University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey

About: University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey is a based out in . It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Pregnancy. The organization has 14634 authors who have published 19610 publications receiving 1041794 citations.

Quantitative structure‐activity relationship methods: Perspectives on drug discovery and toxicology

Abstract: Quantitative structure-activity relationships (QSARs) attempt to correlate chemical structure with activity using statistical approaches. The QSAR models are useful for various purposes including the prediction of activities of untested chemicals. Quantitative structure-activity relationships and other related approaches have attracted broad scientific interest, particularly in the pharmaceutical industry for drug discovery and in toxicology and environmental science for risk assessment. An assortment of new QSAR methods have been developed during the past decade, most of them focused on drug discovery. Besides advancing our fundamental knowledge of QSARs, these scientific efforts have stimulated their application in a wider range of disciplines, such as toxicology, where QSARs have not yet gained full appreciation. In this review, we attempt to summarize the status of QSAR with emphasis on illuminating the utility and limitations of QSAR technology. We will first review two-dimensional (2D) QSAR with a discussion of the availability and appropriate selection of molecular descriptors. We will then proceed to describe three-dimensional (3D) QSAR and key issues associated with this technology, then compare the relative suitability of 2D and 3D QSAR for different applications. Given the recent technological advances in biological research for rapid identification of drug targets, we mention several examples in which QSAR approaches are employed in conjunction with improved knowledge of the structure and function of the target receptor. The review will conclude by discussing statistical validation of QSAR models, a topic that has received sparse attention in recent years despite its critical importance.

Tumour-induced immune modulation of sentinel lymph nodes.

Abstract: Sentinel lymph nodes (SLNs), being the first nodes to receive lymph from a primary tumour and the preferential site of initial tumour metastases, are intensively exposed to the bioactive products of tumour cells and other associated cells. This makes them ideal for studies of the factors that determine selective tissue susceptibility to metastases. We postulate that tumour-induced immune modulation of SLNs facilitates lymph-node metastases by inhibiting the generation of tumour-specific cytotoxic T cells that are active against tumour cells of primary and metastatic melanomas. Immune modulation of the lymph nodes can be reversed by granulocyte/macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF), a finding that has implications for the future therapy of lymph-node metastases.

Reduced cardiac parasympathetic activity in children with autism

Abstract: Many of the clinical symptoms of autism suggest autonomic dysfunction. The aim of this study was to measure baseline cardiovascular autonomic function in children with autism using the NeuroScope, a device that can measure this brainstem function in real-time. Resting cardiac vagal tone (CVT), cardiac sensitivity to baroreflex (CSB), mean arterial blood pressure (MAP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), systolic blood pressure (SBP) and heart rate (HR) were recorded in three different groups of children. The symptomatic group (n = 15) consisted of those with autism who exhibited symptoms or signs of autonomic dysfunction. The asymptomatic group (n = 13) consisted of children with autism but without symptoms or signs of autonomic dysfunction and the healthy children were in the control group (n = 17) [corrected]. The CVT and CSB were significantly lower in association with a significant elevation in HR, MAP and DBP in all children with autism compared with the healthy controls. Further more, the levels of CVT and CSB were lower in the symptomatic than in the asymptomatic group. The levels of CVT and CSB were not related to age in all the three groups. These results suggest that there is low baseline cardiac parasympathetic activity with evidence of elevated sympathetic tone in children with autism whether or not they have symptoms or signs of autonomic abnormalities.