Expert opinion on therapeutic targets
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Expert Opin. Ther. Targets · Jun 2013
ReviewTargeting erythropoietin for chronic neurodegenerative diseases.
Since erythropoietin (EPO) and EPO receptor (EPOR) are expressed in the central nervous system (CNS) beyond hematopoietic system, EPO illustrates a robust biological function in maintaining neuronal survival and regulating neurogenesis and may play a crucial role in neurodegenerative diseases. ⋯ Novel knowledge of the cell signaling pathways regulated by EPO in the CNS will allow us to establish the foundation for the development of therapeutic strategies against neurodegenerative diseases. Further investigation of the role of EPO in neurodegenerative diseases can not only formulate EPO as a therapeutic candidate, but also further identify novel therapeutic targets for these disorders.
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Expert Opin. Ther. Targets · Jun 2013
ReviewTransient receptor potential vanilloid 1 as a therapeutic target in analgesia.
The selective excitatory action of capsaicin followed by long-term chemoanalgesia due to an action on the 'capsaicin receptor' of C-polymodal nociceptors, cloned 15 years ago, opened up fascinating perspectives for a class of nociceptor blocking analgesics. ⋯ The unique 'multisteric' gating of TRPV1 channel which is opened and modulated in various conformational changes to natural stimuli differs from the operation of canonical ligand-gated channels and makes it suitable to initiate development of second generation of TRPV1 antagonists without on-target side effects of hyperthermia and risk of burn injury.