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Topic Review
Sarcopenia for Liver Transplant Patients
Optimizing patients’ condition before liver transplantation (LT) could potentially improve survival of LT patients. We focused on sarcopenia, as a common factor in liver transplant candidates that can impact their cardiopulmonary performance at the point of listing, morbidity, and mortality after LT. We performed a single-center cohort study on 98 consecutive patients with liver cirrhosis who were transplanted between March 2015 and December 2017. The third lumbar vertebra skeletal muscle index (L3SMI) was calculated using CT imaging to distinguish sarcopenia at listing for LT. Data regarding liver function, body mass index (BMI), cardiac biomarkers, the peak oxygen uptake (VO2) and LT outcome were collected and correlated to L3SMI. For data analysis the Dell Statistica (Version 13. Dell Inc., Rondrock, TX, USA) was used. In total, 98 cirrhotic patients were included. Fifty-five (56.1%) patients, mostly males, had sarcopenia according to L3SMI, with the lowest L3SMI in males with alcohol-related liver disease. Lower L3SMI correlated with lower BMI, lower VO2 peak, and higher NTproBNP (all p < 0.001) and revealed an essential correlation with prolonged ICU stay (r = −0.21, p < 0.05). 33 patients were unable to perform cardio-pulmonary exercise test, mostly sarcopenic (67%), with more advanced liver insufficiency (assessed with CPC and MELD scores) and longer stay at ICU after LT (all p < 0.001). Sarcopenia was common among LT recipients. It was associated with inferior result in cardio-pulmonary performance before LT and prolonged ICU stay after grafting. 
  • 728
  • 12 Aug 2021
Topic Review
Endothelial Dysfunction and Oxidative Stress Influencing Thrombosis
The leading causes of death in people with diabetes are strokes and cardiovascular disease. Significant morbidity is associated with an increased risk of thrombosis, resulting in myocardial infarction, ischaemic stroke, and peripheral vascular disease, along with the sequelae of these events, including loss of functional ability, heart failure, and amputations. While the increased platelet activity, pro-coagulability, and endothelial dysfunction directly impact this risk, the molecular mechanisms linking poor glycaemic control with increased thrombotic risk remain unclear.
  • 727
  • 19 Dec 2023
Topic Review
Vascular Permeability in Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis
Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a disease that causes scarring and fibrotic transformation of the lung parenchyma, resulting in the progressive loss of respiratory function and, often, death. An increasing body of literature shows that pulmonary vascular permeability may play a big role in the pathogenesis of this condition. There is a search for therapeutic targets to try and modulate this vascular permeability in fibrotic lungs. One such class of targets that shows great promise is sphingolipids.
  • 727
  • 02 Aug 2023
Topic Review
Proteasome Allostery
Allostery fundamentally describes coordination and communication between distinct sites of a multipart and multifunctional protein, or riboprotein. The proteasome rivals the ribosome in size, compositional complexity, multiplicity of active sites and substrate interactions and its importance in the cellular economy. For both, the cellular consequences of its misregulation are grave. Like the ribosome, proteasomes must coordinate multiple active sites and undergo large scale conformational realignments that optimally position its components for enzymatic processing and to move substrates. The expectation that proteasomes utilize allostery is supported by two types of experimental data. The first consists of regulators that are substrates or their components. The second consists of RPs that exhibit cooperative binding to the pair of CP sites where they dock.
  • 726
  • 14 Jun 2022
Topic Review
Lipid Nanoparticles as Platforms for Theranostic Purposes
Lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) are the first approved nanomedicines and the most well-studied class of nanocarriers for drug delivery. Currently, they are in the frontline of the pandemic fight as vaccine formulations and therapeutic products. However, even though they are so well-studied, new materials and new modifications arise every day that can improve their properties. Their dynamic nature, especially the liquid crystal state of membranes, is under constant investigation and it is that which many times leads to their complex biological behavior. In addition, newly discovered biomaterials and nanoparticles that possess promising effects and functionalities, but also toxicity and/or poor pharmacokinetics, can be combined with LNPs to ameliorate their properties.
  • 726
  • 23 Jun 2022
Topic Review
Biomarkers in Renal Clear Cell Carcinoma
Renal clear cell carcinoma (ccRCC) comprises over 75% of all renal tumors and arises in the epithelial cells of the proximal convoluted tubule. Molecularly ccRCC is characterized by copy number alterations (CNAs) such as the loss of chromosome 3p and VHL inactivation.
  • 726
  • 29 Nov 2022
Topic Review
Quercetin as a Modulator of Insulin Resistance
Insulin resistance (IR) and the associated hyperinsulinemia are early pathophysiological changes which, if not well treated, can lead to type 2 diabetes, endothelial dysfunction and cardiovascular disease. Qtn is a flavonoid, belonging to the flavonol group. Known for its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, Qtn is proposed as a dietary supplement in antiaging and immunostimulant formulations. 
  • 721
  • 09 Jun 2023
Topic Review
Diabetes on Cervical Spine Surgery
Ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament (OPLL) is a multifactorial disease that develops under complex genetic and environmental conditions. The ectopic ossification causes chronic compression of the spinal cord, which leads to neurological dysfunction below the level of compression. Although the prevalence of OPLL in the general population is relatively low, ranging from 0.1 to 2.5% in the United States and 1.9 to 4.3% in Japan , OPLL accounts for 18 to 35% as an etiology of degenerative cervical myelopathy (DCM), which requires surgical treatment. Thus, OPLL is a major etiology of DCM, irrespective of race or region.OPLL is associated with an increased prevalence of diabetes mellitus (DM). The prevalence of DM in patients with OPLL is 27% in the United States . DM increases the prevalence of comorbidities, such as obesity, hypertension, common infections, and systemic vascular diseases, thereby exerting a negative impact on spinal surgeries. Several studies have investigated the impact of DM on surgical outcomes in patients undergoing surgical treatment for cervical spondylotic myelopathy (CSM) or DCM (CSM and OPLL). Despite the high prevalence of DM in patients with OPLL, only a few retrospective case series have analyzed DM as a prognostic factor for the surgical management of cervical OPLL.
  • 720
  • 03 Aug 2021
Topic Review
Cardio-Protective Compounds with Antiarrhythmic Properties
Oxidative stress and inflammation are deleterious to cardiovascular health, and can increase heart susceptibility to arrhythmias. It is quite interesting, however, that various cardio-protective compounds with antiarrhythmic properties, including sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors and statins, are potent anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory agents.
  • 720
  • 15 Feb 2022
Topic Review
Psychiatric Disorders in Clinical Human Studies
Depression, anxiety and cognitive impairment are the most common symptoms of psychiatric disorders that may concur and/or sway during progression and comorbidity frequently occurs in mental illnesses, which renders the exact diagnosis even more difficult. Scrupulous studies are underway to untangle the thread of pathophysiology of mental disorders and their comorbidities not only in clinical medicine, but also in animal studies. Psychological stress, especially depression has been found to be a risk factor for dementia, a prognostic biomarker for stokes and a therapeutic target for meaning-centered psychotherapy in depression, and animal-assisted and pet-robot interventions in dementia. Four main representative psychiatric symptoms including positive, negative and cognitive symptoms, and anxiety are reviewed. Psychiatric disorders present inflammatory signs in serum, CSF and/or the brain tissue samples in which pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokine levels can be detected and measured. The simultaneous alternations of KYN metabolism take place under inflammation, disturbing a balance of toxic and protective KYN metabolites. 
  • 720
  • 18 Oct 2022
Topic Review
NcRNAs Promoting Chemoresistance of CRC
Colorectal Cancer (CRC) is one of the most common gastrointestinal malignancies which has quite a high mortality rate. Despite the advances made in CRC treatment, effective therapy is still quite challenging, particularly due to resistance arising throughout the treatment regimen. Several studies have been carried out to identify CRC chemoresistance mechanisms, with research showing different signalling pathways, certain ATP binding cassette (ABC) transporters and epithelial mesenchymal transition (EMT), among others to be responsible for the failure of CRC chemotherapies. In the last decade, it has become increasingly evident that certain non-coding RNA (ncRNA) families are involved in chemoresistance. Research investigations have demonstrated that dysregulation of microRNAs (miRNAs), long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) and circular RNAs (circRNAs) contribute towards promoting resistance in CRC via different mechanisms. Considering the currently available data on this phenomenon, a better understanding of how these ncRNAs participate in chemoresistance can lead to suitable solutions to overcome this problem in CRC. 
  • 719
  • 22 Apr 2021
Topic Review
Epidemiology and Management  of Pediatric Testicular Tumors
Pediatric testicular tumors are rare and represent 1% to 2% of all solid tumors in children. Germ-cell tumors are the most frequent etiology; most are benign in the pre-pubertal population, whereas post-pubertal testicular tumors are similar to those that occur in adults, with potential malignancy. 
  • 719
  • 08 Dec 2022
Topic Review
Whole-Body Cryostimulation in Fibromyalgia
Currently, all available therapies for the control and management of fibromyalgia (FM) are mostly focused on relieving patients’ symptoms and improving their quality of life. Thermal stress caused by cryostimulation induces an analgesic effect, improving pain, redox balance, and inflammatory symptoms in an exercise-mimicking fashion. In addition, it reduces the feeling of fatigue, improves mood, and reduces mental health deterioration with positive consequences on depressive states and improved sleep quality. 
  • 717
  • 30 May 2022
Topic Review
Making Biomarkers Relevant to Precision Medicine and Healthcare
Biomarkers (BMs) are described as biological macromolecules or physiological parameters impartially measured to act as a marker or indicator of a normal or pathogenic cascade. Efficient biomarkers are crucial for the advancement of diagnoses, better molecular targeted therapy, along with therapeutic advantages in a broad spectrum of various diseases. 
  • 715
  • 12 Jul 2022
Topic Review
Regulation of Activity of Dual Leucine Zipper Kinase
The dual leucine zipper kinase (DLK) alias mitogen-activated protein 3 kinase 12 (MAP3K12) has gained much attention. DLK belongs to the mixed lineage kinases, characterized by homology to serine/threonine and tyrosine kinase, but exerts serine/threonine kinase activity. DLK has been implicated in many diseases, including several neurodegenerative diseases, glaucoma, and diabetes mellitus. As a MAP3K, it is generally assumed that DLK becomes phosphorylated and activated by upstream signals and phosphorylates and activates itself, the downstream serine/threonine MAP2K, and, ultimately, MAPK. In addition, other mechanisms such as protein–protein interactions, proteasomal degradation, dephosphorylation by various phosphatases, palmitoylation, and subcellular localization have been shown to be involved in the regulation of DLK activity or its fine-tuning.
  • 715
  • 26 Feb 2024
Topic Review
Monitoring Neurochemistry in Traumatic Brain Injury Patients
In a traumatically injured brain, the cerebral microdialysis technique allows continuous sampling of fluid from the brain’s extracellular space. The retrieved brain fluid contains useful metabolites that indicate the brain’s energy state. Assessment of these metabolites along with other parameters, such as intracranial pressure, brain tissue oxygenation, and cerebral perfusion pressure, may help inform clinical decision making, guide medical treatments, and aid in the prognostication of patient outcomes. Currently, brain metabolites are assayed on bedside analysers and results can only be achieved hourly. This is a major drawback because critical information within each hour is lost. To address this, recent advances have focussed on developing biosensing techniques for integration with microdialysis to achieve continuous online monitoring. 
  • 714
  • 11 May 2022
Topic Review
TRAIL-based Therapy for GBM
The tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) shows a promising therapeutic potential in cancer treatment as it exclusively causes apoptosis in a broad spectrum of cancer cells through triggering the extrinsic apoptosis pathway via binding to cognate death receptors, with negligible toxicity in normal cells. However, most cancers, including glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), display TRAIL resistance, hindering its application in clinical practice. This entry is defined by some potential stratergies of applying TRAIL-based therapy via overriding resistance for GBM trearment.
  • 712
  • 27 Apr 2021
Topic Review
Oral Bacterial Microbiota in Digestive Cancer Patients
Oral microbiota dysbiosis and specific bacteria, such as Fusobacterium nucleatum and Porphyromonas gingivalis, appeared to be associated with colorectal cancers. 
  • 712
  • 25 Jan 2022
Topic Review
Antioxidant Effects of the Si-Based Agent
Antioxidant therapy is an effective approach for treating diseases in which oxidative stress is involved in the onset of symptoms. This approach aims to rapidly replenish the antioxidant substances in the body when they are depleted due to excess oxidative stress. Importantly, a supplemented antioxidant must specifically eliminate harmful reactive oxygen species (ROS) without reacting with physiologically beneficial ROS, which are important to the body.
  • 712
  • 25 May 2023
Topic Review
Plant-Based Bioactive Compounds as Therapeutics in Parkinson’s Disease
Neurological ailments, including stroke, Alzheimer’s disease (AD), epilepsy, Parkinson’s disease (PD), and other related diseases, have affected around 1 billion people globally to date. PD stands second among the common neurodegenerative diseases caused as a result of dopaminergic neuron loss in the midbrain’s substantia nigra regions. Medicinal plants, herbal formulations, and natural bioactive molecules have been gaining much more attention in recent years as synthetic molecules orchestrate a number of undesired effects. Several in vitro, in vivo, and in silico studies in the recent past have demonstrated the therapeutic potential of medicinal plants, herbal formulations, and plant-based bioactives. 
  • 711
  • 01 Feb 2024
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