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Topic Review
Extract from Beetle Ulomoides dermestoides
A biologically active extract from the darkling beetle Ulomoides dermestoides was obtained using the electro-pulse plasma dynamic extraction method. The beetle water extract contained a complex of antioxidant substances such as antioxidant enzymes and nonprotein antioxidants, as well as a complex of heat shock antistress proteins. This determines the rather high antioxidant activity of the aqueous extract of the beetle, i.e., 1 mg of dry matter/mL of the extract has an equivalent antioxidant activity to 0.2 mM Trolox (a water-soluble analog of vitamin E). It was shown that the beetle extract can lead to a 25–30% increase in the average lifespan of nematode Caenorhabditiselegans, under normal conditions, and a 12–17% increase under conditions of oxidative stress (with paraquat), and significantly inhibits the fructosylation reaction of serum albumin. Therefore, the beetle aqueous extract shows promise as a biologically active complex exhibiting antioxidant activity.
  • 608
  • 08 Oct 2021
Topic Review
AhR Participates in COVID-19’s Immune-Inflammatory Imbalance
The comprehension of AhR’s role in the COVID-19 framework must consider its participation in human physiology and, in particular, in inflammatory and immune processes, where AhR is involved in the regulation of both innate and adaptive immunity, as it influences both DCs and T lymphocytes. In DCs, it decreases the expression of the Major Histocompatibility Complex II (MHC II). It also regulates the production of inflammatory cytokines, such as IL-6, IL12, IL15, and IL18, which are usually produced during DC differentiation. DCs differentiation takes place upon their exposure to T cells, viral/bacterial components or pro-inflammatory molecules, such as granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF), IFNα, and inflammatory cytokines such as IL-6 and TNFα. This point is of pivotal importance, due to the crosstalk between several inflammatory molecules such as IL-6, TNFα and the AhR pathway. This interplay also reverberates on the differentiation of Th17 and Treg, in particular in type 1 regulatory T cell (TR1) stabilization. AhR can deeply affect T cells metabolism, which can be modulated depending on the AhR ligand. It has been demonstrated that the differentiation of TR1 cells is the result of the sequential collaboration of Hypoxia Inducible Factor-1α (HIF-1α) and AhR. In physiologic settings, AhR endows the degradation of HIF-1α, while in inflammation, which is frequently associated with hypoxia, HIF-1α inactivates AHR, thus interfering with TR1 cell differentiation. AhR is also abundantly expressed in DCs. 
  • 606
  • 23 Feb 2022
Topic Review
Mitochondrial DNA: Distribution, Mutations and Distribution
Mitochondrion harbors its own DNA (mtDNA), which encodes many critical proteins for the assembly and activity of mitochondrial respiratory complexes. mtDNA is packed by many proteins to form a nucleoid that uniformly distributes within the mitochondrial matrix, which is essential for mitochondrial functions. Defects or mutations of mtDNA result in a range of diseases. Damaged mtDNA could be eliminated by mitophagy, and all paternal mtDNA are degraded by endonuclease G or mitophagy during fertilization.
  • 606
  • 05 May 2022
Topic Review
Molecular Analyses for Ancient Parchment Documentary Materials
A new trend is molecular analysis, which has given rise to the emerging field of biocodicology, comprising protein and DNA analysis for the identification of the biological origin of the skins used for their manufacture. In addition, DNA analysis can identify the microbiome present in the object under investigation, which adds value by providing information on its history and state of preservation. 
  • 606
  • 01 Nov 2022
Topic Review
Radiation-Induced Intestinal Normal Tissue Toxicity Protein Signatures
Radiation-induced toxicity to healthy/normal intestinal tissues, especially during radiotherapy, limits the radiation dose necessary to effectively eradicate tumors of the abdomen and pelvis. Although the pathogenesis of intestinal radiation toxicity is highly complex, understanding post-irradiation alterations in protein profiles can provide crucial insights that make radiotherapy safer and more efficient and allow for increasing the radiation dose during cancer treatment.
  • 606
  • 26 Dec 2022
Topic Review
Metabolic Dysfunction in ALS Skeletal Muscle
Defects in mitochondrial structure and function as well as energy metabolism in skeletal muscle contribute to disease pathology and progression, with metabolic dysfunctions appearing long before motor neuron degeneration and death.
  • 606
  • 15 Dec 2022
Topic Review
Type 2 Diabetes Optimal Treatment
Insulin, via a series of kinase activations and transductions, causes the glucose type 4 transporter channels to become embedded in the cellular membrane, allowing an exponential increase of glucose entry into the cell. T2D is characterized by failure of the insulin receptors to respond to insulin, thus preventing glucose uptake from the bloodstream. Later in the disease, the production of insulin by pancreatic islet cells is also curtailed. The vast preponderance of diabetes cases (95%) in the United States constitute T2D.
  • 603
  • 02 Jun 2021
Topic Review
Rodent Models of Audiogenic Epilepsy
Animal models of epilepsy are of great importance in epileptology. They are used to study the mechanisms of epileptogenesis, and search for new genes and regulatory pathways involved in the development of epilepsy as well as screening new antiepileptic drugs. Many methods of modeling epilepsy in animals are used, including electroconvulsive, pharmacological in intact animals, and genetic, with the predisposition for spontaneous or refractory epileptic seizures. Due to the simplicity of manipulation and universality, genetic models of audiogenic epilepsy in rodents stand out among this diversity.
  • 603
  • 31 Jan 2023
Topic Review
Experimental Studies of the Top-Quark FCNC Processes
A study of the top-quark interactions via flavour-changing neutral current (FCNC) processes provides an intriguing connection between the heaviest elementary particle of the standard model (SM) of particle physics and the new scalar bosons that are predicted in several notable SM extensions. The production cross sections of the processes with top-scalar FCNC interactions can be significantly enhanced to the observable level at the CERN Large Hadron Collider. 
  • 602
  • 12 Dec 2022
Topic Review
Voltammetry in Studies on Drug and Alcohol Addictions
Drug and alcohol addictions are chronic psychiatric conditions, which are characterized by uncontrolled substance seeking and taking behaviors, and long-lasting vulnerability to relapse. A wealth of evidence demonstrated that altered dopamine signaling is involved in all stages of this psychopathology. Due to a high temporal resolution and sufficient chemical specificity, fast-scan cyclic voltammetry was especially helpful in studying abnormalities in dopamine transmission in advanced animal models of addictions.
  • 601
  • 18 Oct 2022
Topic Review
Pomegranate Extract and Skin
Pomegranate extract (PG-E) has been reported to exert a protective effect on the skin due to its antioxidant activity. Ingredients rich in phenolic compounds are unstable in extract solutions, and, therefore, the use of a suitable nanosystem to encapsulate this type of extract could be necessary in different biotechnological applications. Thus, we investigated the capacity of Brassica oleracea L. (cauliflower) inflorescence vesicles (CI-vesicles) to encapsulate PG-E and determined the stability and the antioxidant capacity of the system over time. In addition, the protective effect against UV radiation and heavy metals in HaCaT cells was also tested. The CI-vesicles had an entrapment efficiency of around 50%, and accelerated stability tests did not show significant changes in the parameters tested. The results for the HaCaT cells showed the non-cytotoxicity of the CI-vesicles containing PG-E and their protection against heavy metals (lead acetate and mercuric chloride) and UV-B radiation through a reduction of oxidative stress. The reduction of the percentage of deleted mtDNA (mtDNA4977, “common deletion”) in UV-treated HaCaT cells due to the presence of CI-vesicles containing PG-E indicated the mechanism of protection. Therefore, the effects of CI-vesicles loaded with PG-E against oxidative stress support their utilization as natural cosmeceuticals to protect skin health against external damage from environmental pollution and UV radiation.
  • 600
  • 16 Jun 2021
Topic Review
LAIR1
Leukocyte-associated immunoglobulin (Ig)-like receptor 1 (LAIR1, CD305) belongs to the family of immune-inhibitory receptors and is widely expressed on hematopoietic mature cells, particularly on immune cells. Four different types of ligands of LAIR1 have been described, including collagens, suggesting a potential immune-regulatory function on the extracellular matrix. By modulating cytokine secretion and cellular functions, LAIR1 displays distinct patterns of expression among NK cell and T/B lymphocyte subsets during their differentiation and cellular activation and plays a major negative immunoregulatory role. Beyond its implications in physiology, the activity of LAIR1 can be inappropriately involved in various autoimmune or inflammatory disorders and has been implicated in cancer physiopathology, including hematological neoplasms. Its action as an inhibitory receptor can result in the dysregulation of immune cellular responses and in immune escape within the tumor microenvironment. 
  • 600
  • 28 Dec 2022
Topic Review
Human Coronavirus Cell Receptors
Coronaviruses interact with protein or carbohydrate receptors through their spike proteins to infect cells. Even if the known protein receptors for these viruses have no evolutionary relationships, they do share ontological commonalities that the virus might leverage to exacerbate the pathophysiology. ANPEP/CD13, DPP IV/CD26, and ACE2 are the three protein receptors that are known to be exploited by several human coronaviruses. These receptors are moonlighting enzymes involved in several physiological processes such as digestion, metabolism, and blood pressure regulation; moreover, the three proteins are expressed in kidney, intestine, endothelium, and other tissues/cell types.
  • 600
  • 03 Apr 2023
Topic Review
Soluble Programmed Cell Death Ligand-1
The interaction of programmed cell death ligand-1 (PDL1) with its receptor PD1 inhibits T-cell responses. Blockade of this interaction with monoclonal antibodies leads to major antitumor effects. However, not all cancer patients respond well to anti-(PD-1/PD-L1) immunotherapy. The PD-L1 protein is expressed at the cell plasma membrane (mPD-L1), at the surface of exosomes (exoPD-L1), in cell nuclei (nPD-L1) and as a soluble circulating protein (sPD-L1). The aim of our analysis was to highlight the multiple variants of sPD-L1 generated either by the proteolytic cleavage of m/exoPD-L1 or by the alternative splicing of PD-L1 pre-mRNA. The objective was also to underline the presence and role of circulating sPD-L1 isoforms in multiple cancer indications and many other diseases (including chronic inflammatory and viral diseases), and under non-pathological conditions (pregnancy). sPD-L1 often represents a general marker of an inflammatory status. The pool of sPD-L1 proteins is an integral part of the highly dynamic PD-1/PD-L1 signaling pathway.
  • 598
  • 30 Jun 2021
Topic Review
Acetic Acid-Induced Colitis in Brief
Acetic acid-induced colitis is a well-established experimental model widely employed to study the pathogenesis, therapeutic interventions, and underlying mechanisms of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), specifically ulcerative colitis (UC). This research comprehensively explores the utility of acetic acid-induced colitis as a research tool, covering its induction methods, histopathological features, immune responses, and applications in drug development.
  • 598
  • 08 Oct 2023
Topic Review
Cellular Senescence in Pulmonary Fibrosis
Fibrosing interstitial lung diseases (ILDs) are chronic and ultimately fatal age-related lung diseases characterized by the progressive and irreversible accumulation of scar tissue in the lung parenchyma. Cellular senescence is defined as a cell fate decision caused by the accumulation of unrepairable cellular damage and is characterized by an abundant pro-inflammatory and pro-fibrotic secretome. The senescence response has been widely recognized as a beneficial physiological mechanism during development and in tumour suppression. 
  • 596
  • 12 Aug 2021
Topic Review
Bone Marrow as memory organ
The bone marrow (BM) is key to protective immunological memory because it harbors a major fraction of the body’s plasma cells, memory CD4+ and memory CD8+ T-cells. Despite its paramount significance for the human immune system, many aspects of how the BM enables decade-long immunity against pathogens are still poorly understood. In this review, we discuss the relationship between BM survival niches and long-lasting humoral immunity, how intrinsic and extrinsic factors define memory cell longevity and show that the BM is also capable of adopting many responsibilities of a secondary lymphoid organ. Moreover, we discuss what factors determine the establishment of long-lasting immunological memory in the BM and what we can learn for vaccination technologies and antigen design. Finally, we touch on how a more holistic understanding of the BM is necessary for the development of modern and efficient vaccines against the pandemic SARS-CoV-2.
  • 595
  • 24 Jun 2021
Topic Review
Legume Pangenome for Crop Improvement
Legume crops play a crucial role in ensuring global food security. Legume reference genomes have been constructed for soybean, chickpea, common bean, pigeonpea, pea, lupin, peanut, cowpea, and mungbean. However, pangenomes are needed to obtain insights into the genome dynamics, gene-content variation, genetic basis of agronomic-trait variation, and evolutionary relationship in various legumes.
  • 595
  • 30 Nov 2022
Topic Review
Edible Flowers Used in Some Countries
Edible flowers are becoming an essential component of people’s nutrition in the Mediterranean basin. Many researchers also have focused their attention on the nutritional composition of the edible flowers, as well as their antioxidant and antimicrobial properties, including studies on their safety issues.
  • 595
  • 21 Jun 2023
Topic Review
Genetic Mutations Associated with TOF
Perturbed cardiac fetal blood flow and congenital heart disease are intrinsically interlinked. The presence of subtle or overt structural heart defects induces blood flow conditions that differ from normal. Because blood flow provides important mechanical feedback during heart development, mutations in genes that are responsive to flow (such as the vascular endothelial growth factor family) or perturbations in blood flow itself both lead to congenital heart defects. In particular tetralogy of Fallot (TOF) is associated with perturbations in early embryonic blood flow as well as genetic mutations.
  • 594
  • 03 Sep 2021
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