{"title":"Beta-arrestin signaling complex as a target for antidepressants and as a depression marker.","authors":"Gabriel Schreiber, Moran Golan, Sofia Avissar","doi":"","DOIUrl":"","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Beta-arrestins uncouple G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) from G proteins and promote their internalization, leading to desensitization and downregulation and serving as negative regulators of GPCR signaling. beta-Arrestins also function as scaffold proteins, interacting with several cytoplasmic proteins and linking GPCRs to intracellular signaling pathways such as the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) cascade. Recent work has also revealed that beta-arrestins translocate from the cytoplasm to the nucleus and associate with transcription factors such as histone acetyltransferase p300 and cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP)-responsive element-binding protein. These substances also interact with regulators of transcription factors. We review findings on the effects of antidepressants on beta-arrestins and the plethora of antidepressant effects on signal transduction elements in which beta-arrestins serve as signaling scaffold proteins, focusing on the three major groups of MAPKs: extracellular signal-regulated kinases, c-Jun N-terminal kinases and p38 MAPKs, and on transcription factors and cofactors of which beta-arrestins mediate transcription regulation.</p>","PeriodicalId":11325,"journal":{"name":"Drug news & perspectives","volume":"22 8","pages":"467-80"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2009-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"28599652","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Dendritic cell modulation as a new interventional approach for the treatment of asthma.","authors":"V. Lombardi, O. Akbari","doi":"10.1358/dnp.2009.22.8.1413775","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1358/dnp.2009.22.8.1413775","url":null,"abstract":"Dendritic cells (DCs) have a central role in the immune system, as they control the adaptive immune response and mediate both protective immunity and the maintenance of immune tolerance to self antigens. In this review, we will summarize the recent advances regarding the subsets of DCs and how they regulate the differentiation of naive CD4(+) T cells towards different populations of T helper cells. We will particularly describe the role of DCs in the development and regulation of allergic diseases and asthma, and discuss the capacity of DCs to induce proallergenic Th2 cells versus regulatory T cells. Undoubtedly, tolerogenic DCs play a crucial role in the induction of regulatory cells. Understanding the biology of these cells will help us design novel strategies to cure or prevent allergic diseases and asthma.","PeriodicalId":11325,"journal":{"name":"Drug news & perspectives","volume":"10 1","pages":"445-51"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2009-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"72706078","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Receptorome screening: a powerful, facile approach to better understand and engineer drugs.","authors":"V. Setola","doi":"10.1358/dnp.2009.22.8.1408461","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1358/dnp.2009.22.8.1408461","url":null,"abstract":"Receptorome screening is the process of characterizing one or more compounds for pharmacological activity (e.g., inhibition of radioligand binding, positive or negative efficacy) at a large panel of 'targets' (e.g., biologically relevant recombinant G protein-coupled receptors, ion channels and small-molecule transporters). Recently, receptorome profiles have led to mechanistic insights into the actions -both intentional and adverse- of several drugs. In the present review, I discuss in detail how receptorome screening increased our understanding of three drugs (salvinorin A, amisulpride and fenfluramine) and a class of medications (atypical antipsychotics). The cases presented suggest that receptorome screening of current medications, as well as investigational drugs and future compounds destined for use in humans, might enable us to predict salutary effects, as well as side effects, at the preclinical stage, which would have important economic and public health implications.","PeriodicalId":11325,"journal":{"name":"Drug news & perspectives","volume":"126 1","pages":"459-66"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2009-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"86404141","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"An overview on stem cell research: a report on the 7th Annual Meeting of the International Society for Stem Cell Research.","authors":"Gaetano Romano","doi":"","DOIUrl":"","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The focus of the seventh annual meeting of the International Society for Stem Cell Research was placed on several topics, such as cancer stem cells, stem cell transplantation, tissue regeneration, biology of embryonic and adult stem cells of various species and production of induced pluripotent stem cells via reprogramming of mammalian somatic cells. This report provides an overview of stem cell research, based on the proceedings of the meeting.</p>","PeriodicalId":11325,"journal":{"name":"Drug news & perspectives","volume":"22 8","pages":"504-8"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2009-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"28599602","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Receptorome screening: a powerful, facile approach to better understand and engineer drugs.","authors":"Vincent Setola","doi":"","DOIUrl":"","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Receptorome screening is the process of characterizing one or more compounds for pharmacological activity (e.g., inhibition of radioligand binding, positive or negative efficacy) at a large panel of 'targets' (e.g., biologically relevant recombinant G protein-coupled receptors, ion channels and small-molecule transporters). Recently, receptorome profiles have led to mechanistic insights into the actions -both intentional and adverse- of several drugs. In the present review, I discuss in detail how receptorome screening increased our understanding of three drugs (salvinorin A, amisulpride and fenfluramine) and a class of medications (atypical antipsychotics). The cases presented suggest that receptorome screening of current medications, as well as investigational drugs and future compounds destined for use in humans, might enable us to predict salutary effects, as well as side effects, at the preclinical stage, which would have important economic and public health implications.</p>","PeriodicalId":11325,"journal":{"name":"Drug news & perspectives","volume":"22 8","pages":"459-66"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2009-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"28599651","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Diabodies: molecular engineering and therapeutic applications.","authors":"Chengbin Wu","doi":"10.1358/dnp.2009.22.8.1413783","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1358/dnp.2009.22.8.1413783","url":null,"abstract":"Bispecific antibodies are capable of interacting with two different antigens and when selected properly, can redirect cytotoxic effector cells to tumor cells for effective killing. These antibodies are therefore of great interest in the research and development of cancer treatment. Over the last two decades, many different bispecific antibody-derived molecular formats have been described, among which diabodies represent an important class of engineered molecules that possess tumor-targeting function. Since diabodies were first introduced in the early 1990s, extensive efforts have been made to optimize their physicochemical and key functional properties, as well as to provide in vivo proof of concept of their antitumor efficacy in animal models. With the clinical validation of the T-cell-retargeting mechanism for cancer therapy currently in place, there is renewed interest in this bispecific class of biologic molecules, with additional novel formats being described in recent years. Even with the remaining challenges of the manufacturing yields and drug-like properties, diabodies and their derivatives remain viable therapeutic modalities that warrant further consideration and development.","PeriodicalId":11325,"journal":{"name":"Drug news & perspectives","volume":"28 1","pages":"453-8"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2009-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"81625632","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Salvador Pedraza, Josep Puig, Gerard Blasco, Josep Daunis-i-Estadella, Imma Boada, Anton Bardera, Alberto Prats, Mar Castellanos, Joaquin Serena
{"title":"Magnetic resonance imaging biomarkers of ischemic stroke: criteria for the validation of primary imaging biomarkers.","authors":"Salvador Pedraza, Josep Puig, Gerard Blasco, Josep Daunis-i-Estadella, Imma Boada, Anton Bardera, Alberto Prats, Mar Castellanos, Joaquin Serena","doi":"","DOIUrl":"","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Ischemic stroke is associated with a high rate of disability and death. Establishing valid biomarkers could help accelerate the approval of promising new therapies for stroke. Whereas many serum biomarkers have been evaluated, possible imaging biomarkers of stroke lack validation. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a very sensitive technique to study acute stroke and MRI parameters have been established to assess the outcome of acute stroke. This review reassesses the criteria for the validation of MRI biomarkers of acute ischemic stroke (MRI-BAS). Seven criteria were used to review the validity of the main MRI-BAS: vascular status, lesion volume, reversibility on diffusion-weighted imaging, perfusion alteration, penumbra studied with diffusion-perfusion mismatch, clinical-diffusion mismatch, diffusion-angiography mismatch and hemorrhagic transformation. We analyzed the definitions of these biomarkers and the extent to which each fulfills the criteria for validation and found that few MRI-BAS have been fully validated. Further studies should help to improve the validation of current MRI-BAS and develop new biomarkers.</p>","PeriodicalId":11325,"journal":{"name":"Drug news & perspectives","volume":"22 8","pages":"481-6"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2009-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"28599653","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Beta-arrestin signaling complex as a target for antidepressants and as a depression marker.","authors":"G. Schreiber, M. Golan, S. Avissar","doi":"10.1358/dnp.2009.22.8.1413787","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1358/dnp.2009.22.8.1413787","url":null,"abstract":"Beta-arrestins uncouple G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) from G proteins and promote their internalization, leading to desensitization and downregulation and serving as negative regulators of GPCR signaling. beta-Arrestins also function as scaffold proteins, interacting with several cytoplasmic proteins and linking GPCRs to intracellular signaling pathways such as the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) cascade. Recent work has also revealed that beta-arrestins translocate from the cytoplasm to the nucleus and associate with transcription factors such as histone acetyltransferase p300 and cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP)-responsive element-binding protein. These substances also interact with regulators of transcription factors. We review findings on the effects of antidepressants on beta-arrestins and the plethora of antidepressant effects on signal transduction elements in which beta-arrestins serve as signaling scaffold proteins, focusing on the three major groups of MAPKs: extracellular signal-regulated kinases, c-Jun N-terminal kinases and p38 MAPKs, and on transcription factors and cofactors of which beta-arrestins mediate transcription regulation.","PeriodicalId":11325,"journal":{"name":"Drug news & perspectives","volume":"21 1","pages":"467-80"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2009-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"80994729","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
S. Pedraza, J. Puig, G. Blasco, J. Daunis-i-Estadella, I. Boada, A. Bardera, A. Prats, M. Castellanos, J. Serena
{"title":"Magnetic resonance imaging biomarkers of ischemic stroke: criteria for the validation of primary imaging biomarkers.","authors":"S. Pedraza, J. Puig, G. Blasco, J. Daunis-i-Estadella, I. Boada, A. Bardera, A. Prats, M. Castellanos, J. Serena","doi":"10.1358/dnp.2009.22.8.1413791","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1358/dnp.2009.22.8.1413791","url":null,"abstract":"Ischemic stroke is associated with a high rate of disability and death. Establishing valid biomarkers could help accelerate the approval of promising new therapies for stroke. Whereas many serum biomarkers have been evaluated, possible imaging biomarkers of stroke lack validation. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a very sensitive technique to study acute stroke and MRI parameters have been established to assess the outcome of acute stroke. This review reassesses the criteria for the validation of MRI biomarkers of acute ischemic stroke (MRI-BAS). Seven criteria were used to review the validity of the main MRI-BAS: vascular status, lesion volume, reversibility on diffusion-weighted imaging, perfusion alteration, penumbra studied with diffusion-perfusion mismatch, clinical-diffusion mismatch, diffusion-angiography mismatch and hemorrhagic transformation. We analyzed the definitions of these biomarkers and the extent to which each fulfills the criteria for validation and found that few MRI-BAS have been fully validated. Further studies should help to improve the validation of current MRI-BAS and develop new biomarkers.","PeriodicalId":11325,"journal":{"name":"Drug news & perspectives","volume":"16 1","pages":"481-6"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2009-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"84397422","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Soluble CD30 for the prediction and detection of kidney transplant rejection.","authors":"Alvaro Arjona","doi":"","DOIUrl":"","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Although safer and more effective immunosuppressants as well as enhanced immunosuppressive protocols are continuously being developed in order to increase graft survival, they come at the steep price of drug-related complications and important side effects. In addition, the value of panel reactive antibodies determination, which at present is the single most used indicator of an increased risk of transplant rejection, is now being reevaluated. Therefore, effective tailoring of immunosuppressive therapy minimizing the above-mentioned pitfalls requires the existence of dependable biomarkers that adequately monitor rejection risk both before and after transplantation. Here we review the data yielded by studies assessing the usefulness of measuring soluble CD30 levels (sCD30) in kidney transplant rejection. These data collectively show that sCD30 serum content has a considerable predictive/diagnostic value for acute rejection of renal grafts, particularly when measured a few days after transplantation.</p>","PeriodicalId":11325,"journal":{"name":"Drug news & perspectives","volume":"22 7","pages":"409-13"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2009-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"28489712","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}