Cardiovascular & hematological disorders drug targets
-
Cardiovasc Hematol Disord Drug Targets · Jun 2009
ReviewThe important new drug target in cardiovascular medicine--the vascular glycocalyx.
The process of atherothrombosis is known to involve endothelial pathology (first drug target), plaque formation (second drug target) and thrombosis (third drug target). However it has recently been postulated that, even before endothelial pathology occurs, the very first step in the process of atherothrombosis is dysfunction of the arterial glycocalyx that lies between the endothelial cells and the blood [1]. So there are really four drug targets, and perhaps the arterial glycocalyx will become the most important for future early prevention of people at risk. ⋯ Attempts are being made to explore the possibility of drug-induced reversal of hyperglycaemia-induced glycocalyx dysfunction. Progress is, however, dependent on grants being made available for work with the essential large animal (pig) experimental model for testing glycocalyx function. Such grants have hitherto not been sufficiently forthcoming, and this needs to be brought urgently to the attention of the pharmaceutical industry.