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Topic Review
Black Widow Spider Tubuliform Silk
Spider silk is a high-performance fiber renowned for its extraordinary mechanical properties, rivaling steel, Kevlar, and a wide range of other natural and manmade materials.
  • 1.3K
  • 09 Sep 2021
Topic Review
Functionalized Mesoporous Thin Films
Functionalized thin films of mesoporous silica and titania can be used as scaffolds with properties as diverse as promotion of cell growth, inhibition of biofilms formation, or development of sensors based on immobilized enzymes. The possibility to pattern them increase their appeal as they can be incorporated into devices and can be tailored both with respect to architecture and functionalization. In fact, selective surface manipulation is the ground for the fabrication of advanced micro devices that combine standard micro/nanofluids with functional materials.
  • 1.3K
  • 30 Jun 2021
Topic Review
Allelopathy of Knotweeds as Invasive Plants
Perennial herbaceous Fallopia is native to East Asia, and was introduced to Europe and North America in the 19th century as an ornamental plant. Fallopia has been spreading quickly and has naturalized in many countries. It is listed in the world’s 100 worst alien species. Fallopia often forms dense monospecies stands through the interruption of the regeneration process of indigenous plant species. Allelopathy of Japanese knotweed (Fallopia japonica), giant knotweed (Fallopia sachalinensis), and Bohemian knotweed (Fallopia x bohemica) has been reported to play an essential role in its invasion. The exudate from their roots and/or rhizomes, and their plant residues inhibited the germination and growth of some other plant species. These knotweeds, which are non-mycorrhizal plants, also suppressed the abundance and species richness of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) in the rhizosphere soil. Such suppression was critical for most territorial plants to form the mutualism with AMF, which enhances the nutrient and water uptake, and the tolerance against pathogens and stress conditions.
  • 1.2K
  • 31 Dec 2021
Topic Review
Salvigenin
Phytochemical analysis of the Iranian plant Achillea wilhelmsii led to the isolation of 17 pure secondary metabolites belonging to the classes of sesquiterpenoids and phenolics. Two of these compounds, named wilhemsin (7) and wilhelmsolide (9), are new sesquiterpenoids, and the first shows undescribed structural features. Their structures were elucidated through extensive spectroscopic analysis, mainly based on 1D and 2D NMR, and chemical derivatization. Starting from plant traditional use and previous reports on the activity of the plant extracts, all the pure compounds were evaluated on endpoints related to the treatment of metabolic syndrome. The sesquiterpene hanphyllin (8) showed a selective cholesterol-lowering activity (−12.7% at 30 µM), santoflavone (13) stimulated glucose uptake via the GLUT transporter (+16.2% at 30 µM), while the trimethoxylated flavone salvigenin (14) showed a dual activity in decreasing lipid levels (−22.5% palmitic acid biosynthesis at 30 µM) and stimulating mitochondrial functionality (+15.4% at 30 µM). 
  • 1.2K
  • 13 Aug 2021
Topic Review
Schwann Cell Involvement in Digestive System Disorders
Proper functioning of the digestive system is ensured by coordinated action of the central and peripheral nervous systems (PNS). Peripheral innervation of the digestive system can be viewed as intrinsic and extrinsic. The intrinsic portion is mainly composed of the neurons and glia of the enteric nervous system (ENS). The extrinsic part is formed by sympathetic, parasympathetic, and sensory branches of the PNS with Schwann cells (SCs) being the chef glial cells. SCs are a crucial component of digestive tract innervation, and a great deal of research evidence highlights the important status of these glial cells in health and disease.
  • 1.2K
  • 16 May 2022
Topic Review
Calomys callosus
The appearance and spread of parasitic diseases around the world aroused the interest of the scientific community to discover new animal models for improving the quality and specificity of surveys. Calomys callosus is a rodent native to South America, an easy handling model, with satisfactory longevity and reproducibility. C. callosus is susceptible to toxoplasmosis and can be used as experimental model for the study the pathogenesis, treatment, vertical transmission, and ocular toxoplasmosis. C. callosus can also be used to study cutaneous and visceral leishmaniasis, as the animals present cutaneous lesions, as well as parasites in the organs. C. callosus has epidemiological importance in Chagas disease, and since it is a Trypanosoma cruzi natural host in which rodents show high parasitemia and lethality, they are also effective as a model of congenital transmission. In the study of schistosomiasis, Schistosoma mansoni was proven to be a C. callosus natural host; thus, this rodent is a great model for fibrosis, hepatic granulomatous reaction, and celloma associated with lymphomyeloid tissue (CALT) during S. mansoni infection.
  • 1.2K
  • 01 Apr 2022
Topic Review
Discoveries on Ras Therapeutics
It has been over forty years since the isolation of the first human oncogene (HRAS), a crucial milestone in cancer research made possible through the combined efforts of a few selected research groups at the beginning of the 1980s. Those initial discoveries led to a quantitative leap in our understanding of cancer biology and set up the onset of the field of molecular oncology. The following four decades of RAS research have produced a huge pool of new knowledge about the RAS family of small GTPases, including how they regulate signaling pathways controlling many cellular physiological processes, or how oncogenic mutations trigger pathological conditions, including developmental syndromes or many cancer types. However, despite the extensive body of available basic knowledge, specific effective treatments for RAS-driven cancers are still lacking. Hopefully, recent advances involving the discovery of novel pockets on the RAS surface as well as highly specific small-molecule inhibitors able to block its interaction with effectors and/or activators may lead to the development of new, effective treatments for cancer. 
  • 1.2K
  • 10 May 2021
Topic Review
Encapsulins—Bacterial Protein Nanocompartments
Recently, a new class of prokaryotic compartments, collectively called encapsulins or protein nanocompartments, has been discovered. The shell proteins of these structures self-organize to form icosahedral compartments with a diameter of 25–42 nm, while one or more cargo proteins with various functions can be encapsulated in the nanocompartment. Non-native cargo proteins can be loaded into nanocompartments and the surface of the shells can be further functionalized, which allows for developing targeted drug delivery systems or using encapsulins as contrast agents for magnetic resonance imaging. Since the genes encoding encapsulins can be integrated into the cell genome, encapsulins are attractive for investigation in various scientific fields, including biomedicine and nanotechnology.
  • 1.2K
  • 12 Jul 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.
  • 1.2K
  • 10 Feb 2022
Topic Review
Biomaterial Surface Modifications
Biomaterials exhibit various degrees of compatibility with the harsh environment within a living organism. They need to be nonreactive chemically and physically with the body, as well as integrate when deposited into tissue. The extent of compatibility varies based on the application and material required. Often modifications to the surface of a biomaterial system are required to maximize performance. The surface can be modified in many ways, including plasma modification and applying coatings to the substrate. Surface modifications can be used to affect surface energy, adhesion, biocompatibility, chemical inertness, lubricity, sterility, asepsis, thrombogenicity, susceptibility to corrosion, degradation, and hydrophilicity.
  • 1.2K
  • 18 Oct 2022
Topic Review
The Formation of Chronic Subdural Hematoma
Chronic subdural hematomas (CSDHs) are commonly encountered in elderly individuals aged over 70 years, as they tend to be associated with brain atrophy. As the population ages worldwide, the incidence of CSDH is on the rise at an estimated rate of 1.7 to 21 per 100,000 people per year.
  • 1.2K
  • 28 Jul 2023
Topic Review
Osteoblast-Osteoclast Communication and Bone Homeostasis
Bone remodeling is tightly regulated by a cross-talk between bone-forming osteoblasts and bone-resorbing osteoclasts. Osteoblasts and osteoclasts communicate with each other to regulate cellular behavior, survival and differentiation through direct cell-to-cell contact or through secretory proteins. Osteoclasts also influence osteoblast formation and differentiation through secretion of soluble factors, including S1P, SEMA4D, CTHRC1 and C3. Here the current knowledge regarding membrane bound- and soluble factors governing cross-talk between osteoblasts and osteoclasts was reviewed.
  • 1.2K
  • 16 Dec 2022
Topic Review
Microorganisms as a Source of Antioxidant Compounds
Microorganisms are a diverse group of microscopic organisms including archaea, bacteria, fungi, protozoa, algae, and viruses. Microbial diversity produces a massive pool of unique chemicals, which have become a valuable source for innovative biotechnology. Microorganisms can be used as a source of antioxidants with the advantage of fast growth under controlled conditions. 
  • 1.2K
  • 02 Jun 2023
Topic Review
Trichiida
Trichiida (synonymous with Trichiales T.Macbrd.) is an order of slime moulds in the phylum Amoebozoa. Trichiida is one of five orders in the group Myxomycetes (also called Myxogastria), or the true plasmodial slime molds. It is also currently categorized under the superorder Lucisporidia with its sister group, Liceida. The order was first described by Thomas MacBride in 1922, and has retained the same name and status as a defined order in present phylogeny. In the plasmodium form, members of Trichiida lack a columella but have a well-developed capillitium for spore dispersal. The shape and details of the capillitium are used to define families within the order. Spores are brightly coloured, ranging from clear, white and yellow to pink and red-brown tones. The order currently has 4 families, 14 genera and 174 species. Recent molecular research has shown that while Trichiida probably represents a true taxonomic group, its sister group Liceida is likely paraphyletic, and it has been suggested that several genera from the Liceida should be reclassified under Trichiida instead.
  • 1.2K
  • 12 Oct 2022
Topic Review
Retrotransposition of Protein Coding Genes
Retrotransposition of protein coding genes is RNA-based gene duplication leading to the creation of single exon nonfunctional copies. Nevertheless, over time, many of these duplicates acquire transcriptional capabilities. In human in most cases, these so-called retrogenes do not code for proteins but function as regulatory long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs). The mechanisms by which they can regulate other genes include microRNA sponging, modulation of alternative splicing, epigenetic regulation and competition for stabilizing factors, among others.
  • 1.2K
  • 19 May 2021
Topic Review
Ru(II)-Dppz Derivatives and DNA
Transition metal complexes with dppz-type ligands (dppz = dipyrido[3,2-a:2′,3′-c]phenazine) are extensively studied and attract a considerable amount of attention, becoming, from the very beginning and increasingly over time, a powerful tool for investigating the structure of the DNA helix. In particular, [Ru(bpy)2(dppz)]2+ and [Ru(phen)2(dppz)]2+ and their derivatives were extensively investigated as DNA light-switches. 
  • 1.2K
  • 13 Apr 2021
Topic Review
YB1 in Triple Negative Breast Cancer
The Y Box binding protein 1 (YB1) is a multifunctional protein, found both in the cytoplasm and inside the nucleus, that belongs to the highly conserved Cold Shock Domain protein family. YB1 is highly expressed in TNBC tumors of AA origin when compared to CAs. Increased expression levels and activity of YB1 correlates with poor disease outcomes, resistance to chemotherapy, and the activation of the cancer stem cell (CSC) phenotype, with higher levels in AA than in CA TNBC tumors.
  • 1.2K
  • 23 Dec 2021
Topic Review
Angiogenesis and Inflammation in Neovascular Age-Related Macular Degeneration
Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the leading cause of visual impairment in the aging population with a limited understanding of its pathogenesis and the number of patients are all the time increasing. AMD is classified into two main forms: dry and neovascular AMD (nAMD). Dry AMD is the most prevalent form (80–90%) of AMD cases. Neovascular AMD (10–20% of AMD cases) is treated with monthly or more sparsely given intravitreal anti-vascular endothelial growth factor inhibitors, but unfortunately, not all patients respond to the current treatments. A clinical hallmark of nAMD is choroidal neovascularization. The progression of AMD is initially characterized by atrophic alterations in the retinal pigment epithelium, as well as the formation of lysosomal lipofuscin and extracellular drusen deposits. Cellular damage caused by chronic oxidative stress, protein aggregation and inflammatory processes may lead to advanced geographic atrophy and/or choroidal neovascularization and fibrosis.
  • 1.2K
  • 02 Feb 2023
Topic Review
Redox-Responsive Drug Delivery Systems
With the widespread global impact of cancer on humans and the extensive side effects associated with current cancer treatments, a novel, effective, and safe treatment is needed. Redox-responsive drug delivery systems (DDSs) have emerged as a potential cancer treatment with minimal side effects and enhanced site-specific targeted delivery. 
  • 1.2K
  • 30 Sep 2022
Topic Review
Parkinson’s Disease and Melatonin
Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a complex, multisystem disorder with both neurologic and systemic manifestations, which is usually associated with non-motor symptoms, including sleep disorders. Such associated sleep disorders are commonly observed as REM sleep behavior disorder, insomnia, sleep-related breathing disorders, excessive daytime sleepiness, restless legs syndrome and periodic limb movements. Melatonin has a wide range of regulatory effects, such as synchronizing circadian rhythm, and is expected to be a potential new circadian treatment of sleep disorders in PD patients.
  • 1.2K
  • 28 Feb 2023
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