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Topic Review
Biography
Topic Review
Alternative Splicing in Cancer and Immune Cells
Splicing is a phenomenon enabling the excision of introns from pre-mRNA to give rise to mature mRNA. All the 20,000 genes of the human genome are concerned by this mechanism. Nevertheless, it is estimated that the proteome is composed of more than 100,000 proteins. How to go from 20,000 genes to more than 100,000 proteins? Alternative splicing (AS) is in charge of this diversity of proteins. AS which is found in most of the cells of an organism, participates in normal cells and in particular in immune cells, in the regulation of cellular behavior. In cancer, AS is highly dysregulated and involved in almost all of the hallmarks that characterize tumor cells.
635
06 Apr 2022
Topic Review
Extracellular Vesicles in Epigenetic Regulation
Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are complex phospholipidic structures actively released by cells. EVs are recognized as powerful means of intercellular communication since they contain many signaling molecules (including lipids, proteins, and nucleic acids).
635
14 Dec 2020
Topic Review
Hereditary Nonpolyposis Colorectal Cancer
Hereditary nonpolyposis colorectal cancer (HNPCC) or Lynch syndrome is an autosomal dominant genetic condition that is associated with a high risk of colon cancer as well as other cancers including endometrial cancer (second most common), ovary, stomach, small intestine, hepatobiliary tract, upper urinary tract, brain, and skin. The increased risk for these cancers is due to inherited mutations that impair DNA mismatch repair. It is a type of cancer syndrome. Because patients with Lynch syndrome can have polyps, the term HNPCC has fallen out of favor.
634
05 Dec 2022
Topic Review
Mechanosensitive Ion Channels
Mechanosensitive ion channels mediate the neuronal sensation of mechanical signals such as sound, touch, and pain.
634
21 Oct 2021
Topic Review
Ribosome Interactions with SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19 mRNA Vaccine
Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is the causing pathogen of the unprecedented global Coronavirus Disease 19 (COVID-19) pandemic. Upon infection, the virus manipulates host cellular machinery and ribosomes to synthesize its own proteins for successful replication and to facilitate further infection. SARS-CoV-2 executes a multi-faceted hijacking of the host mRNA translation and cellular protein synthesis. Viral nonstructural proteins (NSPs) interact with a range of different ribosomal states and interfere with mRNA translation. Concurrent mutations on NSPs and spike proteins contribute to the epidemiological success of variants of concern (VOCs). The interactions between ribosomes and SARS-CoV-2 represent attractive targets for the development of antiviral therapeutics and vaccines.
634
18 Feb 2022
Topic Review
PARP Inhibitor-Induced Synthetic Lethality
The advanced development of synthetic lethality has opened the doors for specific anti-cancer medications of personalized medicine and efficient therapies against cancers. One of the most popular approaches being investigated is targeting DNA repair pathways as the implementation of the poly-ADP ribose polymerase 1 (PARP) inhibitor (PARPi) into individual or combinational therapeutic schemes. Such treatment has been effectively employed against homologous recombination-defective solid tumors as well as hematopoietic malignancies. In the most common aspect of precision medicine, PARPi triggers synthetic lethality in cancer cells harboring BRCA1/2 mutations/deficiencies.
632
05 Dec 2022
Topic Review
Senescent Microglia
Microglia, far from being simply ‘brain glue’, play an important role as the brain’s resident immune cells. Their roles include phagocytic clearance of debris, pruning of synapses, and possibly even contributing to synaptic activity, being of critical importance from early development to ageing. Despite being such long-lived cells, microglia have been relatively understudied for their role in the ageing process. Reliably identifying aged microglia has proven challenging, not least due to the diversity of cell populations, and the limitations of available models, further complicated by differences between human and rodent cells.
632
07 May 2021
Topic Review
Flavonoids as Modulators of Potassium Channels
Potassium channels are widely distributed integral proteins responsible for the effective and selective transport of K+ ions through the biological membranes. According to the existing structural and mechanistic differences, they are divided into several groups. All of them are considered important molecular drug targets due to their physiological roles, including the regulation of membrane potential or cell signaling. Among the pharmaceuticals of plant origin, which are potassium channel modulators, flavonoids appear as a powerful group of biologically active substances. It is caused by their well-documented anti-oxidative, anti-inflammatory, anti-mutagenic, anti-carcinogenic, and antidiabetic effects on human health.
631
30 Jan 2023
Topic Review
Cytokinesis in Eukaryotic Cells
The duplication cycle is the fascinating process that, starting from a cell, results in the formation of two daughter cells and it is essential for life. Cytokinesis is the final step of the cell cycle, it is a very complex phase, and is a concert of forces, remodeling, trafficking, and cell signaling. All of the steps of cell division must be properly coordinated with each other to faithfully segregate the genetic material and this task is fundamental for generating viable cells. Given the importance of this process, molecular pathways and proteins that are involved in cytokinesis are conserved from yeast to humans.
631
20 May 2021
Topic Review
NKG2D Natural Killer Cell Receptor
The functionality of NK cells is preserved by the set of activating and inhibitory receptors. Under normal conditions, the appropriate level of major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I molecules is supervised by inhibitory receptors, which keep NK cells silenced. The “missing self” mechanism considers reduced levels of MHC I (Ia and Ib) molecules when NK cells become activated.
630
02 Jul 2021
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