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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. 
  • 1.5K
  • 28 Sep 2021
Topic Review
Lonomia obliqua Envenoming
The hemorrhagic syndrome is one of the most serious complications in patients who have  been in contact with the Lonomia caterpillar bristles. Although 26 species of the genus Lonomia (Saturniidae family) are distributed in the American continent, the most studied species are L. obliqua and L. achelous caterpillars; both are capable of inducing hemorrhagic effects in humans. Envenoming by L. obliqua caterpillars was considered a public health problem in southern Brazil. The hemostatic disturbances observed in the envenoming by L. obliqua caterpillars, result in a consumption coagulopathy, resembling a disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) and secondary fibrinolysis, which can lead to the hemorrhagic syndrome. The main complication of L. obliqua envenomation is acute renal failure, which can occur in up to 12% of the cases, being frequent in patients over 45 years old and in those with heavy bleeding. Besides that, some deaths related to hemorrhage and renal failure have been reported. However, the early diagnosis and proper treatment with  antilonomic serum (ALS), produced by the Butantan Institute (SP/Brazil), within 12 h of contact can prevent severe coagulopathy and hemorrhage events. 
  • 1.5K
  • 22 Dec 2021
Topic Review
New treatment strategies for β-thalassemia
Beta-thalassemia (β-thalassemia) is an autosomal recessive inherited disease characterized by decreased production of the β-globin chains of hemoglobin (Hb) A. The normal structure of HbA is two α- and two β-globin chains. Individuals with β-thalassemia are either homozygous or double heterozygotes for mutations in the β-globin gene.
  • 1.5K
  • 13 Jul 2021
Topic Review
Artificial Intelligence in Cardiovascular Genetics
Polygenic diseases, which are genetic disorders caused by the combined action of multiple genes, pose unique and significant challenges for the diagnosis and management of affected patients. A major goal of cardiovascular medicine has been to understand how genetic variation leads to the clinical heterogeneity seen in polygenic cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). Recent advances and emerging technologies in artificial intelligence (AI), coupled with the ever-increasing availability of next generation sequencing (NGS) technologies, now provide researchers with unprecedented possibilities for dynamic and complex biological genomic analyses. Combining these technologies may lead to a deeper understanding of heterogeneous polygenic CVDs, better prognostic guidance, and, ultimately, greater personalized medicine. Advances will likely be achieved through increasingly frequent and robust genomic characterization of patients, as well the integration of genomic data with other clinical data, such as cardiac imaging, coronary angiography, and clinical biomarkers. 
  • 1.5K
  • 28 Mar 2022
Topic Review
Live Cell and Antioxidant Activities
Plant extracts and pharmacopoeias represent an exceptional breeding ground for the discovery of new antioxidants. Until recently, the antioxidant activity was only measured by chemical hydrogen atom transfer (HAT) and single-electron transfer (SET) cell-free assays that do not inform about the actual effect of antioxidants in living systems. By providing information about the mode of action of antioxidants at the subcellular level, recently developed live cell assays are now changing the game.
  • 1.5K
  • 21 Jun 2021
Topic Review
Antioxidants and Atherosclerosis
Atherosclerosis is a chronic inflammatory disease which is a major cause of coronary heart disease and stroke in humans. It is characterized by intimal plaques and cholesterol accumulation in arterial walls. The side effects of currently prescribed synthetic drugs and their high cost in the treatment of atherosclerosis has prompted the use of alternative herbal medicines, dietary supplements, and antioxidants associated with fewer adverse effects for the treatment of atherosclerosis. Natural and synthetic antioxidants have a crucial role in the prevention and treatment of atherosclerosis through different mechanisms. These include: The inhibition of low density lipoprotein (LDL) oxidation, the reduction of reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, the inhibition of cytokine secretion, the prevention of atherosclerotic plaque formation and platelet aggregation, the preclusion of mononuclear cell infiltration, the improvement of endothelial dysfunction and vasodilation, the augmentation of nitric oxide (NO) bioavailability, the modulation of the expression of adhesion molecules such as vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1) and intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) on endothelial cells, and the suppression of foam cell formation.
  • 1.5K
  • 23 Jul 2021
Topic Review
Cathepsin Proteases and Bcl-2 Proteins
Taken with the growing importance of cathepsin-mediated substrate proteolysis in tumor biology and progression, the focus and emphasis placed on therapeutic design and development is coming into fruition. Underpinning this approach is the invariable progression from the direction of fully characterizing cathepsin protease members and their substrate targets, towards targeting such an interaction with tangible therapeutics. The two groups of such substrates that have gained much attention over the years are the pro- and anti- apoptotic protein intermediates from the extrinsic and intrinsic signaling arms of the apoptosis pathway.
  • 1.5K
  • 08 May 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.
  • 1.5K
  • 16 Aug 2021
Topic Review
Oxidative Stress in Male Infertility
The spermatozoon is a highly specialized cell, whose main function is the transport of the intact male genetic material into the oocyte. During its formation and transit throughout male and female reproductive tracts, sperm cells are internally and externally surrounded by reactive oxygen species (ROS), which are produced from both endogenous and exogenous sources. While low amounts of ROS are known to be necessary for crucial physiological sperm processes, such as acrosome reaction and sperm–oocyte interaction, high levels of those species underlie misbalanced antioxidant-oxidant molecules, generating oxidative stress (OS), which is one of the most damaging factors that affect sperm function and lower male fertility potential. 
  • 1.5K
  • 09 Jul 2021
Topic Review
Bioactive Properties of Lamiaceae Herbs
Numerous plants, plant extracts, and plant-derived compounds are being explored for their beneficial effects against overweight and liver diseases. Many herbs of the Lamiaceae family are widely employed as food and spices in the Mediterranean area, but also in folk medicine, and their use for the management of metabolic disorders is well documented. 
  • 1.4K
  • 05 Sep 2022
Topic Review
CRISPR Therapy
In the last two decades, the therapeutic landscape of several tumors have changed profoundly with the introduction of drugs against proteins encoded by oncogenes. Oncogenes play an essential role in human cancer and when their encoded proteins are inhibited by specific drugs, the tumoral process can be reverted or stopped. An example of this is the case of the chronic myeloid leukemia, in which all the pathological features can be attributed by a single oncogene. Most patients with this disease now have a normal life expectancy thanks to a rationality designed inhibitor. However, the drug only blocks the protein, the oncogene continues unaffected and treatment discontinuation is only an option for a small subset of patients. With the advent of genome-editing nucleases and, especially, the CRISPR/Cas9 system, the possibilities to destroy oncogenes now is feasible. A novel therapeutic tool has been developed with unimaginable limits in cancer treatment. Recent studies support that CRISPR/Cas9 system could be a definitive therapeutic option in chronic myeloid leukemia. This work reviews the biology of chronic myeloid leukemia, the emergence of the CRISPR system, and its ability as a specific tool for this disease.
  • 1.4K
  • 22 Sep 2021
Topic Review
Advantages/Disadvantages/Limitations of Chemotaxis Assays for Campylobacter spp.
Chemotaxis directed motility of intestinal bacteria such as Campylobacter jejuni could enable the cells to move toward favourable conditions and away from hazardous ones. Reproducible qualitative and quantitative assessment of bacterial chemotactic motility, particularly in response to chemorepellent effectors, is experimentally challenging. Several established chemotaxis assays currently used to investigate Campylobacter jejuni chemotaxis are compared, with the aim of improving the correlation between different studies and establishing the best practices.
  • 1.4K
  • 11 Feb 2022
Topic Review
Photochemical Internalization of siRNA for Cancer Therapy
In the race to design ever more effective therapy with ever more focused and controlled actions, nanomedicine and phototherapy seem to be two allies of choice. Indeed, the use of nanovectors making it possible to transport and protect genetic material is becoming increasingly important. In addition, the use of a method allowing the release of genetic material in a controlled way in space and time is also a strategy increasingly studied thanks to the use of lasers. In parallel, the use of interfering RNA and, more particularly, of small-interfering RNA (siRNA) has demonstrated significant potential for gene therapy.
  • 1.4K
  • 03 Aug 2022
Topic Review
High-Dose Vitamin C for Cancer Therapy
The idea that Vitamin C (Vit-C) could be utilized as a form of anti-cancer therapy has generated many contradictory arguments. Insights into the physiological characteristics of Vit-C, its pharmacokinetics, and results from preclinical reports, however, suggest that high-dose Vit-C could be effectively utilized in the management of various tumor types. Studies have shown that the pharmacological action of Vit-C can attack various processes that cancerous cells use for their growth and development. 
  • 1.4K
  • 13 Nov 2023
Topic Review
Lipid-Based Delivery Systems for Flavonoids and Flavonolignans
Herbal chemicals with a long history in medicine have attracted a lot of attention. Flavonolignans and flavonoids are considered as two classes of the above-mentioned compounds with different functional groups which exhibit several therapeutic capabilities such as antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antidiabetic, and anticancer activities. Based on the studies, high hydrophobic properties of the aforementioned compounds limit their bioavailability inside the human body and restrict their wide application. Nanoscale formulations such as solid lipid nanoparticles, liposomes, and other types of lipid-based delivery systems have been introduced to overcome the above-mentioned challenges. This approach allows the aforementioned hydrophobic therapeutic compounds to be encapsulated between hydrophobic structures, resulting in improving their bioavailability. The above-mentioned enhanced delivery system improves delivery to the targeted sites and reduces the daily required dosage.
  • 1.4K
  • 31 Jul 2023
Topic Review
PCSK6 in Cardiovascular Biology and Disease
Proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin 6 (PCSK6) is a secreted serine protease expressed in most major organs, where it cleaves a wide range of growth factors, signaling molecules, peptide hormones, proteolytic enzymes, and adhesion proteins. In the cardiovascular system, PCSK6 acts as a key modulator in heart formation, lipoprotein metabolism, body fluid homeostasis, cardiac repair, and vascular remodeling. To date, dysregulated PCSK6 expression or function has been implicated in major cardiovascular diseases.
  • 1.4K
  • 02 Aug 2023
Topic Review
The Role of Sphingomyelin in Motor Neuron Diseases
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), Spinal Bulbar Muscular Atrophy (SBMA), and Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) are motor neuron diseases (MNDs) characterised by progressive motor neuron degeneration, weakness and muscular atrophy. Lipid dysregulation is well recognised in each of these conditions and occurs prior to neurodegeneration. Several lipid markers have been shown to predict prognosis in ALS. Sphingolipids are complex lipids enriched in the central nervous system and are integral to key cellular functions including membrane stability and signalling pathways, as well as being mediators of neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration. 
  • 1.4K
  • 04 Oct 2022
Topic Review
Extracellular DNA
Extracellular DNA (eDNA) refers to any molecule of DNA found outside a cell. eDNA has an important ecological role as a signal molecule in several organisms. In plants, it has shown beneficial effects on important production traits such as defense mechanisms, plant growth and development, and secondary metabolites production that results in yield increment and better-quality food.
  • 1.4K
  • 22 Oct 2021
Topic Review
Therapeutic Wound Healing Bioactivities of Medicinal Plants
Wound healing is a dynamic process underpinned by numerous cellular activities, including homeostasis, inflammation, proliferation, and remodeling, that require proper harmonious integration to effectively repair the damaged tissue. Natural phytomedicines that possess considerable pharmacological properties have been widely and effectively employed forwound treatment and infection prevention. Since ancient times, phytotherapy has been able to efficiently treat cutaneous wounds, reduce the onset of infections, and minimize the usage of antibiotics that cause critical antibiotic resistance. There are a remarkable number of wound-healing botanicals that have been widely used in the Northern Hemisphere, including Achiella millefolium, Aloe vera, Althaea officinalis, Calendula officinalis, Matricaria chamomilla, Curcuma longa, Eucalyptus, Jojoba, plantain, pine, green tea, pomegranate, and Inula.
  • 1.4K
  • 15 Feb 2023
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.
  • 1.4K
  • 25 May 2021
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