Subject:
All Disciplines Arts & Humanities Biology & Life Sciences Business & Economics Chemistry & Materials Science Computer Science & Mathematics Engineering Environmental & Earth Sciences Medicine & Pharmacology Physical Sciences Public Health & Healthcare Social Sciences
Sort:
Hottest Latest Alphabetical (A-Z) Alphabetical (Z-A)
Type:
All Topic Review Biography
Topic Review Peer Reviewed
Pandemic Prevention: Lessons from COVID-19
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is caused by the novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), which appeared in late 2019, generating a pandemic crisis with high numbers of COVID-19-related infected individuals and deaths in manifold countries worldwide. Lessons learned from COVID-19 can be used to prevent pandemic threats by designing strategies to support different policy responses, not limited to the health system, directed to reduce the risks of the emergence of novel viral agents, the diffusion of infectious diseases and negative impact in society.
  • 922
  • 18 Apr 2022
Topic Review
Combined Scientific and Artistic Approach
The main objective of this study was to propose a novel methodology to approach challenges in molecular biology. Akirin/Subolesin (AKR/SUB) are vaccine protective antigens and a model for the study of the interactome due to its conserved function in the regulation of different biological processes such as immunity and development throughout the metazoan. Herein, three visual artists and a music professor collaborated with scientists for the functional characterization of the AKR2 interactome in the regulation of the NF-kB pathway in human placenta cells. The results served as a methodological proof-of-concept to advance this research area. The results showed new perspectives on unexplored characteristics of AKR2 with functional implications. These results included protein dimerization, the physical interactions with different proteins simultaneously to regulate various biological processes defined by cell type-specific AKR-protein interactions and how these interactions positively or negatively regulate the Nuclear Factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells (NF-kB) signaling pathway in a biological context-dependent manner. These results suggested that AKR2 interacting proteins might constitute suitable secondary transcription factors for cell and stimulus-specific regulation of NF-kB. Musical perspective supported AKR/SUB evolutionary conservation in different species and provided new mechanistic insights into the AKR2 interactome. The combined scientific and artistic perspectives resulted in a multidisciplinary approach advancing our knowledge on AKR/SUB interactome and provided new insights into the function of AKR2-protein interactions in the regulation of the NF-kB pathway. Additionally, herein we proposed an algorithm for quantum vaccinomics by focusing on the model proteins AKR/SUB. This study was recently accepted for publication in Vaccines (Artigas-Jerónimo, S., Pastor Comín, J.J., Villar, M., Contreras, M., Alberdi, P., León Viera, I., Soto, L., Cordero, R., Valdés, J.J., Cabezas-Cruz, A., Estrada-Peña, A., de la Fuente, J. 2020. A novel combined scientific and artistic approach for advanced characterization of interactomes: the Akiri/Subolesinn model. Vaccines 8, 77)
  • 964
  • 29 Oct 2020
Topic Review
Tauopathies
Tauopathies are neurodegenerative diseases characterized by the pathological accumulation of microtubule associated protein Tau (MAPT) in the form of neurofibrillary tangles and paired helical filaments in neurons and glia, leading to brain cell death. These diseases include frontotemporal dementia (FTD) and Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and can be sporadic or inherited when caused by mutations in the MAPT gene. Despite an incredibly high socio-economic burden worldwide, there are still no effective disease-modifying therapies and few Tau-focused experimental drugs have reached clinical trials. One major hindrance for therapeutic development is the knowledge gap in molecular mechanisms of Tau-mediated neuronal toxicity and death. For the promise of precision medicine for brain disorders to be fulfilled, it is necessary to integrate known genetic causes of disease, i.e., MAPT mutations, with understanding of the dysregulated molecular pathways that constitute potential therapeutic targets. Here, the growing understanding of known and proposed mechanisms of disease etiology will be reviewed, together with promising experimental Tau-directed therapeutics, such as recently developed Tau degraders. A particular focus will be given to the application of patient-specific stem cell models to study disease, and a number ofCurrent challenges faced by the fields of Tau research and drug discovery will alsobe addressed, including Tau pathophysiology unanswered questions, limitations of model systems and current challenges faced in developing cell-permeable small molecules that target Tau in disease.
  • 964
  • 07 Dec 2020
Topic Review
Exploring Behavioural Plasticity of Cats
Understanding behavioural plasticity and other recently evolved traits of domestic cats may lead to management strategies that maximise health and welfare of cats, wildlife, and humans—otherwise domestic cat behaviour may be ‘misunderstood’. Importantly, interdisciplinary research using expertise from biological and social sciences, and engaging human communities, should evaluate these management strategies to ensure they maintain optimal welfare of free-ranging domestic cats while preserving biodiversity and protecting wildcats.
  • 965
  • 26 Jul 2022
Topic Review
Protein Nanotubes
Nanobiotechnology involves the study of structures found in nature to construct nanodevices for biological and medical applications with the ultimate goal of commercialization. Within a cell most biochemical processes are driven by proteins and associated macromolecular complexes. Evolution has optimized these protein-based nanosystems within living organisms over millions of years. Among these are flagellin and pilin-based systems from bacteria, viral-based capsids, and eukaryotic microtubules and amyloids. While carbon nanotubes (CNTs), and protein/peptide-CNT composites, remain one of the most researched nanosystems due to their electrical and mechanical properties, there are many concerns regarding CNT toxicity and biodegradability. Therefore, proteins have emerged as useful biotemplates for nanomaterials due to their assembly under physiologically relevant conditions and ease of manipulation via protein engineering. 
  • 963
  • 30 Aug 2021
Topic Review
High-Density Lipoproteins as Homeostatic Nanoparticles
It is well known that blood lipoproteins (LPs) are multimolecular complexes of lipids and proteins that play a crucial role in lipid transport. High-density lipoproteins (HDL) are a class of blood plasma LPs that mediate reverse cholesterol transport (RCT)—cholesterol transport from the peripheral tissues to the liver. Due to this ability to promote cholesterol uptake from cell membranes, HDL possess antiatherogenic properties. This function was first observed at the end of the 1970s to the beginning of the 1980s, resulting in high interest in this class of LPs. It was shown that HDL are the prevalent class of LPs in several types of living organisms (from fishes to monkeys) with high resistance to atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disorders. Lately, understanding of the mechanisms of the antiatherogenic properties of HDL has significantly expanded. Besides the contribution to RCT, HDL have been shown to modulate inflammatory processes, blood clotting, and vasomotor responses. These particles also possess antioxidant properties and contribute to immune reactions and intercellular signaling.
  • 963
  • 30 Nov 2020
Topic Review
LIN28-let-7-ARID3B Pathway
Placental disorders are a major cause of pregnancy loss in humans, and 40%–60% of embryos are lost between fertilization and birth. Successful embryo implantation and placental development requires rapid proliferation, invasion, and migration of trophoblast cells. In recent years, microRNAs (miRNAs) have emerged as key regulators of molecular pathways involved in trophoblast function. A miRNA binds its target mRNA in the 3ʹ-untranslated region (3ʹ-UTR), causing its degradation or translational repression. Lethal-7 (let-7) miRNAs induce cell differentiation and reduce cell proliferation by targeting proliferation-associated genes. The oncoprotein LIN28 represses the biogenesis of mature let-7 miRNAs. Proliferating cells have high LIN28 and low let-7 miRNAs, whereas differentiating cells have low LIN28 and high let-7 miRNAs. In placenta, low LIN28 and high let-7 miRNAs can lead to reduced proliferation of trophoblast cells, resulting in abnormal placental development. In trophoblast cells, let-7 miRNAs reduce the expression of proliferation factors either directly by binding their mRNA in 3ʹ-UTR or indirectly by targeting the -rich interaction domain (ARID)3B complex, a transcription-activating complex comprised of ARID3A, ARID3B, and histone demethylase 4C (KDM4C). In this review, we discuss regulation of trophoblast function by miRNAs, focusing on the role of LIN28-let-7-ARID3B pathway in placental development.
  • 963
  • 27 Oct 2020
Topic Review
Heavy Metals on Male Fertility
Heavy metals are endocrine disruptors which interfere with processes mediated by endogenous hormones of the organism, negatively affecting endocrine functions. Some studies have correlated heavy metal exposure with male infertility. However, the number of studies conducted on humans are limited. 
  • 963
  • 26 Oct 2021
Topic Review
Bacterial Virulence Factors
There are several levels to influence the expression of eukaryotic genes. A first level of interference is changing of the DNA’s structure on the chromatin level. Epigenetic modulation enables remodelling of the chromatin to transfer heterochromatin into euchromatin allowing transcription or vice versa. In addition, the affinity of promotors and other regulatory DNA sequences for RNA polymerases and transcription factors (TFs) can be influenced by cytosine or adenine methylation. Only a minor portion (fewer than 2%) of genes is transcribed into mRNAs, instead the majority is transferred into so called non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs). Certain long ncRNAs (lncRNAs) are also involved in epigenetic regulations. Epigenetic mechanisms are used for manipulation of gene expression in the course of several cellular processes. Here, we give an overview on the epigenetic control of gene expression by bacterial virulence factors during host cell infection.
  • 962
  • 27 Oct 2020
Topic Review
Lingonberry (Vaccinium vitis-idaea L.)
Lingonberry (Vaccinium vitis-idaea L.) is a health-promoting small fruit crop rich in antioxidant metabolites that helps to reduce the incidence of degenerative diseases. Being heterozygous, lingonberries cannot preserve genetic characteristics through seed propagation. Conventional vegetative propagation, although it produces true-to-type plants, is not economically viable. In vitro propagation can multiply plants much faster than conventional methods. A liquid cultures system under a bioreactor micropropagation system is of significant importance to increase the multiplication rates of in vitro-produced shoots. Enhanced vegetative growth and variation in biochemical constituents are observed in micropropagated plants. Clonal fidelity, although it may be a serious problem for commercial micropropagation, can be verified efficiently by molecular markers.
  • 963
  • 09 Jun 2021
  • Page
  • of
  • 1814
Featured Entry Collections
>>

Featured Books

>>
Encyclopedia of Social Sciences
Encyclopedia of COVID-19
Encyclopedia of Fungi
Encyclopedia of Digital Society, Industry 5.0 and Smart City
Video Production Service
Feedback