Infectious Disorders - Drug Targets (Formerly Current Drug Targets - Infectious Disorders) - Volume 9, Issue 4, 2009

I was able to compile this work due to an enthusiastic response from experts in the field. It encompasses the pathophysiology of inflammation relevant to physiological states, infections, autoimmune and metabolic diseases. This supplement demonstrates the increasing importance of redox-sensitive mechanisms during physiological function, inflammatory pathology, sepsis and carcinogenesis. The relevance of anti-oxi Read More

Sepsis and septic shock are the major causes of death in intensive care units. The prevalent hypothesis regarding the mechanisms of sepsis and septic shock indicates that this syndrome is caused by an excessive defensive and inflammatory response characterised by massive increases in reactive oxygen species (ROS), nitric oxide (NO) and inflammatory cytokines. The consequences of these syndromes are systemic dama Read More

Cancer is one of the leading causes of death in Europe and United States. New blood vessel formation penetrating into solid tumors seems to be required for their growth and metastasis. Several protein growth factors can induce endothelial cell proliferation and angiogenesis, through signal transduction cascades that result in the production of several inflammatory mediators and lipid second messengers such as prostagland Read More

Diet and nutrition have played an important role in maintaining physiological homeostasis. Recent literature emphasizes potential therapeutic effects of micronutrients found in natural products, indicating positive applications for controlling the pathogenesis of chronic diseases driven by an inflammatory nidus. Nutritional compounds which display anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects have specific applications in preventi Read More

The aetiopathogenesis of periodontal diseases is initiated by microbial biofilm which could lead to a hyperinflammatory status in aggressive forms of the disease; and cause an imbalance in the redox status, resulting in oxidative stress-induced damage. There is increasing documentation of the link between periodontal and other inflammatory diseases driven by a pro-oxidant profile. This could impose a significant systemic loadi Read More

Skeletal muscle contraction, growth, differentiation and adaptation are governed by complicated biological mechanisms still being studied intensively. Generation of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (RS) is one of the most prominent events during contractile activity that could influence muscle function and health. While RS generation is known to cause oxidative stress, activate certain pathogenic pathways and Read More

The new ground being broken by the field of nanotechnology provides us with numerous prospects for treatment and prevention of infectious diseases. Recent reports have demonstrated that several types of nanoparticles act as potent free radical scavengers and antioxidants. Specific nanoconstructs are also reported to have anti-inflammatory activities. Given these properties, the potential application of antioxidant na Read More

Melatonin is a neurohormone that has attracted a great deal of attention, being frequently investigated in recent years. Due to its wide-spectrum of properties, melatonin has been suggested to be effective with respect to the etiology and treatment of several diseases. Its action on the immune system and antioxidant features has brought interest to this hormone's role in chronic inflammatory diseases. Furthermore, the detectio Read More