Search PubMed⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search PubMed

Results for “knowledge accumulation”

Search indexed PubMed citations on genomics, clinical trials, systematic reviews and public health. Explore titles, authors and supplied subject terms, then open the PubMed record.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 325 records · Page 18Linked to original sources
PubMed2002

HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors - a review of the recent patent literature.

Statins are very potent inhibitors of HMG-CoA reductase, the rate-limiting enzyme in cholesterol biosynthesis at the mevalonate level. Today there is an increasing tendency to treat hypercholesterolemia aggressively, hence, the greater use of statins worldwide. The pleiotropic effect of statins is well documented. Examination of the patent literature reveals that in the past year pharmaceutical companies continued to be very active in this area. Accumulated knowledge of the actions of statins shows that they may be involved in many more processes than originally anticipated. Hence, in addition to 'old' indications (hypercholesterolemia, hyperlipidemia and atherosclerosis) many patent applications published in 2001 attempted to cover combination therapies, widening indications for statins to almost all known diseases. Many of the 'new' claims are not well substantiated and biological data are absent. Based on the magnitude of cardiovascular disease and aging population globally this area of drug discovery will continue to be an important area of research for all pharmaceutical companies.

Journal Article↗
PubMedDate not supplied

The puzzle of somatostatin: action, receptors, analogues and therapy.

The scientific search for the revelation of the multiple physiological aspects of somatostatin has already begun. Investigators have managed to clarify many pathophysiological processes that have been influenced or regulated by somatostatin. The focus of future research seems to be the therapeutic application of this accumulated knowledge. The aim of this study is to collect the available information on the action, receptors and use of somatostatin analogues in human tissues. For this reason findings were based on Internet search and complete studies with abstracts written in English. A special mention on the influence of somatostatin on the immune system and inflammatory bowel disease is also included.

Autoimmunity↗
PubMed2005

[Treatment of chronic hepatitis B].

More that 350 million people worldwide suffer from chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. Up to 40 percent of persons infected with the virus may develop complications related to cirrhosis or hepatocellular carcinoma. This reservoire is further growing up despite the fact that more than 110 countries have introduced large-scale vaccination against hepatitis B as part of the worldwide campaign launched by the WHO in 1991 and despite improved blood supply testing. At present, in Croatia there are no precise data on the rate of chronic HBV carriers, however, it is estimated to be < 2% (low prevalence country). To date, two drugs, interferon alfa and lamivudine, have been approved for the treatment of chronic hepatitis B in Croatia. Recent guidelines for the treatment of chronic hepatitis B based on the accumulated knowledge on the disesase pathogenesis and treatment outcome are presented.

Antiviral Agents↗
PubMed2006

PET/CT for atherosclerotic plaque imaging.

Atherosclerosis is one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality in the world. Rupture of atherosclerotic plaques and thrombi formation are the primary mechanisms of myocardial infarction or cerebrovascular accident. Angiography is considered to represent the gold standard technique for imaging of the arterial lumen. However, in recent years it has been realized that the primary determinant of the atherosclerotic plaque stability is the composition of the plaque and other imaging modalities have been suggested. The purpose of this review is to briefly summarize the knowledge accumulated to present date regarding the potential role of fluodeoxyglucose imaging in the assessment of atherosclerosis and to compare this modality to additional available imaging approaches for the detection of vulnerable plaques.

Atherosclerosis↗
PubMed2006

[Progress in research on vitamin D analogs].

A little over two decades ago, the vitamin D activation pathway was elucidated and alfacalcidol arrived on the scene as a prodrug for active vitamin D, 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D(3), to remedy vitamin D deficiency. With the concurrent reported discovery of the differentiation-inducing effect of active vitamin D, its diverse physiological effects have become appreciated and the research aiming to accentuate selected physiological effects by analog research has made a fresh development. Our studies aimed particularly at separating the differentiation-inducing effect/cell growth-inhibitory effect and the calcemic effect of active vitamin D led to the development of two characteristic analogs, OCT and ED-71. OCT, characterized by its profound differentiation-inducing effect and modest calcemic effect, is currently in practical use as an injectable therapeutic agent for secondary hyperparathyroidism as well as in clinical settings as an ointment for the treatment of psoriasis vulgaris. The other analog, ED-71, possesses a profile inverse to that of OCT and is now under clinical development as an oral preparation for treatment of osteoporosis. The present overview refers to methodology of searching next-generation analogs, exemplifying a new analog, DD-281, based on the knowledge accumulated through development of OCT and ED-71.

Animals↗
PubMed2006

Team care. Traditions and new trends.

Major changes have occurred in the care of patients with rheumatic diseases over the past decades. Most of these changes have focused on new pharmacological and surgical procedures and methods. However, for different reasons, few of these methods are available to many patients around the world, and thus other forms of care are still needed. For optimal benefit to patients, all aspects of care should be organized and coordinated through team care. This leads to new trends in team care development and research, based on well established traditions and accumulated knowledge.

Delivery of Health Care, Integrated↗
PubMed2006

[The sense of taste].

The taste sense is one of the five human senses. It is essential to our survival because it enables the individual the choice of correct food, which, in turn, is crucial for one's existence, maintenance and function. This is a complicated chemical sense, which operates in conjunction with other senses such as vision, smell and touch, and is also associated with the operation of temperature and consistency receptors. There are five basic tastes: bitter, sweet, sour, salty and "fleshy" (umami), each of which has a role in food selection, being responsible for the recognition of certain chemicals, which may be either necessary or dangerous to our body. The taste cell is located in the taste buds, which, in turn, are situated in the tongue, oral cavity and the proximal third of the esophagus. This translates the chemical signal of tastants in food to electrical stimulation that transfers the signal to higher processing centers in the brain, in a process called transduction, which is explained in this review. Disturbances in the taste sense, as well as effects of industrial exposure on this sense are also described. The accumulated knowledge about the taste sense might enable future breakthroughs in the processed food industry.

Brain↗
PubMed1991

[Colonic polyps: clinical and practical implications].

Among colorectal polyps, various forms of neoplastic or non-neoplastic lesions are distinguished by histology. Most accumulated knowledge suggests that the majority of cancer of the colon arise in pre-existing benign neoplastic polyps (adenoma-carcinoma sequence). Because of the risk of cancer being already present, all adenomatous polyps must be removed in toto. The carcinoma may occupy only a small area of the polyp, and therefore, forceps biopsies are inappropriate due to the sampling error. Since patients with polyps detected by rectosigmoidoscopy often have further polyps in the remaining part of the colon, complete examination of the whole colon is required. Follow-up examinations are indicated, because the risk of developing new polyps is high. Studies of the life history of the adenoma-carcinoma sequence suggest that interval of complete large-bowel follow-up may be about 5 years. The policy of polypectomy and follow-up examinations should be possible to prevent the development of colorectal cancer.

Cell Transformation, Neoplastic↗
PubMed1991

[Symptomatology of the involuntary movement].

Actual phenomena of various types of involuntary movements listed below were demonstrated by moving pictures, which were followed by comments on symptomatology, in particular the fundamental characteristics of an individual involuntary movement. These characteristics are the essence of each involuntary movement, and it is necessary to recognize both its phenomenon itself and its accumulated knowledge in order to realize and interpret the involuntary movement. The following involuntary movements are treated: (1) typical tremor-at-rest in paralysis agitans, (2) atypical parkinsonian tremor, (3) essential tremor, (4) chorea, (5) ballism, (6) athetosis, (7) choreoathetosis, (8) dystonia, (9) spontaneous myoclonus at rest, (10) intention or action myoclonus, (11) intention tremor and (12) hyperkinesis.

Humans↗
PubMedDate not supplied

The aging workforce: implications for organizations.

Older workers may perform as well as or better than younger workers. Their accumulated knowledge, skills, and experiences, as well as their low absenteeism, turnover, and accident rates, makes them valuable employees. This chapter examines both the positive and negative effects of an aging workforce. A variety of issues regarding demographic trends, ageism, stereotyping of the older worker, appropriate health promotion strategies, elder care, and health care costs are addressed.

Age Factors↗
PubMed1985

Subunit vaccines against exogenous retroviruses: overview and perspectives.

Vaccines prepared from purified viral envelope complexes are effective against certain animal model tumors induced by exogenous retroviruses. Related viruses have recently been isolated from humans and obviously cause adult T-cell leukemia and the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. Knowledge accumulated in experiments with subunit vaccines against animal retroviruses could help to develop immunopreventive regimens against human retroviruses.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗
PubMed1989

Will the "short dialysis" of the eighties be adequate?

Almost 30 years have elapsed since the first successful attempts by Scribner and his associates of the Seattle Group to sustain life for an unlimited period of time in patients with end-stage renal failure. More than 250,000 patients are currently treated worldwide with various methods of maintenance dialysis, with survival rates reaching 75% at 10 years and 65% at 15 years reported by experienced groups. Such results are all the more remarkable (and initially unexpected) both because maintenance hemodialysis can replace only partially the numerous sophisticated regulatory functions of the normal kidney and despite our persistent ignorance of many factors involved in uremic toxicity. Moreover, an entirely new, multifaceted pathology has developed in the population of patients submitted to long-term hemodialysis as a consequence of the permanently incomplete correction of the uremic syndrome together with the multiple disorders and complications induced by dialysis and its related therapeutic procedures. In this context, the key question concerning the optimal duration of hemodialysis required to provide patients with a life as close to normal as possible, and in the highest conditions of safety and comfort, remains a matter of ongoing debate. The advances made through the years in understanding the mechanisms of many of the complications occurring in hemodialyzed patients have generated the concept of "adequate" dialysis. According to this concept, the weekly amount of dialysis delivered to a patient is the basic factor that must be considered in terms of a prescription; the weekly duration of dialysis represents only one variable among many that must be taken into account to define a "dialysis strategy" for a given patient. The large body of knowledge accumulated over time concerning the multiple aspects of the pathology arising in hemodialysis patients has contributed to the development of many technical advances; these have allowed ever more efficacious and safe control of the clinical and biologic disturbances caused by long-lasting terminal uremia. The average weekly dialysis time of 24 to 40 hours 25 years ago was reduced to less than 12 hours in the '70s and currently may be as few as 6 hours. Will the criteria for "adequate" dialysis be met in the long run despite this dramatic reduction in weekly dialysis time? That is the question to which this paper attempts to suggest at least a partial answer. We shall limit the scope of this study to the theoretical and practical problems relevant to maintenance hemodialysis therapy. Those specific to hemofiltration will not be discussed here.

Humans↗
PubMed1989

The emerging genetics of cancer.

The rapid progress in molecular biology has allowed investigators to define some of the basic mechanisms of carcinogenesis. At the molecular level, cellular transformation results from the occurrence of two or three distinct genetic events that uncouple the cell from its normal regulatory mechanisms. One family of genes, the oncogenes, may be particularly important in the process. The aberrant expression of oncogenes, either by mutation or simply by increased transcription, may result in cellular transformation. The genes usually code for growth factors, growth factor receptors or for proteins involved in the transduction of growth signals into the nucleus. Genetic activation causes the cell to continuously sense a message to undergo mitosis, and the cell no longer responds to its normal regulatory signals. The concepts are rapidly moving into the clinical realm as the genetic mechanisms of particular neoplasms have been investigated. The neuroblastoma is the first tumor system in which the biologic characteristics of the tumor were found to be related to a known oncogene; the amplification of the myc gene is an independent marker of the aggressiveness of the tumor. In addition, much progress has been made in defining the specific genetic lesions responsible for retinoblastomas, Wilms' tumors and carcinomas of the colon that arise in patients with familial polyposis coli. As more knowledge accumulates regarding the exact mechanisms through which the proteins encoded by oncogenes affect these carcinomas and others, it may become possible to design pharmacologic agents rationally to hinder their growth selectively.

Humans↗
PubMed1989

Systemic biodistribution of radioiodinated interleukin-2 in the rat.

Interleukin-2 (IL-2) is a lymphokine capable of modulating a variety of immune functions. In vitro and in vivo studies have shown promising cytotoxic potential. Despite numerous ongoing clinical trials, however, little is known about the biodistribution of this lymphokine after in vivo administration. In this study using a rat model, the fate of radioiodinated human recombinant IL-2 (RIL-2) was analyzed by camera imaging, autoradiography, and well counting experiments. Camera imaging demonstrated the liver and kidney to be the organs of greatest radioactivity accumulation with peak liver uptake noted at approximately 10 min from onset of infusion, and peak kidney uptake at approximately 20 min. Autoradiographic assessment of selected organs (kidney, adrenal, liver, lung, and brain) revealed marked heterogeneity of uptake in the kidney and adrenal gland with preponderance of RIL-2 in the cortex of these organs. A more homogeneous distribution of RIL-2 uptake was noted in liver, lung, and brain parenchyma. Well counting confirmed the liver and kidney as the organs of greatest RIL-2 accumulation. Knowledge of the biodistribution of IL-2 may be of benefit both in studying mechanisms of toxicity and in designing novel therapeutic approaches.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

IgG4: characteristics and its role in allergic diseases.

We present a review on the knowledge accumulated since Parish described the existence of an anaphylactic antibody with properties different from that of IgE. We analyze its biologic and physicochemical characteristics and state its possible dual action such as anaphylactic and blocking antibody. Likewise we point out its etiologic role in the different allergic diseases stressing its participation in atopic and nonatopic bronchial asthma.

Anaphylaxis↗
PubMed1988

Recent advances in Duchenne and Becker muscular dystrophy.

The recent identification of the gene and gene product altered in Duchenne and Becker dystrophy has opened up new and exciting avenues to an understanding of these diseases. This article presents the clinical features, pathology, genetics, and management of Duchenne and Becker muscular dystrophy. These issues are discussed in light of the rapidly accumulating knowledge concerning the molecular basis for the two disorders.

Humans↗
PubMed1986

The chemotherapeutic potential of polyamine antimetabolites.

The polyamines, putrescine, spermidine and spermine are small cationic molecules essential for DNA synthesis and cell replication. Because the cytotoxicity of most anti-cancer drugs can be attributed to inhibitory effects on DNA synthesis and cell replication it led to speculation that inhibition of polyamine synthesis could be a useful tool in the control of neoplastic growth. In 1978 alpha-difluoromethylornithine (DFMO), a powerful inhibitor of ornithine decarboxylase, the rate limiting enzyme in polyamine synthesis, was synthesized by Metcalf. Since then numerous investigators have tested the potential of DFMO and other polyamine antimetabolites as chemotherapeutic agents in experimental animals and cell cultures. The accumulated knowledge is now being evaluated in the treatment of human proliferative disorders and cancer.

Animals↗