The Role of Natural Products in Drug Discovery


Book Description

Natural Products have been important sources of useful drugs from prehistoric times to the present. This book gives an overview about this field and provides important recent contributions to the discovery of new drugs generated by research on natural products. Total synthesis of natural products with interesting biological activities is paving the way for the preparation of new and improved analogs. The methods of combinatorial chemistry permit the selection of the best drug from a large number of candidates. Beyond synthesis and evaluation of organic molecules a number of new bioorganic methods are coming to the fore and will be discucced in this isue of the ERnst schering Research Foundation workshop proceedings.




Drug Design and Discovery in Alzheimer's Disease


Book Description

Drug Design and Discovery in Alzheimer's Disease includes expert reviews of recent developments in Alzheimer's disease (AD) and neurodegenerative disease research. Originally published by Bentham as Frontiers in Drug Design and Discovery, Volume 6and now distributed by Elsevier, this compilation of the sixteen articles, written by leading global researchers, focuses on key developments in the understanding of the disease at molecular levels, identification and validation of molecular targets, as well as innovative approaches towards drug discovery, development, and delivery. Beginning with an overview of AD pharmacotherapy and existing blockbuster drugs, the reviews cover the potential of both natural and synthetic small molecules; the role of cholinesterases in the on-set and progression of AD and their inhibition; the role of beta-site APP clearing enzyme-1 (BACE-1) in the production of ß-amyloid proteins, one of the key reasons of the progression of AD; and other targets identified for AD drug discovery. - Edited and written by leading experts in Alzheimer's disease (AD) and other neurodegenerative disease drug development - Describes existing drugs for AD and current molecular understanding of the condition - Reviews recent advances in the field, including coverage of cholinesterases, BACE-1, and other drug development targets




Natural Product-based Synthetic Drug Molecules in Alzheimer's Disease


Book Description

This book illustrates the importance of natural products as the source for the development of novel drugs for the treatment of neurodegenerative disorders, including Alzheimer's disease. It also highlights the role of reactive oxygen species and altered metal homeostasis in the progression of Alzheimer’s disease and examines the potential of antioxidants and anti-chelating agents in the clinical intervention of neurodegenerative diseases. The book also discusses the role of neuroinflammation in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer’s disease. The chapters provide information about the drug targets, progress in the development of natural product-based therapeutics, biomarkers, fluorescent diagnostic tools, and theranostic for Alzheimer's disease. The book also provides information about the design and synthesis of natural product-based derivatives against the various targets of Alzheimer's disease including epigenetic targets and the metal dyshomeostasis hypothesis. Cutting across different disciplines, this book is a valuable source for neuroscientists, chemical biologists, pharmaceutical researchers, and synthetic biologists.




WHO Global Report on Traditional and Complementary Medicine 2019


Book Description

This report is structured in five parts: national framework for traditional and complementary medicine (T&CM); product regulation; practices and practitioners; the challenges faced by countries; and finally the country profiles. Apart from the section on practices and practitioners the report is consistent with the format of the report of the first global survey in order to provide a useful comparison. The section on practices and practitioners which covers providers education and health insurance is a new section incorporated to reflect the emerging trends in T&CM and to gather new information regarding these topics at a national level. All new information received has been incorporated into individual country profiles and data graphs. The report captures the three phases of progress made by Member States; that is before and after the first WHO Traditional Medicine Strategy (1999?2005) from the first global survey to the second global survey (2005?2012) and from the second survey to the most recent timeline (2012?2018).




Ganoderma and Health


Book Description

This book presents a state-of-the-art report on recent advances concerning Ganoderma and where the field is going. Although some older work is also cited, the main focus is on advances made over the past 20 years in the pharmacology and clinical applications of Ganoderma. Ganoderma lucidum (Lingzhi) has been used as a traditional medicine in Asian countries to maintain health and to treat diseases for more than two thousand years. Recently, its value has been demonstrated in preventing and treating certain diseases, such as tumors, liver disorders, renal injury, hypercholesterolemia, obesity, cerebral ischemia reperfusion, bronchitis etc. In addition, laboratory and clinical studies have confirmed that the chemical components of Ganoderma, such as Ganoderma lucidum polysaccharide peptides and triterpenes isolated from the fruiting body of Ganoderma lucidum, produce diverse pharmacological effects. Ganoderma and its components play an important part in antioxidant stress, radical-scavenging, immunomodulation, and intracellular signaling regulation, and accordingly warrant further study. This book systematically reviews the latest advances in our understanding of pharmacology and clinical applications of Ganoderma, and offers researchers and graduate students valuable new insights into the pharmacology and clinical applications of Ganoderma and related products.




Pathobiology of Alzheimer's Disease


Book Description

Neuroscience Perspectives provides multidisciplinary reviews of topics in one of the most diverse and rapidly advancing fields in the life sciences.Whether you are a new recruit to neuroscience, or an established expert, look to this series for 'one-stop' sources of the historical, physiological, pharmacological, biochemical, molecular biological and therapeutic aspects of chosen research areas.The last decade has seen tremendous advances in our understanding of the pathobiology of Alzheimer's disease. These will lead to the first generation of drugs aimed at prevention rather than cure. This book covers some of the most important and exciting of these advances, with chapters written by many of the leading researchers in the field.With genetic studies as a backbone to this volume many chapters are devoted to the function and regulation of amyloid b-protein precursor (APP) and apolipoprotein E (ApoE). Other chapters describe cell biological approaches helping to piece together the link between the genetic alterations and the phenotype we call Alzheimer's disease.Although APP and its proteolytic cleavage product, amyloid b-protein, do not answer all the questions, detailed research into this system has undoubtedly increased our knowledge of the pathobiology of AD and has lead to the identification of other risk factors. Understanding the role of ApoE in the pathology of Alzheimer's disease promises to open a whole new field in AD research.* * Reviews the current knowledge of the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's Disease from a clinical perspective to a genetic and cell biological perspective* A comprehensive description of the role of amyloid B-protein precursor in Alzheimer's disease.* Up-to-date research data* Clear illustrations complement the text




Bioactive Natural Products


Book Description

Bioactive natural products are a rich source of novel therapeutics. Thus, the search for bioactive molecules from nature continues to play an important role in fashioning new medicinal agents. This volume, which comprises sixteen chapters written by active researchers and leading experts in natural products chemistry, brings together an overview of current discoveries in this remarkable field. It also provides information on the industrial application of natural products for medicinal purposes. This book will serve as a valuable resource for researchers to predict promising leads for developing pharmaceuticals to treat various ailments and disease manifestations.




Structure-based Design of Drugs and Other Bioactive Molecules


Book Description

Drug design is a complex, challenging and innovative research area. Structure-based molecular design has transformed the drug discovery approach in modern medicine. Traditionally, focus has been placed on computational, structural or synthetic methods only in isolation. This one-of-akind guide integrates all three skill sets for a complete picture of contemporary structure-based design. This practical approach provides the tools to develop a high-affinity ligand with drug-like properties for a given drug target for which a high-resolution structure exists. The authors use numerous examples of recently developed drugs to present "best practice" methods in structurebased drug design with both newcomers and practicing researchers in mind. By way of a carefully balanced mix of theoretical background and case studies from medicinal chemistry applications, readers will quickly and efficiently master the basic skills of successful drug design. This book is aimed at new and active medicinal chemists, biochemists, pharmacologists, natural product chemists and those working in drug discovery in the pharmaceutical industry. It is highly recommended as a desk reference to guide students in medicinal and chemical sciences as well as to aid researchers engaged in drug design today.




Design of Hybrid Molecules for Drug Development


Book Description

Design of Hybrid Molecules for Drug Development reviews the principles, advantages, and limitations involved with designing these groundbreaking compounds. Beginning with an introduction to hybrid molecule design and background as to their need, the book goes on to explore a range of important hybrids, with hybrids containing natural products, molecules containing NO- and H2S-donors, dual-acting compounds acting as receptor ligands and enzyme inhibitors, and the design of photoresponsive drugs all discussed. Drawing on practical case studies, the hybridization of molecules for development as treatments for a number of key diseases is then outlined, including the design of hybrids for Alzheimer's, cancer, and malaria. With its cutting-edge reviews of breaking developments in this exciting field, the book offers a novel approach for all those working in the design, development, and administration of drugs for a range of debilitating disorders. - Highlights an approach unimpaired by the limitations of the classical search for lead structures - one of the core problems in modern drug development processes, making the content of high relevance for both academic and non-academic drug development processes - Pulls together research and design techniques in a novel way to give researchers the best possible platform from which to review the approaches and techniques applied - Compares the advantages and disadvantages of these compounds - Includes the very latest developments, such as photoactivatable and photo-responsive drugs




Beyond the Molecular Frontier


Book Description

Chemistry and chemical engineering have changed significantly in the last decade. They have broadened their scopeâ€"into biology, nanotechnology, materials science, computation, and advanced methods of process systems engineering and controlâ€"so much that the programs in most chemistry and chemical engineering departments now barely resemble the classical notion of chemistry. Beyond the Molecular Frontier brings together research, discovery, and invention across the entire spectrum of the chemical sciencesâ€"from fundamental, molecular-level chemistry to large-scale chemical processing technology. This reflects the way the field has evolved, the synergy at universities between research and education in chemistry and chemical engineering, and the way chemists and chemical engineers work together in industry. The astonishing developments in science and engineering during the 20th century have made it possible to dream of new goals that might previously have been considered unthinkable. This book identifies the key opportunities and challenges for the chemical sciences, from basic research to societal needs and from terrorism defense to environmental protection, and it looks at the ways in which chemists and chemical engineers can work together to contribute to an improved future.