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Topic Review
Biography
Topic Review
Astrocyte–Neuron Crosstalk
Astrocyte-neuron crosstalk is a phenomenon in which both of those cell types depend on each other and support their development, genes expression, metabolism, excitability and plasticity. Astrocyte–neuron crosstalk incontrovertibly plays a crucial role in shaping neuronal metabolism. It has been shown that it substantially affects the expression of basal metabolic enzymes in both types of cells, by essentially unknown factor(s) which are released to extracellular space directly and using extracellular vesicles-packed molecules and by cell-to-cell contacts. Additionally, astrocytes support neurons with lactate, which (when secreted during enhanced neuronal activity events) stimulates a formation and maintenece of long-term plastycity phenomena in neurons.
768
29 Sep 2020
Topic Review
Cytokine-Induced Killer Cells
Cytokine-induced killer (CIK) cells are a cluster of heterogeneous cells uniting a T cell and natural killer cell‐like phenotype in their terminally differentiated CD3+CD56+ subset, and exert anti-tumor activity in a non-MHC restricted manner. CIK cells are expanded ex vivo with the sequential addition of multiple cytokines, including interferon‐γ, monoclonal antibodies against CD3 and interleukin‐2.
787
29 Sep 2020
Topic Review
Schwann Cells in Regeneration Selectivity
Peripheral nerve injuries result in the loss of the motor, sensory and autonomic functions of the denervated segments of the body. Neurons can regenerate their injured axons and eventually reinnervate their target organs, but inaccuracy of this reinnervation causes a permanent loss of function that impairs complete recovery. Thus, understanding how regenerating axons respond to their environment and direct their growth is essential to improve the functional outcome of patients with nerve lesions. Schwann cells (SCs), the glial cells of the peripheral nerves, play a crucial role in the regeneration process, but little is known about their contribution to specific reinnervation.
1.0K
28 Sep 2020
Topic Review
Regulation of microRNAs in Skeletal-Muscle
Sarcopenia refers to a condition of progressive loss of skeletal muscle mass and function associated with a higher risk of falls and fractures in older adults. Musculoskeletal aging leads to reduced muscle mass and strength, affecting the quality of life in elderly people. In recent years, several studies contributed to improve the knowledge of the pathophysiological alterations that lead to skeletal muscle dysfunction; however, the molecular mechanisms underlying sarcopenia are still not fully understood. Muscle development and homeostasis require a fine gene expression modulation by mechanisms in which microRNAs (miRNAs) play a crucial role. miRNAs modulate key steps of skeletal myogenesis including satellite cells renewal, skeletal muscle plasticity, and regeneration.
836
28 Sep 2020
Topic Review
Caspase Inhibition Improves Electrotransfer Efficiency
Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapy has been approved to treat patients with various B cell-related tumors, including B-cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), primary mediastinal B-cell lymphoma (PMBCL), and high-grade B-cell lymphoma. T cell receptor (TCR) knockout is a critical step in producing universal CAR T cells. A promising approach to achieving the knockout is to deliver the CRISPR/Cas9 system into T cells using electrotransfer technology.
580
27 Sep 2020
Topic Review
Acinar Cells for Pancreatic Cancer
The carcinogenesis of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDA) progresses according to multi-step evolution, whereby the disease acquires increasingly aggressive pathological features. Lineage-tracing experiments demonstrated that pancreatic cancerous lesions originate from acinar cells, a highly specialized cell type in the pancreatic epithelium. Acinar cells are polarized, pyramidal-shaped cells containing numerous acidophilic granules near the apical side. Those granules contain inactive proteases, which are activated and released into the tubular network upon activation. Primary acinar cells can survive in vitro as organoid-like 3D spheroids, which can transdifferentiate into cells with a clear ductal morphology in response to different cell- and non-cell-autonomous stimuli.This event, termed acinar-to-ductal metaplasia, recapitulates the histological and molecular features of disease initiation.
2.8K
24 Sep 2020
Topic Review
Extracellular Vesicles (EVs)
Extracellular Vesicles (EVs) represent a heterogeneous population of membranous cell-derived structures, including cargo-oriented exosomes and microvesicles. EVs are functionally associated with intercellular communication and play an essential role in multiple physiopathological conditions. Shedding of EVs is frequently increased in malignancies and their content, including proteins and nucleic acids, altered during carcinogenesis and cancer progression. EVs-mediated intercellular communication between tumor cells and between tumor and stromal cells can modulate, through cargo miRNA, the survival, progression, and drug resistance in cancer conditions. These consolidated suggestions and EVs’ stability in bodily fluids have led to extensive investigations on the potential employment of circulating EVs-derived miRNAs as tumor biomarkers and potential therapeutic vehicles.
899
18 Sep 2020
Topic Review
B-Cell Maturation Antigen (BCMA)
During the past two decades there has been a major shift in the choice of agents to treat multiple myeloma, whether newly diagnosed or in the relapsed/refractory stage. The introduction of new drug classes, such as proteasome inhibitors, immunomodulators, and anti-CD38 and anti- SLAMF7 monoclonal antibodies, coupled with autologous stem cell transplantation, has approximately doubled the disease’s five-year survival rate. However, this positive news is tempered by the realization that these measures are not curative and patients eventually relapse and/or become resistant to the drug’s effects. Thus, there is a need to discover newer myeloma- driving molecular markers and develop innovative drugs designed to precisely regulate the actions of such putative targets. B cell maturation antigen (BCMA), which is found almost exclusively on the surfaces of malignant plasma cells to the exclusion of other cell types, including their normal counterparts, has emerged as a specific target of interest in this regard. Immunotherapeutic agents have been at the forefront of research designed to block BCMA activity. These agents encompass monoclonal antibodies, such as the drug conjugate belantamab mafodotin; bispecific T-cell engager strategies exemplified by AMG 420; and chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapeutics that include idecabtagene vicleucel (bb2121) and JNJ-68284528.
867
16 Sep 2020
Topic Review
Entosis and Cell Adhesion
Entosis is a phenomenon, in which one cell enters a second one. New clinico-histopathological studies of entosis prompted us to summarize its significance in cancer. It appears that entosis might be a novel, independent prognostic predictor factor in cancer histopathology. We briefly discuss the biological basis of entosis, followed by a summary of published clinico-histopathological studies on entosis significance in cancer prognosis. The correlation of entosis with cancer prognosis in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma, anal carcinoma, lung adenocarcinoma, pancreatic ductal carcinoma and breast ductal carcinoma, is shown. Numerous entotic figures are associated with a more malignant cancer phenotype and poor prognosis in many cancers. We also showed that some anticancer drugs could induce entosis in cell culture, even as an escape mechanism. Thus, entosis is likely beneficial for survival of malignant cells, i.e., an entotic cell can hide from unfavourable factors in another cell and subsequently leave the host cell remaining intact, leading to failure in therapy or cancer recurrence. Finally, we highlight the potential relationship of cell adhesion with entosis in vitro, based on the model of the BxPc3 cells cultured in full adhesive conditions, comparing them to a commonly used MCF7 semiadhesive model of entosis.
1.3K
08 Sep 2020
Topic Review
Bronchopulmonary dysplasia-associated pulmonary hypertension
Bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) is a chronic lung disease affecting preterm infants. More than 50 years after the first description of BPD by Northway, this chronic lung disease affecting many preterm infants is still less understood. Additonally, approximately 40% of preterm infants suffering from severe BPD also suffer from Bronchopulmonary dysplasia-associated pulmonary hypertension (BPD-PH), leading to a significant increase in total morbidity and mortality. Until today, there is no curative therapy for both BPD and BPD-PH available. It has become increasingly evident that growth factors are playing a central role in normal and pathologic development of the pulmonary vasculature. Thus, this review aims to summarize the recent evidence in our understanding of BPD-PH from a basic scientific point of view, focusing on the potential role of Fibroblast Growth Factor (FGF)/FGF10 signaling pathway contributing to disease development, progression and resolution.
1.1K
26 Aug 2020
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