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Topic Review
Toll-Like Receptor 4
Toll-like receptors (TLRs) are type I transmembrane glycoproteins belonging to the complex pattern recognition receptors (PRRs) expressed in immune and non-immune cells, including neurons and glia, which are involved in the regulation of innate immune and inflammatory responses. The TLR family comprises 11 members (TLR1–TLR11) in human and 12 (TLR1–TLR9, TLR11–TLR13) in mouse. TLR4 is one of the best characterized TLRs that surveys for the presence of structural motifs in a wide array of invading microorganisms, named pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs), and endogenous damage or danger molecular patterns (DAMPs), also known as alarmins, released by damaged cells and injured tissues or derived from apoptotic and necrotic cells. Activation of TLR4 induces the downstream start of inflammasome pathways which results in the release of a plethora of pro-inflammatory cytokines, Type I interferons (IFNs) and other inflammatory mediators.
  • 1.7K
  • 28 Mar 2023
Topic Review
Genetically Encoded Fluorescent Redox Biosensors
In the most general sense of this term, a genetically encoded fluorescent redox biosensor is a kind of genetic system that changes a fluorescence in response to a redox event. Most often, such a tool is a chimeric protein consisting of a sensory domain that responds to a redox stimulus, and a domain whose fluorescence changes depending on alterations occurring with the sensory domain. It can also be a single-domain fluorescent protein, the structure of which changes when exposed to a redox stimulus, and the change in the structure leads to a change in fluorescence. In addition, there are transcriptional reporters, the principle of which is based on the alteration of the transcription of the fluorescent protein gene upon exposure to a redox stimulus. This article will focus on protein genetically encoded fluorescent redox biosensors that are currently used in in vivo research.
  • 1.7K
  • 11 Dec 2020
Topic Review
Glycans on Cell Surface Receptors
Cells undergo proliferation and apoptosis, migration and differentiation via a number of cell surface receptors, most of which are heavily glycosylated.We discuss the structures and roles of glycan chains of receptors to better understand their regulation in cell survival and cell death.
  • 1.7K
  • 10 Jun 2021
Topic Review
Genomics in Personalized Nutrition
Genome-wide single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) data are now quickly and inexpensively acquired, raising the prospect of creating personalized dietary recommendations based on an individual's genetic variability at multiple SNPs. In this review, we discuss the current potential for precision nutrition based on an individual's genetic data. We also review complicating issues and their impact on our ability to predict responses to dietary interventions. 
  • 1.7K
  • 30 Oct 2020
Topic Review
Plant Abiotic Stress Responses
Abiotic stresses are among the principal limiting factors for productivity in agriculture. In the current era of continuous climate changes, the understanding of the molecular aspects involved in abiotic stress response in plants is a priority. The rise of -omics approaches provides key strategies to promote effective research in the field, facilitating the investigations from reference models to an increasing number of species, tolerant and sensitive genotypes. Integrated multilevel approaches, based on molecular investigations at genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics and metabolomics levels, are now feasible, expanding the opportunities to clarify key molecular aspects involved in responses to abiotic stresses. To this aim, bioinformatics has become fundamental for data production, mining and integration, and necessary for extracting valuable information and for comparative efforts, paving the way to the modeling of the involved processes. We provide here an overview of bioinformatics resources for research on plant abiotic stresses, describing collections from -omics efforts in the field, ranging from raw data to complete databases or platforms, highlighting opportunities and still open challenges in abiotic stress research based on -omics technologies.
  • 1.7K
  • 27 Oct 2020
Topic Review
Digital Droplet PCR in Hematologic Malignancies
Digital Droplet Polymerase Chain Reaction (ddPCR) is a specific, accurate and time-saving technique capables of accurately quantifying gene expression or detecting point mutations applicable in several hematologic disorders, such as leukemias, lymphomas, myeloma, and chronic myeloproliferative neoplasms, and in transplant field. The ddPCR might provide useful informations in prognostic and therapeutic setting.
  • 1.7K
  • 24 Jun 2022
Topic Review
Clostridium botulinum
Clostridium botulinum is a Gram-positive, spore-forming, obligate anaerobic bacterium widely distributed in soils, sediments, and aquatic environments. It is best known as the causative agent of botulism, a severe neuroparalytic disease caused by the production of botulinum neurotoxins (BoNTs), among the most potent biological toxins known.
  • 1.7K
  • 23 Sep 2025
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. 
  • 1.7K
  • 07 Jan 2021
Topic Review
Toll-Like Receptor 2
TLRs are one of four major families of pattern recognition receptor (PRRs), which include also NOD-like receptors (NLRs), RIG-like receptors (RLRs), C-type lectin receptors (CLRs), and represent the cornerstone of the innate immune response. TLR2, together with TLR1, TLR3, TLR4, and TLR5, was first identified and characterized in 1998. TLR2 is the only TLR that forms functional heterodimers with more than two other types of TLRs, forming dimers with TLR1, TLR6, and in some cases with TLR4. TLR2 recognizes molecules frequently associated with pathogens, the so-called pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs), leading to activation of downstream signal transduction pathways, which result in the production of inflammatory cytokines, type I interferons (IFNs), and other mediators necessary for the development of effective immune responses. Moreover, TLR2 is involved in the recognition of damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs), released by damaged tissues.
  • 1.7K
  • 18 Dec 2020
Topic Review
Cytochrome P450 in Escherichia coli
Cytochrome P450 (CYP) enzymes play important roles in metabolising endogenous and xenobiotic substances. Characterisations of human CYP proteins have been advanced with the rapid development of molecular technology that allows heterologous expression of human CYPs. Among several hosts, bacteria systems such as Escherichia coli (E. coli) have been widely used thanks to their ease of use, high level of protein yields, and affordable maintenance costs.
  • 1.7K
  • 23 Feb 2023
Topic Review
Viral Purification in Vaccine Processing
Viral vectors and viral vaccines are invaluable tools in prevention and treatment of diseases. About 14% of vaccines approved by the FDA involve enveloped viruses, while out of the 15 gene therapy products approved worldwide in 2019, six of them use enveloped viruses, and 39% of gene therapy clinical trials are using enveloped viruses. Enveloped viruses are encased in a lipid bilayer which, in most cases, fuses with the target host cell membrane to infect cells. These enveloped viruses are produced in various systems, including traditional embryonated chicken eggs or more advanced cell culture technologies such as MRC-5 cells, Vero cells and HEK293-derived cell lines. The manufacturing of viral vector and viral vaccine products has always been paved with challenges related to the downstream processing. Purification process unit operations usually start with harvest and clarification, followed by intermediate purification steps, before polishing and formulation steps. Although techniques have greatly improved over the years to generate purer high-quality products and reproducible processes while maintaining or decreasing the cost of goods, regulatory agencies are increasingly stringent regarding product identity and characterization of the end products and level of acceptable impurities as a way to ensure public safety and maintain public trust in this class of medicine.
  • 1.7K
  • 09 Aug 2021
Topic Review
Glutathione System from Cyanobacteria to Higher Eukaryotes
From bacteria to plants and humans, the glutathione system plays a pleiotropic role in cell defense against metabolic, oxidative and metal stresses. Glutathione (GSH), the γ-L-glutamyl-L-cysteinyl-glycine nucleophile tri-peptide, is the central player of this system that acts in redox homeostasis, detoxification and iron metabolism in most living organisms. GSH directly scavenges diverse reactive oxygen species (ROS), such as singlet oxygen, superoxide anion, hydrogen peroxide, hydroxyl radical, nitric oxide and carbon radicals. It also serves as a cofactor for various enzymes, such as glutaredoxins (Grxs), glutathione peroxidases (Gpxs), glutathione reductase (GR) and glutathione-S-transferases (GSTs), which play crucial roles in cell detoxication.
  • 1.7K
  • 08 Jun 2023
Topic Review
Recent Applications of Retro-Inverso Peptides
Retro-inverso peptides possess reversed sequences and chirality compared to the parent molecules maintaining at the same time an identical array of side chains and in some cases similar structure. The inverted chirality renders them less prone to degradation by endogenous proteases conferring enhanced half-lives and an increased potential as new drugs. However, given their general incapability to adopt the 3D structure of the parent peptides their application should be careful evaluated and investigated case by case.
  • 1.7K
  • 22 Sep 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
  • 1.7K
  • 01 Apr 2021
Topic Review
DNA Polymerases
Recent studies on tumor genomes revealed that mutations in genes of replicative DNA polymerases cause a predisposition for cancer by increasing genome instability. The past 10 years have uncovered exciting details about the structure and function of replicative DNA polymerases and the replication fork organization. The principal idea of participation of different polymerases in specific transactions at the fork proposed by Morrison and coauthors 30 years ago and later named “division of labor,” remains standing, with an amendment of the broader role of polymerase δ in the replication of both the lagging and leading DNA strands. However, cancer-associated mutations predominantly affect the catalytic subunit of polymerase ε that participates in leading strand DNA synthesis. 
  • 1.7K
  • 14 Dec 2020
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. 
  • 1.7K
  • 30 Apr 2021
Topic Review
RNA-Binding Proteins (RBPs)
RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) are multi-faceted proteins in the regulation of RNA or its RNA splicing, localisation, stability, and translation.
  • 1.7K
  • 31 May 2021
Topic Review
Tumor Cell Infiltration into the Brain in Glioblastoma
Glioblastoma is the most common and malignant primary brain tumor, defined by its highly aggressive nature. Despite the advances in diagnostic and surgical techniques, and the development of novel therapies in the last decade, the prognosis for glioblastoma is still extremely poor. One major factor for the failure of existing therapeutic approaches is the highly invasive nature of glioblastomas. The extreme infiltrating capacity of tumor cells into the brain parenchyma makes complete surgical removal difficult; glioblastomas almost inevitably recur in a more therapy-resistant state, sometimes at distant sites in the brain. Therefore, there are major efforts to understand the molecular mechanisms underpinning glioblastoma invasion; however, there is no approved therapy directed against the invasive phenotype as of now.
  • 1.7K
  • 07 Feb 2022
Topic Review
Sea Slug Elysia crispata
Some species of sacoglossan sea slugs are able to steal chloroplasts from the algae they feed on and maintain them functional for several months, a process termed “kleptoplasty”. One of these photosynthetic slugs is Elysia crispata, found in coral reefs of the Gulf of Mexico. This sacoglossan inhabits different depths (0–25 m), being exposed to different food sources and contrasting light conditions.
  • 1.7K
  • 19 Apr 2022
Topic Review
Sophorolipids—Bio-Based Antimicrobial Formulating Agents
Sophorolipids are well-known glycolipid biosurfactants, produced mainly by non-pathogenic yeast species such as Candida bombicola with high yield. Its unique environmental compatibility and high biodegradable properties have made them a focus in the present review for their promising applications in diverse areas.
  • 1.7K
  • 27 Sep 2022
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