc.Although the initial observatio Read More