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Topic Review
TRPV4 Ion Channel
The transient receptor potential vanilloid 4 channel (TRPV4) belongs to the mammalian TRP superfamily of cation channels. TRPV4 is ubiquitously expressed, activated by a disparate array of stimuli, interacts with a multitude of proteins, and is modulated by a range of post-translational modifications, the majority of which we are only just beginning to understand. Not surprisingly, a great number of physiological roles have emerged for TRPV4, as have various disease states that are attributable to the absence, or abnormal functioning, of this ion channel. This review will highlight structural features of TRPV4, endogenous and exogenous activators of the channel, and discuss the reported roles of TRPV4 in health and disease.
  • 546
  • 01 Feb 2021
Topic Review
Weismann Barrier
The Weismann barrier has long been regarded as a basic tenet of biology. However, upon close examination of its historical origins and August Weismann's own writings, questions arise as to whether such a status is warranted. As scientific research has advanced, the persistence of the concept of the barrier has left us with the same dichotomies Weismann contended with over 100 years ago: germ or soma, gene or environment, hard or soft inheritance. 
  • 2.0K
  • 30 Jan 2021
Topic Review
Pharmacological Activation of AMPK
The AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) is the central component of a signaling pathway that is conserved in essentially all eukaryotes, the exceptions being a few parasites (e.g., Plasmodium falciparum, the causative agent of malaria) that spend most of their life cycle living inside other eukaryotic cells, in which case the host cell provides AMPK and the parasite may therefore have been able to dispense with it. AMPK is activated by various stresses that act via both classical (canonical) and non-classical (non-canonical) pathways. Pharmacological activation of AMPK can also be achieved via a range of mechanisms. Here, we enumerate the different classes of AMPK activators and describe their mechanisms of action.
  • 997
  • 27 Jan 2021
Topic Review
PE_PGRS33 and humoral immune response
PE_PGRS proteins are surface antigens of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) and a few other pathogenic mycobacteria. The PE_PGRS33 protein is among the most studied PE_PGRSs. It is known that the PE domain of PE_PGRS33 is required for the protein translocation through the mycobacterial cell wall, where the PGRS domain remains available for interaction with host receptors. Interaction with Toll like receptor 2 (TLR2) promotes secretion of inflammatory chemokines and cytokines, which are key in the immunopathogenesis of tuberculosis (TB). Here, we address key challenges in the development of a TB vaccine and attempt to provide a rationale for the development of new vaccines aimed at fostering a humoral response against Mtb. We show that the PGRS domain of PE_PGRS33 exposes four PGII sandwiches on the outer surface, which we propose to be directly involved through their loops in the interactions with the host receptors and as such are promising targets for a vaccination strategy aimed at inducing a humoral response. 
  • 464
  • 27 Jan 2021
Topic Review
3D Cell Culture in Micro-Bioreactors
Bioreactors have proven useful for a vast amount of applications. Besides classical large-scale bioreactors and fermenters for prokaryotic and eukaryotic organisms, micro-bioreactors, as specialized bioreactor systems, have become an invaluable tool for mammalian 3D cell cultures. 
  • 973
  • 27 Jan 2021
Topic Review
Mesenchymal Stem Cell-Derived Exosomes
Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are multipotent stem cells that can be isolated from human tissues or organs, such as the bone marrow, adipose tissue, umbilical cord, lung, spleen, liver or kidney, while exosomes are crucial components that account for the paracrine action of MSCs. They are extracellular vesicles with a lipid bilayer structure and an average diameter of 100 nm, and they perform biological function by transferring bioactive molecules such as miRNAs, lncRNAs, lipids and cytokines.
  • 780
  • 27 Jan 2021
Topic Review
The Glyoxalase System
The glyoxalase system was discovered over a hundred years ago and since then it has been claimed to provide the role of an indispensable enzyme system in order to protect cells from a toxic byproduct of glycolysis.
  • 1.2K
  • 27 Jan 2021
Topic Review
NSCLC 3D Models
Hypoxia is the most common microenvironment feature of lung cancer tumors, which affects cancer progression, metastasis and metabolism. Oxygen induces both proteomic and genomic changes within tumor cells, which cause many alternations in the tumor microenvironment (TME). This study defines current knowledge in the field of tumor hypoxia in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), including biology, biomarkers, in vitro and in vivo studies and also hypoxia imaging and detection. While classic two-dimensional (2D) in vitro research models reveal some hypoxia dependent manifestations, three-dimensional (3D) cell culture models more accurately replicate the hypoxic TME.
  • 538
  • 26 Jan 2021
Topic Review
TMEFF2
Transmembrane protein with an EGF-like and two follistatin-like domains 2 (TMEFF2) is a 374-residue long type-I transmembrane proteoglycan which is proteolytically shed from the cell surface. The protein is involved in a range of functions including metabolism, neuroprotection, apoptosis, embryonic development, onco-suppression and endocrine function. TMEFF2 is methylated in numerous cancers, and an inverse correlation with the stage, response to therapy and survival outcome has been observed. Moreover, TMEFF2 methylation increases with breast, colon and gastric cancer progression. TMEFF2 is methylated early during oncogenesis in breast and colorectal cancer, and the detection of methylated free-circulating TMEFF2 DNA has been suggested as a potential diagnostic tool. The TMEFF2 downregulation signature equals and sometimes outperforms the Gleason and pathological scores in prostate cancer. TMEFF2 is downregulated in glioma and cotricotropinomas, and it impairs the production of adrenocorticotropic hormone in glioma cells. Through binding the amyloid β protein, its precursor and derivatives, TMEFF2 provides neuroprotection in Alzheimer’s disease. Primary literature regarding TMEFF2 is incoherent and offers conflicting information, in particular, the oncogenic vs. onco-suppressive role of TMEFF2 in prostate cancer. 
  • 775
  • 26 Jan 2021
Topic Review
Cellular Senescence
Cellular senescence is a hallmark of aging. Accumulation of senescent cells promotes aging and triggers age-related disorders.
  • 811
  • 26 Jan 2021
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