Current pharmaceutical design
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Recent research has uncovered neurobiological and behavioral similarities between substance dependence and excess consumption of highly processed foods. These findings have led to the theory that food addiction may play a role in obesity and disordered eating. The inclusion of validated food addiction measures in clinical research, such as the Yale Food Addiction Scale, will add to the understanding of the clinical utility of this concept. Further exploring the food-addiction construct may also lead to a better clinical understanding of obesity and eating disorders and suggest future avenues for more effectively treating these problems.
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Sudden cardiac arrest is a leading cause of death worldwide with survival rates still remaining suboptimal. Unfortunately, most cardiac arrest patients, who achieve return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC), develop a multi-faceted post-cardiac arrest syndrome, including post-cardiac arrest brain injury, myocardial dysfunction, and systemic ischemia/reperfusion response. ⋯ In this regard, EPO represents a promising agent in the cardiac arrest setting, based on a therapeutic strategy that focuses on the post-resuscitation phase. This review aims to provide a comprehensive account of EPO's role in the treatment of each individual component of post-cardiac arrest syndrome.
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The blood-brain barrier (BBB) protects the brain against endogenous and exogenous compounds and plays an important part in the maintenance of the microenvironment of the brain. In particular, the importance of brain-to-blood transport of brain-derived metabolites across the BBB has gained increasing attention as a potential mechanism in the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's disease, which is characterized by the aberrant polymerization and accumulation of specific misfolded proteins, particularly β-amyloid (Aβ). There is growing evidence that the ABC transport protein P-glycoprotein (P-gp), a major component of the BBB, mediates the efflux of Aβ from the brain. In this review, we discuss the possible role of P-gp in Alzheimer's disease and other neurodegenerative disorders, and consider how a fuller understanding of this function might promote the development of more effective treatment strategies.
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Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a growing public health hazard fueled by the obesity epidemic and an aging population. Untreated sleep apnea can result in significant consequences both in the short-term and long-term. ⋯ Alternative treatments include an oral appliance or surgical options. This paper discusses the pharmacologic treatment of sleep apnea: goals include medications to address the ventilatory control of breathing, treat co-morbid diseases, treat associated health problems/complaints, address special issues, such as anesthetic precautions, and propose future targets.
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Review
The natural tumor suppressor protein maspin and potential application in non small cell lung cancer.
The grim prognosis of lung cancer, that has an overall 10-15% survival at 5 years, remains in the US the leading cause of cancer mortality, provides a compelling rationale for studying the molecular basis of this malignancy. Surmising the common, general association with smoking, lung cancers differ at the microscopic, anatomical, epidemiological and clinical level and harbor complex genetic and epigenetic alterations. Currently, lung cancer is divided into small cell lung carcinoma (SCLC) and non small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) for the purpose of clinical management. (NSCLC) constitutes 80-85% of lung cancers and is further divided into histological subtypes such as adenocarcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, and large cell carcinoma, etc. ⋯ Maspin is an epithelial specific member of the serine protease inhibitor (serpin) superfamily but recently identified as an endogenous inhibitor of histone deacetylase 1 (HDAC1). This novel biochemical activity coincides with a consensus emerged recently from the evidence that nuclear maspin confers better differentiated epithelial phenotypes, decreased tumor angiogenesis, increased tumor sensitivity to drug-induced apoptosis, and a more favorable prognosis. In the current review, we discuss the evidence that maspin may be a marker that stratifies the progression and prognosis of different subtypes of NSCLC.