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Topic Review
Host-Directed Therapies (HDTs) for the Treatment of COVID-19
The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) outbreak resulted in hundreds of millions of coronavirus cases, as well as millions of deaths worldwide. Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), the disease resulting from exposure to this pathogen, is characterized, among other features, by a pulmonary pathology, which can progress to “cytokine storm”, acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), respiratory failure and death. An important strategy for protecting against the SARS-CoV-2 infection may rely on clinically evaluated pharmacological-based countermeasures, including host-directed therapies (HDTs), which modulate the endogenic response against the virus.
  • 1.2K
  • 13 Jul 2023
Topic Review
Antimicrobial Peptide against Resistant Bacteria
The emergence of bacteria resistant to conventional antibiotics is of great concern in modern medicine because it renders ineffectiveness of the current empirical antibiotic therapies. Infections caused by vancomycin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (VRSA) and vancomycin-intermediate S. aureus (VISA) strains represent a serious threat to global health due to their considerable morbidity and mortality rates. Therefore, there is an urgent need of research and development of new antimicrobial alternatives against these bacteria. In this context, the use of antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) is considered a promising alternative therapeutic strategy to control resistant strains. Therefore, a wide number of natural, artificial, and synthetic AMPs have been evaluated against VRSA and VISA strains, with great potential for clinical application. In this regard, we aimed to present a comprehensive and systematic review of research findings on AMPs that have shown antibacterial activity against vancomycin-resistant and vancomycin-intermediate resistant strains and clinical isolates of S. aureus, discussing their classification and origin, physicochemical and structural characteristics, and possible action mechanisms. This is the first review that includes all peptides that have shown antibacterial activity against VRSA and VISA strains exclusively. 
  • 1.2K
  • 28 Jul 2021
Topic Review
Targeting Tryptophan Metabolism to Treat Cancers
Major hallmarks of cancers are connected to dysfunctions in many metabolic pathways aiming at providing the energetic needs and the raw material for cellular growth and the signaling molecules needed for oncogenesis. Tryptophan (TRP) catabolism through the kynurenine (KYN) pathway was reported to play immunosuppressive actions across many types of cancer. However, results from clinical trials assessing the benefit of inhibiting key limiting enzymes of this pathway such as indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO1) or tryptophan 2,3-dioxygenase (TDO2) failed to meet the expectations. Bearing in mind the complexity of the tumoral terrain and the existence of different cancers with IDO1/TDO2 expressing and non-expressing tumoral cells, here we present a comprehensive analysis of the TRP global metabolic hub and the approach of inhibiting these pathways as a potential therapeutic option to treat cancers such as liver cancers. 
  • 1.2K
  • 29 Mar 2022
Topic Review Video
Inflammation in Alzheimer’s Disease
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a progressive, fatal neurodegenerative condition that affects over 20 million people around the world. It presents clinically as impairment of cognitive function and decision-making, memory loss, language difficulties and changes in behavior and personality. Neuronal loss and synaptic dysfunction are hallmarks of the disease. Detected microscopically within the brain are amyloid plaques formed by aggregation of amyloid β and neurofibrillary tangles composed of hyperphosphorylated tau protein. Increasing global concern has led to the allocation of extensive resources to study AD pathophysiology, but the understanding of its causes remains rudimentary, and the treatments are inadequate. Although AD causality is not clear, a key process observed in neurodegeneration in AD is the triggering of inflammatory cascades. 
  • 1.2K
  • 08 Jun 2023
Topic Review
Mesenchymal Stem Cell-Derived Exosomes
Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are multipotent stem cells that can be isolated from human tissues or organs, such as the bone marrow, adipose tissue, umbilical cord, lung, spleen, liver or kidney, while exosomes are crucial components that account for the paracrine action of MSCs. They are extracellular vesicles with a lipid bilayer structure and an average diameter of 100 nm, and they perform biological function by transferring bioactive molecules such as miRNAs, lncRNAs, lipids and cytokines.
  • 1.2K
  • 27 Jan 2021
Topic Review
Tyrosine Hydroxylase Phosphorylation
Tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) is the rate-limiting enzyme of dopamine biosynthesis. The phosphorylation of TH is strictly regulated.
  • 1.2K
  • 06 Nov 2020
Topic Review
Road Mortality for Hedgehogs
Transport infrastructure is a pervasive element in modern landscapes and continues to expand to meet the demands of a growing human population and its associated resource consumption. Road-induced mortality is often thought to be a major contributor to the marked declines of European hedgehog populations. This review synthesizes available evidence on the population-level impacts of road mortality and the threat to population viability for the five hedgehog species in Europe. Local and national studies suggest that road mortality can cause significant depletions in population sizes, predominantly removing adult males. Traffic collisions are a probable cause of fragmentation effects, subsequently undermining ecological processes such as dispersal, as well as the genetic variance and fitness of isolated populations. Further studies are necessary to improve population estimates and explicitly examine the consequences of sex- and age-specific mortality rates. Hedgehogs have been reported to use crossing structures, such as road tunnels, yet evaluations of mitigation measures for population survival probability are largely absent. This highlights the need for robust studies that consider population dynamics and genetics in response to mitigation. In light of ongoing declines of hedgehog populations, it is paramount that applied research is prioritised and integrated into a holistic spatial planning process.
  • 1.2K
  • 14 Sep 2020
Topic Review
Three-Dimensional Culture Systems
It is getting more and more clear that cancer cell culture models are switching from two-dimension to three-dimensional, in order to better reflect in vivo situations where tumor cells have to cope with a highly interactive three-dimensional microenvironment. Several such culture models have been reported, predominantly multicellular tumor spheroids (MCTS) and patient-derived tumor organoids (PDTO). These are used both to investigate fundamental aspects of cancer development and as test systems for innovative therapies against gastric cancer, the fifth most common cancer and the third leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. The authors review the actual state of research in this field to provide an overview of the contribution of MCTS and PDTO, especially in the areas of molecular profiling, drug discovery, pathogen infection, and personalized medicine.
  • 1.2K
  • 18 Feb 2021
Topic Review
Bartter Syndrome
Bartter syndrome is a group of very similar kidney disorders that cause an imbalance of potassium, sodium, chloride, and related molecules in the body.
  • 1.2K
  • 24 Dec 2020
Topic Review
Healthcare Waste Management
Healthcare waste (HCW) disposal includes a multitude of disposal methods, including incineration, landfilling and chemical treatments. These rudimentary methods and their growing use present their own problems that negatively impact both the environment and, in turn, damage public health, thus contributing to a global healthcare crisis.
  • 1.2K
  • 28 Apr 2021
Topic Review
Metabolic Syndrome Prevention
The prevalence of metabolic syndrome (MetS) is presently an alarming public health problem globally. Oxidative stress has been postulated to be strongly correlated with MetS, such as obesity, type 2 diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular diseases, and certain cancers. In addition, substantial evidence of the role of antioxidants in human health and chronic disease prevention exist. Cereals are important staple foods which account for a huge proportion of the human diet. However, owing to recent growing demand and the search for natural antioxidants, the development of cereal peptidic antioxidants using bioinformatics approaches, simultaneous application of green food processing technologies with enzymatic and fermentation methods could potentially be used as health-promoting functional ingredients, foods or dietary supplements for the prevention and management of MetS. However, the obtainability and achievability of human equivalent doses under physiological conditions still remains controversial and requires further studies.
  • 1.2K
  • 02 Apr 2021
Topic Review
CRISPR-Cas and Its Wide-Ranging Applications
The CRISPR-Cas system is a powerful tool for in vivo editing the genome of most organisms, including man.
  • 1.2K
  • 24 May 2021
Topic Review
Proprotein Convertases and Enveloped Viruses
There are seven known human coronaviruses (CoV), which are enveloped positive-stranded RNA viruses belonging to the orderNidoviralesand are mostly responsible for upper respiratory tract infections. All these coronaviruses exhibit a “crown-like” structure composed of a trimeric spike (S) protein. The S-protein is a ~180–200 kDa type I transmembrane protein, with the N-terminus facing the extracellular space and anchored to the viral membrane via its transmembrane domain followed by a C-terminal short tail facing the cytosol.
  • 1.2K
  • 08 Jul 2021
Topic Review
Protein and Compounds from Microalgae
Algal species still show unrevealed and unexplored potentiality for the identification of new compounds. Photosynthetic organisms represent a valuable resource to exploit and sustain the urgent need of sustainable and green technologies. Particularly, unconventional organisms from extreme environments could hide properties to be employed in a wide range of biotechnology applications, due to their peculiar alleles, proteins, and molecules. In this review we report a detailed dissection about the latest and advanced applications of protein derived from algae. Furthermore, the innovative use of modified algae as bio-reactors to generate proteins or bioactive compounds was discussed. The latest progress about pharmaceutical applications, including the possibility to obtain drugs to counteract virus (as SARS-CoV-2) were also examined. 
  • 1.2K
  • 08 Sep 2021
Topic Review
Antiviral Response Against Infectious Bronchitis Virus in Poultry
Infectious bronchitis virus (IBV) is the causative agent of multi-systemic infection in the respiratory, reproductive and renal systems, which is similar to the symptoms of various viral and bacterial diseases reported in chickens. Currently, the live attenuated and killed vaccines are applied for the control of IBV infection; however, the continual emergence of IB variants with rapidly evolving genetic variants increases the risk of outbreaks in intensive poultry farms.
  • 1.2K
  • 27 Nov 2021
Topic Review
NEDD4 E3 Ubiquitin–Protein Ligases in Parkinson’s Disease
Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a debilitating neurodegenerative disease that causes a great clinical burden. However, its exact molecular pathologies are not fully understood. Whilst there are a number of avenues for research into slowing, halting, or reversing PD, one central idea is to enhance the clearance of the proposed aetiological protein, oligomeric α-synuclein. Oligomeric α-synuclein is the main constituent protein in Lewy bodies and neurites and is considered neurotoxic. Multiple E3 ubiquitin-protein ligases, including the NEDD4 (neural precursor cell expressed developmentally downregulated protein 4) family, parkin, SIAH (mammalian homologues of Drosophila seven in absentia), CHIP (carboxy-terminus of Hsc70 interacting protein), and SCFFXBL5 SCF ubiquitin ligase assembled by the S-phase kinase-associated protein (SKP1), cullin-1 (Cul1), a zinc-binding RING finger protein, and the F-box domain/Leucine-rich repeat protein 5-containing protein FBXL5), have been shown to be able to ubiquitinate α-synuclein, influencing its subsequent degradation via the proteasome or lysosome. Some members of the NEDD4 family of ligases are thought to crosstalk even with PD-related genes and proteins found to be mutated in familial forms of PD. Mutations in NEDD4 family genes have not been observed in PD patients, most likely because of their essential survival function during development. It has been thought that NEDD4 ligases may be viable therapeutic targets in PD. NEDD4 family members could clear toxic proteins, enhancing cell survival and slowing disease progression, or might diminish beneficial proteins, reducing cell survival and accelerating disease progression. 
  • 1.2K
  • 10 Jun 2022
Topic Review
Natural Antioxidant Activities of Plants in Preventing Cataractogenesis
A cataract is a condition where the eye’s lens clouds and can lead to progressive loss of vision. The formation of cataracts is linked to both the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and the reduction of endogenous antioxidants. Numerous studies have demonstrated that plants contain numerous antioxidant compounds that can be used as cataract preventatives or inhibitors. 
  • 1.2K
  • 02 Aug 2022
Topic Review
Importance of GABA in the Nervous System
Normal development and function of the central nervous system involves a balance between excitatory and inhibitory neurotransmission. Activity of both excitatory and inhibitory neurons is modulated by inhibitory signalling of the GABAergic and glycinergic systems. Mechanisms that regulate formation, maturation, refinement, and maintenance of inhibitory synapses are established in early life. Deviations from ideal excitatory and inhibitory balance, such as down-regulated inhibition, are linked with many neurological diseases, including epilepsy, schizophrenia, anxiety, and autism spectrum disorders. In the mammalian forebrain, gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) is the primary inhibitory neurotransmitter, binding to GABA receptors, opening chloride channels and hyperpolarizing the cell.
  • 1.2K
  • 29 Jul 2022
Topic Review
Urban Digitization Governance in Birth Registration Field
Digitization governance is one of the most significant current discussions in the urban governance field. Especially, with the spreading of Blockchain Technology (BCT), researchers have shown an increased interest in the application of the technology in solving birth registration challenges as a digital infrastructure in developing countries.
  • 1.2K
  • 17 Aug 2022
Topic Review
Paediatric and Adult Hepatocellular Carcinoma
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common primary liver cancer affecting adults and the second most common primary liver cancer affecting children. 
  • 1.2K
  • 15 Sep 2022
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