Topic Review
HFpEF
Heart failure (HF) with preserved left ventricular ejection fraction (HFpEF) is becoming the predominant form of HF. However, medical therapy that improves cardiovascular outcome in HF patients with almost normal and normal systolic left ventricular function, but diastolic dysfunction is missing. The cause of this unmet need is incomplete understanding of HFpEF pathophysiology, the heterogeneity of the patient population, and poor matching of therapeutic mechanisms and primary pathophysiological processes.
  • 561
  • 11 Mar 2022
Topic Review
Th17 Response in COVID-19
COVID-19 is an acute infectious disease of the respiratory system caused by infection with the SARS-CoV-2 virus (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2). Transmission of SARS-CoV-2 infections occurs through droplets and contaminated objects. A rapid and well-coordinated immune system response is the first line of defense in a viral infection. However, a disturbed and over-activated immune response may be counterproductive, causing damage to the body. Severely ill patients hospitalised with COVID-19 exhibit increased levels of many cytokines, including Interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-2, IL-6, IL-7, IL-8, IL-10, IL-17, granulocyte colony stimulating factor (G-CSF), monocyte chemoattractant protein 1 (MCP-1) and tumor necrosis factor (TNF). Increasing evidence suggests that Th17 cells play an important role in the pathogenesis of COVID-19, not only by activating cytokine cascade but also by inducing Th2 responses, inhibiting Th1 differentiation and suppressing Treg cells.
  • 560
  • 25 Jun 2021
Topic Review
Male Fertility and Sperm Lipid
Sperm plasma membrane lipids are essential for the function and integrity of mammalian spermatozoa. Various lipid types are involved in each key step within the fertilization process in their own yet coordinated way. For instance, loss of asymmetric transbilayer distribution and the substantial loss of cholesterol and phospholipid occur during capacitation and acrosome reaction (AR). The balance between lipid metabolism is tightly regulated to ensure physiological cellular processes, especially referring to crucial steps such as sperm motility, capacitation, acrosome reaction or fusion. At the same time, it has been shown that male reproductive function depends on the homeostasis of sperm lipids.
  • 559
  • 27 Aug 2021
Topic Review
DNA Damage Response and Repair
DNA damage response and repair (DDR) genes are necessary to maintain the integrity of cell DNA. Alterations of these mechanisms have been found in many cancer types, and may influence treatment outcomes as well as the prognosis of cancer patients. Recently, several treatment strategies taking advance of the presence of DDR alterations are emerging in oncology.
  • 559
  • 10 Aug 2021
Topic Review
Natural Killer Cells: Tumor Surveillance and Signaling
Natural killer (NK) cells play a pivotal role in cancer immunotherapy due to their innate ability to detect and kill tumorigenic cells. The decision to kill is determined by the expression of a myriad of activating and inhibitory receptors on the NK cell surface. Cell-to-cell engagement results in either self-tolerance or a cytotoxic response, governed by a fine balance between the signaling cascades downstream of the activating and inhibitory receptors. 
  • 559
  • 04 Jul 2022
Topic Review
Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphomas
Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is the commonest form of lymphoid malignancy, with a prevalence of about 40% worldwide. The term DLBCL reflects the growth pattern and size of the neoplastic cells, which tend to diffusely efface the normal structure of the involved organ (most frequently the lymph node) and are provided with a diameter at least twice that of normal lymphocytes. Although during the last few years several distinct clinical-pathological categories of DLBCL have been reported in the literature, which are nowadays listed in the Revised 4th Edition of the WHO Classification of the Tumours of Haematopoietic and Lymphoid Tissues, about 80% of DLBCLs do not enter into any of these categories and are therefore termed not otherwise specified (NOS). DLBCL-NOS displays a quite variable morphology and only rarely consists of only one cytotype (centroblastic, immunoblastic or anaplastic). Thus, microscopic examination fails to define the cell of origin, prognostic indicators and novel potential therapeutic targets. The standard of care  is the immuno-chemotherapy R-CHOP (rituximab, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisone), which cures up to 65% of patients. The remaining individuals with DLBCL-NOS experience resistant or relapsing disease and eventually die of it. This situation has promoted a huge number of studies focusing on the pathobiology of the tumour and based on high-throughput techniques, including gene expression profiling and next generation sequencing. In addition, attention has been focused on the mcroenvironmental composition, which can influence the behaviour and response to therapy of the tumour in conjunction with the molecular characteristics of neoplastic cells. The aim of the present review is to discuss the most recent acquisitions in the field of DLBCL-NOS based on the extensive application of molecular techniques, which paves the way to a more rational classification of the tumour along with the identification of effective prognostic indicators and novel therapeutic targets for  ad hoc personalised approaches. 
  • 559
  • 23 Jun 2021
Topic Review
Malarial Protozoan Parasites Infection
Malaria is an infectious disease caused by protozoan parasites of the Plasmodium genus through the bite of female Anopheles mosquitoes, affecting 228 million people and causing 415 thousand deaths in 2018. Artemisinin-based combination therapies (ACTs) are the most recommended treatment for malaria; however, the emergence of multidrug resistance has unfortunately limited their effects and challenged the field.
  • 559
  • 17 Mar 2021
Topic Review
WWOX Controls Cell Survival, Immune Response, Disease Progression
Tumor suppressor WWOX inhibits cancer growth and retards Alzheimer’s disease (AD) progression. Supporting evidence shows that the more strongly WWOX binds intracellular protein partners, the weaker is cancer cell growth in vivo. Whether this correlates with retardation of AD progression is unknown. Two functional forms of WWOX exhibit opposite functions. pY33-WWOX is proapoptotic and anticancer, and is essential for maintaining normal physiology. 
  • 559
  • 14 Jul 2022
Topic Review
Current Methodologies for Visualizing ATP in Living Cells
Measuring total ATP levels within cellular compartmental pools in real-time presents a newer and more innovative approach to qualitatively analyzing ATP. Although this method is not precisely quantitative, it can be helpful in determining changes in ATP concentrations in one region of a cell compared to another in a variety of disease states. The overall goal of these assays and imaging methodologies are to evaluate and visualize dynamic ATP trends, such as usage and depletion, between cells and their sub-compartments. However, semi-quantitative evaluation of the relative ATP signal is feasible. The currently developed technologies that utilize this approach to ATP quantification are mainly genetically encoded biosensors. In conjunction with a fluorescent or bioluminescent protein, most of these biosensors harness the folding capabilities of the ϵ subunit of the bacterial ATP synthase subunit. The bacterial ATP synthase protein comprises a β-barrel domain located at the N terminus and an α-helical domain with two α-helices located at the C terminus. Upon ATP binding, the two α-helices interact and refine their conformational structure of the ϵ subunit, leading to fluorescent/bioluminescent illumination, indicating that ATP is present. Overall, this subunit adopts two different conformations: open (ATP-free) or closed (ATP-bound). The uses and applicability of this technology are limitless. 
  • 559
  • 24 Jun 2022
Topic Review
Somatic Polyploidy
Somatic polyploidy was found in the tissues of all multicellular organisms (including algae, mosses, lichens, vascular plants, invertebrates, and vertebrates), which points to its adaptive value. In human and warm-blooded animals, polyploidy can be a part of normal postnatal morphogenetic programs and can be a manifestation of response to pathological stimuli and diseases.
  • 558
  • 11 Apr 2022
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