Field Of Pharmaceutical Research Research Articles

Functional Characteristic of Snake Venom Disintegrins: Potential Therapeutic Implication

Snake venom disintegrins are the natural products that have been investigated as potent inhibitors of various integrins. Functionally, disintegrins can be divided into three groups according to their integrin selectivity and presence of specific, active motifs. This classification includes RGD-disintegrins, MLD-disintegrins, and KTS-disintegrins. RGD-disintegrins have been the most intensively investigated, and their research resulted in design and synthesis of new pharmaceutical compounds, eptifibatide and tirofiban that are currently being evaluated for the therapy of acute coronary ischaemic syndrome. MLD- and KTS-disintegrins are specific for leukocyte integrins and collagen receptors, respectively, and are being investigated in the new fields of pharmaceutical research. This review summarizes the biological activities of snake venom disintegrins, as well as discusses their potential in the study of the pharmacology of various human diseases.

Development of a potent in vitro source of Phylanthus amarus roots with pronounced activity against surface antigen of the hepatitis B virus

In vitro culture of hairy roots of Phyllanthus amarus induced by Agrobacterium rhizogenes was established. Their growth and ability for in vitro inactivation of hepatitis B virus surface antigen was studied and compared with adventitious roots grown in vitro. The selected hairy root clone HR-1 was capable of growing at a very fast rate, and an approximately 900-fold increase in weight of root biomass was achieved after 4 wk of culture in hormone-free quarter-strength liquid Murashige and Skoog medium with continuous agitation. Non-transformed roots cultured in the presence of 1.0 mg l−1 (5.71 μM) indole-3-acetic acid increased by 330-fold. The immuno-inactive property of roots was maximal in the crude extract. The hairy roots were shown to possess 85% inhibition (in contrast to 15% in the control) in binding of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) to its antibody (anti-HBs) after 24 h of incubation with HbsAg-positive sera in vitro at 37°C. Out of three fractions selected on the basis of molecular weight components of the extract, the Fraction III containing comparatively lower molecular weight substances (≤3500) yielded the highest activity. The extract from non-transformed roots was found to possess similar efficiency (87% inhibition). The levels of activity in both types of in vitro-raised roots were higher than those of naturally occurring roots and leafy shoots. The ability of P. amarus hairy root cultures to yield high biomass with the anti-viral property at high levels may provide an alternative source of raw material for more detailed study in the field of pharmaceutical research.

Advances in the science of estrogen receptor modulation.

This work details recent advances in the science of estrogen receptor (ER) modulation, with emphasis on the discovery of novel ligands for the ER ligand binding domain (LBD). A detailed examination of structural studies of the ERs is presented with analysis of the impact of such works on contemporary ligand design and the molecular pharmacology of the ER. The various classes of ER modulators are discussed on the basis of stuctural similarities including selective estrogen receptor modulators (SERMs) and 'pure' non-steroidal antiestrogens. Additionally we review the emergence of a novel selective class of modulator which we have termed the selective estrogen receptor subtype modulators (SERSMs) and, in a departure from LBD strategies we examine the discovery of novel peptide inhibitors of the ER which inhibit transcriptional activiation of agonist liganded receptor through interaction with coactivator recruitment proteins, and offer unique insight to the mechanism of action of all classes of ER modulators. Through examination of patent and classical literature we present a thorough and informative cross-section of the contemporary state of the art in this exciting field of pharmaceutical research.

The pharmaceutical industry and research in 2002 and beyond.

The success of the pharmaceutical industry will continue to depend on its ability to satisfy the clinical needs of established market economies. The number and quality of new drugs emerging from development pipelines seems likely to rise due to increased research and development budgets of the merged pharmaceutical companies, efficiencies across all facets of the development process, increasing use of new technologies and availability of new targets from the ongoing work on the role of human genes in disease pathways. In addition to the traditional small-molecule drugs, the market for protein products, including monoclonal antibodies and therapeutic vaccines, is likely to expand as advances in recombinant and formulation technologies are made. Current work on relatively newer fields of pharmaceutical research, such as novel G-protein-coupled receptors, chemokines/cytokines, integrins and control of cell cycle regulation and signal transduction pathways (kinases, phosphatases and transcription factors) will lead to new drugs over the next decade. It is tempting to argue that a progressive fall in the number of new drugs in the last decade of the 20th century reflects the end of an era as companies struggle to identify any remaining quality products using old-style drug hunting practices.

Anthelmintics — A review

Abstract The development of new anthelmintics for use in livestock has been probably the most rapidly expanding area in the field of pharmaceutical research of recent years. Scarcely a month goes by without the reporting of yet another new compound being introduced for its novel anthel-mintic activity. The real revolution in nematode therapy began in essence with the discovery of Thiaben-dazole in the early 1960s. This success stimulated considerable research activity and heralded the onset of the modern era of anthelmintic compounds. Since that time great strides have been made in the discovery of nematocides, fasciolicides and cestocides, all possessing increasing potency and broad-spectrum activity. Modern research has provided us with a considerable array of highly effective and highly selective drugs with which to attack helminth parasites. It is of paramount importance that these agents be used correctly and judiciously if a favourable clinical response to treatment is to be obtained.