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Topic Review
Thoracic Aortic Aneurysms and Dissection
Thoracic aortic aneurysm and dissection (TAAD) affects many patients globally and has high mortality rates if undetected. Once thought to be solely a degenerative disease that afflicted the aorta due to high pressure and biomechanical stress, extensive investigation of the heritability and natural history of TAAD has shown a clear genetic basis for the disease.
  • 850
  • 28 Jun 2021
Topic Review
Dostarlimab
Dostarlimab (JEMPERLI) is a PD-1 monoclonal antibody for the treatment of adult patients, with mismatch repair deficient (dMMR), recurrent or advanced endometrial cancer that has progressed on or following prior therapy with a platinum-containing regimen. As determined by an FDA-approved test this indication was granted rapid approval based on the rate of tumor response and the duration of the response. Continued approval for this indication is conditioned on further confirmatory trials demonstrating and documenting clinical benefit.
  • 849
  • 11 Aug 2022
Topic Review
List of Dolichopodid Genera
The fly family Dolichopodidae contains approximately 200 genera.
  • 849
  • 10 Oct 2022
Topic Review
Immune System Modulation
The intestinal microbiota, together with other immune system components are involved in the development of the immune response. Considering the impact of intestinal microbiota on health and disease, scientific and commercial interest has increased in the use of probiotics that stimulate the modulation of the intestinal microbiota for improving health and diseases treating immune system. Despite the health benefits of probiotics, concerns about their use have also arisen since they are affected by various properties of the products they are used in (shelf life, food additives, product matrix, etc.
  • 844
  • 13 Aug 2021
Topic Review
Scutellaria baicalensis
Flavonoids as the largest group of natural phytochemical compounds have received significant attention, as demonstrated by clinical trials, due to their chemotherapeutic and/or pharmacological effects against non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and asthma. Scutellaria baicalensis (S. baicalensis), known as one of the most popular medicinal plants and used in several countries, contains natural active flavone constituents, with the major compounds of the roots being baicalein, baicalin, wogonin, wogonoside and oroxylin A. S. baicalensis and their compounds are proven to have inhibitory effects on NSCLC cells when used at different concentrations. However, the exact mechanisms by which these compounds exert their therapeutic effects against asthma remain unexplored. Indeed, the mechanisms by which S. baicalensis and its flavone compounds exert a protective effect against nicotine-induced NSCLC and asthma are not yet fully understood. 
  • 841
  • 17 Jan 2022
Topic Review
Antisense Oligonucleotides for Vaccine Improvement
Antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs) are synthetically prepared short single-stranded deoxynucleotide sequences that have been validated as therapeutic agents and as a valuable tool in molecular driving biology. ASOs can block the expression of specific target genes via complementary hybridization to mRNA. Due to their high specificity and well-known mechanism of action, there has been a growing interest in using them for improving vaccine efficacy. Several studies have shown that ASOs can improve the efficacy of vaccines either by inducing antigen modification such as enhanced expression of immunogenic molecules or by targeting certain components of the host immune system to achieve the desired immune response. However, despite their extended use, some problems such as insufficient stability and low cellular delivery have not been sufficiently resolved to achieve effective and safe ASO-based vaccines.
  • 841
  • 07 Jun 2021
Topic Review
Early Life Stress, Oxytocin System, and Obesity
Obesity disease results from a dysfunctional modulation of the energy balance whose master regulator is the central nervous system. Consistently, the prevalence of obesity is higher among individuals who experienced early life stress (ELS). Oxytocin, a hypothalamic neurohormone, regulates the energy balance and modulates social, emotional, and eating behaviors, exerting both central and peripheral actions. Oxytocin closely cooperates with leptin in regulating energy homeostasis. Based on the available data, alterations in the oxytocin system may in part mediate the ELS-induced susceptibility to obesity. 
  • 841
  • 05 Aug 2022
Topic Review
Brain NMDA Receptors
N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonists such as phencyclidine (PCP), dizocilpine (MK-801) and ketamine have long been considered a model of schizophrenia, both in animals and humans. However, ketamine has been recently approved for treatment-resistant depression, although with severe restrictions. Interestingly, the dosage in both conditions is similar, and positive symptoms of schizophrenia appear before antidepressant effects emerge. Here, we describe the temporal mechanisms implicated in schizophrenia-like and antidepressant-like effects of NMDA blockade in rats, and postulate that such effects may indicate that NMDA receptor antagonists induce similar mechanistic effects, and only the basal pre-drug state of the organism delimitates the overall outcome.
  • 840
  • 10 Jun 2021
Topic Review
Antimicrobial and Biocidal Resistance
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is now recognised as a major public health crisis as essential antimicrobial drugs including antibiotics, antifungals, antivirals, antimalarials and anthelmintics become less effective therapeutic options. Biocides, which are chemicals used as sanitizers and disinfectants, consist of specific formulations containing one or more active ingredients that nonspecifically and fatally target microbial species. Antimicrobial resistance is one of the greatest dangers to public health of the 21st century, threatening the treatment and prevention of infectious diseases globally. Disinfection, the elimination of microbial species via the application of biocidal chemicals, is essential to control infectious diseases and safeguard animal and human health. In an era of antimicrobial resistance and emerging disease, the effective application of biocidal control measures is vital to protect public health. 
  • 839
  • 01 Jun 2021
Topic Review
Age-Dependent Decline of NAD+—Universal Truth or Confounded Consensus?
Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+) is an essential molecule involved in various metabolic reactions, acting as an electron donor in the electron transport chain and as a co-factor for NAD+-dependent enzymes. Despite systematic claims of overall decline in NAD+ levels with aging in multiple species, including humans, the evidence to support such claims is very limited and often restricted to a single tissue or cell type. The literature on the topic has been reviewed and it is found that there is a need for much larger, preferably longitudinal, studies to assess how NAD+ levels develop with aging.
  • 838
  • 11 Jan 2022
Topic Review
Dermatan Sulfate in Tissue Development
The crucial roles of dermatan sulfate (DS) have been demonstrated in tissue development of the cutis, blood vessels, and bone through construction of the extracellular matrix and cell signaling. DS classically exerts physiological functions via interaction with collagens, growth factors, and heparin cofactor-II.
  • 835
  • 14 Jul 2022
Topic Review
α-Lipoic Acid
α-lipoic acid (ALA, thioctic acid) is an organosulfur component produced from plants, animals, and humans. It has various properties, among them great antioxidant potential and is widely used as a racemic drug for diabetic polyneuropathy-associated pain and paresthesia. Naturally, ALA is located in mitochondria, where it is used as a cofactor for pyruvate dehydrogenase (PDH) and α-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase complexes. Despite its various potentials, ALA therapeutic efficacy is relatively low due to its pharmacokinetic profile. Data suggests that ALA has a short half-life and bioavailability (about 30%) triggered by its hepatic degradation, reduced solubility as well as instability in the stomach. However, the use of various innovative formulations has greatly improved ALA bioavailability. The R enantiomer of ALA shows better pharmacokinetic parameters, including increased bioavailability as compared to its S enantiomer. Indeed, the use of amphiphilic matrices has capability to improve ALA bioavailability and intestinal absorption. 
  • 832
  • 29 Jul 2021
Topic Review
Peptides in Diagnostics
The specificity of a diagnostic assay depends upon the purity of the biomolecules used as a probe. To get specific and accurate information of a disease, the use of synthetic peptides in diagnostics have increased in the last few decades, because of their high purity profile and ability to get modified chemically. The discovered peptide probes are used either in imaging diagnostics or in non-imaging diagnostics. In non-imaging diagnostics, techniques such as Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA), lateral flow devices (i.e., point-of-care testing), or microarray or LC-MS/MS are used for direct analysis of biofluids. Among all, peptide-based ELISA is considered to be the most preferred technology platform. Similarly, peptides can also be used as probes for imaging techniques, such as single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) and positron emission tomography (PET). The role of radiolabeled peptides, such as somatostatin receptors, interleukin 2 receptor, prostate specific membrane antigen, αβ3 integrin receptor, gastrin-releasing peptide, chemokine receptor 4, and urokinase-type plasminogen receptor, are well established tools for targeted molecular imaging ortumor receptor imaging. Low molecular weight peptides allow a rapid clearance from the blood and result in favorable target-to-non-target ratios. It also displays a good tissue penetration and non-immunogenicity. The only drawback of using peptides is their potential low metabolic stability. 
  • 832
  • 28 Sep 2021
Topic Review
IL7RA
Interleukin 7 (IL-7) is a critical cytokine that plays a fundamental role in B- and T-cell development and in acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). Its receptor (IL7R) is a transmembrane heterodimer formed by the IL7Rα and the IL2Rγ chain (γc). The IL7R signals through the JAK/STAT pathway. Loss-of-function mutations and some polymorphisms of the IL7Rα were associated to immunodeficiency and inflammatory diseases, respectively. Gain-of-function mutations were described in T-cell ALL and in high risk precursor B-cell ALL. Most confirmed loss-of-function mutations occur in the extracellular part of the IL7Rα while oncogenic mutations are exclusively found in the extracellular juxtamembrane (EJM) or transmembrane regions. Oncogenic mutations promote either IL7Rα/IL7Rα homodimerization and constitutive signaling, or increased affinity to γc or IL-7. This work presents a review on IL7Rα polymorphisms/mutations and attempts to present a classification based on their structural consequences and resulting biological activity.
  • 830
  • 22 Sep 2021
Topic Review
Bacterial Mimicry in Gluten-related Disorders
Gluten-related disorders (GRDs) are a group of diseases that involve the activation of the immune system triggered by the ingestion of gluten, with a worldwide prevalence of 5%. Among them, Celiac disease (CeD) is a T-cell-mediated autoimmune disease causing a plethora of symptoms from diarrhea and malabsorption to lymphoma. Even though GRDs have been intensively studied, the environmental triggers promoting the diverse reactions to gluten proteins in susceptible individuals remain elusive. It has been proposed that pathogens could act as disease-causing environmental triggers of CeD by molecular mimicry mechanisms. Additionally, it could also be possible that unrecognized molecular, structural, and physical parallels between gluten and bacteria have a relevant role. 
  • 829
  • 12 Oct 2021
Topic Review
Structure of Rubisco，Dinoflagellates
Ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (Rubisco), is one of the best studied enzymes. Rubisco catalyses CO2 assimilation and therefore tt is crucial for photosynthesis, and for all of biosphere’s productivity. There are four isoforms of this enzyme, differing by amino acid sequence composition and quaternary structure. However, there is still a group of organisms, dinoflagellates, single-cell eukaryotes, that are confirmed to possess Rubisco, but no successful purification of the enzyme of such origin, and hence a generation of a crystal structure was reported to date.
  • 828
  • 16 Aug 2021
Topic Review
Antioxidants in Alzheimer’s Disease
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most common neurodegenerative disease, intensifying impairments in cognition, behavior, and memory. Histopathological AD variations include extracellular senile plaques’ formation, tangling of intracellular neurofibrils, and synaptic and neuronal loss in the brain. Multiple evidence directly indicates that oxidative stress participates in an early phase of AD before cytopathology. Oxidative stress plays a crucial role in activating and causing various cell signaling pathways that result in lesion formations of toxic substances, which advances the disease. Antioxidants are widely preferred to combat oxidative stress, and those derived from natural sources, which are often incorporated into dietary habits, can play an important role in delaying the onset as well as reducing the progression of AD. However, this approach has not been extensively explored yet. Moreover, a combination of antioxidants in conjugation with a nutrient-rich diet might be more effective in tackling AD pathogenesis.
  • 828
  • 10 Feb 2022
Topic Review
Brown Macroalgae
Brown macroalgae (class Phaeophyceae) are a group of multicellular algae that usually occupy relatively deep waters preferentially from the sub-polar to equatorial regions and are characterized by the presence of fucoxanthin, a carotenoid pigment responsible for their brownish color, and laminarin, their main storage product. Phylogenetically, they are placed in the Kingdom Chromista and Phylum Ochrophyta, comprising aproximately 2000 documented species of which less than 5% grow in freshwater habitats. Morphologically, this class exhibit a great diversity, varying from groups of threadlike cells with few centimeters (Ectocarpus) to giant kelps such as Macrocystis, which are the largest seaweeds known, capable of growing for more than 100 m long, and are responsible for the formation of dense underwater communities known as kelp forests. Others such as Sargassum natans and Sargassum fluitans are pelagic species, i.e., free-floating species, that form a massive floating ecosystem known as the Sargasso Sea. As the original source of Iodine, discovered in 1811 by Bernard Courtois, brown macroalgae used to be an important feedstock for the exploitation of this mineral. Nowadays they still hold a great economical value as an important source of alginate, a hydrocolloid with gelling properties used for multiple industrial applications, particularly in foods as thikening and stabilizing agent. Several species are also considered edible and eaten as sea vegetables worldwide, with special focus in East Asia, and some are used as fertilizers and animal feed.
  • 826
  • 24 Aug 2021
Topic Review
Circadian Rhythms in Legumes
Circadian rhythms, the changes or processes that follow a 24-h light–dark cycle, while endogenously programmed, are also influenced by environmental factors, especially in sessile organisms such as plants, which can impact ecosystems and crop productivity.
  • 824
  • 25 May 2021
Topic Review
Mitostasis
Mitostasis refers the mitochondrial dynamics of fusion and fission depending on the cell requirements. Mitostasis also involves mitochondrial traficking and anchoring as need to maintain a functional pool of mitochondria.
  • 823
  • 19 Jul 2021
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