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Topic Review
Role of Chalcones in Gastrointestinal Cancers
Chalcones, plant-derived polyphenols, received marked attention due to their biological activities as well as for relatively easy structural manipulation and synthesis of new chalcone derivatives. The chemotherapeutic effects of chalcones are mediated by numerous activities including the initiation of cell death machinery, suppression of cancer cell growth, modulation of several signaling pathways such as Wnt/β-catenin pathway, nuclear factor kappa B pathway, mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway and many others. In addition, chalcones seem to have an anticancer effect also via the inhibition of angiogenesis, production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), anti-H. pylori activity and anti-inflammatory action.
  • 842
  • 26 Apr 2023
Topic Review
Phenolic Compounds in COVID-19
The first cases of COVID-19, which is caused by the SARS-CoV-2, were reported in December 2019. The vertiginous worldwide expansion of SARS-CoV-2 caused the collapse of health systems in several countries due to the high severity of the COVID-19. In addition to the vaccines, the search for active compounds capable of preventing and/or fighting the infection has been the main direction of research. Since the beginning of this pandemic, some evidence has highlighted the importance of a phenolic-rich diet as a strategy to reduce the progression of this disease, including the severity of the symptoms. Some of these compounds (e.g., curcumin, gallic acid or quercetin) already showed capacity to limit the infection of viruses by inhibiting entry into the cell through its binding to protein Spike, regulating the expression of angiotensin-converting enzyme 2, disrupting the replication in cells by inhibition of viral proteases, and/or suppressing and modulating the host’s immune response. 
  • 842
  • 08 Aug 2023
Topic Review
CD147/Basigin in Malignant Tumors and T-Cell-Mediated Immunological Disorders
CD147/Basigin, a transmembrane glycoprotein belonging to the immunoglobulin superfamily, is a multifunctional molecule with various binding partners. CD147 binds to monocarboxylate transporters (MCTs) and supports their expression on plasma membranes. MTC-1 and MCT-4 export the lactic acid that is converted from pyruvate in glycolysis to maintain the intracellular pH level and a stable metabolic state. Under physiological conditions, cellular energy production is induced by mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation. Glycolysis usually occurs under anaerobic conditions, whereas cancer cells depend on glycolysis under aerobic conditions. T cells also require glycolysis for differentiation, proliferation, and activation. Human malignant melanoma cells expressed higher levels of MCT-1 and MCT-4, co-localized with CD147 on the plasma membrane, and showed an increased glycolysis rate compared to normal human melanocytes. CD147 silencing by siRNA abrogated MCT-1 and MCT-4 membrane expression and disrupted glycolysis, inhibiting cancer cell activity. Furthermore, CD147 is involved in psoriasis. MCT-1 was absent on CD4+ T cells in CD147-deficient mice. The naïve CD4+ T cells from CD147-deficient mice exhibited a low capacity to differentiate into Th17 cells. Imiquimod-induced skin inflammation was significantly milder in the CD147-deficient mice than in the wild-type mice. Overall, CD147/Basigin is involved in the development of malignant tumors and T-cell-mediated immunological disorders via glycolysis regulation.
  • 841
  • 26 Dec 2023
Topic Review
Microbiome-Brain-Gut Axis in the Pathogenesis of Depressive Disorder
The brain and gut, through the microbiota, can influence each other’s functions via neuroendocrine, neuroimmune and sensory-neural molecular pathways. Moreover, both hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and gut peptides might be involved in this communication system.
  • 840
  • 18 May 2022
Topic Review
Patient-Derived Xenografts and Organoids of Prostate Cancer
Several models of prostate cancer (PCa) have been developed, each with their unique applications, advantages, and disadvantages. The shortage of clinically relevant, in vivo models is particularly a large barrier to comprehending the tumor progression observed in PCa. Patient-derived xenografts (PDXs) are models that are derived from biopsy specimens and metastatic lesions from human patients, and allow researchers to understand in vivo physiology as well as tumor heterogeneity. Despite the clinical utility of PDXs, they are also met with limited availability, higher cost, and advanced technical expertise required for use. Organoids, or "mini organs", are clusters of cells grown in vitro that self-organize and differentiate into functional cell types. Organoids referred to as patient-derived organoids (PDOs) can be derived from primary tissue materials, and have also been demonstrated to be derived from PDXs themselves. Due to their lower cost and ease of use, they work well for molecular and mechanistic studies, while still maintaining appropriate tumor heterogeneity and disease modeling. 
  • 840
  • 17 Nov 2022
Topic Review
Biomedical Exploitation of Exosomes Delivered in Hydrogels
Hydrogels are three-dimensional macromolecular polymeric networks composed of hydrophilic polymer chains. Exosomes functioning in the delivery of functional cargos are an active research hotspot. The biological features of exosomes make them suitable as potential therapeutics for the diagnosis and treatment of several diseases.
  • 837
  • 08 Jun 2022
Topic Review
Brown Adipose Tissue Activation and Diet-Induced Thermogenesis
Brown adipose tissue (BAT) has been considered a vital organ in response to non-shivering adaptive thermogenesis, which could be activated during cold exposure through the sympathetic nervous system (SNS) or under postprandial conditions contributing to diet-induced thermogenesis (DIT). Humans prefer to live within their thermal comfort or neutral zone with minimal energy expenditure created by wearing clothing, making shelters, or using an air conditioner to regulate their ambient temperature; thereby, DIT would become an important mechanism to counter-regulate energy intake and lipid accumulation. In addition, there has been a long interest in the intriguing possibility that a defect in DIT predisposes one to obesity and other metabolic diseases.
  • 837
  • 06 Sep 2022
Topic Review
Cancer-Associated Thrombosis
Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is a common complication among patients suffering from malignancies, leading to increased mortality. Novel randomized trials have added valuable information regarding cancer-associated thrombosis (CAT) management using direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs).
  • 836
  • 18 Oct 2021
Topic Review
Association between Sodium Channels and Gynecological Cancers
Targeted therapy against cancer plays a key role in delivering safer and more efficient treatments. In the last decades, ion channels have been studied for their participation in oncogenic processes because their aberrant expression and/or function have been associated with different types of malignancies, including ovarian, cervical, and endometrial cancer. 
  • 835
  • 13 Jun 2023
Topic Review
Multifunctional Magnetic Nanostructures for Cancer Diagnosis and Therapy
The new era of nanomedicine offers significant opportunities for cancer diagnostics and treatment. Magnetic nanoplatforms could be highly effective tools for cancer diagnosis and treatment in the future. Due to their tunable morphologies and superior properties, multifunctional magnetic nanomaterials and their hybrid nanostructures can be designed as specific carriers of drugs, imaging agents, and magnetic theranostics. Multifunctional magnetic nanostructures are promising theranostic agents due to their ability to diagnose and combine therapies. This research provides a comprehensive overview of the development of advanced multifunctional magnetic nanostructures combining magnetic and optical properties, providing photoresponsive magnetic platforms for promising medical applications. Moreover, researchers discuss various innovative developments using multifunctional magnetic nanostructures, including drug delivery, cancer treatment, tumor-specific ligands that deliver chemotherapeutics or hormonal agents, magnetic resonance imaging, and tissue engineering. Additionally, artificial intelligence (AI) can be used to optimize material properties in cancer diagnosis and treatment, based on predicted interactions with drugs, cell membranes, vasculature, biological fluid, and the immune system to enhance the effectiveness of therapeutic agents. Furthermore, this research provides an overview of AI approaches used to assess the practical utility of multifunctional magnetic nanostructures for cancer diagnosis and treatment. Finally, the current knowledge and perspectives on hybrid magnetic systems as cancer treatment tools with AI models.
  • 835
  • 23 Mar 2023
Topic Review
The Metabolic Syndrome
The metabolic syndrome (MetS), first introduced by Haller in 1975, was sometimes also known as insulin resistance syndrome, syndrome X, and plurimetabolic syndrome. In 1989, it was rechristened by Kaplan as the “Deadly Quartet” based on a consolidation of central obesity, impaired glucose tolerance, dyslipidemia, and systemic hypertension.
  • 833
  • 12 May 2023
Topic Review
CCN5/WISP2 Gene Deficiency
CCN5/WISP2 is a matricellular protein, the expression of which is under the regulation of Wnt signaling and IGF-1. 
  • 832
  • 23 Dec 2021
Topic Review
Regenerative Strategies in Skin Wounds
The number of clinical trials evaluating adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (AD-MSCs), platelet-rich plasma (PRP), and biomaterials efficacy in regenerative plastic surgery has exponentially increased during the last ten years. AD-MSCs are easily accessible from various fat depots and show intrinsic plasticity in giving rise to cell types involved in wound healing and angiogenesis. AD-MSCs have been used in the treatment of soft tissue defects and chronic wounds, employed in conjunction with a fat grafting technique or with dermal substitute scaffolds and platelet-rich plasma. In this systematic review, an overview of the current knowledge on this field has been provided. Currently, only 72 articles, strictly regarding the use of AD-MSCs, PRP, and biomaterials in chronic skin wounds and soft tissue defects, have been published. The information analyzed highlights the safety and efficacy of AD-MSCs, PRP, and biomaterials on soft tissue defects and chronic wounds, without major side effects.
  • 827
  • 22 Sep 2021
Topic Review
Inflammatory Mechanisms of Diabetes and Its Vascular Complications
The main cause of death in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) is cardiovascular complications resulting from the progression of atherosclerosis. The pathophysiology of the association between diabetes and its vascular complications is complex and multifactorial and closely related to the toxic effects of hyperglycemia that causes increased generation of reactive oxygen species and promotes the secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines. Subsequent oxidative stress and inflammation are major factors of the progression of type 2 DM and its vascular complications
  • 827
  • 01 Jun 2022
Topic Review
Mitochondria, Neuroinflammatory and Neurodegenerative Diseases
Mitochondria are vital organelles in eukaryotic cells that control diverse physiological processes related to energy production, calcium homeostasis, the generation of reactive oxygen species, and cell death. Several studies have demonstrated that structural and functional mitochondrial disturbances are involved in the development of different neuroinflammatory (NI) and neurodegenerative (ND) diseases (NI&NDDs) such as multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, Huntington’s disease, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.
  • 825
  • 20 Dec 2021
Topic Review
Consolidation of Gold and Gadolinium Nanoparticles
The multifactorial nature of cancer still classifies the disease as one of the leading causes of death worldwide. Modern medical sciences are following an interdisciplinary approach that has been fueled by the nanoscale revolution of the past years. The exploitation of high-Z materials, in combination with ionizing or non-ionizing radiation, promises to overcome restrictions in medical imaging and to augment the efficacy of current therapeutic modalities. Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) have proven their value among the scientific community in various therapeutic and diagnostic techniques. However, the high level of multiparametric demands of AuNP experiments in combination with their biocompatibility and cytotoxicity levels remain crucial issues. Gadolinium NPs (GdNPs), have presented high biocompatibility, low cytotoxicity, and excellent hemocompatibility, and have been utilized in MRI-guided radiotherapy, photodynamic and photothermal therapy, etc. Τhe utilization of gadolinium bound to AuNPs may be a promising alternative that would reduce phenomena, such as toxicity, aggregation, etc., and could create a multimodal in vivo contrast and therapeutic agent. 
  • 825
  • 26 May 2023
Topic Review
Biofunctionalization and Applications of Polymeric Nanofibers
The limited ability of most human tissues to regenerate has necessitated the interventions namely autograft and allograft, both of which carry the limitations of its own. An alternative to such interventions could be the capability to regenerate the tissue in vivo.Regeneration of tissue using the innate capacity of the cells to regenerate is studied under the discipline of tissue engineering and regenerative medicine (TERM). Besides the cells and growth-controlling bioactives, scaffolds play the central role in TERM which is analogous to the role performed by extracellular matrix (ECM) in the vivo. Mimicking the structure of ECM at the nanoscale is one of the critical attributes demonstrated by nanofibers. This unique feature and its customizable structure to befit different types of tissues make nanofibers a competent candidate for tissue engineering. 
  • 823
  • 20 Mar 2023
Topic Review
Pediatric Oncology
According to epidemiological data in the U.S and Europe, cancer incidence in childhood is at least 30-fold lower compared to that in adulthood, corresponding roughly to one new case per year over 6500 newborns, children, or adolescents. Despite its rarity, this implies that one child in approximately 300 will be diagnosed with cancer before their twentieth birthday. Pediatric cancer, although rare, requires the most optimized treatment approach to obtain high survival rates and minimize serious long-term side effects in early adulthood.
  • 822
  • 18 Mar 2022
Topic Review
Pathophysiology and Molecular Characteristics of Chemotherapy-Induced Peripheral Neuropathy
Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) is one of the most detrimental toxicity to a patient’s quality of life. Pathophysiological mechanisms involved in CIPN pathogenesis are complex, multifactorial, and only partially examined. They are suspected to be associated with oxidative stress (OS), mitochondrial dysfunction, ROS-induced apoptosis, myelin sheath and DNA damage, and immunological and inflammatory processes.
  • 822
  • 23 Mar 2023
Topic Review
Kynurenic Acid-Targeted Approaches in Dementia
The blood–brain barrier (BBB) is poorly permeable to kynurenic acid (KYNA). The design of KYNA precursors that are highly penetrable across the BBB and convertible to an active form upon the entry has been under consideration. Another strategy is the administration of KYNA analogues that are highly penetrable to the BBB. The halogenation and conjugation of various side chains enables KYNA to cross the BBB easily, and the KYNA analogues have been shown to be more potent N-methyl-D-aspartate glutamatergic receptor (NMDAR) inhibitors. Meanwhile, inadequate nutritional status has been observed in patients with dementia. An active form of vitamin B6, pyridoxal 5′-phosphate (PLP) is a cofactor of KYN aminotransferas (KAT) enzymes, which are responsible for KYNA production. Therefore, vitamin B6 supplementation may be of important value to increase a level of KYNA in the brain. L-KYN is not only a precursor of KYNA, which is also produced at least partly from indole pyruvic acid (IPA) through redox reactions or the transamination of Tryptophan (TRP) . Little is studied about other routes of KYNA production and its influence on whole kynurenine (KYN) metabolism. In addition, D-enantiomers of amino acids and D-amino acid oxidase (DAAO) have been observed to contribute to L-amino acid concentration. D-TRP and D-KYN supplements and balancing the gastrointestinal microbiota responsible for conversion to L-enantiomers may be potential strategies to regulate KYN metabolism and maintain an adequate L-KYNA reservoir.
  • 818
  • 28 Oct 2022
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