Current Signal Transduction Therapy - Volume 3, Issue 1, 2008

Transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) is a profibrotic cytokine involved in the accumulation of extracellular matrix proteins and progression of various fibrotic diseases. TGF-β signaling is transmitted predominantly through cell surface serine/threonine kinase receptors to intracellular mediators known as Smads. The inhibitory Smad7 represses TGF-β signaling by interacting with activated TGFβ receptors, and downreg Read More

Breast cancer is one of the most prevalent forms of carcinomas among women world-wide. The oncogenes, tumor suppressor genes and antioxidant enzyme genes are cancer-related genes which play an important role in the initiation, metastasis and malignancy of many cancers, including breast cancer. Estrogen which is a key steroid hormone in the regulation and differentiation of the normal breast also appears Read More

Platelets initiate arrest of bleeding at sites of vascular injury but also trigger inopportune arterial thrombosis, which causes heart attack and stroke. After formation of a single platelet monolayer at the site of injury, additional platelets are recruited into the growing hemostatic plug. Without further stabilization, the platelet plug disaggregates. Its stabilization is ensured by perpetuation of platelet activation. Drugs designed to Read More

Photodynamic therapy (PDT), in which stained cells are damaged by light in the presence of oxygen, is now widely used for tumor destruction. Photogenerated singlet oxygen and reactive oxygen species cause oxidative stress and cell death. The potential ROS sensors and following intracellular processes leading to cell death are considered. The cell death mode (necrosis or apoptosis) is shown to be controlled not on Read More