Kina Health Dictionary

An ENZYME which is proving to be of value in the investigation and diagnosis of muscular dystrophy (see MUSCLES, DISORDERS OF – Myopathy), in which it is found in the blood in greatly increased amounts.... creatine kinase

A term used to describe those sensations which underlie muscle tension and position of joint and muscle. These sensations send impulses along nerves to the brain, and thus inform it of the position of the limb in space and of the relative position to each other of individual muscles and muscle-groups and of joints.... kinaesthetic sensations

n. the sense that enables the brain to be constantly aware of the position and movement of muscles in different parts of the body. This is achieved by means of *proprioceptors, which send impulses from muscles, joints, and tendons. Without this sense, coordinated movement would be impossible with the eyes closed.... kinaesthesia

n. an instrument for measuring a patient’s awareness of the muscular and joint movements of his own body: used during the investigation of nervous and muscular disorders and certain forms of brain damage.... kinaesthesiometer

n. inability to sense the positions and movements of parts of the body, with consequent disordered physical activity.... kinanaesthesia

n. 1. an agent that can convert the inactive form of an enzyme (see proenzyme) to the active form. 2. an enzyme that catalyses the transfer of phosphate groups. An example is *phosphofructokinase.... kinase

an enzyme that catalyses the transfer of a phosphate group from ATP to a specific amino acid residue of an intracellular protein (usually serine, threonine, or tyrosine), thereby affecting the biological activity of the protein. Protein kinase inhibitors are drugs that block the action of protein kinases in tumour cells and are used in the treatment of cancer. They include *sorafenib, *sunitinib, and *temsirolimus. See also tyrosine kinase inhibitor.... protein kinase

any one of a class of drugs that interfere with cell growth in a variety of different ways by inhibiting the action of tyrosine kinases. This family of enzymes, which occur both within cells and as components of cell-membrane receptor sites, have an important role in cell division and cell growth. Many tumour cells have been shown to have both intracellular enzymes and extracellular receptor sites, and a variety of anticancer agents have been developed to inhibit enzyme activity at these sites. Among these drugs are *imatinib, dasatinib, and nilotinib, used for treating chronic myeloid leukaemia; *sunitinib, for treating renal cell carcinoma; and erlotinib, for treating pancreatic cancer and non-small-cell lung cancer. See also epidermal growth factor receptor.... tyrosine kinase inhibitor