The Myosin Family of Mechanoenzymes: From Mechanisms to Therapeutic Approaches.

Myosins are among the most fascinating enzymes in biology. As extremely allosteric chemomechanical molecular machines, myosins are involved in myriad pivotal cellular functions and are frequently sites of mutations leading to disease phenotypes. Human ß-cardiac myosin has proved to be an excellent target for small-molecule therapeutics for heart muscle diseases, and, as we describe here, other myosin family members are likely to be potentially unique targets for treating other diseases as well. The first part of this review focuses on how myosins convert the chemical energy of ATP hydrolysis into mechanical movement, followed by a description of existing therapeutic approaches to target human ß-cardiac myosin. The next section focuses on the possibility of targeting nonmuscle members of the human myosin family for several diseases. We end the review by describing the roles of myosin in parasites and the therapeutic potential of targeting them to block parasitic invasion of their hosts.

Single plant remedies from traditional Indian medical systems in focus.

Renewed awareness of the potentials of traditional medical systems and the limits of biomedicine have opened the dialog on making integrative medical therapies more mainstream. The vast resources of traditional medical knowledge from classical medical texts, folk medical practices based on the rich biodiversity available in India, and sophisticated experimental science and biomedical practice, places India in a unique place to lead the effort into integrative medicine to address some of the emerging global health care issues. Frequent use of antibiotics for minor ailments, for example, have been shown to develop adverse consequences for individuals and for public health globally. Here I propose that educating the public with controlled outcome-based studies, on the power of traditional therapies to stimulate the immune system, enhance anti-inflammatory activities and to promote cell growth, are needed to bring back traditional remedies into everyday use for minor illnesses in place of commonly used biomedicines that have long term adverse consequences. For simplicity, such studies should begin with single medicinal plants that derive from folk and Ayurvedic traditions. In addition, fundamental principles underlying the efficacy of traditional therapies and their long-term advantage for wellness, needs to be integral parts of education of biomedical physicians to make integrative medicine a reality.

The Ashtavaidya physicians of Kerala: A tradition in transition.

This paper presents what we have learned from the Ashtavaidya Ayurveda physicians of Kerala regarding the status of their unique medical tradition of Ayurveda in the contemporary context. We extensively interviewed several practicing Ashtavaidyas for the "Living History of Indian Scientific Traditions" archive, a new initiative at the NCBS, Bangalore to study the history of Indian sciences. As heirs of a tradition that has adapted and evolved over centuries without compromising its fundamental principles, their views on Ayurveda presented here represent an important contribution to the current debate on the role of traditional medicine in the Indian public health system.