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Topic Review
Type 1 Fimbriae (Pili)
Type 1 fimbriae (pili) are an important colonization factor that can contribute to diseases such as urinary tract infections and neonatal meningitis.
  • 1.4K
  • 10 Jan 2022
Topic Review
Genetic Characterization of Endometriosis
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the recent literature on the genetic characterization of women affected by endometriosis and to evaluate the influence of polymorphisms of the wingless-type mammalian mouse tumour virus integration site family member 4 (WNT4), vezatin (VEZT), and follicle stimulating hormone beta polypeptide (FSHB) genes, already known to be involved in molecular mechanisms associated with the proliferation and development of endometriotic lesions.
  • 1.4K
  • 06 Nov 2020
Topic Review
Dry Eye and Probiotics
Probiotics are defined as live microorganisms that present health benefits when administered in adequate amounts. Prebiotics refer to substrates that microorganisms use to bestow health benefits upon host. Evidence regarding their effects on the ocular surface, especially dry eye, are now just emerging. Both rodent and human studies regarding gut microbiota in Sjögren’s syndrome and environmental dry eye are explored, and we discussed the effects of prebiotics and probiotics on dry eye in this section. 
  • 1.4K
  • 06 Jul 2021
Topic Review
Alzheimer′s Disease Really Start
While Alzheimer’s disease (AD) classical diagnostic criteria rely on clinical data from a stablished symptomatic disease, newer criteria aim to identify the disease in its earlier stages. For that, they incorporated the use of AD’s specific biomarkers to reach a diagnosis, including the identification of Aβ and tau depositions, glucose hypometabolism, and cerebral atrophy. These biomarkers created a new concept of the disease, in which AD’s main pathological processes have already taken place decades before we can clinically diagnose the first symptoms. Therefore, AD is now considered a dynamic disease with a gradual progression, and dementia is its final stage. With that in mind, new models were proposed, considering the orderly increment of biomarkers and the disease as a continuum, or the variable time needed for the disease’s progression. In 2011, the National Institute on Aging and the Alzheimer’s Association (NIA-AA) created separate diagnostic recommendations for each stage of the disease continuum—preclinical, mild cognitive impairment, and dementia. However, new scientific advances have led them to create a unifying research framework in 2018 that, although not intended for clinical use as of yet, is a step toward shifting the focus from the clinical symptoms to the biological alterations and toward changing the future diagnostic and treatment possibilities. 
  • 1.4K
  • 30 Oct 2020
Topic Review
Brassica Bioactives May Ameliorate Endometriosis
Endometriosis is a chronic, inflammatory, hormone-dependent disease characterized by histological lesions produced by the presence of endometrial tissue outside the uterine cavity. Despite the fact that an estimated 176 million women are affected worldwide by this gynecological disorder, risk factors that cause endometriosis have not been properly defined and current treatments are not efficient. Although the interaction between diet and human health has been the focus of many studies, little information about the correlation of foods and their bioactive derivates with endometriosis is available. In this framework, Brassica crops have emerged as potential candidates for ameliorating the chronic inflammatory condition of endometriosis, due to their abundant content of health-promoting compounds such as glucosinolates and their hydrolysis products, isothiocyanates.
  • 1.4K
  • 22 Dec 2020
Topic Review
Liquid Biopsy of Brain Tumors
Direct biopsies obtain tissue material from the primary tumor, either via neurosurgical removal of all or most parts of a tumor or via stereotactic tissue biopsy. In contrast, a liquid biopsy uses body fluids collected distant to the brain tumor, such as venous blood from the arm or cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) via lumbar or cisternal puncture.
  • 1.4K
  • 17 Sep 2024
Topic Review
NF-κB-Dependent and -Independent IκBα Functions
IκBα is considered to play an almost exclusive role as inhibitor of the NF-κB signaling pathway. However, previous results have demonstrated that SUMOylation imposes a distinct subcellular distribution, regulation, NF-κB-binding affinity and function to the IκBα protein. In this review we discuss the main alterations of IκBα found in cancer and whether they are (most likely) associated with NF-κB-dependent or NF-κB-independent (moonlighting) activities of the protein.
  • 1.4K
  • 19 Oct 2021
Topic Review
Management of Bacterial Diseases of Hazelnut
The cultivation of hazelnut (Corylus avellana) has expanded in several areas of Europe, Asia, Africa, and North and South America following the increased demand for raw materials by the food industry. Bacterial diseases caused by Xanthomonas arboricola pv. corylina and Pseudomonas avellanae are threats of major concern for hazelnut farmers. These pathogens have been controlled with copper-based products, which are being phased out in the European Union. Following the need for alternative practices to manage these diseases, some progress has been achieved through the exploitation of the plant’s systemic acquired resistance mechanisms, nanoparticle technology, as well as preventive measures based on hot water treatment of the propagation material.
  • 1.4K
  • 06 Jan 2023
Topic Review
A Complex Disease: Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer
Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is a complex disease often driven by activating mutations or amplification of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) gene, which expresses a transmembrane receptor tyrosine kinase. Targeted anti-EGFR treatments include small-molecule tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs), among which gefitinib and erlotinib are the best studied, and their function more often imaged. TKIs block EGFR activation, inducing apoptosis in cancer cells addicted to EGFR signals. 
  • 1.4K
  • 28 Feb 2022
Topic Review
Predicting Response to Immune-Checkpoint Inhibition
The therapeutic concept of unleashing a pre-existing immune response against the tumor by the application of immune-checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) has resulted in long-term survival in advanced cancer patient subgroups. Established biomarkers such as programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1) and tumor mutational burden (TMB) help to select patients who will most likely benefit from ICI, however, biomarker negativity does not exclude responses. Investigating alterations in the antigen presenting pathway as well as radiomics have the potential to determine tumor immunogenicity and response to ICI. A plethora of steps is crucial for proper tumor neoantigen presentation and T cell recognition. Alterations in the antigen presenting pathway give rise to resistance mechanisms that in turn abolish the effect of ICI. Tumor neoantigen prediction models have been shown to identify cancer patients who benefit most from immune-checkpoint blockade, however, a high false positive rate is a drawback of these models. The predictive value of already established biomarkers is considerably heterogeneous across various malignancies and intratumoral and intrapatient heterogeneity complicate tumor tissue-based biomarker assessment. Radiomics offers the opportunity to evaluate biomarkers based on imaging studies without the necessity to perform tumor tissue biopsies. Several radiomics studies have shown to predict clinical outcome with ICI. Radiomics might also help to identify patients who are at risk for hyperprogressive disease upon initiation of anti-PD-1/anti-PD-L1 therapy and patients who are at risk for high grade immune-related adverse events.
  • 1.4K
  • 29 Oct 2020
Topic Review
Fragile X-Associated Tremor/Ataxia Syndrome
Fragile X-Associated Tremor/Ataxia Syndrome (FXTAS) is a neurodegenerative disorder seen in older premutation (55–200 CGG repeats) carriers of FMR1. Three molecular mechanisms have been proposed: (1) the production of toxic FMRpolyG by repeat-associated non-AUG (RAN) translation, (2) RNAs and protein sequestration into intranuclear inclusions and (3) DNA damage caused by R-loop formation. Additionally, mitochondrial dysfunction, oxidative stress, and iron metabolism dysregulation also play a role in the development of the neuropathology of FXTAS. One of the neuropathological hallmarks of FXTAS is the presence of eosinophilic intranuclear inclusions in the CNS and peripheral nervous system. Other findings include cerebral atrophy, ventriculomegaly, and spongiosis of the cerebellar white matter. The mechanisms underlying the pathophysiology of FXTAS are currently being investigated for the development of targeted treatment. 
  • 1.4K
  • 10 Nov 2020
Topic Review
High-Density Lipoproteins as Homeostatic Nanoparticles
It is well known that blood lipoproteins (LPs) are multimolecular complexes of lipids and proteins that play a crucial role in lipid transport. High-density lipoproteins (HDL) are a class of blood plasma LPs that mediate reverse cholesterol transport (RCT)—cholesterol transport from the peripheral tissues to the liver. Due to this ability to promote cholesterol uptake from cell membranes, HDL possess antiatherogenic properties. This function was first observed at the end of the 1970s to the beginning of the 1980s, resulting in high interest in this class of LPs. It was shown that HDL are the prevalent class of LPs in several types of living organisms (from fishes to monkeys) with high resistance to atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disorders. Lately, understanding of the mechanisms of the antiatherogenic properties of HDL has significantly expanded. Besides the contribution to RCT, HDL have been shown to modulate inflammatory processes, blood clotting, and vasomotor responses. These particles also possess antioxidant properties and contribute to immune reactions and intercellular signaling.
  • 1.4K
  • 30 Nov 2020
Topic Review
FAK Family Kinases
In various vascular diseases, extracellular matrix (ECM) and integrin expression are frequently altered, leading to FAK or Pyk2 activation. In addition to the major roles of FAK and Pyk2 in regulating adhesion dynamics via integrins, recent studies have shown a new role of nuclear FAK in gene regulation in various vascular cells. In particular, FAK primarily localizes within the nuclei of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) of healthy arteries. However, vessel injury increased FAK localization back to adhesions and elevated FAK activity, leading to VSMC hyperplasia. The study suggested that abnormal FAK or Pyk2 activation in vascular cells may cause pathological condition in vascular diseases. Here we will review several studies of FAK and Pyk2 associated with integrin signaling in vascular diseases including restenosis, atherosclerosis, heart failure, pulmonary arterial hypertension, aneurysm, and thrombosis. Despite the importance of FAK family kinases in vascular diseases, comprehensive reviews are scarce. Therefore, we summarized animal models involving FAK family kinases in vascular diseases
  • 1.4K
  • 27 Oct 2020
Topic Review
SARS-CoV-2 Infection
The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic represents the focus of the biomedical research worldwide. The identification of the molecular events related to the SARS-CoV-2 infection, as well as the characterization of its clinical features, could put an end to this dramatic health emergency. In this scenario, the interpretation of histopathological data in light of the clinical imaging characteristics of SARS-CoV-2 infection can provide the scientific rationale to develop diagnostic and therapeutic protocols that are capable of improving the management of infected patients. Specifically, morphological and molecular analysis of SARS-CoV-2 infected tissues could highlight new useful prognostic and predictive biomarkers for in vivo investigations.
  • 1.4K
  • 06 Nov 2020
Topic Review
Human Paraoxonase-2
PON1, PON2, and PON3 belong to a family of lactone hydrolyzing enzymes endowed with various substrate specificities. Among PONs, PON2 shows the highest hydrolytic activity toward many acyl-homoserine lactones (acyl-HL) involved in bacterial quorum-sensing signaling.
  • 1.4K
  • 28 Sep 2021
Topic Review
Latin-American Genes in Rheumatoid Arthritis
The successful implementation of personalized medicine will rely on the integration of information obtained at the level of populations with the specific biological, genetic, and clinical characteristics of an individual. However, because genome-wide association studies tend to focus on populations of European descent, there is a wide gap to bridge between Caucasian and non-Caucasian populations before personalized medicine can be fully implemented, and rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is not an exception. In this review, we discuss advances in our understanding of genetic determinants of RA risk among global populations, with a focus on the Latin American population. Geographically restricted genetic diversity may have important implications for health and disease that will remain unknown until genetic association studies have been extended to include Latin American and other currently under-represented ancestries. The next few years will witness many breakthroughs in personalized medicine, including applications for common diseases and risk stratification instruments for targeted prevention/intervention strategies. Not all of these applications may be extrapolated from the Caucasian experience to Latin American or other under-represented populations.
  • 1.4K
  • 04 Nov 2020
Topic Review
Meloidogyne graminicola
Rice (Oryza sativa L.) is one of the main cultivated crops worldwide and represents a staple food for more than half of the world population. Root-knot nematodes (RKNs), Meloidogyne spp., and particularly M. graminicola, are serious pests of rice, being, probably, the most economically important plant-parasitic nematode in this crop. M. graminicola is an obligate sedentary endoparasite adapted to flooded conditions. Until recently, M. graminicola was present mainly in irrigated rice fields in Asia, parts of the Americas, and South Africa. However, in July 2016, it was found in Europe, in northern Italy in the Piedmont region and in May 2018 in the Lombardy region in the province of Pavia.
  • 1.4K
  • 16 Dec 2021
Topic Review
COVID-19 Serological Tests Performance
In only a few months after initial discovery in Wuhan, China, SARS-CoV-2 and the associated coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) have become a global pandemic causing significant mortality and morbidity and implementation of strict isolation measures. In the absence of vaccines and effective therapeutics, reliable serological testing must be a key element of public health policy to control further spread of the disease and gradually remove quarantine measures. Serological diagnostic tests are being increasingly used to provide a broader understanding of COVID-19 incidence and to assess immunity status in the population. However, there are discrepancies between claimed and actual performance data for serological diagnostic tests on the market. In this study, we conducted a review of independent studies evaluating the performance of SARS-CoV-2 serological tests. We found significant variability in the accuracy of marketed tests and highlight several lab-based and point-of-care rapid serological tests with high levels of performance. The findings of this review highlight the need for ongoing independent evaluations of commercialized COVID-19 diagnostic tests.
  • 1.4K
  • 19 Feb 2021
Topic Review
Aortic Valve Calcification
Aortic valve stenosis (AS) is the most common valvular heart disease. The incidence of AS increases with age, however, a significant proportion of elderly people have no significant AS, indicating that both aging and nonaging pathways are involved in the pathomechanism of AS.
  • 1.4K
  • 14 Nov 2022
Topic Review
HGF/MET
Unlike in normal epithelium, dysregulated overactivation of various proteases have been reported in cancers. Degradation of pericancerous extracellular matrix leading to cancer cell invasion by matrix metalloproteases is well known evidence. On the other hand, several cell-surface proteases, including type II transmembrane serine proteases (TTSPs), also induce progression through activation of growth factors, protease activating receptors and other proteases. Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) known as a multifunctional growth factor that upregulates cancer cell motility, invasiveness, proliferative, and anti-apoptotic activities through phosphorylation of MET (a specific receptor of HGF). HGF secreted as inactive zymogen (pro-HGF) from cancer associated stromal fibroblasts, and the proteolytic activation by several TTSPs including matriptase and hepsin is required. The activation is strictly regulated by HGF activator inhibitors (HAIs) in physiological condition. However, downregulation is frequently observed in cancers. Indeed, overactivation of MET by upregulation of matriptase and hepsin accompanied by the downregulation of HAIs in urological cancers (prostate cancer, renal cell carcinoma, and bladder cancer) are also reported, a phenomenon observed in cancer cells with malignant phenotype, and correlated with poor prognosis.
  • 1.4K
  • 29 Oct 2020
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