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Topic Review
Physicochemical Characteristics of Exosomes
Exosomes have been proposed as prospective “Trojan horse” nanocarriers of anticancer theranostics owing to their biocompatibility, increased stability, permeability, negligible immunogenicity, prolonged circulation time, and high loading capacity.
  • 1.0K
  • 26 May 2023
Topic Review
hIAPP Amyloidosis in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus
Cases of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) are increasing at an alarming rate due to the rise in obesity, sedentary lifestyles, glucose-rich diets and other factors. Numerous studies have increasingly illustrated the pivotal role that human islet amyloid polypeptide (hIAPP) plays in the pathology of T2DM through damage and subsequent loss of pancreatic β-cell mass. Here researchers provide an up-to-date summary of recent progress in the field, highlighting factors that contribute to hIAPP misfolding and aggregation which have been linked to β-cell cytotoxicity. Understanding the structure of hIAPP and how these factors affect amyloid formation will help better understand how hIAPP misfolds and aggregates and, importantly, help identify potential therapeutic targets for inhibiting amyloidosis so alternate and more effective treatments for T2DM can be developed.
  • 1.0K
  • 29 Apr 2022
Topic Review
HIF Activity
The Hypoxia Inducible Factor (HIF) family of heterodimeric transcription factors that consists of 3 HIFα members (namely HIF-1α, HIF-2α, and HIF-3α) and one HIFβ member (HIF-1β, best known as ARNT) is responsible for the transcriptional response of cells to oxygen deprivation.
  • 1.0K
  • 17 Mar 2021
Topic Review
Rac1 in Bladder Cancer
Bladder pathologies, very common in the aged population, have a considerable negative impact on quality of life. Novel targets are needed to design drugs and combinations to treat diseases such as overactive bladder and bladder cancers. A promising new target is the ubiquitous Rho GTPase Rac1, frequently dysregulated and overexpressed in bladder pathologies. Dysregulations of Rac signaling have been reported in atherosclerosis, neurodevelopmental disorders, rheumatic diseases, pulmonary hypertension and different types of cancers, including urothelial carcinoma. Protein Rac1 (RAS-related C3 botulinum toxin substrate (1) is considered a prime target to combat a variety of solid tumors and certain onco-hematological malignancies. 
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  • 21 Jun 2022
Topic Review
Selective COX-2 Inhibitors
Knee osteoarthritis (OA) is a condition that leads to pain and is mainly characterized by cartilage degradation.
  • 1.0K
  • 26 Oct 2020
Topic Review
Non-Alkaloid Cholinesterase Inhibitory Compounds
The classes of cholinesterase inhibitors discussed here are mainly terpenoids, phenolic compounds, and coumarins, and some of these compounds have shown high potency. In order to consider which classes are most suitable, based on the benefits and drawbacks, certain structural features of each class will be of great importance. Using chalcones as an example, it is believed that besides economical and cost-effective production, small molecular size and flexibility for modifications to improve lipophilicity necessary for blood-brain barrier permeability are important to consider for a preferred potential therapeutic candidate for AD.
  • 1.0K
  • 29 Sep 2021
Topic Review
Extracellular Alpha-Synuclein
Alpha-synuclein (α-syn) is a small protein composed of 140 amino acids and belongs to the group of intrinsically disordered proteins. It is a soluble protein that is highly expressed in neurons and expressed at low levels in glial cells. The monomeric protein aggregation process induces the formation of oligomeric intermediates and proceeds towards fibrillar species. These α-syn conformational species have been detected in the extracellular space and mediate consequences on surrounding neurons and glial cells. In particular, higher-ordered α-syn aggregates are involved in microglial and oligodendrocyte activation, as well as in the induction of astrogliosis. These phenomena lead to mitochondrial dysfunction, reactive oxygen and nitrogen species formation, and the induction of an inflammatory response, associated with neuronal cell death. Several receptors participate in cell activation and/or in the uptake of α-syn, which can vary depending on the α-syn aggregated state and cell types. The receptors involved in this process are of outstanding relevance because they may constitute potential therapeutic targets for the treatment of PD and related synucleinopathies.
  • 1.0K
  • 27 Jun 2022
Topic Review
TGF-β1 Signaling in Kidney Diseases
Transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) is a crucial pathogenic mediator of inflammatory diseases. In tissue fibrosis, TGF-β regulates the pathogenic activity of infiltrated immunocytes and promotes extracellular matrix production via de novo myofibroblast generation and kidney cell activation. However, TGF-β is highly pleiotropic in tissue fibrosis, and thus, direct targeting of TGF-β may also block its protective anti-inflammatory effects, resulting in undesirable outcomes. Increasing evidence suggests the involvement of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) in TGF-β-driven tissue fibrosis with a high cell-type and disease specificity, serving as an ideal target for therapeutic development.
  • 1.0K
  • 01 Jun 2022
Topic Review
Approaches in Gene Coexpression Analysis in Eukaryotes
Gene coexpression analysis refers to the en masse discovery of coexpressed genes from a large variety of transcriptomic experiments. The type of biological networks that studies gene coexpression, known as Gene Coexpression Networks, consist of an undirected graph depicting genes and their coexpression relationships. Coexpressed genes are clustered in smaller subnetworks, the predominant biological roles of which can be determined through enrichment analysis. By studying well-annotated gene partners, the attribution of new roles to genes of unknown function or assumption for participation in common metabolic pathways can be achieved, through a guilt-by-association approach. 
  • 1.0K
  • 22 Aug 2022
Topic Review
Nuclear Magnetic Resonance and Metabolomics
The use of nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR) for structure determination and the quantification of small molecules has a long history in successfully characterizing the chemical composition of biological systems. One of the earliest applications of NMR included the use of 31P and 13C NMR to monitor the energetic and redox status of cells and tissues. While these studies demonstrated the value of NMR for metabolism, a renaissance occurred with the emergence of metabolomics in the early 2000s. Metabolomics is defined as the broad range analysis of measurable small molecules in biological samples. 
  • 1.0K
  • 26 Aug 2022
Topic Review
Stress-associated Plant Acyl-CoA-binding Proteins
Plants are constantly exposed to environmental stresses during their growth and development. Owing to their immobility, plants possess stress-sensing abilities and adaptive responses to cope with the abiotic and biotic stresses caused by extreme temperatures, drought, flooding, salinity, heavy metals and pathogens. Acyl-CoA-binding proteins (ACBPs), a family of conserved proteins among prokaryotes and eukaryotes, bind to a variety of acyl-CoA esters with different affinities and play a role in the transport and maintenance of subcellular acyl-CoA pools. In plants, studies have revealed ACBP functions in development and stress responses through their interactions with lipids and protein partners.
  • 1.0K
  • 03 Jun 2021
Topic Review
Cytotoxic Alkaloids from Marine Sponges
Marine sponges (porifera) have proved to be a prolific source of unique bioactive secondary metabolites, among which the alkaloids occupy a special place in terms of unprecedented structures and outstanding biological activities. Identification of active cytotoxic alkaloids extracted from marine animals, particularly sponges, is an important strive, due to lack of knowledge on traditional experiential and ethnopharmacology investigations. In this report, a comprehensive survey of demospongian bioactive alkaloids in the range 1987–2020 had been performed with a special emphasis on the potent cytotoxic activity. Different resources and databases had been investigated, including Scifinder (database for the chemical literature) CAS (Chemical Abstract Service) search, web of science, Marin Lit (marine natural products research) database. More than 230 representatives of different classes of alkaloids had been reviewed and classified, different genera belonging to the phylum porifera had been shown to be a prolific source of alkaloidal molecules, including Agelas sp., Suberea sp., Mycale sp., Haliclona sp., Epipolasis sp., Monanchora sp., Crambe sp., Reniera sp., and Xestospongia sp., among others. The sufficient production of alkaloids derived from sponges is a prosperous approach that requires more attention in future studies to consider the constraints regarding the supply of drugs, attained from marine organisms.
  • 1.0K
  • 04 Mar 2021
Topic Review
MRI function in Bone Microstructure
Bone microarchitecture has been shown to provide useful information regarding the evaluation of skeleton quality with an added value to areal bone mineral density, which can be used for the di-agnosis of several bone diseases. Bone mineral density estimated from dual-energy x-ray absorp-tiometry (DXA) has shown to be a limited tool to identify patients’ risk stratification and therapy delivery. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has been proposed as another technique to assess bone quality and fracture risk by evaluating the bone structure and microarchitecture.
  • 1.0K
  • 15 Mar 2021
Topic Review Peer Reviewed
Trefoil Factor Family (TFF) Peptides
Trefoil factor family (TFF) peptides mainly consist of characteristic TFF domains, which contain about 40 amino acid residues, including 6 conserved cysteine residues. TFF peptides possess a single (mammalian TFF1 and TFF3), two (mammalian TFF2, Xenopus laevis xP2) or four TFF domains (X. laevis xP4). They exhibit lectin activities and are characteristic exocrine products of the mucous epithelia. Here, they play different roles for mucosal protection and the innate immune defense: TFF1 is a gastric tumor suppressor; TFF2 builds a lectin complex with the mucin MUC6, physically stabilizing the inner gastric mucus layer; and TFF3 forms a disulfide-linked heterodimer with IgG Fc binding protein (FCGBP), probably preventing the infiltration of microorganisms. Minor amounts of TFF peptides are endocrine products of the immune and nervous systems. Pathologically, TFF peptides are linked to inflammation. There are increasing indications that TFF peptides can antagonize cytokine receptors, such as receptors for IL-1β, IL-6, and TNFα (thereby acting as anti-inflammatory peptides). TFF peptides can probably also activate a variety of receptors, such as CXCR4. The TFF domain is a unique shuffled module which is also present in a number of mosaic proteins, such as zona pellucida proteins, sugar degrading enzymes and frog skin mucins. Here, their function seems to be defined by a lectin activity, which might even allow a role in fertilization.
  • 1.0K
  • 13 Apr 2022
Topic Review
Histone Deacetylases and Their Inhibitors in Ischemic Stroke
Cerebral ischemia is the second leading cause of death in the world and multimodal stroke therapy is needed. The ischemic stroke generally reduces the gene expression due to suppression of acetylation of histones H3 and H4. Histone deacetylases inhibitors have been shown to be effective in protecting the brain from ischemic damage. Histone deacetylases inhibitors induce neurogenesis and angiogenesis in damaged brain areas promoting functional recovery after cerebral ischemia.
  • 1.0K
  • 29 Oct 2021
Topic Review
Amino Acid Transporters and Stress Responses in Plants
Plants can absorb inorganic and organic nitrogen from the environment via the root system. In soil, inorganic nitrogen is usually found in the forms of nitrate and ammonium, while organic nitrogen usually exists in the forms of free amino acids, urea, and short peptides. The uptake of nitrogen-containing molecules by plants is mediated by the respective transporters of these molecules, especially amino acid transporters, which have been known to play a major role in distributing nitrogen throughout the whole plant. Amino acid accumulation and signaling have been suggested to play important roles in stress responses.
  • 1.0K
  • 17 Mar 2022
Topic Review
Zinc and Health
Zinc is a redox-inert trace element that is second only to iron in abundance in biological systems. In cells, zinc is typically buffered and bound to metalloproteins, but it may also exist in a labile or chelatable (free ion) form. Zinc plays a critical role in prokaryotes and eukaryotes, ranging from structural to catalytic to replication to demise. 
  • 1.0K
  • 17 Mar 2021
Topic Review
Mammary Stem Cell
Normal mammary epithelial cells are heterogeneous and organized in hierarchical fashion, in which the mammary stem cells (MaSC) lie at the apex with regenerative capacity as well as plasticity.
  • 1.0K
  • 31 Mar 2021
Topic Review
Circulating Tumor DNA in Precision Oncology
Circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) is a component of cell-free DNA (cfDNA) that is shed by malignant tumors into the bloodstream and other bodily fluids. ctDNA can comprise up to 10% of a patient’s cfDNA depending on their tumor type and burden.
  • 1.0K
  • 09 May 2022
Topic Review
Vitamin D in Cognitive Dysfunction
Vitamin D is necessary for all vertebrates, including humans, to maintain adequate phosphate and calcium levels in the blood, thereby helping to develop normal bone, optimal maintenance of muscle contractions, and cellular functions in different parts of the body. The developmental disabilities induced by vitamin D deficiency (VDD) include neurological disorders (e.g., attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, autism spectrum disorder, schizophrenia) characterized by cognitive dysfunction. 
  • 1.0K
  • 28 Jul 2022
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