Disease concept model

However, in 1960, E. M. Jelhnek presented an argument that alcohohsm was a medical disease. Following Jelhnek s work, the American Psychiatric Association began to use the term disease to describe alcohohsm and the American Medical Association followed in 1966. As with many concepts and theoretical models in this field, the disease concept was originahy apphed to alcoholism and has been generalized to addiction to other drugs. 

The disease concept is associated with Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous.Furthermore, the most widely emulated approach to treatment, the Minnesota Model developed by the Hazeldon Foundation, incorporates the disease concept of alcoholism/addiction in its treatment program. 

A variety of other clinically important infections, such as brucellosis, listeriosis, salmonellosis, and various Mycobacterium infections, are of interest as these are often localized in organs rich in MPS cells. Liposome encapsulation has been demonstrated to improve therapeutic indices of several drugs in a number of infectious models. The natural avidity of macrophages for liposomes can also be exploited in the application of the vesicles as carriers of immunomodulators to activate these cells to an microbicidal, antiviral, or tumoricidal state. These studies were recently reviewed by Emmen and Storm (1987), Popescu et al. (1987), and Alving (1988). In addition to the treatment of "old" infectious diseases, the concept of MPS-directed drug delivery is of considerable interest for the therapy AIDS, possibly enabling control of human immunodeficiency virus replication in human macrophages. 

The regulation of epithelial Cl -channels has been examined in many laboratories, and these studies have been intensified with the recognition that the Cl -channel regulation in epithelia is defective in a very common and clinically serious inherited disease, namely cystic fibrosis [17,18]. Efforts in this direction have not yet arrived at coherent concepts, and many published models [19-22] may have to be modified or revised. 

It can be seen that these definitions are derived from experimental observation and are no more than classifications based on a set of properties shared by a group of substances. They are scientifically inadequate for the interpretation of results, which requires a definition based on concepts. Historically, the attempt to provide a model rather than a classification comes in the form of a search for imderlying universal principles. It seems that the alchemists recognized vague principles of acidity and alkalinity, and in the 17th century the iatrochemists made these the basis of chemical medicine. Disease was attributed to a predominance of one or other of these principles (Pattison Muir, 1883). 

The mechanism most commonly invoked to explain the association of infection with autoimmune disease is molecular mimicry that is, the concept that antigens (or more properly, epitopes) of the microorganism closely resemble self-antigens.50 The induction of an immune response to the microbial antigen thus results in cross-reactivity with selfantigens and the induction of autoimmunity. Although epitope specific cross-reactivity has been shown in some animal models,48,51 53 molecular mimicry is clearly demonstrated to be the causative mechanism in few, if any, human diseases.3 54,55... 

Fig. 10.11 Schematic diagram of a drug screening concept. Disease-associated genes are identified using different display technologies. Probes for disease-associated genes are designed and are spotted onto the porous chip. Libraries of pharmaceutical compounds are screened against a validated cell model...

Inhibition of IGF-IR autophosphorylation by NVP-ADW742 results in a plethora of pro-apoptotic molecular events that may account for its effectiveness as a single agent and in enhancing the antitumor activity of a broad spectrum of chemotherapeutic and anticancer targeted agents. Initial in vivo proof-of-concept of the potential therapeutic benefit of blocking IGF-IR kinase activity in tumor cells was obtained in an orthotopic multiple myeloma (MM) model of bone and bone marrow disease. In this mice model, MM... 

The third part. Developmental Psychopathology, delves into detailed disease-specific overviews. Each of the chapters covers issues pertaining to nosology and classification, to genetic determinants, brain systems implicated, environmental influences, and nature-nurture interactions. Neurotransmission and neuromodulation, and hormonal and other developmental influences are addressed and, whenever available, relevant animal models are incorporated into the discussion. The interplay of normative and derailed development is a core concept for these chapters. Of the part s 12 chapters, 9 are devoted to traditionally defined disease categories, and 3 cover the overarching areas of early-life stress, aggression, and affiliative behaviors. 

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