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Topic Review
Determining GnRH/LH Pulsatility Using Aptamers
Aptamers are a novel technology enabling the continuous measurement of analytes in blood and other body compartments, without the need for repeated sampling and the associated reagent costs of traditional antibody-based methodologies. Aptamers are short single-stranded synthetic RNA or DNA that recognise and bind to specific targets. The conformational changes that can occur upon aptamer-ligand binding are transformed into chemical, fluorescent, color changes and other readouts. Aptamers have been developed to detect and measure a variety of targets in vitro and in vivo. Gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) is a pulsatile hypothalamic hormone, that is essential for normal fertility but difficult to measure in the peripheral circulation. However, pulsatile GnRH release results in pulsatile luteinizing hormone (LH) release from the pituitary gland. As such, LH pulsatility is the clinical gold standard method to determine GnRH pulsatility in humans. Aptamers have recently been shown to successfully bind to and measure GnRH and LH and this review focuses on this specific area. However, due to the adaptability of aptamers, and their suitability for incorporation into portable devices, aptamer-based technology is likely to be used more widely in the future. 
  • 1.3K
  • 30 Oct 2020
Topic Review
Branched-Chain Amino Acids and Insulin Resistance
There has been a wide debate about the branched-chain amino acids (BCAA) leucine, valine, and isoleucine, with, on the one hand, the supporters of their anabolic effects and, on the other hand, those who suspect them of promoting insulin resistance. Indeed, the role of leucine in the postprandial activation of protein synthesis has been clearly established, even though supplementation studies aimed at taking advantage of this property are rather disappointing. Furthermore, there is ample evidence of an association between the elevation of their plasma concentrations and insulin resistance or the risk of developing type 2 diabetes, although there are many confounding factors, starting with the level of animal protein consumption. 
  • 1.3K
  • 06 Jan 2023
Topic Review
RAS Dysregulation and COVID-19
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) is a critical agent responsible for the pandemic coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The most harmful clinical feature of COVID-19 patients is the upper airway infection leading to severe pneumonia associated with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). The critical functional receptor for SARS-CoV-2 infection is angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2), which belongs to the renin–angiotensin system (RAS) in humans. ACE2 is part of the non-classical RAS axis that counteract the harmful actions of the classical RAS axis. The balance of the classical ad non-classical RAS could be altered in COVID-19 patients.
  • 1.3K
  • 09 Nov 2020
Topic Review
Mitophagy Regulates Neurodegenerative Diseases
Mitochondria are the primary source of cellular energy regulating cellular metabolism and physiology. To maintain cellular metabolism and homeostasis, damaged or unwanted mitochondria should be eliminated through mitophagy, a form of mitochondrial quality control process. Mitophagy is a highly selective autophagy process that eliminates dysfunctional or redundant mitochondria through multiple regulatory pathways in a ubiquitin-dependent or -independent manner. Since the term “mitophagy” was first coined by Dr. Lemasters in 2005, accumulating scientific evidence reveals that the accumulation of damaged mitochondria is one of the causal factors for various human diseases including neurodegenerative and cardiovascular diseases as well as cancers. Among all the cell types affected by mitochondrial dysfunction, neurons are vulnerable to mitochondrial damage due to their high energy demand. 
  • 1.3K
  • 11 Aug 2021
Topic Review
Type 1 Diabetes and Gut Microbiota
Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is a multifactorial autoimmune disease driven by T-cells against the insulin-producing islet β-cells, resulting in a marked loss of β-cell mass and function. A dysbiotic gut microbial profile has been associated with T1D patients. Moreover, new evidence propose that perturbation in gut microbiota may influence the T1D onset and progression. One of the prominent features in clinically silent phase before the onset of T1D is the presence of a microbiota characterized by low numbers of commensals butyrate producers, thus negatively influencing the gut permeability. The loss of gut permeability leads to the translocation of microbes and microbial metabolites and could lead to the activation of immune cells. Moreover, microbiota-based therapies to slow down disease progression or reverse T1D have shown promising results.
  • 1.3K
  • 07 Dec 2022
Topic Review
Metformin in Pregnancy
Metformin is a first-line treatment for many people with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) to maintain glycaemic control. Although metformin demonstrates beneficial and protective cardiovascular effects for the mother, evidence suggests metformin may not be favourable for the short and long-term metabolic health of the offspring. Metformin can cross the placenta and could have a role in fetal programming.
  • 1.3K
  • 07 Jun 2021
Topic Review
Citrate Pathophysiology and Bone Diseases
Citrate is an intermediate in the “Tricarboxylic Acid Cycle” and is used by all aerobic organisms to produce usable chemical energy. It is a derivative of citric acid, a weak organic acid which can be introduced with diet since it naturally exists in a variety of fruits and vegetables, and can be consumed as a dietary supplement. 
  • 1.3K
  • 19 Sep 2022
Topic Review
Resveratrol in Ovarian Cancer
Resveratrol, a natural polyphenolic stilbenoid, is a phytoestrogen. Most notably, accumulative evidence supports the notion that resveratrol has immunomodulatory and anticancer properties, and its antioxidant activity and ability to inhibit enzymes may contribute to its anti-inflammatory properties.
  • 1.3K
  • 12 Nov 2021
Topic Review
Obesity-related Insulin Resistance
Obesity-related IR implicates the PI3-K pathway that confers the metabolic effects of insulin. Numerous and complex pathogenic pathways link obesity with the development of IR, including chronic inflammation, mitochondrial dysfunction (with the associated production of reactive oxygen species and endoplasmic reticulum stress), gut microbiota dysbiosis and adipose extracellular matrix remodelling.
  • 1.3K
  • 23 Feb 2021
Topic Review
Wnt Signaling to Vascular Complications in T2DM
Vascular complications are the leading cause of morbidity and mortality among patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). These vascular abnormalities result in a chronic hyperglycemic state, which influences many signaling molecular pathways that initially lead to increased oxidative stress, increased inflammation, and endothelial dysfunction, leading to both microvascular and macrovascular complications. Endothelial dysfunction represents the initial stage in both types of vascular complications; it represents “mandatory damage” in the development of microvascular complications and only “introductory damage” in the development of macrovascular complications. Increasing scientific evidence has revealed an important role of the Wnt pathway in the pathophysiology of the vascular wall. It is well known that the Wnt pathway is altered in patients with T2DM. 
  • 1.3K
  • 04 Jul 2022
Topic Review
Complete Androgen Insensitivity Syndrome
Complete androgen insensitivity syndrome (CAIS) is due to complete resistance to the action of androgens, determining a female phenotype in persons with a 46,XY karyotype and functioning testes.
  • 1.3K
  • 18 Sep 2021
Topic Review
Insulin-Degrading Enzyme in Insulin Clearance
Hepatic insulin clearance, a physiological process that in response to nutritional cues clears ~50–80% of circulating insulin, is emerging as an important factor in our understanding of the pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Insulin-degrading enzyme (IDE) is a highly conserved Zn2+-metalloprotease that degrades insulin and several other intermediate-size peptides. Both insulin clearance and IDE activity are reduced in diabetic patients, albeit the cause-effect relationship in humans remains unproven. Because historically IDE has been proposed as the main enzyme involved in insulin degradation, efforts towards developing IDE inhibitors as therapeutics in diabetic patients have attracted attention during the last decades.
  • 1.3K
  • 23 Mar 2021
Topic Review
Cardio- and Neurometabolic Adipobiology
Abstract: Studies over the past 30 years have revealed that adipose tissue is the major endocrine and paracrine organ of the human body. Arguably, adiopobiology has taken its reasonable place in studying obesity and related cardiometabolic diseases (CMDs), including Alzheimer’s disease (AD), which is viewed herein as a neurometabolic disorder. The pathogenesis and therapy of these diseases are multiplex at basic, clinical and translational levels. Our present goal is to describe new developments in cardiometabolic and neurometabolic adipobiology. Accordingly, we focus on adipose- and/or skeletal muscle-derived signaling proteins (adipsin, adiponectin, nerve growth factor, brain-derived neuroptrophic factor, neurotrophin-3, irisin, sirtuins, Klotho, neprilysin, follistatin-like protein-1, meteorin-like (metrnl), as well as growth differentiation factor 11) as examples of metabotrophic factors (MTFs) implicated in the pathogenesis and therapy of obesity and related CMDs. We argue that these pathologies are MTF-deficient diseases. In 1993 the “vascular hypothesis of AD” was published and in the present review we propose the “vasculometabolic hypothesis of AD.” We discuss how MTFs could bridge CMDs and neurodegenerative diseases, such as AD. Greater insights on how to manage the MTF network would provide benefits to the quality of human life.
  • 1.3K
  • 25 Apr 2021
Topic Review
Pharmacological Properties of Phillyrin
Forsythia suspensa (Thunb.) Vahl (Oleaceae) is a traditional Chinese medicine first recorded in Shennong Bencao Jing, which was a book published ca. 2000 years ago documenting Chinese folk medicines. Forsythiae Fructus, the dried fruit of F. suspensa, is frequently used in China by physicians for heat clearing and detoxifying. Modern pharmacological studies showed that Forsythiae Fructus has antipyretic, anti-inflammatory, antiviral, antibacterial, as well as anti-tumor effects, and therefore, it is clinically used to treat fever, influenza, tumor, hypertension, and other diseases. As the main active components of this medicinal plant, more than 50 lignans have been isolated and characterized from various organs of F. suspensa (fruit, flower, leaf and root), with phillyrin (C27H34O11) as the key compound. Phillyrin, a lignan glycoside, is the phytochemical marker for Forsythiae Fructus quality assessment in Chinese Pharmacopoeia 2020 edition, and it is stipulated that the content of phillyrin shall not be less than 0.15% when calculated as dry product.
  • 1.3K
  • 22 Jun 2022
Topic Review
Transcription Factor MAFA in Pancreatic β-cells
MAFA is a basic leucine zipper family transcription factor. In pancreas, MAFA can activate the expression of insulin in β-cells with PDX1 and NEUROD1. MAFA is indeed indispensable for the maintenance of not only insulin expression but also function of adult β-cells. Here, role of MAFA in pancreatic β-cells is mainly described. 
  • 1.2K
  • 13 May 2022
Topic Review
Gut Microbiome Vehicle Targeted Drug Delivery
The incidence of colon-associated diseases in the west has risen dramatically over the past several decades, as evidenced by conditions such as Crohn’s disease, irritable bowel syndrome, colorectal cancer, and ulcerative colitis.
  • 1.2K
  • 31 Dec 2021
Topic Review
Metabolic Engineering for FA Production
Metabolic engineering is a cutting-edge field that aims to produce simple, readily available, and inexpensive biomolecules by applying different genetic engineering and molecular biology techniques. Fatty acids (FAs) play an important role in determining the physicochemical properties of membrane lipids and are precursors of biofuels. Microbial production of FAs and FA-derived biofuels has several advantages in terms of sustainability and cost. Conventional yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae is one of the models used for FA synthesis. Several genetic manipulations have been performed to enhance the citrate accumulation and its conversation into acetyl-CoA, a precursor for FA synthesis. Success has been achieved in producing different chemicals, including FAs and their derivatives, through metabolic engineering.
  • 1.2K
  • 04 Aug 2021
Topic Review
CYP21A2 Deficiency
Deficiency of 21-hydroxylase enzyme (CYP21A2) represents 90% of cases in congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH), an autosomal recessive disease caused by defects in cortisol biosynthesis. Computational prediction and functional studies are often the only way to classify variants to understand the links to disease-causing effects.
  • 1.2K
  • 29 Mar 2022
Topic Review
Mitochondrial Dynamics and Insulin Secretion
Mitochondria are involved in the regulation of cellular energy metabolism, calcium homeostasis, and apoptosis. For mitochondrial quality control, dynamic processes, such as mitochondrial fission and fusion, are necessary to maintain shape and function. Disturbances of mitochondrial dynamics lead to dysfunctional mitochondria, which contribute to the development and progression of numerous diseases, including Type 2 Diabetes (T2D). Compelling evidence has been put forward that mitochondrial dynamics play a significant role in the metabolism-secretion coupling of pancreatic β cells. The disruption of mitochondrial dynamics is linked to defects in energy production and increased apoptosis, ultimately impairing insulin secretion and β cell death. 
  • 1.2K
  • 10 Oct 2023
Topic Review
Long-Term Effects of Bariatric Surgery on Gut Microbiota
Obesity is a worldwide disease characterized by an excessive body fat accumulation and by the presence of a subclinical  chronic inflammatory status, which is associated with high morbidity and mortality rates. There are multiple pharmacological and non-pharmacological (exercise or dietary interventions) therapeutic strategies to face this disease. However, when these therapies failed, bariatric surgery is the most efficient treatment for obesity. In the last few years, different research studies have demonstrated a key role of gut microbiota, defined as all the microorganisms that habit in the digestive tract, in the development and progression of obesity. For that reason, going deepen in the knowledge of the link between bariatric surgery and gut microbiota could elucidate mechanistic and therapeutic approaches.
  • 1.2K
  • 23 Nov 2021
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