Related Concept Videos

Treatment for Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension: Prostacyclin Receptor Agonists01:23

Treatment for Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension: Prostacyclin Receptor Agonists

Prostacyclin receptor agonists are a class of therapeutic agents integral to managing pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). These drugs operate by mimicking the action of prostaglandin I2, or PGI2, a naturally occurring compound in the body.
These agonists bind to the IPR receptor situated on the plasma membrane of the pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells. This binding triggers a cascade of reactions known as the GS-AC-cAMP-PKA pathway. This pathway results in the relaxation of smooth muscle...
Treatment for Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension: Endothelin Receptor Antagonists01:18

Treatment for Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension: Endothelin Receptor Antagonists

Endothelins (ETs) are potent vasoactive peptides critical in the human body's various physiological and pathological processes. One of the most promising therapeutic strategies for treating pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) involves counteracting the effects of these endothelins using a class of drugs known as endothelin receptor antagonists.
ETs are synthesized through a complex sequence of enzymatic steps, primarily involving an enzyme referred to as endothelin-converting enzyme (ECE). Of...
Tumor Immunotherapy01:27

Tumor Immunotherapy

Immunotherapy is a treatment that boosts or manipulates the immune system to fight diseases, including cancer. For instance, by stimulating an immune response through vaccinations against viruses that cause cancers, like hepatitis B virus and human papillomavirus, these diseases can be prevented. Nonetheless, some cancer cells can avoid the immune system due to their rapid mutation and division. The immune response to many cancers involves three phases: elimination, equilibrium, and escape.
NF-κB-dependent Signaling Pathway02:26

NF-κB-dependent Signaling Pathway

The transcription factor NF-κB was discovered in 1986 in the lab of Nobel laureate Professor David Baltimore, for its interaction with the immunoglobulin light chain enhancer in B-cells. After more than three decades of study, it is now evident that NF-κB regulates the expression of over 100 genes. Most of these genes play an essential role in the innate and adaptive immune responses as well as the inflammatory responses of animals.
NF-κB-dependent Signaling Mechanism
The heterodimer of NF-κB...
The JAK-STAT Signaling Pathway01:20

The JAK-STAT Signaling Pathway

Several cytokine receptors have tightly bound Janus kinase or JAK proteins attached at their cytosolic tail. Small signaling molecules such as cytokines, growth hormones, or prolactins bind to the cytokine receptors and initiate their dimerization. The dimerization brings the cytosolic JAKs together that trans-phosphorylate and activates each other. The activated JAKs now phosphorylate cytosolic tails of the cytokine receptors, which serve as binding sites for adaptor proteins such as  SH2...
Treatment for Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension: Receptor Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors and Calcium Channel Blockers01:26

Treatment for Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension: Receptor Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors and Calcium Channel Blockers

Receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) and calcium channel blockers (CCBs) are two critical categories of drugs employed in the treatment of pulmonary artery hypertension (PAH). PAH is a disease that causes high blood pressure in the pulmonary arteries, resulting in chest pain, fatigue, and shortness of breath.
TKIs, such as imatinib (Gleevec), are particularly effective in tackling the growth and mitogenic factors that become upregulated in PAH patients. These factors contribute to the...