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Topic Review
Extracellular Signal-Regulated Kinase
Extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK5) is an essential regulator of cancer progression, tumor relapse, and poor patient survival. Epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a complex oncogenic process, which drives cell invasion, stemness, and metastases. Activators of ERK5, including mitogen-activated protein kinase 5 (MEK5), tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α), and transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β), are known to induce EMT and metastases in breast, lung, colorectal, and other cancers. Several downstream targets of the ERK5 pathway, such as myocyte-specific enhancer factor 2c (MEF2C), activator protein-1 (AP-1), focal adhesion kinase (FAK), and c-Myc, play a critical role in the regulation of EMT transcription factors SNAIL, SLUG, and β-catenin. Moreover, ERK5 activation increases the release of extracellular matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), facilitating breakdown of the extracellular matrix (ECM) and local tumor invasion. Targeting the ERK5 signaling pathway using small molecule inhibitors, microRNAs, and knockdown approaches decreases EMT, cell invasion, and metastases via several mechanisms.
  • 1.2K
  • 20 Feb 2021
Topic Review
Signaling Pathways in Aging
Aging is a fundamental biological process accompanied by a general decline in tissue function. Indeed, as the lifespan increases, age-related dysfunction, such as cognitive impairment or dementia, will become a growing public health issue. 
  • 1.2K
  • 30 Apr 2021
Topic Review
Amaryllidaceae Alkaloids
Alkaloids are an important group of specialized nitrogen metabolites with a wide range of biochemical and pharmacological effects. Since the first publication on lycorine in 1877, more than 650 alkaloids have been extracted from Amaryllidaceae bulbous plants and clustered together as the Amaryllidaceae alkaloids (AAs) family. 
  • 1.2K
  • 31 May 2021
Topic Review
Rosemary
Rosemary (Rosemarinus officinalis L.) belongs to the Lamiaceae family and is native to the Mediterranean region and part of Asia. It is the most well-known plant with antioxidant activity, and the only one currently approved as natural antioxidant in EU (E-392). The main antioxidant components and the extraction procedures are reviewed in the present work.
  • 1.2K
  • 30 Jun 2021
Topic Review
Small Spirocyclic, Xanthene-Based Fluorescent Probes
The use of fluorescent probes in a multitude of applications is still an expanding field. This review covers the recent progress made in small molecular, spirocyclic xanthene-based probes containing different heteroatoms (e.g., oxygen, silicon, carbon) in position 10′. After a short introduction, we will focus on applications like the interaction of probes with enzymes and targeted labeling of organelles and proteins, detection of small molecules, as well as their use in therapeutics or diagnostics and super-resolution microscopy. Furthermore, the last part will summarize recent advances in the synthesis and understanding of their structure–behavior relationship including novel computational approaches. 
  • 1.2K
  • 07 Jan 2021
Topic Review
Extracellular Vesicles in Blood
Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are important players for intercellular communication. EVs are secreted by almost all cell types; they can transfer information between nearby or distant cells, and they are highly abundant in body fluids. The present work provides an overview of the components, effects, and applications of EVs in blood.
  • 1.2K
  • 26 Aug 2021
Topic Review
Cold Plasma Systems for Medicine
Plasma is the predominant state of matter in the known universe (it is estimated that up to 99% of matter is plasma), although not on our planet, where the conditions of pressure and temperature make normal the states of matter—solid, liquid, and gas—that in global terms are exotic.  If we add energy to a gas, we will partially or totally ionize it. In this way, we reach a new state of matter, plasma, made up of free electrons, atoms and molecules (electrically neutral particles), and ions. The energy needed to generate plasma can be supplied through electrical discharges in gases, in which free electrons take energy field and lose it through excitation and ionization processes of the atoms and molecules in the gas. The interaction of a plasma with a surface, either solid, liquid or belonging to a live system, is a complex process involving many different active species and reactions. The use of cold plasma for medical applications is at present in the rise as it has been proven as a powerful therapeutic tool for healing, desinfection  and surface functionalization
  • 1.2K
  • 01 Apr 2021
Topic Review
WNT Signalling in Dental Pathologies
Great efforts have been made over the past decades to discover new therapeutic targets for a big variety of human pathologies. Most of the studies dealing with severe pathological conditions such as cancers and tissue malformations are focused on the role of either widely recognized master controlling genes such as ras and myc or pivotal components of key signalling pathways, among which Wnt and Notch. However, these genes and molecules are fundamental for paired embryogenesis as well as for tissue and organ homeostasis and regeneration, where they regulate cell proliferation, migration, differentiation and apoptosis. The precise timing and localization of their activation are important to ensure the appropriate cellular functions in physiological conditions. Thus, their indiscriminate targeting is not desirable, due to both the high risk of severe side effects and the certainty of broad phenotypic consequences. On the contrary, optimal therapeutic targets should be selected based on their tissue, time and pathology specific roles. Here, we suggest a paradigmatic example of such target molecules that could be represented by the Wnt/b-catenin signalling components Bcl9 and Bcl9l. 
  • 1.1K
  • 05 Nov 2020
Topic Review
Glyoxalase System
Dicarbonyl compounds, including methylglyoxal (MGO) and glyoxal (GO), are mainly formed as byproducts of glucose metabolism. The main glyoxalase system consists of glyoxalase I and II (Glo1 and Glo2) and is the main enzyme involved in the detoxification of dicarbonyl stress, which occurs as an accumulation of MGO or GO due to decreased activity or expression of Glo1. Dicarbonyl stress is a major cause of cellular and tissue dysfunction that causes various health issues, including diabetes, aging, and cancer. 
  • 1.1K
  • 22 Jan 2021
Topic Review
Rhizopus oryzae Lipase
Lipases are biocatalysts with a significant potential to enable a shift from current pollutant manufacturing processes to environmentally sustainable approaches. The main reason of this prospect is their catalytic versatility as they carry out several industrially relevant reactions as hydrolysis of fats in water/lipid interface and synthesis reactions in solvent-free or non-aqueous media such as transesterification, interesterification and esterification. Because of the outstanding traits of Rhizopus oryzae lipase (ROL), 1,3-specificity, high enantioselectivity and stability in organic media, its application in energy, food and pharmaceutical industrial sector has been widely studied. Significant advances have been made in the biochemical characterisation of ROL particularly in how its activity and stability are affected by the presence of its prosequence. In addition, native and heterologous production of ROL, the latter in cell factories like Escherichia coli, Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Komagataella phaffii (Pichia pastoris), have been thoroughly described. Therefore, in this review, we summarise the current knowledge about R. oryzae lipase (i) biochemical characteristics, (ii) production strategies and (iii) potential industrial applications.
  • 1.1K
  • 10 Dec 2020
Topic Review
Oxidative Stress in NAFLD
Oxidative stress is defined as an imbalance between the cellular levels of antioxidants and that of pro-oxidants, including ROS and reactive nitrogen species, which causes cellular damage and, in most cases, cell death. Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is often the hepatic expression of metabolic syndrome and its comorbidities that comprise, among others, obesity and insulin-resistance. At the molecular level, several models have been proposed for the pathogenesis of NAFLD. Most importantly, oxidative stress and mitochondrialdamage have been reported to be causative in NAFLD initiation and progression.
  • 1.1K
  • 02 Aug 2021
Topic Review
The Chromosome Organization in the Cell Nuclei
The spatial organization of the genome into the cell nucleus plays a central role in controlling several genome functions, such as gene expression and DNA replication timing during the S-phase of the cell cycle. Here we show how chromosomes are organized in the cell nucleus according to the gene density and to the GC-level of the various chromosomal bands, allowing a corrected and coordinated gene expression during cell life. The human genome, such as the genome of the other mammals, is composed by two very different parts: one very gene-dense, replicated at the onset of the S-phase, very GC-rich and the other endowed with opposite features. These two genomic compartments are localized far apart within a chromosome, with regions having intermediate properties located between them. This determines a zig-zag organization of the larger chromosomes, to position the gene-poorest genome compartment at the nuclear periphery and the gene-richest one at the nuclear interior.
  • 1.1K
  • 05 Jan 2022
Topic Review
Melatonin in Wine and Beer
Melatonin is a hormone secreted in the pineal gland with several functions, especially regulation of circadian sleep cycle and the biological processes related to it. This review evaluates the bioavailability of melatonin and resulting metabolites, the presence of melatonin in wine and beer and factors that influence it, and finally the different benefits related to treatment with melatonin. When administered orally, melatonin is mainly absorbed in the rectum and the ileum; it has a half-life of about 0.45–1 h and is extensively inactivated in the liver by phase 2 enzymes. Melatonin (MEL) concentration varies from picograms to ng/mL in fermented beverages such as wine and beer, depending on the fermentation process. These low quantities, within a dietary intake, are enough to reach significant plasma concentrations of melatonin, and are thus able to exert beneficial effects. Melatonin has demonstrated antioxidant, anticarcinogenic, immunomodulatory and neuroprotective actions. These benefits are related to its free radical scavenging properties as well and the direct interaction with melatonin receptors, which are involved in complex intracellular signaling pathways, including inhibition of angiogenesis and cell proliferation, among others. In the present review, the current evidence on the effects of melatonin on different pathophysiological conditions is also discussed.
  • 1.1K
  • 08 Feb 2021
Topic Review
O-GlcNAcylation
O-GlcNAcylation is a posttranslational modification that occurs at serine and threonine residues of protein substrates by the addition of O-linked β-d-N-acetylglucosamine (GlcNAc) moiety. Two enzymes are involved in this modification: O-GlcNac transferase (OGT), which attaches the GlcNAc residue to the protein substrate, and O-GlcNAcase (OGA), which removes it. This biological balance is important for many biological processes, such as protein expression, cell apoptosis, and regulation of enzyme activity.
  • 1.1K
  • 04 Mar 2021
Topic Review
Cytoskeleton
Cell migration is an essential process from embryogenesis to cell death. This is tightly regulated by numerous proteins that help in proper functioning of the cell. In diseases like cancer, this process is deregulated and helps in the dissemination of tumor cells from the primary site to secondary sites initiating the process of metastasis. For metastasis to be efficient, cytoskeletal components like actin, myosin, and intermediate filaments and their associated proteins should co-ordinate in an orderly fashion leading to the formation of many cellular protrusions-like lamellipodia and filopodia and invadopodia. Knowledge of this process is the key to control metastasis of cancer cells that leads to death in 90% of the patients. The focus of this review is giving an overall understanding of these process, concentrating on the changes in protein association and regulation and how the tumor cells use it to their advantage. Since the expression of cytoskeletal proteins can be directly related to the degree of malignancy, knowledge about these proteins will provide powerful tools to improve both cancer prognosis and treatment.
  • 1.1K
  • 20 Apr 2023
Topic Review
Sunscreens and UV Protection
Excessive UV (ultraviolet) radiation exposure is harmful to skin cells since sunburn is accompanied by oxidative burst, leading to a rapid increase in skin cancer. However, the insufficient UV photoprotection of approved sunscreens and the negative impact of their compositions on ecosystems and human health makes the utility of sunscreen a questionable recommendation. Therefore, discovering UV filters with significant antioxidant activity and improved topical performance and photostability is an urgent need.
  • 1.1K
  • 17 Mar 2023
Topic Review
Source and Application of Melanin
Melanin is a biological pigment formed by indoles and phenolic compounds. It is widely found in living organisms and has a variety of unique properties. Due to its diverse characteristics and good biocompatibility, melanin has become the focus in the fields of biomedicine, agriculture, the food industry, etc.
  • 1.1K
  • 17 Mar 2023
Topic Review
Continuous Microfluidics-Based Technologies for HIV
HIV-1 is the causative agent of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). It affects millions of people worldwide and the pandemic persists despite the implementation of highly active antiretroviral therapy. A wide spectrum of techniques has been implemented in order to diagnose and monitor AIDS progression over the years. Besides the conventional approaches, microfluidics has provided useful methods for monitoring HIV-1 infection. In this review, we introduce continuous microfluidics as well as the fabrication and handling of microfluidic chips.
  • 1.1K
  • 14 Sep 2020
Topic Review
 m6A RNA Methylation Mechanism
Epitranscriptomic modifications can affect every aspect of RNA biology, including stability, transport, splicing, and translation, participate in global intracellular mRNA metabolism, and regulate gene expression and a variety of biological processes. N6-methyladenosine (m6A) as the most prevalent modification contributes to normal embryonic brain development and memory formation. 
  • 1.1K
  • 08 Jun 2022
Topic Review
Phytochemical and Potential Properties of Seaweeds
Seaweeds have been employed as source of highly bioactive secondary metabolites that could act as key medicinal components. Seaweeds have many uses: they are consumed as fodder, and have been used in medicines, cosmetics, energy, fertilizers, and industrial agar and alginate biosynthesis. The beneficial effects of seaweed are mostly due to the presence of minerals, vitamins, phenols, polysaccharides, and sterols, as well as several other bioactive compounds. These compounds seem to have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, antimicrobial, and anti-diabetic activities.
  • 1.1K
  • 01 Aug 2022
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