Bradykinin B2 receptor antagonist off label use in short-term prophylaxis in hereditary angioedema.

Hereditary angioedema type I (HAE-C1-INH) is an inherited disorder characterized by repeated severe angioedema attacks mostly triggered by traumas, emotional stress, increased estrogen levels or surgical procedures, in particular, odontostomatological interventions. Icatibant, a bradykinin B2 receptor antagonist, has been approved for treatment of HAE attacks. In this paper we describe the “off label” administration of icatibant as short-term prophylaxis of dental extraction in a patient with HAE with the aim of preventing perioperative angioedema attacks. The drug showed an effective and safe profile. Thus, a short-term prophylaxis of angioedema attacks in patients with HAE may be arranged on a multidisciplinary basis, according to the clinical history of each single patients.

Early genomics of learning and memory: a review.

The characterization of the molecular mechanisms whereby our brain codes, stores and retrieves memories remains a fundamental puzzle in neuroscience. Despite the knowledge that memory storage involves gene induction, the identification and characterization of the effector genes has remained elusive. The completion of the Human Genome Project and a variety of new technologies are revolutionizing the way these mechanisms can be explored. This review will examine how a genomic approach can be used to dissect and analyze the complex dynamic interactions involved in gene regulation during learning and memory. This innovative approach is providing information on a new class of genes associated with learning and memory in health and disease and is elucidating new molecular targets and pathways whose pharmacological modulation may allow new therapeutic approaches for improving cognition.