Word: bradykinin
(lookup in dictionary)
(lookup stats)
Dates: all
Sort By: most recent first
(reverse)
Black is best known for his discovery that bradykinin, a natural body peptide, is highly effective in opening the blood-brain barrier by making capillary walls leaky--the way leukotrienes do, he says, only to a greater degree. "The fantastic thing about bradykinin," says Black, "is that it does not open the barrier to the normal brain--only to tumors." By using RMP-7, a synthetic version of bradykinin, Black's team has been able to focus chemotherapy drugs right on the tumors, increasing the effective dose as much as 10-fold. Crucial to RMP-7's success, however...
...pain message originates at the point of contact (see diagram). It begins with the release of a number of potent chemicals that are normally stored in or near nerve endings for use on just such clumsy occasions. Among these chemicals are the mysterious substance P (for pain), prostaglandins and bradykinin, probably the most painful substance known to man-just a tiny amount inserted under the skin with a needle causes excruciating pain. These substances sensitize the nerve endings and help transmit the pain message from the injured region toward the brain. Prostaglandins also increase circulation to the damaged area, causing...
| 1 |