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Topic Review
Sjögren’s Syndrome Lymphomagenesis
Sjögren’s Syndrome (SS) is a chronic autoimmune disorder characterized by focal mononuclear cell infiltrates that surround the ducts of the exocrine glands, impairing the function of their secretory units. Compared to other autoimmune disorders, SS is associated with a notably high incidence of non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) and more frequently mucosa associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) lymphoma, leading to increased morbidity and mortality rates. High risk features of lymphoma development include systemic extraepithelial manifestations, low serum levels of complement component C4 and mixed type II cryoglobulinemia. The discrimination between reactive and neoplastic lymphoepithelial lesion (LEL) is challenging, probably reflecting a continuum in the evolution from purely inflammatory lymphoid infiltration to the clonal neoplastic evolution. Early lesions display a predominance of activated T cells, while B cells prevail in severe histologic lesions. This strong B cell infiltration is not only a morphologic phenomenon, but it is also progressively associated with the presence of ectopic germinal centers (GCs). 
  • 555
  • 08 Dec 2020
Topic Review
Blood-Brain Barrier: Functionalised Chitosan
The major impediment to the delivery of therapeutics to the brain is the presence of the blood-brain barrier (BBB). The BBB allows for the entrance of essential nutrients while excluding harmful substances, including most therapeutic agents; hence, brain disorders, especially tumors, are very difficult to treat. Chitosan is a well-researched polymer that offers advantageous biological and chemical properties, such as mucoadhesion and ease of functionalization. Chitosan-based nanocarriers (CsNCs) establish ionic interactions with the endothelial cells, facilitating the crossing of drugs through the BBB by adsorptive mediated transcytosis. This process is further enhanced by modifications of the structure of chitosan, owing to the presence of reactive amino and hydroxyl groups. Finally, by permanently binding ligands or molecules, such as antibodies or lipids, CsNCs have shown a boosted passage through the BBB, in both in vivo and in vitro studies which will be discussed in this review.
  • 1.4K
  • 21 Nov 2020
Topic Review
Human Body Segments
The knowledge of human body proportions and segmental properties of limbs, head and trunk is of fundamental importance in biomechanical research. Given that many methods are employed, it is important to know which ones are currently available, which data on human body masses, lengths, center of mass (COM) location, weights and moment of inertia (MOI) are available and which methods are most suitable for specific research purposes. Graphical, optical, x-ray and derived techniques, MRI, laser, thermography, has been employed for in-vivo measurement, while direct measurements involve cadaveric studies with dissection and various methods of acquiring shape and size of body segments.
  • 5.1K
  • 20 Nov 2020
Topic Review
Mitochondrial Protein ATAD3A and Cancer
The ATPase family AAA-domain containing protein 3A (ATAD3A), a nuclear-encoded mitochondrial enzyme, contributes to mitochondrial dynamics, nucleoid organization, protein translation, cell growth, and cholesterol metabolism. The ATAD3A protein contains two coiled-coil domains (CC1 and CC2), Walker A (WA) and Walker B (WB) motifs and among them, the WA motif is responsible for ATP binding in the AAA module of ATAD3A.  ATAD3A is an understudied protein in cancer, although we have demonstrated it functions as a metastasis promoter in breast cancer. At this stage of our understanding, ATAD3A dysfunction is also required and sufficient to drive oncogenic process in many types of cancer. Thus, there is a need to understand the mechanism by which ATAD3A interacts with other mitochondria-localized oncoproteins, and the targeting strategy in which ATAD3A is abrogated. 
  • 1.5K
  • 12 Nov 2020
Topic Review
Large Intestine
The large intestine consists of ascending, transverse, descending, sigmoidal colon and the rectum. The wall of the large intestine can be divided into four anatomically distinct layers (from inner to outer): mucosa, submucosa, muscularis propria (inner circular and outer longitudinal layers), and serosa. Its major physiological functions include absorbing water, moving waste residue down the GI tract, and temporary fecal storage, all of which involve mechanical movement and deformation of the tubular gastrointestinal structure. The biomechanics of the large intestinal tissue plays a key role in those aforementioned physiological functions in both health and disease.  In addition, chronic visceral pain from the colon and rectum has a prominent mechanical component – it is mechanical distension, not heating, pinching, cutting, or inflammation that reliably evokes pain from hollow visceral organs. The structure and function of the large intestine is systematically summarized below with a particular focus on the heterogeneous biomechanical properties at different sub-layers of the intestinal wall.
  • 7.0K
  • 09 Nov 2020
Topic Review
Alzheimer's disease
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a multifactorial disease and the most common neurodegenerative disorder affecting the elderly population world-wide.The used medications treat the symptoms of AD, but without any delay on the progression of the disease. Curcumin presented favorable effects on AD. In the last decade curcumin analogues and derivatives have been synthesized in an attempt to optimize the beneficial properties of curcumin and improve its absorbance and  distribution per os as a therapeutic agent. Reviewing the bibliographical data of the last decade, information on the structures and / or chemical groups that are associated with specific action against AD, was gathered, derived from docking studies, (Q)SAR from vitro and in vivo tests. Phenolic hydroxyl groups might contribute to the anti-amyloidogenic activity. Phenyl methoxy groups seems to contribute to the suppression of Aβ42 and to the suppression of APP. Hydrophobic interactions revealed to be important. The presence of flexible moieties at the linker are crucial for the inhibition of Aβ aggregation. The inhibitory activity of derivatives is increased with the expansion of the aromatic rings. The keto-enol tautomer form offers as a new modification for the design of amyloid-binding agents. Taking the above under consideration  innovative design  and synthesis will lead to more potent and specific curcumin analogues and derivatives against AD.
  • 1.2K
  • 30 Oct 2020
Topic Review
Adhesion Protein Sialylation
The importance of adhesion protein sialylation was recognized by studying the changes of adhesion behavior of human tissue cells exposed in vitro to microgravity. Proteins involved in cell-cell or cell-extracellular matrix adhesion were investigated by retrieving and evaluation of information about sialylation of cell adhesion molecules detected by omics studies on cells, which change their adhesion behavior when exposed to microgravity. Using a knowledge graph created from experimental omics data and semantic searches across several reference databases, sialylation of adhesion proteins glycosylated at their extracellular domains and their impact in cellular processes were studied. This way, experimental omics data networked with the current knowledge about binding of sialic acids to cell adhesion proteins, its regulation and interactions in-between those proteins provided insights in the mechanisms behind experimental findings suggesting that balancing sialylation against de-sialylation of the terminal ends of the adhesion proteins’ glycans influences the binding activity of adhesion proteins, the interaction of cells and their aggregation. This shed light on the transition from the cells’ growth in a monolayer to spheroid formation observed in microgravity mirroring cell migration and cancer metastasis in vivo.
  • 838
  • 30 Oct 2020
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)
  • 979
  • 29 Oct 2020
Topic Review
Bradoriids and the Cambrian Diversification
Bradoriids, among the earliest arthropods to appear in the fossil record, are extinct, ostracod-like bivalved forms that ranged from the early Cambrian to the Middle Ordovician. Bradoriids are notable for having appeared in the Cambrian fossil record before the earliest trilobites, and considering their rapid ascent to high genus-level diversity, provide key data for our understanding of the evolutionary dynamics of the Cambrian Explosion. This paper presents a broad review of bradoriid paleobiology. 
  • 931
  • 29 Oct 2020
Topic Review
Mechanobiology of Chondrocytes
This entry is associated with a review article, published in MDPI Applied Sciences on 23 April 2020, about the current knowledge on the mechanical stimulation of mesenchymal stem cells for cartilage regeneration. Loading stresses, physiologically experienced by chondrocytes, regulate the production of glycosaminoglycan and collagen, as well as promote and preserve cell viability. Therefore, there is a rising interest in the development of devices that impose mechanical stimuli, such as compression and shear stress, on mesenchymal stem cells. The mentioned review will analyze the dynamics within the joint, the physiological stimuli experienced by the chondrocytes, and how the biomechanical stimulation can be applied to a stem cell culture in order to induce chondrogenesis. In addition to that, paper lists some of the current applications in the field.
  • 1.2K
  • 29 Oct 2020
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