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Topic Review Video
Blood-Spinal Cord Barrier
The blood-spinal cord barrier (BSCB) has been long thought of as a functional equivalent to the blood-brain barrier (BBB), restricting blood flow into the spinal cord. The spinal cord is supported by various disc tissues that provide agility and has different local immune responses compared to the brain. Though physiologically, structural components of the BSCB and BBB share many similarities, the clinical landscape significantly differs. 
  • 1.8K
  • 14 Jan 2022
Topic Review
Hydrogel-Forming Microneedles
Controlled drug delivery in the oral cavity poses challenges such as bacterial contamination, saliva dilution, and inactivation by salivary enzymes upon ingestion. Microneedles offer a location-specific, minimally invasive, and retentive approach. Hydrogel-forming microneedles (HFMs) have emerged for dental diagnostics and therapeutics. HFMs penetrate the stratum corneum, undergo swelling upon contact, secure attachment, and enable sustained transdermal or transmucosal drug delivery. Commonly employed polymers such as polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and polyvinyl pyrrolidone are crosslinked with tartaric acid or its derivatives while incorporating therapeutic agents. Microneedle patches provide suture-free and painless drug delivery to keratinized or non-keratinized mucosa, facilitating site-specific treatment and patient compliance. 
  • 1.8K
  • 24 Aug 2023
Topic Review
Aurora Kinase B in Cancer
Aurora kinase B (AURKB) is a mitotic serine/threonine protein kinase that belongs to the aurora kinase family along with aurora kinase A (AURKA) and aurora kinase C (AURKC). AURKB is a member of the chromosomal passenger protein complex and plays a role in cell cycle progression.
  • 1.8K
  • 23 Jun 2021
Topic Review
Hyperinsulinaemia-Osteofragilitas
Bone fragility leading to increased risk of low energy (fragility) fractures that is independent of bone mineral density, occurring in individuals with detected and undetected hyperinsulinaemia. Patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and/or cardiovascular disease (CVD), conditions of hyperinsulinaemia, have lower levels of osteocalcin and bone remodelling, and increased rates of fragility fractures. Unlike osteoporosis with lower bone mineral density (BMD), T2DM bone fragility “hyperinsulinaemia-osteofragilitas” phenotype presents with normal to increased BMD. Hyperinsulinaemia and insulin resistance positively associate with increased BMD and fragility fractures.  Hyperinsulinaemia enforces glucose fuelling, which decreases NAD+-dependent antioxidant activity. This increases reactive oxygen species and mitochondrial fission, and decreases oxidative phosphorylation high-energy production capacity, required for osteoblasto/cytogenesis. Osteocytes directly mineralise and resorb bone, and inhibit mineralisation of their lacunocanalicular space via pyrophosphate. Hyperinsulinaemia decreases vitamin D availability via adipocyte sequestration, reducing dendrite connectivity, and compromising osteocyte viability. Decreased bone remodelling and micropetrosis ensues. Trapped/entombed magnesium within micropetrosis fossilisation spaces propagates magnesium deficiency (MgD), potentiating hyperinsulinaemia and decreases vitamin D transport. Vitamin D deficiency reduces osteocalcin synthesis and favours osteocyte apoptosis.  Carbohydrate restriction/fasting/ketosis increases beta-oxidation, ketolysis, NAD+-dependent antioxidant activity, osteocyte viability and osteocalcin, and decreases excess insulin exposure. Osteocalcin is required for hydroxyapatite alignment, conferring bone structural integrity, decreasing fracture risk and improving metabolic/endocrine homeodynamics. Patients presenting with fracture and normal BMD should be investigated for T2DM and hyperinsulinaemia.
  • 1.8K
  • 09 Oct 2021
Topic Review
Cardiac Connexins
Connexins are a family of transmembrane proteins that play a key role in cardiac physiology. Gap junctional channels put into contact the cytoplasms of connected cardiomyocytes, allowing the existence of electrical coupling. However, in addition to this fundamental role, connexins are also involved in cardiomyocyte death and survival. Thus, chemical coupling through gap junctions plays a key role in the spreading of injury between connected cells. Moreover, in addition to their involvement in cell-to-cell communication, mounting evidence indicates that connexins have additional gap junction-independent functions. Opening of unopposed hemichannels, located at the lateral surface of cardiomyocytes, may compromise cell homeostasis and may be involved in ischemia/reperfusion injury. In addition, connexins located at non-canonical cell structures, including mitochondria and the nucleus, have been demonstrated to be involved in cardioprotection and in regulation of cell growth and differentiation.
  • 1.8K
  • 13 May 2021
Topic Review
Selenoproteins
Selenium is a vital trace element present as selenocysteine (Sec) in proteins that are, thus, known as selenoproteins. Humans have 25 selenoproteins, most of which are functionally characterized as oxidoreductases, where the Sec residue plays a catalytic role in redox regulation and antioxidant activity. Glutathione peroxidase plays a pivotal role in scavenging and inactivating hydrogen and lipid peroxides, whereas thioredoxin reductase reduces oxidized thioredoxins as well as non-disulfide substrates, such as lipid hydroperoxides and hydrogen peroxide. Selenoprotein R protects the cell against oxidative damage by reducing methionine-R-sulfoxide back to methionine. Selenoprotein O regulates redox homeostasis with catalytic activity of protein AMPylation. Moreover, endoplasmic reticulum (ER) membrane selenoproteins (SelI, K, N, S, and Sel15) are involved in ER membrane stress regulation. Selenoproteins containing the CXXU motif (SelH, M, T, V, and W) are putative oxidoreductases that participate in various cellular processes depending on redox regulation.
  • 1.8K
  • 03 Jun 2021
Topic Review
Structure, Expression Regulation, and Subcellular Localization of USP16
Ubiquitin-specific peptidase 16 (USP16) is a deubiquitinase that plays a role in the regulation of gene expression, cell cycle progression, and various other functions. It was originally identified as the major deubiquitinase for histone H2A and has since been found to deubiquitinate a range of other substrates, including proteins from both the cytoplasm and nucleus. USP16 is phosphorylated when cells enter mitosis and dephosphorylated during the metaphase/anaphase transition. While much of USP16 is localized in the cytoplasm, separating the enzyme from its substrates is considered an important regulatory mechanism. Some of the functions that USP16 has been linked to include DNA damage repair, immune disease, tumorigenesis, protein synthesis, coronary artery health, and male infertility. The strong connection to immune response and the fact that multiple oncogene products are substrates of USP16 suggests that USP16 may be a potential therapeutic target for the treatment of certain human diseases.
  • 1.7K
  • 06 Apr 2023
Topic Review
CCL2
Factors secreted from adipose tissue may induce and/or maintain a local and systemic low-grade activation of the innate immune system. Attraction of macrophages into adipose tissue and altered crosstalk between macrophages, adipocytes, and other cells of adipose tissue are symptoms of metabolic inflammation. Among several secreted factors attracting immune cells to adipose tissue, chemotactic C-C motif chemokine ligand 2 (CCL2) (also described as monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1)) has been shown to play a crucial role in adipose tissue macrophage infiltration. 
  • 1.7K
  • 28 Sep 2021
Topic Review
WNT Signaling
The WNT signaling pathway is an evolutionarily conserved signal transduction pathway that regulates a wide range of cellular functions during development and adulthood. It controls multiple aspects of development, including cell proliferation, cell fate determination, apoptosis, cell migration and cell polarity during development and stem cell maintenance in adults. Inappropriate activation of the WNT pathway is also a major factor in human oncogenesis.
  • 1.7K
  • 11 Mar 2022
Topic Review
Isolation and Purification of EVs
Extracellular vesicles are sacs that are secreted by almost all types of cells and are responsible for intracellular communication. They inherit their content and characteristics from their donor cells. Pathological and physiological characteristics of donor cells are reflected in the appearance of specific nucleotide and proteins (on the EV surface or in their content).
  • 1.7K
  • 11 Jan 2022
Topic Review
Cerebral Asymmetry
Human functions and traits are linked to cerebral networks serving different emotional and cognitive control systems, some of which rely on hemispheric specialization and integration to promote adaptive goal-directed behavior. Among the neural systems discussed in this context are those underlying pro- and antisocial behaviors. The diverse functions and traits governing our social behavior have been associated with lateralized neural activity. However, as with other complex behaviors, specific hemispheric roles are difficult to elucidate. This is due largely to environmental and contextual influences, which interact with neural substrates in the development and expression of pro and antisocial functions. This paper will discuss the reciprocal ties between environmental factors and hemispheric functioning in the context of antisocial behavior. The paper will attempt to familiarize readers with the prominent literature and primary questions to encourage further research and in-depth discussion in this field.
  • 1.7K
  • 22 Oct 2020
Topic Review
Molecular Mechanism of Autophagy
Autophagy (self-eating) is a multifaceted and evolutionarily preserved sequence of actions that is activated in response to dysfunctional organelles and aggregated protein to sustain cellular homeostasis.
  • 1.7K
  • 02 Mar 2021
Topic Review
MicroRNAs in Regulation of Melanogenesis
Melanogenesis is the process leading to the synthesis of melanin, the main substance that influences skin color and plays a pivotal role against UV damage. Altered melanogenesis is observed in several pigmentation disorders. Melanogenesis occurs in specialized cells called melanocytes, physically and functionally related by means of autocrine and paracrine interplay to other skin cell types. Several external and internal factors control melanin biosynthesis and operate through different intracellular signaling pathways, which finally leads to the regulation of microphthalmia-associated transcription factor (MITF), the key transcription factor involved in melanogenesis and the expression of the main melanogenic enzymes, including TYR, TYRP-1, and TYRP-2. Epigenetic factors, including microRNAs (miRNAs), are involved in melanogenesis regulation. miRNAs are small, single-stranded, non-coding RNAs, of approximately 22 nucleotides in length, which control cell behavior by regulating gene expression, mainly by binding the 3′ untranslated region (3′-UTR) of target mRNAs.
  • 1.7K
  • 17 Jun 2021
Topic Review
Organoids and Aging
The biology of aging is focused on the identification of novel pathways that regulate the underlying processes of aging to develop interventions aimed at delaying the onset and progression of chronic diseases to extend lifespan. However, the research on the aging field has been conducted mainly in animal models, yeast, Caenorhabditis elegans, and cell cultures. Thus, it is unclear to what extent this knowledge is transferable to humans since they might not reflect the complexity of aging in people. An organoid culture is an in vitro 3D cell-culture technology that reproduces the physiological and cellular composition of the tissues and/or organs. This technology is being used in the cancer field to predict the response of a patient-derived tumor to a certain drug or treatment serving as patient stratification and drug-guidance approaches. Modeling aging with patient-derived organoids has a tremendous potential as a preclinical model tool to discover new biomarkers of aging, to predict adverse outcomes during aging, and to design personalized approaches for the prevention and treatment of aging-related diseases and geriatric syndromes. This could represent a novel approach to study chronological and/or biological aging, paving the way to personalized interventions targeting the biology of aging.
  • 1.7K
  • 19 Oct 2021
Topic Review
Redox Homeostasis in Muscular Dystrophies
Reactive oxygen species are (ROS) are signaling molecules moderately and continuously produced by skeletal muscles as a consequence of their contractile activity and high mitochondrial oxygen consumption. The main source of ROS production is located in the cytosol through the activity of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) oxidases (NOX enzymes), xanthine oxidase (XO), and nitric oxide synthase (NOS), and by the mitochondrial electron transport chain. When ROS exceed the antioxidant buffering capacity of tissues, oxidative stress occurs.
  • 1.7K
  • 15 Jun 2021
Topic Review
Gain of Function Mutant p53 in Cancer
The tumor suppressor p53, encoded by the TP53 gene and known as “the guardian of the genome”, performs a variety of functions in cancer prevention.
  • 1.7K
  • 17 Nov 2022
Topic Review
Tubulin Post-Translational Modifications
Microtubules (MTs) are dynamic structures that are part of the cell cytoskeleton. They play important roles in various cellular functions, such as intracellular organization and transport, cell division, and cell migration. MTs are made up of α/β-tubulin heterodimers that display diversity due to the existence of different tubilin isotypes and post-translational modifications (PTMs). One specific PTM, tubulin-acetylation, occurs inside the MT lumen and has been pointed out as a hallmark of stable old MTs. However, the question if it is a cause or a consequence of long-lived MTs has never been clarified. The view on tubulin acetylation is that this modification alters the mechanical properties of MTs allowing MTs to bend and to resist age-related lattice damage caused by multiple interactions with different factors during their existence. However, how this ability of MTs to survive structural damage is translated into specific cellular functions is still controversial, and it is far from being elucidated. This PTM is also associated with cellular responses to stress and various human pathologies.The regulation of enzymes involved in tubulin acetylation and deacetylation is important for maintaining proper cell physiology. 
  • 1.7K
  • 17 Apr 2023
Topic Review
Cell Sources for Retinal Regeneration
The main degenerative diseases of the retina include macular degeneration, proliferative vitreoretinopathy, retinitis pigmentosa, and glaucoma. Novel approaches for treating retinal diseases are based on cell replacement therapy using a variety of exogenous stem cells. An alternative and complementary approach is the potential use of retinal regeneration cell sources (RRCSs) containing retinal pigment epithelium, ciliary body, Müller glia, and retinal ciliary region. RRCSs in lower vertebrates in vivo and in mammals mostly in vitro are able to proliferate and exhibit gene expression and epigenetic characteristics typical for neural/retinal cell progenitors.
  • 1.7K
  • 08 Dec 2022
Topic Review
Subtype-Specific Cardiomyocytes
Cardiogenesis produces multiple cardiac muscle cell subtypes, including the contractile cardiomyocytes constituting the four heart chambers and the non-contractile cardiomyocytes forming the cardiac conduction system. The various cardiac cellular subtypes (e.g. atrial, ventricular, nodal) are highly specified, with each subtype expressing a unique set of structural proteins, ion channels and transcription factors. Stringent spatiotemporal molecular, transcriptomic, and electrophysiological regulation gives rise to the differentiation and maturation of the multiple cardiomyocyte subtypes. The precise generation of subtype-specific cardiomyocytes is necessary for translational applications of stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes for regenerative medicine.  
  • 1.7K
  • 21 Apr 2021
Topic Review
Cancer Immunotherapies
Involvement of the immune system in biological therapies specifically targeting tumor microenvironment has been suggested. Substantial advancement in the treatment of malignant tumors utilizing immune cells, most importantly T cells that play a key role in cell-mediated immunity, have led to success in clinical trials. 
  • 1.7K
  • 20 Feb 2024
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