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Topic Review
Targets of Toxicity in Environmental Exposure to Cadmium
Dietary assessment reports and population surveillance programs show that chronic exposure to low levels of environmental cadmium (Cd) is inevitable for most people, and adversely impacts the health of children and adults.
  • 722
  • 01 Sep 2022
Topic Review
Explore Bacterial Toxin Entry Computationally
Many bacteria secrete toxic protein complexes that modify and disrupt essential processes in the infected cell that can lead to cell death. To conduct their action, these toxins often need to cross the cell membrane and reach a specific substrate inside the cell. The investigation of these protein complexes is essential not only for understanding their biological functions but also for the rational design of targeted drug delivery vehicles that must navigate across the cell membrane to deliver their therapeutic payload. Despite the immense advances in experimental techniques, the investigations of the toxin entry mechanism have remained challenging. Computer simulations are robust complementary tools that allow for the exploration of biological processes in exceptional detail.
  • 718
  • 09 Jul 2021
Topic Review
Aerogel Compounds
Aerogels have started to be considered as “advanced materials”; therefore, as a general consideration, aerogels’ toxicity testing should focus on their functionality which resides in their nanoscale open internal porosity. 
  • 716
  • 28 Nov 2023
Topic Review
Food-Borne Chemical Carcinogens
Food-borne carcinogens span a range of chemical classes and can arise from natural or anthropogenic sources, as well as form endogenously.
  • 713
  • 11 Oct 2022
Topic Review
Toxicology and Gut Microbiota
In recent years, new targets have been included between the health outcomes induced by pesticide exposure. The gastrointestinal tract is a key physical and biological barrier and it represents a primary site of exposure to toxic agents. Recently, the intestinal microbiota has emerged as a notable factor regulating pesticides’ toxicity. However, the specific mechanisms related to this interaction are not well known.
  • 704
  • 09 Jun 2021
Topic Review
Gut Microbiota-Derived Toxins and CVD
Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) have become a major health problem because of the associated high morbidity and mortality rates observed in affected patients. Gut microbiota has recently been implicated as a novel endocrine organ that plays critical roles in the regulation of cardiometabolic and renal functions of the host via the production of bioactive metabolites. Recent studies in human populations and animal models have shown that alterations in the gut microbiota might be associated with the incidence of CVDs through the production of toxins.
  • 690
  • 11 May 2021
Topic Review
Three-Dimensional Liver Culture Systems
Drug-induced liver injury (DILI) is the major reason for failures in drug development and withdrawal of approved drugs from the market. Two-dimensional cultures of hepatocytes often fail to reliably predict DILI: hepatoma cell lines such as HepG2 do not reflect important primary-like hepatic properties and primary human hepatocytes (pHHs) dedifferentiate quickly in vitro and are, therefore, not suitable for long-term toxicity studies. More predictive liver in vitro models are urgently required in drug development and compound safety evaluation. This review discusses available human hepatic cell types for in vitro toxicology analysis and their usage in established and emerging three-dimensional (3D) culture systems. Generally, 3D cultures maintain or improve primary hepatic functions (including expression of drug metabolizing enzymes) of different liver cells for several weeks of culture, thus allowing long-term and repeated-dose toxicity studies. Spheroid cultures of pHHs have been comprehensively tested, but also other cell types such as HepaRG benefit from 3D culture systems. Emerging 3D culture techniques include usage of induced pluripotent stem-cell-derived hepatocytes and primary-like upcyte cells, as well as advanced culture techniques such as microfluidic liver-on-a-chip models. In-depth characterization of existing and emerging 3D hepatocyte technologies is indispensable for successful implementation of such systems in toxicological analysis.
  • 687
  • 10 Nov 2021
Topic Review
Origins of Recombinant Toxins
Toxins produced by various living organisms (bacteria, yeast, scorpions, snakes, spiders and other living organisms) are the main pathogenic factors causing severe diseases and poisoning of humans and animals. To date, recombinant forms of these toxins are widely used as antimicrobial agents, anticancer drugs, vaccines, etc. Various modifications, which in this case can be introduced into such recombinant proteins, can lead to a weakening of the toxic potency of the resulting toxins or, conversely, increase their toxicity. Thus, it is important to publicly discuss the situations and monitor the emergence of such developments.
  • 681
  • 10 Mar 2023
Topic Review
Kidney and Heavy Metal Exposure
Mitochondrial injuries appear to be an important factor in cellular senescence. The free radical theory of aging states that generation and leakage of ROS (reactive oxygen species) from the mitochondrial respiratory chain increases with age and leads to intracellular oxidative damage. Deterioration of mitochondrial DNA will impair the function of the respiratory chain, which is accompanied by additional ROS formation and DNA injuries. These events are hypothesized to involve a continuous cycle of reactive radical formation that may lead to accelerated aging.
  • 663
  • 04 Aug 2021
Topic Review
Functional Pertussis Toxin Antibody
Pertussis toxin (PT) is considered the main virulence factor causing whooping cough or pertussis. The protein is widely studied and its composition was revealed and sequenced already during the 1980s. The human immune system creates a good response against PT when measured in quantity. However, the serum anti-PT antibodies wane rapidly, and only a small amount of these antibodies are found a few years after vaccination/infection. Therefore, multiple approaches to study the functionality (quality) of these antibodies, e.g., avidity, neutralizing capacity, and epitope specificity, have been investigated. In addition, the long-term B cell memory (Bmem) to PT is crucial for good protection throughout life.
  • 662
  • 29 Jul 2021
Topic Review
Models of Lipid-Lowering Drug-Induced Myopathies
Drug-induced myopathies are classified as acquired myopathies caused by exogenous factors. These pathological conditions develop in patients without muscle disease and are triggered by a variety of medicaments, including lipid-lowering drugs (LLDs) such as statins, fibrates, and ezetimibe. 
  • 658
  • 10 Jun 2021
Topic Review
Quantum Dots in Fungal Cells
Quantum dots are nanocrystals with bright and tunable fluorescence. Due to their unique property, quantum dots are sought after for their potential in several applications in biomedical sciences as well as industrial use.
  • 657
  • 27 Sep 2022
Topic Review
CYP2A13 and Lung Damage
Cytochrome P450 2A13 (CYP2A13) can be found primarily outside the gastrointestinal tract. Possibly that was the reason, why it received less attention than CYP2A6, which forms approximately 3.5–14% of all human CYPs in the liver and was investigated in more detail towards the drug metabolism. However, CYP2A13 plays a crutial part in metabolism of smoke-related carcinogens and in some lung cancers.
  • 635
  • 17 Nov 2021
Topic Review
Contaminants in Tattoo Inks
Tattooing has been an enduring form of body art since ancient times, but it carries inherent health risks, primarily due to the complex composition of tattoo inks. These inks consist of complex mixtures of various ingredients, including pigments, solvents, impurities and contaminants. 
  • 628
  • 19 Oct 2023
Topic Review
Toxicity of Ageratina adenophora on Animals
Ageratina adenophora is one of the major invasive weeds that causes instability of the ecosystem. Research has reported that A. adenophora produces allelochemicals that inhibit the growth and development of food crops, and also contain some toxic compounds that cause toxicity to animals that consume it.
  • 623
  • 15 Nov 2021
Topic Review
Molecular Links between Endocrine Disruptors and Adverse Outcomes
Exposure to Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals (EDCs) has been linked with several adverse outcomes. Transcriptome-wide analyses using RNAseq provide snapshots of cellular, tissue, and whole organism transcriptomes under normal physiological and EDC perturbed conditions. A global view of gene expression provides highly valuable information as it uncovers gene families or more specifically, pathways that are affected by EDC exposures, but also reveals those that are unaffected. Hypotheses about genes with unknown functions can also be formed by comparison of their expression levels with genes of known function.
  • 622
  • 19 Apr 2022
Topic Review
Plant Cytogenetics in the Micronuclei Investigation
Cytogenetics is the branch of genetics, cytology, and cell biology that analyses the nuclear genomes at the chromosome level. Cytogenetics makes the chromosome a substantial target in elementary plant cell biology and other fields such as mutagenesis and genotoxicity studies. Standard cytogenetic methods were, and are still, commonly used. Modern cytogenetic technologies involving advanced microscopy and imaging methods, that progress in the analyses on epigenetic DNA and histone modifications as well as DNA damage by using fluorescent antibodies benefit plant genome structure, dynamics, and evolution. They have also served the comprehensive evaluation of the effects of various mutagens on the plant genome that are observed as chromosome aberrations, including micronuclei (MN).
  • 620
  • 10 Mar 2022
Topic Review
Constituents and Biological Activities of Bee Venom
Bee products consist of many substances that have long been known for their medicinal and health-beneficial properties. Venom is the one that has attracted the most interest due to the complexity of its chemical composition. Several types of research have been conducted utilizing biological (cellular) systems to figure out the properties of bee venom in vitro.
  • 605
  • 18 Apr 2023
Topic Review
The Case of Hydroxychloroquine in COVID-19 Patients
Using drugs to treat COVID-19 symptoms may induce adverse effects and modify patient outcomes. These adverse events may be further aggravated in obese patients, who often present different illnesses such as metabolic-associated fatty liver disease. In Rennes University Hospital, several drug such as hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) have been used in the clinical trial HARMONICOV to treat COVID-19 patients, including obese patients. The aim of this entry is to determine whether HCQ metabolism and hepatotoxicity are worsened in obese patients using an in vivo/in vitro approach. 
  • 598
  • 14 Jan 2022
Topic Review
Toxicities of AFB1 and FB1 In Vitro
Mycotoxins stand out as some of the most threatening natural contaminants in food. Among these, aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) and fumonisin B1 (FB1) are prominent fungal metabolites, representing significant food safety risks due to their widespread co-occurrence in various food commodities and their profound toxic effects on humans.
  • 597
  • 23 Nov 2023
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