Your browser does not fully support modern features. Please upgrade for a smoother experience.
Subject:
All Disciplines Arts & Humanities Biology & Life Sciences Business & Economics Chemistry & Materials Science Computer Science & Mathematics Engineering Environmental & Earth Sciences Medicine & Pharmacology Physical Sciences Public Health & Healthcare Social Sciences
Sort by:
Most Viewed Latest Alphabetical (A-Z) Alphabetical (Z-A)
Filter:
All Topic Review Biography Peer Reviewed Entry Video Entry
Topic Review
Magnetic Nanostructures for Cancer Immunotherapy
Magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) represent an attractive class of nanomaterials due to their unique physical and chemical features that allow them to respond specifically to magnetic fields. Among the magnetic class of materials, iron oxide-based nanoparticles are the only inorganic nanomaterials that have been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for medical applications. Magnetic nanomaterials are particularly appealing for cancer immunotherapy due to their unique features, which include (i) the traceability of their signal by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or by magnetic particle imaging (MPI) techniques ; (ii) their exploitation as carriers to promote the accumulation and the efficient delivery of biotherapeutic compounds, such as genes and peptides, into a specific target cell or tissue; (iii) their ability to mediate the elimination of cancer cells through the production of a local thermo-ablative effect when exposed to an external alternating magnetic field, referred to as magnetic hyperthermia therapy (MHT); and (iv) their intrinsic immunomodulatory properties that can be harnessed to further promote or modulate the immune function.
  • 1.2K
  • 07 Jul 2021
Topic Review
Neutrophil Extracellular Traps in Cancer Therapy Resistance
Neutrophils and their products are increasingly recognized to have a key influence on cancer progression and response to therapy. Their involvement has been shown in nearly every aspect of cancer pathophysiology with growing evidence now supporting their role in resistance to a variety of cancer therapies. Recently, the role of neutrophils in cancer progression and therapy resistance has been further complicated with the discovery of neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs). NETs are web-like structures of chromatin decorated with a variety of microbicidal proteins. They are released by neutrophils in a process called NETosis. NET-dependent mechanisms of cancer pathology are beginning to be appreciated, particularly with respect to tumor response to chemo-, immuno-, and radiation therapy. 
  • 1.2K
  • 26 Apr 2022
Topic Review
The Formyl Peptide Receptors
The formyl peptide receptors, abbreviated as formyl peptide receptors (FPRs) in humans, are pattern recognition receptors (PRRs) with central roles in host defense and inflammation.
  • 1.2K
  • 15 Dec 2022
Topic Review
Metformin Protects Livers against NASH-related-HCC
Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is strongly linked to the global epidemic of obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Notably, NAFLD can progress from the mildest form of simple steatosis to nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) that increases the risk for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), which is a malignancy with a dismal prognosis and rising incidence in the United States and other developed counties, possibly due to the epidemic of NAFLD. Metformin, the first-line drug for T2DM, has been suggested to reduce risks for several types of cancers including HCC and protect against NASH-related HCC, as revealed by epidemical studies on humans and preclinical studies on animal models.
  • 1.2K
  • 12 Oct 2021
Topic Review
Role of Selenium in Viral Infections
Viral infections have afflicted human health and despite great advancements in scientific knowledge and technologies, continue to affect our society today. The current coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has put a spotlight on the need to review the evidence on the impact of nutritional strategies to maintain a healthy immune system, particularly in instances where there are limited therapeutic treatments. Selenium, an essential trace element in humans, has a long history of lowering the occurrence and severity of viral infections. Much of the benefits derived from selenium are due to its incorporation into selenocysteine, an important component of proteins known as selenoproteins. Viral infections are associated with an increase in reactive oxygen species and may result in oxidative stress. Studies suggest that selenium deficiency alters immune response and viral infection by increasing oxidative stress and the rate of mutations in the viral genome, leading to an increase in pathogenicity and damage to the host. 
  • 1.2K
  • 19 Jan 2022
Topic Review
Innate Lymphoid Cells in Pancreatic Disease
Innate lymphoid cells (ILCs) represent a heterogeneous population of non-B/non-T lymphocytes whose discovery has greatly expanded researchers understanding over the past 10 years. ILCs are defined mainly by three unique features: (1) their lymphoid morphology; (2) their lack of genetically rearranged antigen receptors; and (3) their deficiency of cell-surface markers expressed in other immune cell types, such as myeloid cells and dendritic cells. In recent years, emerging evidence has identified the existence of ILCs in the pancreas, and all ILC subsets have been identified. ILCs resident in the pancreas, as well as in other tissues, may play an important role in the occurrence and progression of pancreatic diseases and will therefore be expected to be applied in the prevention and treatment of these diseases.
  • 1.2K
  • 22 Apr 2022
Topic Review
The Adaptor Protein p66Shc
p66Shc is an adaptor protein with anti-mitogenic, anti-chemotactic, pro-apoptotic and pro-oxidant activities.  Neoplastic B cells from chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) patients  have a profound deficiency in the expression of p66Shc which results in leukemic cell resistance to apoptosis and in an altered balance between homing and egress receptors that control B cell homing to and residency into the pro-survival lymphoid niche. Ablation of the gene encoding p66Shc in the Eμ-TCL1 mouse model of human CLL worsens disease presentation  by promoting leukemic cell invasiveness, providing in vivo evidence of the pathogenic role of the p66Shc defect in CLL pathogenesis. Here we briefly summarize the functions of p66Shc in lymphocytes, focalizing on the mechanisms exploited by p66Shc to control B cell trafficking and the abnormalities in this process caused by p66Shc deficiency in CLL. 
  • 1.2K
  • 12 Nov 2020
Topic Review
Immunomodulation in Pancreatic Cancer
The majority of pancreatic cancer patients have a poor prognosis, where the five-year survival rate is 9% in the United States, with an increasing incidence rate of 1.03% per year. Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is an aggressive form of pancreatic cancer that makes up 90% of all diagnosed cases of pancreatic cancer. Other types of pancreatic cancer, such as neuroendocrine tumors, which secrete insulin, or acinar carcinomas, which release digestive enzymes, are less common. PDAC develops from neoplasms of the cells lining the pancreatic ducts and usually presents without symptoms until advanced stages of the disease. Here we discuss strategies for immunomodulation of pancreatic cancer.
  • 1.2K
  • 26 Nov 2020
Topic Review
Adaptive Immune-Response to Tick-Borne Hemoparasites
Interactions between tick-borne pathogenic hemoparasites and different host effector mechanisms of T- and/or B cell-mediated adaptive immunity, involved in the late and long-lasting protective immune response. 
  • 1.2K
  • 02 Dec 2020
Topic Review
Phenotypical and Functional Polymorphism of Liver Resident Macrophages
Liver diseases are one of the main causes of mortality. In this regard, the development of new ways of reparative processes stimulation is relevant. Macrophages play a leading role in the regulation of liver homeostasis in physiological conditions and in pathology. In this regard, the development of new liver treatment methods is impossible without taking into account this cell population. Resident macrophages of the liver, Kupffer cells, represent a unique cell population, first of all, due to their development. Most of the liver macrophages belong to the self-sustaining macrophage cell population, whose origin is not bone marrow. In addition, Kupffer cells are involved in such processes as regulation of hepatocyte proliferation and apoptosis, remodeling of the intercellular matrix, lipid metabolism, protective function, etc. Such a broad spectrum of liver macrophage functions indicates their high functional plasticity. The Recent data on the development, phenotypic and functional plasticity, and participation in the reparative processes of liver macrophages: resident macrophages (Kupffer cells) and bone marrow-derived macrophages were summarized.
  • 1.2K
  • 29 Jan 2022
Topic Review
Neutrophils and Angiogenesis in Cancer
Tumor angiogenesis is one of the most critical steps in the progression of cancer. Owing to its fundamental role in tumor growth and metastasis, tumor angiogenesis is accepted to be a limiting factor and considered a powerful therapeutic target. Neutrophils contribute to the tumor progression via multiple mechanisms, ranging from the direct support of tumor cell survival to the immunosuppression. A strong body of evidence suggests that neutrophils also play a prominent role in tumor angiogenesis.
  • 1.2K
  • 29 Mar 2022
Topic Review
Porphyromonas gingivalis during Periodontitis Pathogenesis
Periodontitis is a non-communicable chronic inflammatory disease characterized by the progressive and irreversible breakdown of the soft periodontal tissues and resorption of teeth-supporting alveolar bone. The etiology of periodontitis involves dysbiotic shifts in the diversity of microbial communities inhabiting the subgingival crevice, which is dominated by anaerobic Gram-negative bacteria, including Porphyromonas gingivalis. Indeed, P. gingivalis is a keystone pathogen with a repertoire of attributes that allow it to colonize periodontal tissues and influence the metabolism, growth rate, and virulence of other periodontal bacteria. The pathogenic potential of P. gingivalis has been traditionally analyzed using classical biochemical and molecular approaches.
  • 1.2K
  • 31 Jan 2023
Topic Review
HIV mRNA Vaccine Platforms
The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic introduced the world to a new type of vaccine based on mRNA encapsulated in lipid nanoparticles (LNPs). Instead of delivering antigenic proteins directly, an mRNA-based vaccine relies on the host’s cells to manufacture protein immunogens which, in turn, are targets for antibody and cytotoxic T cell responses. mRNA-based vaccines have been the subject of research for over three decades as a platform to protect against or treat a variety of cancers, amyloidosis and infectious diseases. In this review, we discuss mRNA-based approaches for the generation of prophylactic and therapeutic vaccines to HIV. We examine the special immunological hurdles for a vaccine to elicit broadly neutralizing antibodies and effective T cell responses to HIV. Lastly, we outline an mRNA-based HIV vaccination strategy based on the immunobiology of broadly neutralizing antibody development.
  • 1.2K
  • 25 Jun 2021
Topic Review
Evolution of TFs and Enhancers
Adaptive immunity relies on the V(D)J DNA recombination of immunoglobulin (Ig) and T cell receptor (TCR) genes, which enables the recognition of highly diverse antigens and the elicitation of antigen-specific immune responses. This process is mediated by recombination-activating gene (Rag) 1 and Rag2 (Rag1/2), whose expression is strictly controlled in a cell type-specific manner; the expression of Rag1/2 genes represents a hallmark of lymphoid lineage commitment. Although Rag genes are known to be evolutionally conserved among jawed vertebrates, how Rag genes are regulated by lineage-specific transcription factors (TFs) and how their regulatory system evolved among vertebrates have not been fully elucidated. Here, we review the current body of knowledge concerning the cis-regulatory elements (CREs) of Rag genes and the evolution of the basic helix-loop-helix TF E protein regulating Rag gene CREs, as well as the evolution of the antagonist of this protein, the Id protein. This may help to understand how the adaptive immune system develops along with the evolution of responsible TFs and enhancers. 
  • 1.2K
  • 09 Jun 2021
Topic Review
Immunology of Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children
Immune responses following severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in children are still under investigation. Even though coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is usually mild in the pediatric population, some children exhibit severe clinical manifestations, require hospitalization, or develop the most severe condition: a multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection. The activated innate, humoral and T-cell-mediated immunological pathways that lead certain pediatric populations to present with MIS-C or remain asymptomatic after SARS-CoV-2 infection are yet to be established. This entry focuses on the immunological aspects of MIS-C with respect to innate, humoral, and cellular immunity. In addition, presents the role of the SARS-CoV-2 Spike protein as a superantigen in the pathophysiological mechanisms, discusses the great heterogeneity among the immunological studies in the pediatric population, and highlights possible reasons why some children with a certain genetic background present with MIS-C.
  • 1.2K
  • 31 Mar 2023
Topic Review
Lyotropic Liquid Crystals for Efficient Intestinal Lymphatic Targeting
Lyotropic liquid crystals (LLCs) are liquids that have crystalline structures. LLCs as drug delivery systems that can deliver hydrophobic, hydrophilic, and amphiphilic agents. Due to their unique phases and structures, LLCs can protect both small molecules and biologics from the gastrointestinal tract’s harsh environment, thus making LLCs attractive as carriers for oral drug delivery.
  • 1.1K
  • 30 Nov 2023
Biography
Riccardo Cortese
Riccardo Cortese (Siena, Italy, March 29, 1944 - Basel, Switzerland, April 27, 2017) was an Italian scientist, entrepreneur, and innovator in the field of gene expression, drug discovery and genetic vaccines. His work led to the development of novel therapeutic strategies for the prevention and cure of viral infections, including HIV, HCV, Ebola and RSV. He pioneered a novel platform technology
  • 1.1K
  • 14 Dec 2022
Topic Review
Long-Tailed Unconventional Class I Myosins
Long-tailed unconventional class I myosin , Myosin 1E (MYO 1E) and Myosin 1F (MYO1F) are motor proteins that use chemical energy from the hydrolysis of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) to produce mechanical work along the actin cytoskeleton. On the basis of their motor properties and structural features, myosins perform a variety of essential roles in physiological processes such as endocytosis, exocytosis, cell adhesion, and migration. The long tailed unconventional class I myosins are characterized by having a conserved motor head domain, which binds actin and hydrolyzes ATP, followed by a short neck with an isoleucine-glutamine (IQ) motif, which binds calmodulin and is sensitive to calcium, and a tail that contains a pleckstrin homology domain (PH), a tail homology 1 domain (TH1), wherein these domains allow membrane binding, a tail homology 2 domain (TH2), an ATP-insensitive actin-binding site domain, and a single Src homology 3 domain (SH3) susceptible to binding proline rich regions in other proteins. Therefore, these motor proteins are able to bind actin, plasma membrane, and other molecules (adaptor, kinases, membrane proteins) that contribute to their function, ranging from increasing membrane tension to molecular trafficking and cellular adhesion. MYO1E and MYO1F function in host self-defense, with a better defined role in innate immunity in cell migration and phagocytosis.
  • 1.1K
  • 28 Oct 2020
Topic Review
Joint-Preserving Surgery
The concept of “joint-preservation” was introduced by Hanyu et al. in 1997. They started joint-preserving surgery to preserve the function of the MTP joints as they recognized its function as important for gait even in patients with RA.
  • 1.1K
  • 23 Apr 2021
Topic Review
Intestinal Homeostasis under Stress Siege
Intestinal homeostasis encompasses a complex and balanced interplay among a wide array of components that collaborate to maintain gut barrier integrity. The appropriate function of the gut barrier requires the mucus layer, a sticky cushion of mucopolysaccharides that overlays the epithelial cell surface. Mucus plays a critical anti-inflammatory role by preventing direct contact between luminal microbiota and the surface of the epithelial cell monolayer. Moreover, mucus is enriched with pivotal effectors of intestinal immunity, such as immunoglobulin A (IgA). A fragile and delicate equilibrium that supports proper barrier function can be disturbed by stress. The impact of stress upon intestinal homeostasis results from neuroendocrine mediators of the brain-gut axis (BGA), which comprises a nervous branch that includes the enteric nervous system (ENS) and the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems, as well as an endocrine branch of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis. 
  • 1.1K
  • 02 Jun 2021
  • Page
  • of
  • 39
Featured Entry Collections
>>

Featured Reprints

>>
Encyclopedia of Digital Society, Industry 5.0 and Smart City
Encyclopedia of Engineering
Encyclopedia of Social Sciences
Encyclopedia of Medieval Royal Iconography
Academic Video Service
Feedback

Quick Survey

Encyclopedia MDPI is conducting a targeted survey to identify the specific barriers hindering efficient research. We invite you to spend 3 minutes defining the priorities for our next generation of structured knowledge tools.
Take Survey