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Topic Review
Carotenoids on Paraoxonase-1 Activity and Gene Expression
Paraoxonase 1 (PON1) is an antioxidant enzyme attached to HDL with an anti-atherogenic potential. It protects LDL and HDL from lipid peroxidation. The enzyme is sensitive to various modulating factors, such as genetic polymorphisms as well as pharmacological, dietary (including carotenoids), and lifestyle interventions. Carotenoids are nutritional pigments with antioxidant activity. Carotenoids administered as naturally occurring nutritional mixtures may present a synergistic beneficial effect on PON1 status. The effect of carotenoids on the enzyme depends on age, ethnicity, gender, diet, and PON1 genetic variation. Carotenoids, especially astaxanthin, β-carotene, and lycopene, increase PON1 activity. This effect may be explained by their ability to quench singlet oxygen and scavenge free radicals. β-carotene and lycopene were additionally shown to upregulate PON1 gene expression.
  • 697
  • 02 Aug 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. 
  • 694
  • 12 Jul 2022
Topic Review
Natural Compounds Targeting Inflammation in NSCLC
Lung cancer is the most common cause of cancer-related deaths and can be classified as small-cell lung cancer (SCLC) or non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Approximately 84% of all cases are NSCLC and the remaining 16% belong to SCLC. In recent years, there has been several breakthroughs in NSCLC management through screening, diagnosis and treatment improvements. However, most lung cancer patients will eventually develop resistance to existing treatments. Therefore, there is clearly a need to identify new targets for therapeutic intervention in NSCLC.
  • 694
  • 22 Mar 2023
Topic Review
Molecular Biomarkers for Inflammatory Bowel Disease
Diagnosis and prognosis of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)—a chronic inflammation that affects the gastrointestinal tract of patients—are challenging, as most clinical symptoms are not specific to IBD, and are often seen in other inflammatory diseases, such as intestinal infections, drug-induced colitis, and monogenic diseases. Laboratory testing of blood or feces has the advantage of being non-invasive, rapid, cost-effective, and standardizable. Although the specificity and accuracy of laboratory testing alone need to be improved, it is increasingly used to monitor disease activity or to diagnose suspected IBD cases in combination with endoscopy and/or imaging. 
  • 691
  • 27 Jul 2022
Topic Review
Thyroid Autoimmunity and SARS-CoV-2 Infection
The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the etiological culprit of COronaVIrus Disease 19 (COVID-19), can enter the cells via the angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptor, which has been found in several tissues including in endocrine organs, such as the ovaries, testes, pancreas, and thyroid. Several thyroid disorders have been associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection [subacute thyroiditis (SAT), thyrotoxicosis, and non-thyroidal illness syndrome (NTIS)] and, in part, they are believed to be secondary to the local virus replication within the gland cells. However, as documented for other viruses, also SARS-CoV-2 seems to interfere with several aspects of the immune system, inducing the synthesis of autoantibodies and triggering latent or new onset autoimmune disease (AID), including autoimmune thyroid disease (AITD), such as Hashimoto Thyroiditis (HT) and Graves’ disease (GD). Several mechanisms have been hypothesized to explain this induction of autoimmunity by SARS-CoV-2 infection: the immune system hyper-stimulation, the molecular mimicry between self-antigens of the host and the virus, neutrophils extracellular traps, and finally the virus induced transcriptional changes of the immune genes; nonetheless, more evidence is needed especially from large long-term cohort studies involving COVID-19 patients, to establish or reject this pathogenetic relationship.
  • 691
  • 12 Oct 2023
Topic Review
Fat Pad-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells
Cartilage is frequently damaged with a limited capacity for repair. Current treatment strategies are insufficient as they form fibrocartilage as opposed to hyaline cartilage, and do not prevent the progression of degenerative changes. There is increasing interest in the use of autologous mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) for tissue regeneration. MSCs that are used to treat articular cartilage defects must not only present a robust cartilaginous production capacity, but they also must not cause morbidity at the harvest site. In addition, they should be easy to isolate from the tissue and expand in culture without terminal differentiation. The source of MSCs is one of the most important factors that may affect treatment. The infrapatellar fat pad (IPFP) acts as an important reservoir for MSC and is located in the anterior compartment of the knee joint in the extra-synovial area.   
  • 690
  • 30 Sep 2021
Topic Review
Human Papillomavirus E6&E7 Oncoproteins for Cervical Cancer
Cervical cancer is recognized as a serious public health problem since it remains one of the most common cancers with a high mortality rate among women despite existing preventative, screening, and treatment approaches. Since Human Papillomavirus (HPV) was recognized as the causative agent, the preventative HPV vaccines have made great progress over the last few years. However, people already infected with the virus require an effective treatment that would ensure long-term survival and a cure.
  • 689
  • 24 Jan 2022
Topic Review
Anti-Inflammatory Effects of Compounds from Echinoderms
Chronic inflammation can extensively burden a healthcare system. Several synthetic anti-inflammatory drugs are currently available in clinical practice, but each has its side effect profile. The planet is gifted with vast and diverse oceans, which provide a treasure of bioactive compounds, the chemical structures of which may provide valuable pharmaceutical agents. Marine organisms contain various bioactive compounds, some of which have anti-inflammatory activity and have received considerable attention from the scientific community to develop anti-inflammatory drugs. Herein, it was described such bioactive compounds, as well as crude extracts (published during 2010–2022) from echinoderms: namely, sea cucumbers, sea urchins, and starfish. Moreover, their chemical structures were also included, evaluation models, and anti-inflammatory activities, including the molecular mechanism(s) of these compounds. Herein, it also highlights the potential applications of those marine-derived compounds in the pharmaceutical industry to develop leads for the clinical pipeline. In conclusion, here is a well-documented reference for the research progress on developing potential anti-inflammatory drugs from echinoderms against various chronic inflammatory conditions.
  • 689
  • 17 Nov 2022
Topic Review
Cyclodextrins in Cancer Immunotherapy
Tumor immunotherapy holds great potential for the future of advanced tumor therapy. The application of Cyclodextrin (CD) for immunotherapy provides new opportunities for overcoming various obstacles.
  • 689
  • 05 Sep 2023
Topic Review
Actionable Mutations Detected via ddPCR
Liquid biopsies are considered a good alternative and complementary tool for cancer management. The study of specific biomarkers by high throughput techniques could guide clinicians in the monitoring of disease evolution during the administration of targeted therapies. Although ddPCR has demonstrated its high sensitivity and specificity rates for detecting rare actionable mutations, further studies are required to implement it in all clinical laboratories for precision medicine.
  • 688
  • 02 Sep 2021
Topic Review
Educating Extracellular Vesicles to Improve Bone Regeneration
The incidence of bone-related disorders is continuously growing as the aging of the population in developing countries continues to increase. Although therapeutic interventions for bone regeneration exist, their effectiveness is questioned, especially under certain circumstances, such as critical size defects. This gap of curative options has led to the search for new and more effective therapeutic approaches for bone regeneration; among them, the possibility of using extracellular vesicles (EVs) is gaining ground. EVs are secreted, biocompatible, nano-sized vesicles that play a pivotal role as messengers between donor and target cells, mediated by their specific cargo. Evidence shows that bone-relevant cells secrete osteoanabolic EVs, whose functionality can be further improved by several strategies. This, together with the low immunogenicity of EVs and their storage advantages, make them attractive candidates for clinical prospects in bone regeneration. However, before EVs reach clinical translation, a number of concerns should be addressed. Unraveling the EVs’ mode of action in bone regeneration is one of them; the molecular mediators driving their osteoanabolic effects in acceptor cells are beginning to be uncovered. Increasing the functional and bone targeting abilities of EVs are also matters of intense research.
  • 688
  • 22 Feb 2022
Topic Review
Dietary Advanced Glycation End Products and Insulin Resistance
Insulin resistance (IR) is commonly observed during aging and is at the root of many of the chronic nontransmissible diseases experienced as people grow older. Many factors may play a role in causing IR, but diet is undoubtedly an important one. Whether it is total caloric intake or specific components of the diet, the factors responsible remain to be confirmed. Of the many dietary influences that may play a role in aging-related decreased insulin sensitivity, advanced glycation end products (AGEs) appear particularly important.
  • 688
  • 28 Jun 2023
Topic Review
Cultured Cells Exposed to Oxidative Stress
In 1972, Brunk and Ericsson found that significant amounts of lysosomal acid phosphatases leak through the ultrastructurally intact lysosomal membrane in cultured glioma cells. Subsequently, Brunk and his colleagues established the concept of lysosomal membrane permeabilization (LMP) in a series of works using cultured cells which were exposed to artificial oxidative stress. 
  • 687
  • 06 Feb 2023
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.
  • 684
  • 25 May 2023
Topic Review
Blackberries and Mulberries
Blackberries and mulberries are small and perishable fruits that provide significant health benefits when consumed. In reality, both are rich in phytochemicals, such as phenolics and volatile compounds, and micronutrients, such as vitamins. All the compounds are well-known thanks to their medicinal and pharmacological properties, namely antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, antiviral, and cardiovascular properties. Nevertheless, variables such as genotype, production conditions, fruit ripening stage, harvesting time, post-harvest storage, and climate conditions influence their nutritional composition and economic value. Given these facts, researchers focus on the nutritional and chemical composition, as well as the health benefits, of two blackberry species (Rubus fruticosus L., and Rubus ulmifolius Schott) and one mulberry species (Morus nigra L.).
  • 683
  • 08 Aug 2023
Topic Review
Bubble-Based Drug Delivery Systems in Practice
The administration of microbubbles and nanobubbles (MNBs) has the possibility to provide therapeutic and diagnostic information without the same ramifications. Microbubbles (MBs), for instance, have been used for ultrasound (US) imaging due to their ability to remain in vessels when exposed to ultrasonic waves. On the other hand, nanobubbles (NBs) can be used for further therapeutic benefits, including chronic treatments for osteoporosis and cancer, gene delivery, and treatment for acute conditions, such as brain infections and urinary tract infections (UTIs).
  • 677
  • 18 Sep 2023
Topic Review
Gender Differences in Insulin Resistance
Gender plays an important role in determining metabolism, both in normal subjects and in subjects affected by dysfunction related to insulin resistance (IR). Studying these relationships may provide insight into how hormonal changes during different life stages, such as puberty, pregnancy, and the menopause, affect IR and diabetes risk.
  • 677
  • 24 Oct 2023
Topic Review
Host Factors Affect the Gut Microbiome
Living organisms in nature exist as communities of various species, interacting closely with each other. Microbial organisms are also present as heterogeneous populations. Microbial organisms frequently appear as a dense mixture of various species to interact with each other in nature.
  • 676
  • 29 Mar 2022
Topic Review
Sphingosine-1-Phosphate in Psychiatric Diseases
Sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) is a bioactive lipid that regulates both the immune response and the permeability of biological barriers. Notably, S1P-based drugs, such as fingolimod and ozanimod, have received approval for treating multiple sclerosis, an autoimmune disease of the central nervous system (CNS), and ulcerative colitis, an inflammatory condition of the colon, respectively.
  • 675
  • 17 Aug 2023
Topic Review
Gut Microbiota-Derived Metabolites
The tumor microenvironment (TME) comprises various non-malignant cells and soluble factors that surround cancer cells and which have mostly a pro-tumorigenic role. Growing evidence indicates that commensal bacteria are involved in the pathogenesis and progression but also in the suppression of various human cancers.
  • 670
  • 15 Mar 2023
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