Current Pharmaceutical Design - Volume 7, Issue 4, 2001

The orphan nuclear receptors FXR and LXR alpha have become challenging targets for the discovery of new therapeutic agents. Bile acids and hydroxysterol intermediates are the respective natural ligands of these two structurally and functionally closely related receptors. Both FXR and LXR alpha are thought to play a major role in the control of cholesterol catabolism by regulating the expression of cholesterol 7alpha-hy Read More

Research indicates that endurance exercise training has significant effects upon the reproductive endocrine system of humans. Until recently, this effect was thought to be limited primarily to women. However, a growing body of evidence demonstrates that the male reproductive endocrine system is also effected. Specifically, the circulating hormonal levels of testosterone are found to be at low concentrations and, the hypot Read More

Osteoblasts pass through a sequence of events controlled by hormones and transcriptional factors ensuring proper development of phenotype and functional properties until the osteoblast enter the osteocyte phenotype and/or undergo apo-ptosis. During its life cycle, the osteoblasts proliferate, deposit matrix proteins and mineralize it until they turn into osteocytes believed to constitute a mechanosensor mesh giving feed-back t Read More

Proteomics is a technology platform that is gaining widespread use in drug discovery and drug development programs. Defined as the protein complement of the genome, the proteome is a varied and dynamic repertoire of molecules that in many ways dictates the functional form that is taken by the genome. The importance of proteomics is a direct consequence of the central role that proteins play in establishing the biol Read More