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Topic Review
Nucleic Acid Nanotechnology in Acute Kidney Injury
Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a clinical syndrome characterized by an abrupted decline in renal function due to miscellaneous factors, such as rapid volume depletion, acute infection, nephrotoxic medicines and so on, leading to a retention of nitrogen wastes and creatinine accompanied by electrolyte disturbances and acid-base imbalance. Owing to the predictable base-pairing rule and highly modifiable characteristics, nucleic acids have already become significant biomaterials for nanostructure and nanodevice fabrication, which is known as nucleic acid nanotechnology. In particular, its excellent programmability and biocompatibility have further promoted its intersection with medical challenges. Lately, there have been an influx of research connecting nucleic acid nanotechnology with the clinical needs for renal diseases, especially AKI.
  • 1.1K
  • 23 Mar 2022
Topic Review
Obesity and Lipids
Recently, lipidomics has become an important branch of medical/clinical sciences similar to proteomics and genomics. Due to the much higher lipid accumulation in obese patients and many alterations in the compositions of various groups of lipids, the methods used for sample preparations for lipidomic studies of samples from obese subjects sometimes have to be modified. Appropriate sample preparation methods allow for the identification of a wide range of analytes by advanced analytical methods, including mass spectrometry. This is especially the case in studies with obese subjects, as the amounts of some lipids are much higher, others are present in trace amounts, and obese subjects have some specific alterations of the lipid profile. 
  • 1.1K
  • 01 Dec 2020
Topic Review
Curcumin and Alzheimer’s Disease
Curcumin is a polyphenolic natural compound with diverse and attractive biological properties, which may prevent or ameliorate pathological processes underlying age-related cognitive decline, Alzheimer’s disease (AD), dementia, or mode disorders. AD is a chronic neurodegenerative disorder that is known as one of the rapidly growing diseases, especially in the elderly population. Moreover, being the eminent cause of dementia, posing problems for families, societies as well a severe burden on the economy. There are no effective drugs to cure AD. Although curcumin and its derivatives have shown properties that can be considered useful in inhibiting the hallmarks of AD, however, they have low bioavailability. Furthermore, to combat diagnostic and therapeutic limitations, various nanoformulations have also been recognized as theranostic agents that can also enhance the pharmacokinetic properties of curcumin and other bioactive compounds. Nanocarriers have shown beneficial properties to deliver curcumin and other nutritional compounds against the blood-brain barrier to efficiently distribute them in the brain. 
  • 1.1K
  • 06 Jan 2021
Topic Review
Polyphenols’ Cardioprotective Potential
According to the World Health Organization, cardiovascular diseases are responsible for 31% of global deaths. A reduction in mortality can be achieved by promoting a healthy lifestyle, developing prevention strategies, and developing new therapies. Polyphenols are present in food and drinks such as tea, cocoa, fruits, berries, and vegetables. These compounds have strong antioxidative properties, which might have a cardioprotective effect.  
  • 1.1K
  • 19 Feb 2021
Topic Review
Protein Tyrosine Phosphatases
Protein tyrosine kinases, especially receptor tyrosine kinases, have dominated the cancer therapeutics sphere as proteins that can be inhibited to selectively target cancer. However, protein tyrosine phosphatases (PTPs) are also an emerging target. Though historically known as negative regulators of the oncogenic tyrosine kinases, PTPs are now known to be both tumor-suppressive and oncogenic.
  • 1.1K
  • 07 Dec 2021
Topic Review
Ring Finger Protein 11
RNF11 (Ring Finger Protein 11) is a 154 amino-acid long protein that contains a RING-H2 domain, whose sequence has remained substantially unchanged throughout vertebrate evolution. RNF11 has drawn attention as a modulator of protein degradation by HECT E3 ligases.
  • 1.1K
  • 24 Nov 2020
Topic Review
Uncoupling Aging from Chronological Time
Cellular life evolved from simple unicellular organisms that could replicate indefinitely, being essentially ageless. At this point, life split into two fundamentally different cell types: the immortal germline representing an unbroken lineage of cell division with no intrinsic endpoint and the mortal soma, which ages and dies. We consider aging as a process not fixed to the pace of chronological time but one that can speed up or slow down depending on the rate of intrinsic cellular clocks. Moreover germline factor reprogramming might be used to slow the rate of aging and potentially reverse it by causing the clocks to tick backward. Therefore, reprogramming may eventually lead to therapeutic strategies to treat degenerative diseases by altering aging itself, the one condition common to us all.
  • 1.1K
  • 15 Jun 2025
Topic Review
Primary Cilia in Acquired Heart Disease
Primary cilia are non-motile plasma membrane extrusions that display a variety of receptors and mechanosensors. Loss of function results in ciliopathies, which have been strongly linked with congenital heart disease, as well as abnormal development and function of most organ systems. 
  • 1.1K
  • 24 Mar 2022
Topic Review
Mass Spectrometry Proteomics in Neuropsychiatric Disorder Biomarkers Assessment
The success of mass spectrometry (MS) in proteomics is mainly due to its specificity and sensitivity, which are attributable to advances in liquid chromatography coupled to tandem MS (LC-MS/MS) approaches, and the development of statistical tools that allow the use of Big Data analysis strategies to extract meaningful biological information obtained by MS-based methods. This type of technology can reveal proteome insights at the composition, structure, and function level. Proteomics tools make it possible to evaluate the proteins in complex biological samples qualitatively and quantitatively (either relative or absolute). Based on the meta-analysis results, the upregulation of FCN3 and downregulation of APOA1, APOA2, APOC1, and APOC3 in schizophrenia (SCZ) patients is suggested. Despite the proven ability of MS proteomics to characterize SCZ, several confounding factors contribute to the heterogeneity of the findings.
  • 1.1K
  • 06 Jul 2022
Topic Review
Thyroid Cancer from the Tumor-Suppressor Genes Perspective
Thyroid cancer is the most frequent endocrine malignancy and accounts for approximately 1% of all diagnosed cancers. A variety of mechanisms are involved in the transformation of a normal tissue into a malignant one. Loss of tumor-suppressor gene (TSG) function is one of these mechanisms. By identifying alterations in these genes and their protein products, people can understand the thyroid cancer-related gene changes for the development of diagnostic, prognostic, and therapeutic strategies for this cancer.
  • 1.1K
  • 31 May 2022
Topic Review
Polymerase-1 (PARP)-1 and Cancer
One of the critical functions of PARP-1 is the response to DNA damage, which plays a pivotal role in DNA repair in cancers. PARP-1 also has widespread functions that are essential for the survival and growth of cancer cells. It regulates oxidative stress in mitochondria through the regulation of superoxide and oxidation. PARP-1 is in charge of regulating mitosis, which is a crucial role in tumorigenesis and remodels histones and chromatin enzymes related to transcriptional regulation, causing alterations in epigenetic markers and chromatin structure. Given the significance of these processes, it can be understood that these processes in cancer cells are at the frontline of the pathogenetic changes required for cancer cell survival, and these contributions can result in malignant transformation. 
  • 1.1K
  • 28 Apr 2021
Topic Review
α-Helices in the T3SEs
Type III Secretion Systems (T3SSs) are multicomponent nanomachines located at the cell envelope of Gram-negative bacteria. Their main function is to transport bacterial proteins either extracellularly or directly into the eukaryotic host cell cytoplasm. Type III Secretion effectors (T3SEs), latest to be secreted T3S substrates, are destined to act at the eukaryotic host cell cytoplasm and occasionally at the nucleus, hijacking cellular processes through mimicking eukaryotic proteins. T3SE families adopt novel folds to target eukaryotic functions. These folds comprise a high helical content, which possibly reflects the specific requirements from T3SS effectors. In particular, effectors must (i) be able to be easily unfolded, (ii) cross the narrow T3S channel, (iii) be highly folded as soon as they will be found inside the host cell, in order to evade the host defense mechanisms, and (iv) display functional competence and structural plasticity in their final destination. α-helices can optimally fulfil these requirements.
  • 1.1K
  • 06 Jun 2021
Topic Review
Current Potential Therapeutic Approaches against SARS-CoV-2
The ongoing SARS-CoV-2 pandemic is a serious threat to public health worldwide and, to date, no effective treatment is available. Thus, we herein review the pharmaceutical approaches to SARS-CoV-2 infection treatment. Numerous candidate medicines that can prevent SARS-CoV-2 infection and replication have been proposed. These medicines include inhibitors of serine protease TMPRSS2 and angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (ACE2). The S protein of SARS-CoV-2 binds to the receptor in host cells. ACE2 inhibitors block TMPRSS2 and S protein priming, thus preventing SARS-CoV-2 entry to host cells. Moreover, antiviral medicines (including the nucleotide analogue remdesivir, the HIV protease inhibitors lopinavir and ritonavir, and wide-spectrum antiviral antibiotics arbidol and favipiravir) have been shown to reduce the dissemination of SARS-CoV-2 as well as morbidity and mortality associated with COVID-19
  • 1.1K
  • 12 Nov 2021
Topic Review
Emerging Targeted Therapies for HER2-Positive Breast Cancer
HER2-positive (HER2+) breast cancer, which accounts for ~20% of breast cancer, is one of the more aggressive and has the worst overall survival rate among them. These patients are treated with trastuzumab, a monoclonal antibody targeting the HER2 molecule. Even though trastuzumab is an effective therapy, resistance events hamper its clinical benefit, making the development of new therapies a constantly growing area of interest. 
  • 1.1K
  • 15 May 2023
Topic Review
Prion Organotypic Slice Culture
The prion organotypic slice culture assay (POSCA) is a cerebellar slice culture that was originally developed to take advantage of the transmissible nature of prions, propagating prion infection ex vivo. Because much of the cytoarchitexture is preserved, this system allows the study of pathogenesis in an open system and is amenable to manipulation of cell types and testing of therapeutics. The culture has been adapted to other brain areas, different prion strains, and has also been applied to other neurodegenerative diseases that are prion-like in their transmissible propagation of protein misfolding, including Alzheimer’s disease, frontotemporal dementia, Parkinson’s disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and Huntington’s disease. This entry provides a review of POSCA as used in the prion field. For a review of its application to other neurodegenerative diseases, please see the associated review article in Biomolecules.
  • 1.1K
  • 11 Aug 2020
Topic Review
Graft-versus-Host Disease
Allogeneic cell therapies, defined by genetically mismatched transplantation, have the potential to become a cost-effective solution for cell-based cancer immunotherapy. This type of therapy is often accompanied by the development of graft-versus-host disease (GvHD), induced by the mismatched major histocompatibility complex (MHC) between healthy donors and recipients, leading to severe complications and death.
  • 1.1K
  • 28 Feb 2023
Topic Review
Dye Decoloring Peroxidase
Dye decoloring peroxidases (DyPs) were named after their high efficiency to decolorize and degrade a wide range of dyes. DyPs are a type of heme peroxidase and are quite different from known heme peroxidases in terms of amino acid sequences, protein structure, catalytic residues, and physical and chemical properties. DyPs oxidize polycyclic dyes and phenolic compounds.
  • 1.1K
  • 07 Sep 2021
Topic Review
Fts-Z Inhibition
Fts-Z is being explored as potent target for inhibiting emerging microbes due to its central role in Z-ring formation and conserved nature in nearly all bacterial species and absence in higher eukaryotes. Its absence in bacteria induces filamentation and cell death occurs. Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a pressing issue worldwide that must be addressed swiftly. It is driven by spontaneous evolution, bacterial mutation, and the dissemination of resistant genes via horizontal gene transfer. Researchers are working on many novel targets, which can become a pathway to inhibit harmful bacteria. Filamentous Thermosensitive mutant-Z (Fts-Z) is one such bacterial target that has gained popularity amongst scientists due to its conserved nature in bacteria and absence in eukaryotes.
  • 1.1K
  • 22 Jun 2022
Topic Review
Mechanisms of Antibody Uptake into Central Nervous System
Antibodies (mAbs) are attractive molecules for their application as a diagnostic and therapeutic agent for diseases of the central nervous system (CNS). mAbs can be generated to have high affinity and specificity to target molecules in the CNS. Unfortunately, only a very small number of mAbs have been specifically developed and approved for neurological indications. This is primarily attributed to their low exposure within the CNS, hindering their ability to reach and effectively engage their potential targets in the brain.
  • 1.1K
  • 18 Oct 2023
Topic Review
Amsacrine
Amsacrine, an anticancer drug first synthesised in 1970 by Professor Cain and colleagues, showed excellent preclinical activity and underwent clinical trial in 1978 under the auspices of the US National Cancer Institute, showing activity against acute lymphoblastic leukaemia.
  • 1.1K
  • 25 Feb 2021
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