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Topic Review
Polycomb Complexes in Plasma Cells
Polycomb group (PcG) proteins are epigenetic regulators involved in cell fate and carcinogenesis. The emerging roles of PcG in PC differentiation and myelomagenesis position them as potential therapeutic targets in multiple myeloma (MM), a cancer that emerges from plasma cells. Plasma cells (PC) are the main effectors of adaptive immunity, responsible for producing antibodies to defend the body against pathogens. They are the result of a complex highly regulated cell differentiation process, taking place in several anatomical locations and involving unique genetic events. Pathologically, PC can undergo tumorigenesis and cause a group of diseases known as plasma cell dyscrasias, including multiple MM, a severe disease with poor prognosis characterized by the accumulation of malignant PC within the bone marrow, and high clinical and molecular heterogeneity. MM patients frequently develop resistance to treatment, leading to relapse.  Below, the roles of PcG proteins in normal and malignant plasma cells and their therapeutic implications are presented.
  • 1.1K
  • 24 Nov 2020
Topic Review
Biosynthesis of hFA and hFA-SL
Sphingolipids containing fatty acid (acyl) residues that are hydroxylated at position C-2 (2-hydroxylated sphingolipids) are found in most, possibly all, eukaryotes and certain bacteria. 2-hydroxylated sphingolipids are present in many organs and cell types, though they are especially abundant in myelin and skin. The enzyme fatty acid 2-hydroxylase (FA2H in mammals or its orthologs in other classes) is involved in the synthesis of many but not all 2-hydroxylated sphingolipids in eukaryotes. Deficiency in FA2H causes a neurodegenerative disease known as hereditary spastic paraplegia 35 (HSP35/SPG35) or fatty acid hydroxylase-associated neurodegeneration (FAHN). FA2H likely also plays a role in other diseases, for example in different types of cancer. 
  • 1.1K
  • 08 Mar 2023
Topic Review
Extracellular ATP (eATP)
As an apoplastic signal, extracellular ATP (eATP) promotes pollen germination (PG) and pollen tube growth (PTG) of Arabidopsis thaliana by stimulating Ca2+ or K+ absorption. P2K1 receptor, heterotrimeric G alpha  protein and CNGC2/CNGC4 are involved in eATP stimulated signaling in Arabidopsis pollens. 
  • 1.1K
  • 09 Sep 2021
Topic Review
ALDH in Gynecologic Malignancies
Gynecologic cancers cause over 600,000 deaths annually in women worldwide. The development of chemoresistance after initial rounds of chemotherapy contributes to tumor relapse and death due to gynecologic malignancies. In this regard, cancer stem cells (CSCs), a subpopulation of stem cells with the ability to undergo self-renewal and clonal evolution, play a key role in tumor progression and drug resistance. Aldehyde dehydrogenases (ALDH) are a group of enzymes shown to be robust CSC markers in gynecologic and other malignancies. These enzymes also play functional roles in CSCs, including detoxification of aldehydes, scavenging of reactive oxygen species (ROS), and retinoic acid (RA) signaling, making ALDH an attractive therapeutic target in various clinical scenarios. In this review, we discuss the critical roles of the ALDH in driving stemness in different gynecologic malignancies. We review inhibitors of ALDH, both general and isoform-specific, which have been used to target CSCs in gynecologic cancers. Many of these inhibitors have been shown to be effective in preclinical models of gynecologic malignancies, supporting further development in the clinic. Furthermore, ALDH inhibitors, including 673A and CM037, synergize with chemotherapy to reduce tumor growth. Thus, ALDH-targeted therapies hold promise for improving patient outcomes in gynecologic malignancies.
  • 1.1K
  • 20 Feb 2021
Topic Review
Chemotherapy-Induced Neuropathic Pain
Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) is a side effect of chemotherapics such as taxanes, vinca alkaloids, and platinum compounds. The pathways described so far are diverse and target various components of the peripheral Nervous System (PNS). Among the contributors to neuropathic pain, inflammation has been indicated as a powerful driver of CIPN.
  • 1.1K
  • 28 Mar 2022
Topic Review
Huntingtin Ubiquitination Mechanisms
Huntington Disease (HD) is caused by the CAG repeat expansion (≥36 CAG triplets) in the exon1 of the HTT gene encoding for the protein huntingtin (Htt). Huntingtin and mutated huntingtin (mHtt) are degradated by the ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS). Ubiquitination has been linked to reduced mHtt toxicity, most likely due to increased mHtt clearance by the proteasome.
  • 1.1K
  • 27 Jan 2022
Topic Review
Nanotechnology Platform for Advancing Vaccine Development Against COVID-19
The COVID-19 pandemic has had a profound impact on societies, public health, healthcare systems, and the world economy. Vaccination emerged as the most effective strategy to combat this infectious disease. For vaccination strategies, any conventional vaccine approach using attenuated live or inactivated/engineered virus, as well as other approaches, typically requires years of research and assessment. However, the urgency of the situation promoted a faster and more effective approach to vaccine development against COVID-19. The role of nanotechnology in designing, manufacturing, boosting, and delivering vaccines to the host to counter this virus was unquestionably valued and assessed.
  • 1.1K
  • 26 Dec 2023
Topic Review
MIF and D-DT/MIF-2 in Infections
Macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) and its homolog, D-dopachrome tautomerase (D-DT), are cytokines that play critical roles in the immune response to various infectious diseases. The role of MIF in different types of infections is controversial, as it has either a protective function or a host damage-enhancing function depending on the pathogen. Depending on the specific role of MIF, different therapeutic options for MIF-targeting drugs arise. Human MIF-neutralizing antibodies, anti-parasite MIF antibodies, small molecule MIF inhibitors or MIF-blocking peptides, as well as the administration of exogenous MIF or MIF activity-augmenting small molecules have potential therapeutic applications and need to be further explored in the future. In addition, MIF has been shown to be a potential biomarker and therapeutic target in sepsis. Further research is needed to unravel the complexity of MIF and D-DT in infectious diseases and to develop personalized therapeutic approaches targeting these cytokines. Overall, a comprehensive understanding of the role of MIF and D-DT in infections could lead to new strategies for the diagnosis, treatment, and management of infectious diseases.
  • 1.1K
  • 29 Dec 2023
Topic Review
Plants Salt Stress
Soil salinization inhibits plant growth and seriously restricts food security and agricultural development. Excessive salt can cause ionic stress, osmotic stress, and ultimately oxidative stress in plants. Plants exclude excess salt from their cells to help maintain ionic homeostasis and stimulate phytohormone signaling pathways, thereby balancing growth and stress tolerance to enhance their survival.
  • 1.1K
  • 20 Jul 2023
Topic Review
Seminal Plasma Transcriptome and Proteome
As the "-omic" technology has largely developed, its application in the field of medical science seems a highly promising tool to clarify the etiology, at least in part, of the so-called idiopathic male infertility. The seminal plasma (SP) is made-up of secretions coming from the male accessory glands, namely epididymis, seminal vesicles, and prostate. It is not only a medium for sperm transport since it is able to modulate the female reproductive environment and immunity, to allow the acquisition of sperm competence, to influence the sperm RNA content, and even embryo development. The aim of this systematic review was to provide an updated and comprehensive description of the main transcripts and proteins reported by transcriptome and proteome studies performed in the human SP of patients with idiopathic infertility, in the attempt of identifying possible candidate molecular targets. We recurrently found that micro RNA (miR)-34, miR-122, and miR-509 are down-regulated in patients with non-obstructive azoospermia (NOA) and oligozoospermia compared with fertile controls. These molecules may represent interesting targets whose predictive role in testicular sperm extraction (TESE) or assisted reproductive techniques (ART) outcome deserves further investigation. Furthermore, according to the available proteomic studies, ECM1, TEX101, lectingalactoside-binding andsoluble 3 binding protein (LGALS3BP) have been reported as accurate predictors of TESE outcome. Interestingly, ECM1 is differently expressed in patients with different ART outcomes. Further prospective, ample-sized studies are needed to validate these molecular targets that will help in the counseling of patients with NOA or undergoing ART.
  • 1.1K
  • 10 Oct 2020
Topic Review
COVID-19 and One-Carbon Metabolism
Dysregulation of one-carbon metabolism affects a wide range of biological processes and is associated with a number of diseases, including cardiovascular disease, dementia, neural tube defects, and cancer. Accumulating evidence suggests that one-carbon metabolism plays an important role in COVID-19. The symptoms of long COVID-19 are similar to those presented by subjects suffering from vitamin B12 deficiency (pernicious anemia). The metabolism of a cell infected by the SARS-CoV-2 virus is reshaped to fulfill the need for massive viral RNA synthesis, which requires de novo purine biosynthesis involving folate and one-carbon metabolism. Many aspects of host sulfur amino acid metabolism, particularly glutathione metabolism underlying antioxidant defenses, are also taken over by the SARS-CoV-2 virus. 
  • 1.1K
  • 18 Apr 2022
Topic Review
Immunotherapy in Gastric Cancer Management
Gastric cancer (GC) is the fifth most commonly diagnosed cancer worldwide and the fourth most common cause of cancer death. As GC is often diagnosed at an advanced stage, mortality remains very high. GC shows both genetic and environmental risk factors, with Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection being the most well-described risk factor leading to GC. Germline genetic alterations are also involved in 1–3% of cases. Due to the poor survival rates of GC, immunotherapy has been widely explored as a potential treatment. Both active and passive immunotherapies have been examined. Active immunotherapies involve using a patient’s own immune system to treat the disease whereas passive immunotherapies rely on exogenous agents administered to patients such as antibodies in order to treat the tumour. The great efficacy observed in melanoma has propelled immunotherapies to be explored in a variety of other tumours, particularly breast, prostate, and lung cancer.
  • 1.1K
  • 29 Nov 2022
Topic Review
The Role of Epigenetics in Type 2 Diabetes
Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is characterised by high levels of blood glucose resulting from a combination of factors, including insulin resistance, a decrease in insulin secretion, and an increase in glucose production by the liver. Epigenetic changes have been shown to influence these factors through changes in changes in gene expression patterns.
  • 1.1K
  • 11 Jul 2023
Topic Review
Bacterial Enhancement of Microalgal Metabolites
Microalgae are photosynthetic microorganisms with a high potential to produce a wide variety of industrial-interest metabolites such as proteins, lipids, carbohydrates, and pigments. 
  • 1.1K
  • 20 Apr 2021
Topic Review
PPAR Ligands in Viral Infections
Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptors (PPARs), belonging to the nuclear receptor superfamily, are transcription factors playing well-established roles in several metabolic pathways in the organism, including lipid and glucose metabolism, energetic homeostasis, cell differentiation and proliferation. Since their discovery, a body of knowledge has been collected on them, and the three receptor subtypes (PPARα, PPARγ, PPARβ/δ) have attracted a great deal of efforts by medicinal chemists to identify novel drugs targeting the metabolism. PPAR agonists, antagonists, and modulators represent important pharmacological tools to induce beneficial therapeutic effects in metabolic disorders, such as metabolic syndrome, obesity, diabetes, and others.
  • 1.1K
  • 30 Jan 2022
Topic Review
Bile Acids in Alcohol-Associated Liver Disease
Alcohol-associated liver disease (ALD) is a spectrum of diseases, the onset and progression of which are due to chronic alcohol use. ALD ranges, by increasing severity, from hepatic steatosis to alcoholic hepatitis (AH) and alcohol-associated cirrhosis (AC), and in some cases, can lead to the development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). ALD continues to be a significant health burden and is now the main cause of liver transplantations in the United States. ALD leads to biological, microbial, physical, metabolic, and inflammatory changes in patients that vary depending on disease severity. ALD deaths have been increasing in recent years and are projected to continue to increase. Current treatment centers focus on abstinence and symptom management, with little in the way of resolving disease progression. Due to the metabolic disruption and gut dysbiosis in ALD, bile acid (BA) signaling and metabolism are also notably affected and play a prominent role in disease progression in ALD, as well as other liver disease states, such as non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).
  • 1.1K
  • 11 May 2022
Topic Review
NETosis in Parasitic Infections
Neutrophils are the key players in the innate immune system, being weaponized with numerous strategies to eliminate pathogens. The production of extracellular traps is one of the effector mechanisms operated by neutrophils in a process called NETosis. Neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) are complex webs of extracellular DNA studded with histones and cytoplasmic granular proteins.
  • 1.1K
  • 24 May 2023
Topic Review
DNA Elements That Impact Xist Expression
Compensation for the gene dosage disequilibrium between sex chromosomes in mammals is achieved in female cells by repressing one of its X chromosomes through a process called X chromosome inactivation (XCI), exemplifying the control of gene expression by epigenetic mechanisms. A critical player in this mechanism is Xist, a long, non-coding RNA upregulated from a single X chromosome during early embryonic development in female cells. Xist is regulated at different levels in cis and trans, such as DNA elements, transcription factors, other regulatory proteins, long non-coding RNAs and the chromatin and topological landscape surrounding Xist. This entry focuses on DNA elements that govern Xist expression.
  • 1.1K
  • 23 Feb 2024
Topic Review
Metabolic Reprogramming in Sickle Cell Diseases
Sickle cell disease (SCD) is a genetic disorder that affects millions of individuals worldwide. Chronic anemia, hemolysis, and vasculopathy are associated with SCD, and their role has been well characterized. These symptoms stem from hemoglobin (Hb) polymerization, which is the primary event in the molecular pathogenesis of SCD and contributes to erythrocyte or red blood cell (RBC) sickling, stiffness, and vaso-occlusion. The disease is caused by a mutation at the sixth position of the β-globin gene, coding for sickle Hb (HbS) instead of normal adult Hb (HbA), which under hypoxic conditions polymerizes into rigid fibers to distort the shapes of the RBCs. Only a few therapies are available, with the universal effectiveness of recently approved therapies still being monitored. 
  • 1.1K
  • 18 Jul 2022
Topic Review
Approved Anticancer Compounds from Marine Sponges
Marine sponges belong to the Porifera phylum, and the known species are more than 9000, which are divided into four classes: Calcarea, Demospongiae, Hexactinellida and Homoscleromorpha. To date, more than 5300 natural compounds have been isolated from sponges or their associated bacteria, and this number is constantly updating.
  • 1.1K
  • 08 Feb 2023
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