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Topic Review
Cardiac Neural Crest and Cardiac Regeneration
Neural crest cells (NCCs) are a vertebrate-specific, multipotent stem cell population that have the ability to migrate and differentiate into various cell populations throughout the embryo during embryogenesis. Based on the initial axial position and site of contribution, NCCs are divided into specific subpopulations, such as the cardiac neural crest (NC), which mainly contributes to the cardiac valves, interventricular septum, and both the aorta and pulmonary vessel. The heart is a muscular and complex organ whose primary function is to pump blood and nutrients throughout the body. Mammalian hearts, such as those of humans, lose their regenerative ability shortly after birth. However, a few vertebrate species, such as zebrafish, have the ability to self-repair/regenerate after cardiac damage. Recent research has discovered the potential functional ability and contribution of cardiac NCCs to cardiac regeneration through the use of various vertebrate species and pluripotent stem cell-derived NCCs. This potential regenerative capacity to cardiac tissue poses interesting avenues to advance the treatment of various cardiac diseases. Heart disease, a leading cause of death in the United States, results in death or severe damage to the function and/or structural integrity of the heart. Determining the contribution and regenerative capacity of the cardiac NC in mammalian systems is of high clinical significance. Here, the focus is on the NC’s regenerative capacity in various tissues and systems, and in particular, the characteristics of cardiac NCCs between species and their roles in cardiac regeneration are summarized. Emerging and future work to determine the potential contributions of NCCs for disease treatment will be further discussed.
  • 674
  • 29 Jan 2023
Topic Review
Fibrinolytic Regulators in Systemic Sclerosis
The regulators of fibrinolysis contain plasminogen (Plg) a proenzyme, which is converted to the active serine protease plasmin, a main component of the fibrinolytic system, through the action of a tissue-type plasminogen activator (tPA) or urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA) and uPA receptor (uPAR).
  • 673
  • 29 Nov 2021
Topic Review
The Ca2+ Sensor STIM in Human Diseases
The STIM family of proteins plays a crucial role in a plethora of cellular functions through the regulation of store-operated Ca2+ entry (SOCE) and, thus, intracellular calcium homeostasis. The two members of the mammalian STIM family, STIM1 and STIM2, are transmembrane proteins that act as Ca2+ sensors in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and, upon Ca2+ store discharge, interact with and activate the Orai/CRACs in the plasma membrane. Dysregulation of Ca2+ signaling leads to the pathogenesis of a variety of human diseases, including neurodegenerative disorders, cardiovascular diseases, cancer, and immune disorders. 
  • 673
  • 19 Oct 2023
Topic Review
Potential Use of MitoEVs as Diagnostic Markers
Similar to other subtypes of EVs (extracellular vesicles), MitoEVs (mitochondrial extracellular vesicles) are altered in several diseases, including cancer, neurodegenerative disorders, and cardiovascular disease. MitoEVs contain a variety of molecular components from releasing cells, including proteins, lipids, and nucleic acids, which may serve as indicators of disease status.
  • 672
  • 27 Apr 2023
Topic Review
Use of Exosomes for Clinic Aims
There has been a rapid growth in the knowledge of cell-secreted extracellular vesicle functions. They are membrane enclosed and loaded with proteins, nucleic acids, lipids, and other biomolecules. After being released into the extracellular environment, some of these vesicles are delivered to recipient cells; consequently, the target cell may undergo physiological or pathological changes. Thus, extracellular vesicles as biological nano-carriers, have a pivotal role in facilitating long-distance intercellular communication. Understanding the mechanisms that mediate this communication process is important not only for basic science but also in medicine. Indeed, extracellular vesicles are currently seen with immense interest in nanomedicine and precision medicine for their potential use in diagnostic, prognostic, and therapeutic applications.
  • 670
  • 14 Jun 2022
Topic Review
Epigenetic Regulation/Dysregulation in Cancer Stem Cells
In cancer, several of post-translational modifications can undergo dysregulation, driving intratumoral heterogeneity and leading to tumor subpopulations with novel epigenetic regulation. These epigenetic regulations are carried out mainly by histone writers, erasers and readers.
  • 669
  • 10 May 2022
Topic Review
Prognosis of Prostate Cancer and Tumor Heterogeneity
Prostate cancer (PCa) is a highly heterogeneous complex cancer that shows widely varying levels of mortality and morbidity. Among PCa cases, adenocarcinomas that have an acinar origin have a far better prognosis than those with a ductal origin. Localized PCa is often found to be morphologically heterogeneous within the same patient. Multiple tumor foci can appear within the prostate organ (intertumoral heterogeneity), and they can have genetic differences that cause various degrees of metastatic spread and treatment resistance.
  • 669
  • 06 Dec 2022
Topic Review
Utility of Retinal Organoids
The eye is one of the most important sensory organs in humans, providing us with a valuable remote sense, vision. A wealth of information enters the visual system through the eyes, creating complex images with shapes, colors, and textures. Despite the progress of modern medicine in the last decades, millions of people diagnosed with retinal dystrophies (RDs), such as retinitis pigmentosa (RP), or age-related diseases, such as age-related macular degeneration (AMD), are suffering from severe visual impairment or even legal blindness. On one hand, the reprogramming of somatic cells into induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) and the progress of three-dimensional (3D) retinal organoids (ROs) technology provide a great opportunity to study, understand, and even treat retinal diseases. On the other hand, research advances in the field of electronic retinal prosthesis using inorganic photovoltaic polymers and the emergence of organic semiconductors represent an encouraging therapeutical strategy to restore vision to patients at the late onset of the disease.
  • 668
  • 18 Mar 2022
Topic Review
Modelling Meningioma Using Organoids
Meningiomas are the most common tumours of the central nervous system. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), this disease is classified into three different grades: 80% of meningioma patients present with benign grade I tumours, while less than 2% present with malignant grade III meningiomas. Despite affecting thousands of people worldwide, much remains unknown about this disease, and the development of systemic treatments is still far behind in comparison to other types of tumours. Therefore, forming 3D structures (spheroids and organoids) could facilitate research on the mechanisms of formation, proliferation, migration, and invasion of these, for the most part, benign tumours, while also helping in the process of drug development. To date, there are three published methods for the formation of meningioma organoids primarily derived from patient tissue samples. Organoids offer many advantages in the development of treatments because they recapitulate the cellular complexity within tumours. These new methodological advances could open a substantial number of possibilities for the further characterisation and treatment of meningiomas.
  • 668
  • 18 Dec 2023
Topic Review
Heterogeneity of Colorectal Cancer Liver Metastasis
Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a disease with a high incidence and mortality rate. The number of new CRC cases worldwide reached 1.93 million in 2020, ranking third after breast cancer and lung cancer. The number of CRC-related deaths reached 940,000, making it the second most deadly tumor globally. In China, according to the 2016 national cancer statistics published by the National Cancer Center, a total of 4.06 million tumor patients were diagnosed in 2016, with approximately 408,000 being CRC patients. Among these cases, approximately 196,000 CRC patients died, accounting for 8.10% of the total.
  • 668
  • 05 Jan 2024
Topic Review
Intraoperative Flow Cytometry
Flow Cytometry is an analytical technique with the ability to quantify cell phenotype and to categorize cell populations on the basis of their characteristics. Intraoperative Flow Cytometry (iFC) is the use of flow cytometry during tumor excision for rapid diagnosis of cancer cells and determination of tumor margins.
  • 667
  • 11 Mar 2021
Topic Review
MicroRNAs in Prion Diseases
Prion is an atypical etiological agent composed solely of a misfolded protein—(proteinaceous infectious particle), which affects mammals causing a group of slow, progressive, neurodegenerative, lethal, untreatable disorders known as transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs).
  • 666
  • 30 Jul 2021
Topic Review
Mitochondrial Dysfunction in Repeat Expansion Diseases
Repeat expansion diseases are a group of neuromuscular and neurodegenerative disorders characterized by expansions of several successive repeated DNA sequences. More than 50 repeat expansion diseases have been described. These disorders involve diverse pathogenic mechanisms, including loss-of-function mechanisms, toxicity associated with repeat RNA, or repeat-associated non-ATG (RAN) products, resulting in impairments of cellular processes and damaged organelles. Mitochondria, double membrane organelles, play a crucial role in cell energy production, metabolic processes, calcium regulation, redox balance, and apoptosis regulation.
  • 666
  • 29 Aug 2023
Topic Review
Chimeric Antigen Receptor T Cell Therapy in AML
Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a heterogeneous hematological malignancy that is often associated with relapse and drug resistance after standard chemotherapy or targeted therapy, particularly in older patients. Hematopoietic stem cell transplants are looked upon as the ultimate salvage option with curative intent. Adoptive cell therapy using chimeric antigen receptors (CAR) has shown promise in B cell malignancies and is being investigated in AML.
  • 666
  • 19 Jan 2024
Topic Review
Oxysterols
Oxysterols are cholesterol oxidation products, which can be absorbed from the diet, or generated by auto-oxidation or by enzymatic mechanisms. Oxysterols result from oxidation of cholesterol on the sterol rings, the side chain, or both. This generates a diverse range of oxysterol congeners that have distinct biophysical properties.
  • 665
  • 27 Aug 2021
Topic Review
Endothelial Glucocorticoid Receptor in Kidney Diseases
Glucocorticoids, as multifunctional hormones, are widely used in the treatment of various diseases including nephrological disorders. They are known to affect immunological cells, effectively treating many autoimmune and inflammatory processes. Furthermore, there is a growing body of evidence demonstrating the potent role of glucocorticoids in non-immune cells such as podocytes. Moreover, novel data show additional pathways and processes affected by glucocorticoids, such as the Wnt pathway or autophagy. The endothelium is currently considered as a key organ in the regulation of numerous kidney functions such as glomerular filtration, vascular tone and the regulation of inflammation and coagulation.
  • 664
  • 23 Dec 2021
Topic Review
The Communication of Senescence-Associated Secretory Phenotype
Cellular senescence is a complex cell state that can occur during physiological ageing or after exposure to stress signals, regardless of age. It is a dynamic process that continuously evolves in a context-dependent manner. Senescent cells interact with their microenvironment by producing a heterogenous and plastic secretome referred to as the senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP). Hence, understanding the cross-talk between SASP and the microenvironment can be challenging due to the complexity of signal exchanges.
  • 664
  • 14 Jul 2023
Topic Review
Ferroptosis Meets Cell-Cell Contacts
Ferroptosis is a regulated form of cell death characterized by iron-dependency and increased lipid peroxidation. Initially assumed to be selectively induced in tumour cells, there is increasing evidence that ferroptosis plays an important role in pathophysiology and numerous cell types and tissues. Deregulated ferroptosis has been linked to human diseases, such as neurodegenerative diseases, cardio-vascular disorders, and cancer. Along these lines, ferroptosis is a promising pathway to overcome therapy resistance of cancer cells. It is therefore of utmost importance to understand the cellular signalling pathways and the molecular mechanisms underlying ferroptosis regulation including context-specific effects mediated by the neighbouring cells through cell-cell contacts. 
  • 661
  • 04 May 2023
Topic Review
RECQ5 Functions in DNA Repair and Transcription
RECQ5, a member of the conserved RECQ helicase family, is the sole human RECQ homolog that has not been linked to a hereditary developmental syndrome. Nonetheless, dysregulation of RECQ5 has emerged as a significant clinical concern, being linked to cancer predisposition, cardiovascular disease, and inflammation. In cells, RECQ5 assumes a crucial role in the regulation of DNA repair pathways, particularly in the repair of DNA double-strand breaks and inter-strand DNA crosslinks. Moreover, RECQ5 exhibits a capacity to modulate gene expression by interacting with transcription machineries and their co-regulatory proteins, thus safeguarding against transcription-induced DNA damage.
  • 661
  • 24 Aug 2023
Topic Review
Nutrients in Maintaining Hematopoietic Stem Cells
Nutrients are converted by the body to smaller molecules, which are utilized for both anabolic and catabolic metabolic reactions. Cooperative regulation of these processes is critical for life-sustaining activities. Critical roles of catabolic regulators in stem cell homeostasis are conserved in several types of tissues, including hematopoiesis. These catabolic signals are also major regulators of organismal lifespan in multiple species. In parallel, changes to nutrients via alterations to dietary intake affect not only an organism’s metabolic state but also the behavior of its stem cells. While the molecular mechanisms involved in these two aspects of nutrient function may not necessarily overlap, a deeper understanding of these phenomena will point to new avenues of medical research and may furnish new agents for improving human health care.
  • 660
  • 18 Feb 2022
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