ABSTRACT
Type 2 diabetes mellitus(T2DM)and other metabolic disorders are often silent and go unnoticed in patients because of the lack of suitable prognostic and diagnostic markers.The current therapeutic regimens available for managing T2DM do not reverse diabetes;instead,they delay the progression of diabetes.Their efficacy(in principle)may be significantly improved if implemented at earlier stages.The misfolding and aggregation of human islet amyloid polypeptide(hIAPP)or amylin has been associated with a gradual decrease in pancreatic β-cell function and mass in patients with T2DM.Hence,hIAPP has been recognized as a therapeutic target for managing T2DM.This review summarizes hIAPP's role in mediating dysfunction and apoptosis in pancreatic β-cells via induction of endoplasmic reticulum stress,oxidative stress,mitochondrial dysfunction,inflammatory cytokine secretion,autophagy blockade,etc.Furthermore,it explores the possibility of using intermediates of the hIAPP aggregation pathway as potential drug targets for T2DM management.Finally,the effects of common antidiabetic molecules and repurposed drugs;other hIAPP mimetics and peptides;small organic molecules and natural compounds;nanoparticles,nanobodies,and quantum dots;metals and metal complexes;and chaperones that have demonstrated potential to inhibit and/or reverse hIAPP aggregation and can,therefore,be further developed for managing T2DM have been discussed.
ABSTRACT
Asthma is a complex genetic disorder involving the interplay between various environmental and genetic factors. In this review, efforts have been made to provide information on the recent advances in these areas and to discuss the future perspective of research in the area of developing personalized drugs using pharmacogenomic approach. Atopic asthma is found to be strongly familial, however the mode of inheritance is controversial. A large number of studies have been carried out and a number of candidate genes have been identified. In addition, a number of chromosomal regions have been identified using genome-wide scans, which might contain important unknown genes. It has been shown in studies carried out in different populations that the genetic predisposition varies with ethnicity. In other words, genes that are associated with asthma in one population may not be associated with asthma in another population. In addition to the involvement of multiple genes, gene-gene interactions play a significant role in asthma. The importance of environmental factors in asthma is beyond doubt. However, it remains controversial whether a cleaner environment or increased pollution is a trigger for asthma. Despite the increasing prevalence of the disorder, only a limited number of therapeutic modalities are available for the treatment. A number of novel therapeutic targets have been identified and drugs are being developed for better efficacy with less side-effects. With the rapid progress in the identification of genes involved in various ethnic populations combined with the availability in future of well-targeted drugs, it will be possible to have appropriate medicine as per the genetic make-up of an individual.