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Topic Review
Fragile X Syndrome(FXS)
Among the inherited causes of intellectual disability and autism, Fragile X syndrome (FXS) is the most frequent form, for which there is currently no cure. In most FXS patients, the FMR1 gene is epigenetically inactivated following the expansion over 200 triplets of a CGG repeat (FM: full mutation). FMR1 encodes the Fragile X Mental Retardation Protein (FMRP), which binds several mRNAs, mainly in the brain. When the FM becomes methylated at 10–12 weeks of gesta-tion, the FMR1 gene is transcriptionally silent.
  • 1.5K
  • 04 Mar 2021
Topic Review
Calcium Dysregulation in Alzheimer’s Disease
Intracellular calcium (Ca2+) is an important second messenger that regulates multiple cellular functions, such as synaptic plasticity, action potentials, and learning and memory. Ca2+ dyshomeostasis, on the other hand, contributes to detrimental mechanisms such as necrosis, apoptosis, autophagy deficits, and neurodegeneration. Perturbations in intracellular Ca2+ are involved in many neurodegenerative diseases including Alzheimer's disease (AD), Parkinson’s disease, and Huntington’s disease.  Ca2+ dyshomeostasis is an early event in the AD timeline. Ca2+ dysregulation in AD comes as a result of hyperactivity of Ca2+ channels in the plasma membrane and intracellular compartments. It does not seem to be restricted to neurons, but rather is a global phenomenon that affects many cell types in the brain.
  • 1.5K
  • 25 Dec 2020
Topic Review
Pharmacological Activities of Galactomannan Derivatives
Galactomannans are versatile macromolecules with broad industrial potential. The influence of changes in the chemical structures and respective bioactivities of these polysaccharides have been extensively studied. The derivatives obtained by sulfation, complexation, and phosphorylation are the most studied biological properties in galactomannans. The derivatives obtained have shown several pharmacological activities such as antiviral, antimicrobial, anticoagulant, fibrinolytic, chemopreventive, anticancer, antioxidant, chondroprotective, analgesic, immunomodulatory, and antileishmanial. 
  • 1.5K
  • 24 Feb 2021
Topic Review
Development of Anticancer Agents with Peptide-Based Drugs
Peptides are increasingly being developed for use as therapeutics to treat many ailments, including cancer. Therapeutic peptides have the advantages of target specificity and low toxicity. The anticancer effects of a peptide can be the direct result of the peptide binding its intended target, or the peptide may be conjugated to a chemotherapy drug or radionuclide and used to target the agent to cancer cells. Peptides can be targeted to proteins on the cell surface, where the peptide–protein interaction can initiate internalization of the complex, or the peptide can be designed to directly cross the cell membrane. Peptides can induce cell death by numerous mechanisms including membrane disruption and subsequent necrosis, apoptosis, tumor angiogenesis inhibition, immune regulation, disruption of cell signaling pathways, cell cycle regulation, DNA repair pathways, or cell death pathways. 
  • 1.5K
  • 25 Nov 2021
Topic Review
WNT Signalling in Dental Pathologies
Great efforts have been made over the past decades to discover new therapeutic targets for a big variety of human pathologies. Most of the studies dealing with severe pathological conditions such as cancers and tissue malformations are focused on the role of either widely recognized master controlling genes such as ras and myc or pivotal components of key signalling pathways, among which Wnt and Notch. However, these genes and molecules are fundamental for paired embryogenesis as well as for tissue and organ homeostasis and regeneration, where they regulate cell proliferation, migration, differentiation and apoptosis. The precise timing and localization of their activation are important to ensure the appropriate cellular functions in physiological conditions. Thus, their indiscriminate targeting is not desirable, due to both the high risk of severe side effects and the certainty of broad phenotypic consequences. On the contrary, optimal therapeutic targets should be selected based on their tissue, time and pathology specific roles. Here, we suggest a paradigmatic example of such target molecules that could be represented by the Wnt/b-catenin signalling components Bcl9 and Bcl9l. 
  • 1.5K
  • 05 Nov 2020
Topic Review
Sweet Taste Signaling
Sweet taste, a proxy for sugar-derived calories, is an important driver of food intake, and animals have evolved robust molecular and cellular machinery for sweet taste signaling. The below is a description of the mechanisms underlying sweet taste signaling in the periphery, and the factors regulating them.
  • 1.5K
  • 09 Aug 2022
Topic Review
Spermine in Prostate Cancer
Spermine, a member of polyamines, exists in all organisms and is essential for normal cell growth and function. It is highly expressed in the prostate compared with other organs and is detectable in urine, tissue, expressed prostatic secretions, and erythrocyte. A significant reduction of spermine level was observed in prostate cancer (PCa) tissue compared with benign prostate tissue, and the level of urinary spermine was also significantly lower in men with PCa. Decreased spermine level may be used as an indicator of malignant phenotype transformation from normal to malignant tissue in prostate.
  • 1.5K
  • 25 May 2021
Topic Review
Pharmacological Effects of Flueggea virosa Extracts
The white berry bush, officially Flueggea virosa (Roxb. ex Willd.) Royle is a medicinal plant distributed throughout tropical areas and traditionally used in Africa, India and China. Root decoctions are used to treat abdominal pain, whereas extracts from the aerial parts serve to treat liver and urinary diseases, inflammatory pathologies and diabetes, among other pathologies. Plant extracts have revealed antiparasitic, antimicrobial, antiepilepsy, antidiabetic, anticancer and analgesic effects.
  • 1.5K
  • 23 Jan 2024
Topic Review
HEV infectivity in water samples
Hepatitis E virus (HEV) is a non-enveloped single-stranded positive-sense RNA virus, belonging to the Hepeviridae family, resistant to environmental conditions, and transmitted by the consumption of contaminated water. This virus is responsible for both sporadic and epidemic outbreaks, leading to thousands of infections per year in several countries, and is thus considered an emerging disease in Europe and Asia. This study refers to a survey in Portugal during 2019, targeting the detection and eventual quantification of enteric viruses in surface and drinking water sources. Samples positive for HEV RNA were recurrently found by reverse transcription quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR), in both matrices. The infectivity of these samples was evaluated in cultured Vero E6 cells and RNA from putative viruses produced in cell cultures was subjected to RT-qPCR targeting HEV genomic RNA. Our results evidenced the existence of samples positive either for HEV RNA (77.8% in surface water and 66.7% in drinking water) or for infectious HEV (23.0% in surface water and 27.7% in drinking water). These results highlight the need of effective virological control of water for human consumption and activities.
  • 1.5K
  • 26 Oct 2020
Topic Review
Sialic Acids
This article gives a very short overview on sialic acids and is an excerpt of the introduction from the publication ‘Control of Innate Immunity by Sialic Acids in the Nervous Tissue’ by Liao H, Klaus C, Neumann H. in the Int J Mol Sci. 2020 Jul 31;21(15):E5494. doi: 10.3390/ijms21155494
  • 1.5K
  • 13 Aug 2020
Topic Review
CeRNA Networks in Neurodegenerative Diseases
Protein aggregation is classically considered the main cause of neuronal death in neurodegenerative diseases (NDDs). However, increasing evidence suggests that alteration of RNA metabolism is a key factor in the etiopathogenesis of these complex disorders. Non-coding RNAs are the major contributor to the human transcriptome and are particularly abundant in the central nervous system, where they have been proposed to be involved in the onset and development of NDDs. Interestingly, some ncRNAs (such as lncRNAs, circRNAs and pseudogenes) share a common functionality in their ability to regulate gene expression by modulating miRNAs in a phenomenon known as the competing endogenous RNA mechanism. Moreover, ncRNAs are found in body fluids where their presence and concentration could serve as potential non-invasive biomarkers of NDDs.
  • 1.5K
  • 17 Feb 2021
Topic Review
The Dbf4-Dependent Kinase
The Dbf4-dependent kinase (DDK) is formed by the association of the kinase subunit, cell division cycle 7 (Cdc7), with its activating partner, dumb-bell factor 4 (Dbf4). By analogy with the cyclin-dependent kinases (CDK), Cdc7:Dbf4 is now most often referred to as ‘Dbf4-dependent kinase’ or DDK.
  • 1.5K
  • 27 Jun 2022
Topic Review
Extracellular Vesicles in Blood
Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are important players for intercellular communication. EVs are secreted by almost all cell types; they can transfer information between nearby or distant cells, and they are highly abundant in body fluids. The present work provides an overview of the components, effects, and applications of EVs in blood.
  • 1.5K
  • 26 Aug 2021
Topic Review
Raman Spectroscopy Applied to Biomedical Research
Nowadays, there is an interest in biomedical and nanobiotechnological studies, such as studies on carotenoids as antioxidants and studies on molecular markers for cardiovascular, endocrine, and oncological diseases. Also, interest in industrial production of microalgal biomass for biofuels and bioproducts has stimulated studies on microalgal physiology and mechanisms of synthesis and accumulation of valuable biomolecules in algal cells. Biomolecules such as neutral lipids and carotenoids are being actively explored by the biotechnology community. Raman spectroscopy (RS) has become an important tool for researchers to understand biological processes at the cellular level in medicine and biotechnology.
  • 1.5K
  • 05 May 2022
Topic Review
Immune Thrombocytopenia in Antiphospholipid Syndrome
Antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) is frequently associated with thrombocytopenia, in most cases mild and in the absence of major bleedings. In some patients with a confirmed APS diagnosis, secondary immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) may lead to severe thrombocytopenia with consequent major bleeding. At the same time, the presence of antiphospholipid antibodies (aPL) in patients with a diagnosis of primary ITP has been reported in several studies, although with some specific characteristics especially related to the variety of antigenic targets. 
  • 1.5K
  • 28 Sep 2021
Topic Review
Osteoclasts
There are sexually dimorphic differences in osteoclast formation and function that may have significant importance for understanding why females are prone to have a lower bone mass than males at any given age and are at increased risk for osteoporosis. Osteoclasts are the principal mediators of bone resorption. They form through the fusion of mononuclear precursor cells under the principal influence of the cytokines macrophage colony stimulating factor (M-CSF, aka CSF-1) and receptor activator of NF-κB ligand (RANKL, aka TNFSF11).
  • 1.5K
  • 04 Nov 2020
Topic Review
MGluRI and ErbB Receptors
It is well-appreciated that phosphorylation is an essential post-translational mechanism of regulation for several proteins, including group 1 metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluRI), mGluR1 and mGluR5 subtypes. While contributions of various serine/threonine protein kinases on mGluRI modulation have been recognized, the functional role of tyrosine kinases (TKs) is less acknowledged. Here, we describe current evidence on the modulatory roles of the ErbB tyrosine kinases receptors - activated by the neurotrophic factors neuregulins (NRGs) - on mGluRI function. Available evidence suggests that mGluRI activity is tightly dependent on ErbB signaling, and that ErbB's modulation profoundly influences mGluRI-dependent effects on neurotransmission, neuronal excitability, synaptic plasticity, and learning and memory processes. 
  • 1.5K
  • 13 Nov 2020
Topic Review
Mechanism of Mild-Temperature Photothermal Therapy
Conventional photothermal therapy (PTT) irradiates the tumor tissues by elevating the temperature above 48 °C to exert thermal ablation, killing tumor cells. However, thermal ablation during PTT harmfully damages the surrounding normal tissues, post-treatment inflammatory responses, rapid metastasis due to the short-term mass release of tumor-cellular contents, or other side effects. To circumvent this limitation, mild-temperature photothermal therapy (MTPTT) was introduced to replace PTT as it exerts its activity at a therapeutic temperature of 42–45 °C.
  • 1.5K
  • 04 Nov 2022
Topic Review
Glyphosate Pollution Treatment
Glyphosate (N-Phosphonomethyl-glycine) is a broad-spectrum herbicide extensively used worldwide to eliminate weeds in agricultural areas, control vegetation in urban areas, and accelerate the harvest of several crops. Recently was classified as a potentially carcinogenic compound, due to this several countries banned or are in the process of banning its use.
  • 1.5K
  • 24 Nov 2021
Topic Review
Computational NMR of Carbohydrates
Nowadays, computational NMR is widely used for structural and stereochemical studies of a wide series of carbohydrates including mono-, di-, and polysaccharides together with their functional derivatives. Stereochemical analysis of carbohydrates could mostly be performed by using computational versus experimental 1H and 13C-NMR chemical shifts and spin-spin coupling constants in view of their marked stereochemical dependences providing a new guide in stereochemical structure of carbohydrates together with fundamental factors controlling molecular recognition and catalysis in biochemical systems.
  • 1.5K
  • 05 May 2021
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