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Topic Review
Physiologically Based Pharmacokinetic Modeling of Nanoparticle Biodistribution
Cancer treatment and pharmaceutical development require targeted treatment and less toxic therapeutic intervention to achieve real progress against this disease. In this scenario, nanomedicine emerged as a reliable tool to improve drug pharmacokinetics and to translate to the clinical biologics based on large molecules. However, the ability of body to recognize foreign objects together with carrier transport heterogeneity derived from the combination of particle physical and chemical properties, payload and surface modification, make the designing of effective carriers very difficult. In this scenario, physiologically based pharmacokinetic modeling can help to design the particles and eventually predict their ability to reach the target and treat the tumor. This effort is performed by scientists with specific expertise and skills and familiarity with artificial intelligence tools such as advanced software that are not usually in the “cords” of traditional medical or material researchers. 
  • 1.5K
  • 04 Nov 2022
Topic Review
MCPIP1
MCPIP1 (also known as regnase-1) is encoded by the ZC3H12A gene and is composed of 599 amino acids that encode a 66-kDa protein. MCPIP1 is a potent anti-inflammatory protein, and plays many roles within the regulation of the immune response.
  • 1.5K
  • 22 Oct 2020
Topic Review
Concepts in the Two-Process Model of Sleep Regulation
The two-process model of sleep regulation has served as a conceptual framework in the last four decades for understanding sleep physiology. In the 1970s, long-term recordings of sleep in rats were obtained thanks to EEG telemetry. NonREM sleep and REM sleep were found to differ in their time course and response to light-dark protocols. There were indications for their coupling to the circadian system, in particular the light-dark and the dark-light transitions. With the advent of quantitative EEG analysis, slow-wave activity in nonREM sleep was recognized as a sleep-wake-dependent variable. The term “sleep homeostasis” was coined to specify the regulated balance between sleep and waking. The regulatory homeostatic process was designated as “Process S”. In the two-process model, its interaction with the circadian pacemaker “Process C” can account for sleep duration under various experimental protocols. Local, use-dependent slow-wave activity changes were demonstrated in both humans and rats by the selective, unilateral activation of a cortical region prior to sleep. Finding that rest in invertebrates has sleep-like regulatory properties opened a new realm of animal studies. Comparative sleep studies in a broad variety of animal species confirmed the validity of the basic concepts of the two-process model.
  • 1.5K
  • 17 Jan 2024
Topic Review
Overview of Human Biofluids
An overview of the physiological role of the principal body fluids in human health is discussed, with an emphasis on key aspects of the structure and functions of macrocirculation and microcirculation. The lymph and the lymphatic system are described in detail, as well as blood flow in the respiratory system, the digestive system, the brain, and the eye. The urinary system, the fluids within the gastrointestinal tract, cerebrospinal fluid, serous body fluids, synovial fluid, and other relevant human fluids are also concisely discussed. 
  • 1.5K
  • 23 Sep 2022
Topic Review
Assessment of Nanomaterials’ Hemotoxicity
The potential use of nanomaterials in medicine offers opportunities for novel therapeutic approaches to treating complex disorders. For that reason, a new branch of science, named nanotoxicology, which aims to study the dangerous effects of nanomaterials on human health and on the environment, has recently emerged. However, the toxicity and risk associated with nanomaterials are unclear or not completely understood. The development of an adequate experimental strategy for assessing the toxicity of nanomaterials may include a rapid/express method that will reliably, quickly, and cheaply make an initial assessment. One possibility is the characterization of the hemocompatibility of nanomaterials, which includes their hemolytic activity as a marker.
  • 1.5K
  • 13 Dec 2022
Topic Review
Cilia and Skeletal Muscle
Cilia are comprised of microtubule bundles organised into an axoneme and anchored by a mature centriole or basal body. Primary cilia are dynamic signalling platforms that are intimately involved in cellular responses to their extracellular milieu. Cilia on fibroblasts/fibro–adipogenic progenitors and myofibroblasts may influence cell fate in both a cell autonomous and non-autonomous manner with critical consequences for skeletal muscle ageing and repair in response to injury and disease.
  • 1.5K
  • 22 Nov 2021
Topic Review
Sarcopenia: a Cause and Consequence of Metabolic Dysregulation
Skeletal muscle mass plays a critical role in a healthy lifespan by helping to regulate glucose homeostasis. As seen in sarcopenia, decreased skeletal muscle mass impairs glucose homeostasis, but it may also be caused by glucose dysregulation. Gut microbiota modulates lipopolysaccharide (LPS) production, short-chain fatty acids (SCFA), and various metabolites that affect the host metabolism, including skeletal muscle tissues, and may have a role in the sarcopenia etiology. The evidence presented in this entry suggests that loss of muscle mass and function are not an inevitable consequence of the aging process, and that dietary and lifestyle interventions may prevent or delay sarcopenia.
  • 1.5K
  • 29 Mar 2022
Topic Review
Physical Exercise in NAFLD
Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a major health problem, and its prevalence has increased in recent years. Diet and exercise interventions are the first-line treatment options. The goal is to understand the complex pathophysiology underlying exercise interventions with the potential to prevent and treat NAFLD.
  • 1.5K
  • 26 Nov 2020
Topic Review
Schwann Cells in Regeneration Selectivity
Peripheral nerve injuries result in the loss of the motor, sensory and autonomic functions of the denervated segments of the body. Neurons can regenerate their injured axons and eventually reinnervate their target organs, but inaccuracy of this reinnervation causes a permanent loss of function that impairs complete recovery. Thus, understanding how regenerating axons respond to their environment and direct their growth is essential to improve the functional outcome of patients with nerve lesions. Schwann cells (SCs), the glial cells of the peripheral nerves, play a crucial role in the regeneration process, but little is known about their contribution to specific reinnervation.
  • 1.5K
  • 28 Sep 2020
Topic Review
South African Medicinal Plants in Metabolic Disorders Management
Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a prevalent, multifactorial and complex disease that is associated with an increased risk of developing diabetes and other major cardiovascular complications. The rise in the global prevalence of MetS has been attributed to genetic, epigenetic, and environmental factors. The adoption of sedentary lifestyles that are characterized by low physical activity and the consumption of high-energy diets contributes to MetS development. Current management criteria for MetS risk factors involve changes in lifestyle and the use of pharmacological agents that target specific biochemical pathways involved in the metabolism of nutrients. Pharmaceutical drugs are usually expensive and are associated with several undesirable side effects. Alternative management strategies of MetS risk factors involve the use of medicinal plants that are considered to have multiple therapeutic targets and are easily accessible. Medicinal plants contain several different biologically active compounds that provide health benefits.
  • 1.5K
  • 18 Jul 2022
Topic Review
Resveratrol Treatment and Periodontal Disease
Resveratrol is an anti-inflammatory compound found in several foods. Periodontal disease (PD) is associated to other systemic diseases, and inflammation may be responsible for the association. 
  • 1.5K
  • 23 Sep 2021
Topic Review
Heteromeric TRP Channels
Heteromeric Transient Receptor Potential (TRP) channels build a tetrameric structure with at least one TRP subunit from another subfamily. In pulmonary microvascular endothelial cells their activation can disrupt endothelial barrier function, as their mediated calcium influx activates the CaM (calmodulin)/MLCK (myosin light chain kinase)-signaling pathway, and thereby rearranges the cytoskeleton, increases endothelial permeability and thus can facilitate activation of inflammatory cells and formation of pulmonary edema.
  • 1.4K
  • 06 Jul 2021
Topic Review
Differentiation of Genes Encoding Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptors
The heritability of the tendency to obesity is estimated to vary widely (from 5% to 90%), depending on the research method and the hypotheses being tested. Genetic components may play an important role, both in regulating metabolism and influencing behavioral aspects-in the presence of certain critical genetic variants, the dysregulation of energy metabolism can undoubtedly lead to an increased risk of obesity. Genes code for protein products that are directly involved in the processes of digestion, assimilation, and physiological utilization of nutrients supplied to the body. There are also genes whose products are important factors that influence the activation and regulation of various metabolic pathways and also determine the maintenance of the balance of metabolic changes and the shift of this balance in a specific direction. Finally, there are the genes that code for factors that influence human behavior, eating habits, dietary preferences and so on. Systemic regulation of metabolism takes place in human cells at many levels. At the deepest molecular level, metabolic flexibility depends on the configuration of many different metabolic pathways regulated by key transcription factors, many of which interact closely with each other. From this point of view, transcription factors are considered very important elements of metabolic regulatory networks. In this group, genes encoding peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs) are among the best studied. PPARs provide balance in nutrient and energy metabolism and maintain metabolic flexibility important for lipid metabolism, glucose homeostasis, cholesterol metabolism, and other important metabolic networks. Differentiation of PPAR genes may affect the efficacy of reduction diets and post-exercise weight loss.
  • 1.4K
  • 06 Jan 2023
Topic Review
The Initiation of Apoptosis
Apoptosis is a normal physiological process of highly regulated cell death that occurs in most multicellular organisms. Apoptosis plays an important role in the cell cycle and is an integral part of the immune system under physiological and pathological conditions. Disorders of apoptosis are associated with autoimmune diseases, bacterial and viral diseases, heart disease, and neurodegeneration. Apoptosis is defined as an energy-dependent cell death which is one of the pathological characteristics of ischemia/reperfusion injury (IRI).
  • 1.4K
  • 09 Mar 2022
Topic Review
Role of Melatonin in Directing Plant Physiology
Melatonin (MT), a naturally occurring compound, is found in various species worldwide. In 1958, it was first identified in the pineal gland of dairy cows. MT is an “old friend” but a “new compound” for plant biology. It brings experts and research minds from the broad field of plant sciences due to its considerable influence on plant systems. The MT production process in plants and animals is distinct, where it has been expressed explicitly in chloroplasts and mitochondria in plants. Tryptophan acts as the precursor for the formation of phyto-melatonin, along with intermediates including tryptamine, serotonin, N-acetyl serotonin, and 5-methoxy tryptamine. It plays a vital role in growth phases such as the seed germination and seedling growth of crop plants. MT significantly impacts the gas exchange, thereby improving physio-chemical functions in plant systems. During stress, the excessive generation and accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) causes protein oxidation, lipid peroxidation, nucleic acid damage, and enzyme inhibition. Because it directly acts as an antioxidant compound, it awakens the plant antioxidant defense system during stress and reduces the production of ROS, which results in decreasing cellular oxidative damage. MT can enhance plant growth and development in response to various abiotic stresses such as drought, salinity, high temperature, flooding, and heavy metals by regulating the antioxidant mechanism of plants.
  • 1.4K
  • 17 Oct 2023
Topic Review
Aminopeptidases in Cardiovascular and Renal
       The entry tries to summarize our current understanding of the role of aminopeptidases in the control of blood pressure, through their effects on kidney function. Their possible role as biomarkers on acute or chronic kidney injury is also analyzed.
  • 1.4K
  • 28 Aug 2020
Topic Review
Metabolic flexibility and Atrial Fibrillation
Atrial fibrillation (AF), the most commonly encountered arrhythmia in clinical practice, is characterized by irregular contractions of atrial cardiomyocytes. AF causes substantial disability and morbidity with a high risk of heart failure (HF) and ischemic stroke, and has exerted a tremendous burden on society, the health care system, and the economy. Metabolic flexibility is a novel concept that aptly describes switches in substrate metabolism depending on availability and requirements, thus coping with the dramatic fluctuations in energy supply and demand under physiological and pathological stimuli. Metabolic flexibility is critical for normal heart function, as it provides sufficient energy when the rapid and irregular contraction of atrial cardiomyocytes occurs during AF. 
  • 1.4K
  • 15 Aug 2022
Topic Review
Rapamycin Signaling at Muscle Fiber Fate in Sarcopenia
Sarcopenia, the age-related decline of muscle mass and strength/function is a major risk factor for disability and loss of independence in late life. Studies have shown that behavioral interventions (e.g., physical activity, adapted nutrition) reduce the rate of muscle wasting during aging. However, an incomplete understanding of the mechanisms driving age-related muscle loss has hampered the development of effective drugs to prevent or treat sarcopenia. Altered muscle protein metabolism is considered to be one of the main factors underlying the development and progression of sarcopenia. While basal rates of muscle protein synthesis (MPS) and degradation (MPD) seem to be unaffected by age, the anabolic response to a variety of stimuli (e.g., exercise, nutrient ingestion) is blunted during aging. The mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) is a key regulator of muscle anabolic and catabolic pathways and, hence, a promising target for interventions against sarcopenia.
  • 1.4K
  • 30 Nov 2022
Topic Review
Airway Inflammation
The effects of airway inflammation on airway smooth muscle (ASM) are mediated by pro-inflammatory cytokines such as tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFα).
  • 1.4K
  • 12 Jan 2021
Topic Review
Mitochondria in Exercise-Induced Neuroprotection
Regular exercise is associated with pronounced health benefits. The molecular processes involved in physiological adaptations to exercise are best understood in skeletal muscle. Enhanced mitochondrial functions in muscle are central to exercise-induced adaptations. However, regular exercise also benefits the brain and is a major protective factor against neurodegenerative diseases, such as the most common age-related form of dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, or the most common neurodegenerative motor disorder, Parkinson’s disease. 
  • 1.4K
  • 25 Jun 2021
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