Topic Review
Prevent and Treat Oral Mucositis
Oral Mucositis, a debilitating side effect of radio and chemotherapy for head and neck cancers, involves inflammation and ulceration of the mucous membranes in the oral cavity. This condition often leads to severe pain, difficulty in eating, and compromised quality of life for cancer patients. The use of natural compounds such as polyphenols has shown promise in preventing and alleviating Oral Mucositis as they possess anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and healing properties, capable of mitigating the adverse effects of chemo and radiotherapy on the oral mucosa.
  • 116
  • 12 Jan 2024
Topic Review
Quetiapine-Related Deaths
Quetiapine is a second-generation antipsychotic drug available for two and half decades. Due to increased misuse, prescription outside the approved indications, and availability on the black market, it is being encountered in medicolegal autopsies more frequently. For instance, it has been linked to increased mortality rates, most likely due to its adverse effects on the cardiovascular system. 
  • 98
  • 10 Jan 2024
Topic Review
Genistein’s Effects in Preclinical Models of Cervical Cancer
Cervical cancer is the fourth most commonly diagnosed cancer among women worldwide. While treatments exist to stop growth of cervical cancer in humans, they are often associated with major side effects and the development of resistance to therapy. Traditionally, plant-derived compounds have been used to treat many ailments, including cancer. The search for novel plant-derived chemicals is important, as they can potentially provide effective treatment with less severe side effects and importantly overcome drug resistance. Genistein and its analogues have been shown to decrease survival and proliferation as well as induce cell death in cell culture models of cervical cancer and reduce tumor volume in a mouse model. 
  • 106
  • 27 Dec 2023
Topic Review
Biological Alzheimer’s Disease Diagnosis Based on Amyloid Status
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) was first characterized by Dr. Alois Alzheimer in 1906 by studying a demented patient and discovering cerebral amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles. Subsequent research highlighted the roles of Aβ peptides and tau proteins, which are the primary constituents of these lesions, which led to the amyloid cascade hypothesis. Technological advances, such as PET scans using Florbetapir, have made it possible to visualize amyloid plaques in living patients, thus improving AD’s risk assessment. The National Institute on Aging and the Alzheimer’s Association introduced biological diagnostic criteria in 2011, which underlined the amyloid deposits diagnostic value. However, potential confirmation bias may have led researchers to over-rely on amyloid markers independent of AD’s symptoms, despite evidence of their limited specificity. 
  • 102
  • 26 Dec 2023
Topic Review
Molecular Basis of Cardiometabolic Calpain Isozymes and Calpastatin
Calpain is defined as a member of the superfamily of cysteine proteases possessing the CysPC motif within the gene. Calpain-1 and -2, which are categorized as conventional isozymes, execute limited proteolysis in a calcium-dependent fashion. Accordingly, the calpain system participates in physiological and pathological phenomena, including cell migration, apoptosis, and synaptic plasticity.
  • 125
  • 07 Dec 2023
Topic Review
Long Telomeric Repeat-Containing RNA
Telomere dysfunction is implicated in vascular aging and shorter leucocyte telomeres are associated with an increased risk of atherosclerosis, myocardial infarction, and heart failure. Another pathophysiological mechanism that explains the causal relationship between telomere shortening and atherosclerosis development focuses on the clonal hematopoiesis of indeterminate potential (CHIP), which represents a new and independent risk factor in atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases. Since telomere attrition has a central role in driving vascular senescence, understanding telomere biology is essential to modulate the deleterious consequences of vascular aging and its cardiovascular disease-related manifestations. Emerging evidence indicates that a class of long noncoding RNAs transcribed at telomeres, known as TERRA for “TElomeric Repeat-containing RNA”, actively participates in the mechanisms regulating telomere maintenance and chromosome end protection. However, the multiple biological functions of TERRA remain to be largely elucidated. 
  • 96
  • 06 Dec 2023
Topic Review
Animal Models in Corneal Pathologies
The eye is a complex sensory organ that enables visual perception of the world. The dysfunction of any of these tissues can impair vision. Conduction studies on laboratory animals are essential to ensure the safety of therapeutic products directly applied or injected into the eye to treat ocular diseases before eventually proceeding to clinical trials. Among these tissues, the cornea has unique homeostatic and regenerative mechanisms for maintaining transparency and refraction of external light, which are essential for vision. However, being the outermost tissue of the eye and directly exposed to the external environment, the cornea is particularly susceptible to injury and diseases. This review highlights the evidence for selecting appropriate animals to better understand and treat corneal diseases, which rank as the fifth leading cause of blindness worldwide. The development of reliable and human-relevant animal models is, therefore, a valuable research tool for understanding and translating fundamental mechanistic findings, as well as for assessing therapeutic potential in humans.
  • 128
  • 01 Dec 2023
Topic Review
Radiation Impacts Microbiota Compositions
The composition of the gut microbiota represents an early indicator of chronic post-radiation side-effects in elderly bone and immunogenic traits of the gastrointestinal homeostasis. Fecal microbiota analyses revealed that the relative abundances of Bacteroides massiliensis, Muribaculum sp., or Prevotella denticola were different between conventional microbiota (CM) and anti-inflammatory restricted microbiota (RM). The murine RM was found conditional on mucosa-associated dysbiosis under both, disturbances of interleukin (IL)-17 signaling, and exposure to radiation alone. The hypothesis that intestinal microbiota induced alterations in DNA repair and expressed transforming growth factor (TGF)-β in the small intestine is discussed, thereby impacting bone microstructure and osteoblast dysfunction in silicon ion (1.5 Gy 28Si ions of 850 MeV/u) irradiated mice. Bacterial microbiota compositions influenced therapeutic approaches, correlated with clinical outcomes in radiotherapy and were associated with alterations of the immune response to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV)-2 infections during the last global pandemics.
  • 210
  • 22 Nov 2023
Topic Review
Mitochondrial Dysfunction in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Pathogenesis
Mitochondrial dysfunction occurs in numerous neurodegenerative diseases, particularly amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), where it contributes to motor neuron (MN) death. Of all the factors involved in ALS, mitochondria have been considered as a major player, as secondary mitochondrial dysfunction has been found in various models and patients. 
  • 211
  • 14 Nov 2023
Topic Review
Potential Biochemical Properties and Genetics of C-Reactive Protein
C-Reactive Protein (CRP) is supposed to be an accredited benchmark for physicians, to reveal or rule out inflammation, and multifarious scientific endeavors have been made so as to detect the direct pleiotropic functions of this protein. The use of CRP as the most important and critical immunochemical marker of several medical conditions, including infections such as sepsis, physiological organ diseases, various autoimmune disorders, malignancies and other health conditions, has become widely popular.
  • 632
  • 14 Nov 2023
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