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Topic Review
CXCL12/CXCR4 Biological Axis and Its Physiological Functions
The CXCL12/CXCR4 biological axis is a coupled molecular pair, which is formed by the interaction of CXCL12 and its corresponding receptor CXCR4, and is closely related to intercellular messaging and cell migration.
  • 2.0K
  • 05 Aug 2022
Topic Review
Antioxidant and Potential Antitumor Activity of Aronia Berries
Aronia berry (black chokeberry) is a shrub native to North America, of which the fresh fruits are used in the food industry to produce different types of dietary products. The fruits of Aronia melanocarpa (Aronia berries) have been found to show multiple bioactivities potentially beneficial to human health, including antidiabetic, anti-infective, antineoplastic, antiobesity, and antioxidant activities, as well as heart-, liver-, and neuroprotective effects. 
  • 2.0K
  • 30 Nov 2022
Topic Review
Prostate Cancer Liquid Biopsy Biomarkers
Prostate cancer biomarkers can be measured in urine, blood or tissue. A variety of tests that analyse patients' biomarkers have been developed to improve diagnosis, prognosis and to help stratify individual's risk of prostate cancers. Liquid biopsy biomarkers are easy-to-use and non-invasive. They guide the decision-making process, determine whether the patient requires treatment or can be monitored under active surveillance, and help choose the best treatment option.
  • 2.0K
  • 29 Mar 2022
Topic Review
Enzyme Therapy
In recent years, enzymes have risen as promising therapeutic tools for different pathologies, from metabolic deficiencies, such as fibrosis conditions, ocular pathologies or joint problems, to cancer or cardiovascular diseases. Treatments based on the catalytic activity of enzymes are able to convert a wide range of target molecules to restore the correct physiological metabolism. These treatments present several advantages compared to established therapeutic approaches thanks to their affinity and specificity properties. However, enzymes present some challenges, such as short in vivo half-life, lack of targeted action and, in particular, patient immune system reaction against the enzyme. For this reason, it is important to monitor serum immune response during treatment. This can be achieved by conventional techniques (ELISA) but also by new promising tools such as microarrays. These assays have gained popularity due to their high-throughput analysis capacity, their simplicity, and their potential to monitor the immune response of patients during enzyme therapies. In this growing field, research is still ongoing to solve current health problems such as COVID-19. Currently, promising therapeutic alternatives using the angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) are being studied to treat COVID-19.
  • 1.9K
  • 06 Sep 2021
Topic Review
Application of Ketamine in Depression in Alzheimer’s Disease
Depression is a leading cause of disability globally, with a prevalence of 3.8% among the whole population, 5% of the adult population, and 5.7% of the elderly population over 60 years of age. There is evidence that depression is linked to certain neurodegenerative diseases, one being Alzheimer’s disease (AD). The efficacy of conventional antidepressants to treat depression in AD is conflicting, especially regarding selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). However, ketamine, a nonselective N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonist, can mediate a wide range of pharmacological effects, including neuroprotection, anti-inflammatory and anticancer properties, multimodal analgesia, and treatment of depression, suicidal attempts, and status epilepticus. Recent clinical findings suggest that ketamine may provide neuroprotection and reduce neuropsychiatric symptoms associated with AD. 
  • 1.9K
  • 31 Mar 2022
Topic Review
Pleiotropic Effects of Aldosterone in Diabetic Kidney Disease
Diabetic kidney disease (DKD) represents a major public health issue, currently posing an important burden on healthcare systems. Renin–angiotensin system (RAS) blockers are considered the cornerstone of treatment of albuminuric DKD. Aldosterone is a steroid hormone that is produced by the adrenal cortex and acts, together with other members of the steroid hormone family (cortisol and corticosterone), as a ligand of MRs. 
  • 1.9K
  • 05 May 2022
Topic Review
Computer-Aided Drug Design and Drug Discovery
In the dynamic landscape of drug discovery, Computer-Aided Drug Design (CADD) emerges as a transformative force, bridging the realms of biology and technology. The core principle underpinning CADD are the utilization of computer algorithms on chemical and biological data to simulate and predict how a drug molecule will interact with its target—usually a protein or DNA sequence in the biological system.
  • 1.8K
  • 29 Dec 2023
Topic Review
Medical Applications of Chitin
Chitin is a universal biopolymer that is found in microbes, plants, fungi, the exoskeleton of insects, various species of algae, and bottom-feeding crustaceans. This (1–4)-linked N-acetyl-ß-D-glucosamine polysaccharide can be readily processed with simple chemical procedures without putting a species at risk. Chitin has garnered interest as an alternative substance that can be used in the medical, environmental, and agricultural sectors.
  • 1.8K
  • 29 Mar 2022
Topic Review
Lipolysis and Lipolytic Enzymes
In adipose triglyceride (AT), but also in other organs, three major enzymes are involved in lipolysis—adipose triglyceride lipase (ATGL), hormone-sensitive lipase (HSL), and monoacylglyceride lipase (MGL). TGs, specifically triolein, are very often used as a substrate to measure HSL and ATGL activity despite the fact that HSL hydrolase activity is up to 10-fold higher for diglycerides (DGs) compared to TGs. The activity of lipolysis is finely regulated by multiple signals, with catecholamines, insulin, growth hormone, and natriuretic peptides being the main hormonal regulators. 
  • 1.8K
  • 18 Oct 2022
Topic Review
Chitosan-Based Nanoparticles for Drug Delivery
Nanoparticles (NPs) have an outstanding position in pharmaceutical, biological, and medical disciplines. Polymeric NPs based on chitosan (CS) can act as excellent drug carriers because of some intrinsic beneficial properties including biocompatibility, biodegradability, non-toxicity, bioactivity, easy preparation, and targeting specificity. Drug transport and release from CS-based particulate systems depend on the extent of cross-linking, morphology, size, and density of the particulate system, as well as physicochemical properties of the drug. All these aspects have to be considered when developing new CS-based NPs as potential drug delivery systems. This review is summarizing and discussing recent advances in CS-based NPs being developed and examined for drug delivery including the following sections: (i) CS and its derivatives, basic characteristics of CS NPs, (ii) preparation procedures used for CS NPs, (iii) CS-based-nanocomposites with organic polymers and inorganic material, and (iv) implementations of CS NPs and nanocomposites in drug delivery.
  • 1.7K
  • 18 Oct 2021
Topic Review
Natural Products against Pulmonary Fibrosis
Pulmonary fibrosis (PF) is defined as a diverse set of lung illnesses manifested by the gradual and permanent deterioration of the lung architecture, induced by scar formation, which eventually results in organ dysfunction, interruption of gas exchange, and mortality from respiratory failure. PF is a disease-refractive lung condition with an increased rate of mortality. The potential factors causing PF include viral infections, radiation exposure, and toxic airborne chemicals. Idiopathic PF (IPF) is related to pneumonia affecting the elderly and is characterized by recurring scar formation in the lungs. An impaired wound healing process, defined by the dysregulated aggregation of extracellular matrix components, triggers fibrotic scar formation in the lungs. The potential pathogenesis includes oxidative stress, altered cell signaling, inflammation, etc. Nintedanib and pirfenidone have been approved with a conditional endorsement for the management of IPF. In addition, natural product-based treatment strategies have shown promising results in treating PF.
  • 1.6K
  • 02 Mar 2022
Topic Review
p53 Mutations in Cancers
The members of the p53 family comprise p53, p63, and p73, and full-length isoforms of the p53 family have a tumor suppressor function. However, p53, but not p63 or p73, has a high mutation rate in cancers causing it to lose its tumor suppressor function.
  • 1.5K
  • 08 Jul 2022
Topic Review
Electrolyte Imbalance
Electrolyte imbalance, or water-electrolyte imbalance, is an abnormality in the concentration of electrolytes in the body. Electrolytes play a vital role in maintaining homeostasis in the body. They help to regulate heart and neurological function, fluid balance, oxygen delivery, acid–base balance and much more. Electrolyte imbalances can develop by consuming too little or too much electrolyte as well as excreting too little or too much electrolyte. Examples of electrolytes include: calcium, chloride, magnesium, phosphate, potassium, and sodium. Electrolyte disturbances are involved in many disease processes, and are an important part of patient management in medicine. The causes, severity, treatment, and outcomes of these disturbances can differ greatly depending on the implicated electrolyte. The most serious electrolyte disturbances involve abnormalities in the levels of sodium, potassium or calcium. Other electrolyte imbalances are less common and often occur in conjunction with major electrolyte changes. The kidney is the most important organ in maintaining appropriate fluid and electrolyte balance, but other factors such as hormonal changes and physiological stress play a role.
  • 1.5K
  • 02 Nov 2022
Topic Review
NAD+ Biology in Kidney and Renal Disease
Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide (NAD+) and its reduced form NADH, by regulating redox reactions and allowing the production of adenosine triphosphate (ATP), are crucial for energy metabolism and fatty acid β-oxidation (FAO) in proximal tubular epithelial cells (PTECs). In addition, by being the substrate of non-redox NAD+-consuming enzymes such as sirtuins and poly(ADP-ribose) polymerases (PARPs), NAD+ is also involved in several key molecular mechanisms for cellular homeostasis. NAD+ is present in the kidney at concentrations ranging from 0.3 to 1 mmol/kg of tissue, which is comparable to concentrations found in liver and muscle.
  • 1.5K
  • 28 Dec 2022
Topic Review
Lipid and Polymer-Based siRNA Carriers for Cancer Therapy
RNA interference (RNAi) uses small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) to mediate gene-silencing in cells and represents an emerging strategy for cancer therapy. Successful RNAi-mediated gene silencing requires overcoming multiple physiological barriers to achieve efficient delivery of siRNAs into cells in vivo, including into tumor and/or host cells in the tumor micro-environment (TME).
  • 1.5K
  • 26 Nov 2021
Topic Review
COVID-19 Vaccine
A COVID‑19 vaccine is a hypothetical vaccine in development against coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‑19). Although no candidate has completed clinical trials to prove its safety and efficacy, there are multiple efforts in progress to develop one. As of July 2020, there are 24 vaccine candidates planned or undergoing clinical trials, with two beginning Phase III and seven in Phase I-II. Previous attempts to develop a vaccine against the coronavirus diseases SARS and MERS established considerable knowledge about the structure and function of coronaviruses – which accelerated rapid development during early 2020 of varied technology platforms for a COVID‑19 vaccine – but all the previous coronavirus vaccine candidates failed in early-stage clinical trials, with none being advanced to licensing. The Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) – which is organizing a US$2 billion worldwide fund for rapid investment and development of vaccine candidates – indicated in April that a vaccine may be available under emergency use protocols in less than 12 months or by early 2021. On 4 May 2020, the WHO organized a telethon which received US$8.1 billion in pledges from forty countries to support rapid development of vaccines to prevent COVID‑19 infections. At the same time, the WHO also announced deployment of an international "Solidarity trial" for simultaneous evaluation of several vaccine candidates reaching Phase II-III clinical trials.
  • 1.5K
  • 09 Nov 2022
Topic Review
Environmental Factors as Inducers of Oxidative Stress
Prolonged elevated oxidative stress (OS) possesses negative effect on cell structure and functioning, and is associated with the development of numerous disorders. 
  • 1.4K
  • 30 Aug 2022
Topic Review
Phytate and Osteoporosis
Osteoporosis is a highly prevalent bone disorder especially in post-menopausal women. Lifestyle interventions such as physical activity and nutrition play an important role in the prevention and treatment of bone mineral loss. Phytate (myo-inositol hexakisphosphate or InsP6) is the main phosphorus reservoir that is present in almost all wholegrains, legumes, and oilseeds. It is a major component of the Mediterranean and Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diets. Phytate is recognized as a nutraceutical and is classified by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as Generally Recognized As Safe (GRAS). Phytate has been shown to be effective in treating or preventing certain diseases. Phytate has been shown to inhibit calcium salt crystallization and, therefore, to reduce vascular calcifications, calcium renal calculi and soft tissue calcifications. 
  • 1.4K
  • 16 Jan 2023
Topic Review
Biomolecular Targeted Covalent Inhibitors
Introduction of artificial structure(s) into a middle-sized therapeutic biomolecule, which would often add a superior function to the drug molecule, is easier than that into an antibody. In this direction, introducing a reactive warhead structure into such therapeutic biomolecules to create BIOmolecular Targeted Covalent Inhibitors (abbreviated as bioTCIs). It would create precise and safe covalent drugs that semi-permanently inhibit the target protein activity upon binding and the duration of the drug effect is only limited by the target protein turnover. Regardless of the modalities, all bioTCIs reduce the skepticism of small-molecule TCIs’ safety concerns because bioTCIs can stringently recognize and conjugate only to the target proteins. Among them, oligonucleotide-type bioTCIs possess unique features, such as nuclease resistance and on-demand-reversal of the drug action with the complementary-strand antidote, which circumvents another major limitation to clinical translation of the aptamer drugs.
  • 1.4K
  • 17 Feb 2023
Topic Review
Covalent Inhibitors Covalently Bound to Cysteine
Covalent inhibitors are a class of small molecule compounds that can covalently bind to specific target proteins, thereby inhibiting their biological functions. Cysteine is one of the least abundant amino acids in proteins of many organisms, which plays a crucial role in catalysis, signal transduction, and redox regulation of gene expression. The thiol group of cysteine possesses the ability to perform nucleophilic and redox-active functions that are not feasible for other natural amino acids. Cysteine is the most common covalent amino acid residue and has been shown to react with a variety of warheads, especially Michael receptors.
  • 1.4K
  • 18 Nov 2022
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