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Topic Review
α Cell in Diabetes Pathogenesis
The involvement of impaired alpha (α) cell function has been recognized as playing an essential role in several diseases, since hyperglucagonemia has been evidenced in both Type 1 and T2DM. This phenomenon has been attributed to intra-islet defects, like modifications in pancreatic α cell mass or dysfunction in glucagon’s secretion. Emerging evidence has shown that chronic hyperglycaemia provokes changes in the Langerhans’ islets cytoarchitecture, including α cell hyperplasia, pancreatic beta (β) cell dedifferentiation into glucagon-positive producing cells, and loss of paracrine and endocrine regulation due to β cell mass loss. Other abnormalities like α cell insulin resistance, sensor machinery dysfunction, or paradoxical ATP-sensitive potassium channels (KATP) opening have also been linked to glucagon hypersecretion. 
  • 373
  • 27 Oct 2021
Topic Review
Zinc Dyshomeostasis and Parkinson’s Disease
Zinc and other heavy metals have received considerable attention in neurodegenerative diseases because of their cytotoxicity. The role of zinc in the pathogenesis of PD is not straightforward because of its numerous and complex function. Both deficiency and excess of zinc have been incriminated in the development of the disease, though overwhelming evidence favor the later mechanism.
  • 745
  • 20 May 2021
Topic Review
WWC Proteins
WWC proteins are known as components of the Hippo signaling pathway.
  • 534
  • 02 Feb 2021
Topic Review
VWF, Platelets and Antiphospholipid Syndrome
The antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) is characterized by thrombosis and/or pregnancy morbidity with the persistent presence of antiphospholipid antibodies (aPLs). Laboratory criteria for the classification of APS include the detection of lupus anticoagulant (LAC), anti-cardiolipin (aCL) antibodies and anti-β2glycoprotein I (aβ2GPI) antibodies. Clinical criteria for the classification of thrombotic APS include venous and arterial thrombosis, along with microvascular thrombosis. Several aPLs, including LAC, aβ2GPI and anti-phosphatidylserine/prothrombin antibodies (aPS/PT) have been associated with arterial thrombosis. The Von Willebrand Factor (VWF) plays an important role in arterial thrombosis by mediating platelet adhesion and aggregation. Studies have shown that aPLs antibodies present in APS patients are able to increase the risk of arterial thrombosis by upregulating the plasma levels of active VWF and by promoting platelet activation. Inflammatory reactions induced by APS may also provide a suitable condition for arterial thrombosis, mostly ischemic stroke and myocardial infarction.
  • 718
  • 05 May 2021
Topic Review
Vulvovaginal Candidosis
Vulvovaginal candidosis (VVC) is a frequently occurring infection of the lower female genital tract, mostly affecting immuno-competent women at childbearing age. Candida albicans is the most prevalent pathogenic yeast—apart from other non-albicans species—related to this fungal infection. Different virulence factors of C. albicans have been identified, which increase the risk of developing VVC. To initiate treatment and positively influence the disease course, fast and reliable diagnosis is crucial. In this narrative review, we cover the existing state of understanding of the epidemiology, pathogenesis and diagnosis of VVC. However, treatment recommendations should follow current guidelines.
  • 652
  • 20 Nov 2020
Topic Review
Vitamin E in Pathogenesis of Cardiovascular Diseases
Vitamin E is one of the most popular fat-soluble vitamins in pathological research and has been under scrutiny since the 1980s as a vital dietary component of food. The antioxidant effect of vitamin E has been widely studied due to its benefits in the prevention of various cardiovascular diseases. The earliest research on vitamin E established its roles as a fat-soluble antioxidant due to lowered rates of atherosclerosis and an overall reduction in cardiovascular mortality observed in randomized-controlled trials. While these studies could not pinpoint the exact reasons behind vitamin E’s effect, it has been well-established in the past to be an effective radical scavenger to prevent LDL oxidation and foam cell formation, and subsequently prevents the formation of atherosclerotic lesions, inhibits plaque build-up and stenosis, and lowers hypertension—which are all major risk factors of poor vascular health. 
  • 653
  • 02 Mar 2022
Topic Review
Vitamin D in Multiple Sclerosis
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic demyelinating disease of central nervous system and is caused by an aberrant immune response to myelin sheath. Disease-modifying medications, which mainly aim to suppress such aberrant immune response, have significantly improved MS treatment. However, the disease severity continues to worsen. In contrast, progressively more data suggest that 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D or 1,25(OH)2D, i.e., the active vitamin D, suppresses the differentiation of potentially pathogenic T cells associated with MS, enhances the differentiation of regulatory T cells that suppress the pathogenic T cells, and promotes remyelination. These novel 1,25(OH)2D functions have encouraged investigators to develop vitamin D as a potential therapy for MS. However, because of the hypercalcemia that is associated with high 1,25(OH)2D concentrations, supplementation of native vitamin D has been a major focus in clinical trials for the treatment of MS, but such trials have produced mixed data. In this article, we will review current progress in the supplementation of different vitamin D forms for the treatment of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (i.e., an MS animal model) as well as MS.
  • 670
  • 28 Oct 2020
Topic Review
Vitamin D Deficiency on Chronic Kidney Disease
Vitamin D has important anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial properties and plays a central role in the host immune response. Due to the crucial role of the kidneys in the metabolism of vitamin D, patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) are prone to vitamin D deficiency.
  • 44
  • 14 Mar 2024
Topic Review
Visceral Leishmaniasis
Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) is one of the clinical forms of leishmaniasis, caused mainly by the intracellular protozoan Leishmania donovani or Leishmania infantum.
  • 452
  • 09 Jul 2021
Topic Review
Viral Vectored Vaccines
Viral Vectored Vaccines are vaccines that use a viral vector as a carrier to deliver a protein (or antigen) from a pathogen (namely viruses and bacteria) in order to elicit an immune response against this pathogen.  The DNA or RNA sequence for this protein antigen is inserted into the genome of the virus vector. The resultant recombinant virus expresses the necessary components of the viral vector so that functional virus particles can be made to express the foreign protein antigen.  Viral vectored vaccines are classified by the virus vector they use and whether they can reproduce inside cells to produce new virus particles (i.e., are replication competent) or whether they can only enter cells but do not produce new virus particles (i.e., are replication incompetent or single-cycle replication).  Different viral vector backbones can serve different needs for developing preventive and therapeutic vaccines depending on the context and diseases they aim to prevent or treat, respectively.
  • 882
  • 30 Dec 2020
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