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Topic Review
Hyperferritinemia
Ferritin is one of the most frequently requested laboratory tests in primary and secondary care, and levels often deviate from reference ranges. Serving as an indirect marker for total body iron stores, low ferritin is highly specific for iron deficiency. Hyperferritinemia is, however, a non-specific finding, which is frequently overlooked in general practice. In routine medical practice, only 10% of cases are related to an iron overload, whilst the rest is seen as a result of acute phase reactions and reactive increases in ferritin due to underlying conditions. Differentiation of the presence or absence of an associated iron overload upon hyperferritinemia is essential, although often proves to be complex.
  • 1.3K
  • 27 May 2021
Topic Review
Molecular Detection of Colorectal Cancer
Drug-specific therapeutic approaches for colorectal cancer (CRC) have contributed to a significant improvement in the health status of patients. However, a great need to improve personalization of treatments based on genetic and epigenetic tumor profiles to maximize quality and efficacy while limiting cytotoxicity remains. Currently, CEA and CA 19-9 are the only validated blood biomarkers in clinical practice. For this reason, laboratories are trying to identify new specific prognostic and, more importantly, predictive biomarkers for CRC patient profiles. Thus, the unique landscape of personalized biomarker data should have a clinical impact on CRC treatment strategies and molecular genetic screening tests should become the standard method for CRC diagnosis, as well as detection of disease progression.
  • 1.3K
  • 30 Apr 2021
Topic Review
Mitochondria-Targeted Drug in Cardiovascular Disease
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) represents a major threat for human health. The available preventive and treatment interventions are insufficient to revert the underlying pathological processes, which underscores the urgency of alternative approaches. Mitochondria dysfunction plays a key role in the etiopathogenesis of CVD and is regarded as an intriguing target for the development of innovative therapies. Oxidative stress, mitochondrial permeability transition pore opening, and excessive fission are major noxious pathways amenable to drug therapy. Thanks to the advancements of nanotechnology research, several mitochondria-targeted drug delivery systems (DDS) have been optimized with improved pharmacokinetic and biocompatibility, and lower toxicity and antigenicity for application in the cardiovascular field.
  • 1.3K
  • 03 Dec 2020
Topic Review
Host Defenses to Viruses
The constant battle between viruses and their hosts leads to their reciprocal evolution. Viruses regularly develop survival strategies against host immunity, while their ability to replicate and disseminate is countered by the antiviral defense mechanisms that host mount. Although most viral infections are generally controlled by the host’s immune system, some viruses do cause overt damage to the host. The outcome can vary widely depending on the properties of the infecting virus and the circumstances of infection but also depends on several factors controlled by the host, including host genetic susceptibility to viral infections.
  • 1.3K
  • 16 Feb 2022
Topic Review Peer Reviewed
Limbic Encephalitis Associated with COVID-19
Limbic encephalitis (LE) is an inflammatory disease of the brain, in which lesion is anatomically limited in structures of the limbic system. In some cases, LE can start with symptoms of limbic dysfunction with further involvement of other regions of the brain. Classic LE syndrome includes such symptoms as the development of personality disorders, depression, sleep disorders, epileptic seizures, hallucinations and cognitive disorders (short-term and long-term memory impairment). The information of clinical examination, electroencephalogram (EEG), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and cerebrospinal fluid studies (CSF) suggest the diagnosis of LE in most patients with Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19).
  • 1.3K
  • 13 Apr 2022
Topic Review
Autotaxin (ATX) in Breast Cancer
       This entry deals with the role of the secreted enzyme, autotaxin (ATX), in the progression of breast cancer. ATX produces lysophosphatidate (LPA), which signals through six G-protein coupled receptors, promoting tumor growth, metastasis, immune evasion and survival from chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Many cancer cells produce ATX, but breast cancer cells express little ATX. Instead, in breast cancer, ATX is produced by tumor-associated stroma. Breast tumors are also surrounded by adipose tissue, which is a major bodily source of ATX. In mice, a high-fat human type diet increases ATX production in adipocytes. ATX production in obesity is also increased because of low-level inflammation in the expanded adipose tissue. This increased ATX secretion and consequent LPA signaling is associated with decreased adiponectin production, which results in adverse metabolic profiles and glucose homeostasis. Increased ATX production by inflamed adipose tissue could contribute to the association between obesity and breast cancer. This would result from the cross talk between breast tumors and adjacent adipose tissue. Breast tumors produce inflammatory mediators that stimulate ATX transcription in adipocytes adjacent to the tumors. This drives a feedforward inflammatory cycle since increased LPA signaling increases the production of more inflammatory cytokines/chemokines and cyclooxygenase-2 resulting in more ATX secretion. This cycle is typical of a wound healing response, which in the case of cancers become maladaptive. Thus, inhibiting ATX activity derived from adipocytes and/or tumor stromal cells has implications as an adjuvant for breast cancer treatments by attenuating the inflammatory cycle. Targeting ATX activity and LPA signaling could potentially increase the efficacy of chemotherapy and radiotherapy independently of the breast cancer type because most ATX is not derived from breast cancer cells. Blocking ATX activity and LPA signaling could also decrease morbidity from radiation-induced fibrosis.
  • 1.3K
  • 30 Oct 2020
Topic Review
Vitamin B12 Deficiency Anemia
Vitamin B12 deficiency anemia, of which pernicious anemia (PA) is a type, is a disease in which not enough red blood cells are produced due to a deficiency of vitamin B12. The most common initial symptom is feeling tiredness and weakness. Other symptoms may include shortness of breath, pale skin, feeling like one may pass out (lightheadedness), chest pain, rapid heartbeat, numbness in the hands and feet, poor balance, a frequent fall of blood pressure, loss of appetite, a smooth red tongue, memory problems, poor reflexes, and in severe cases even depression and confusion. Without treatment some of these problems may become permanent. Pernicious anemia refers to anemia that results from lack of vitamin B12. Lack of intrinsic factor is most commonly due to an autoimmune attack on the cells that create it in the stomach. It can also occur following the surgical removal of part of the stomach or from an inherited disorder. Other causes of low vitamin B12 include not enough dietary intake (which can be a risk in a vegan diet), celiac disease, or tapeworm infection. When suspected, diagnosis is made by blood and, occasionally, bone marrow tests. Blood tests may show fewer but larger red blood cells, low numbers of young red blood cells, low levels of vitamin B12, and antibodies to intrinsic factor. Pernicious anemia can be treated with injections of vitamin B12. If the symptoms are severe, injections are typically recommended initially. For those who have trouble swallowing pills, a nasal spray is available. Often, treatment is lifelong. Pernicious anemia due to autoimmune problems occurs in about one per 1000 people. Among those over the age of 60, about 2% have the condition. It more commonly affects people of northern European descent. Women are more commonly affected than men. With proper treatment, most people live normal lives. Due to a higher risk of stomach cancer, those with pernicious anemia should be checked regularly for this. The first clear description was by Thomas Addison in 1849. The term "pernicious" means "deadly", and this term came into use because before the availability of treatment the disease was often fatal.
  • 1.3K
  • 27 Oct 2022
Topic Review
BioFilms
Biofilms are aggregates formed as a protective survival state by microorganisms to adapt to the environment and can be resistant to antimicrobial agents and host immune responses due to chemical or physical diffusion barriers, modified nutrient environments, suppression of the growth rate within biofilms, and the genetic adaptation of cells within biofilms. With the widespread use of medical devices, medical device-associated biofilms continue to pose a serious threat to human health, and these biofilms have become the most important source of nosocomial infections. However, traditional antimicrobial agents cannot completely eliminate medical device-associated biofilms. New strategies for the treatment of these biofilms and targeting biofilm infections are urgently required. Several novel approaches have been developed and identified as effective and promising treatments.
  • 1.3K
  • 13 Apr 2021
Topic Review
Hybrid Drugs
Hybrid drugs, also termed “single molecule multiple targets” or “multiple ligands”, can be referred to as the most sophisticated form of combination therapy. They are designed utilizing molecular hybridization—a strategy of rational drug design which enables the fusing of one or more bioactive compounds or their pharmacophoric subunits into one molecule, which represents the preselected, desired features of original drugs. Obviously, connected entities should retain affinity to their specific targets and provide a superior therapeutic effect by amplification or exerting multifactorial biological activity. Such a single hybrid agent can modulate multiple targets involved in proliferation and efficiently destroy cancer cells.
  • 1.3K
  • 25 May 2021
Topic Review
Cocaine
Cocaine is one of the most consumed stimulants throughout the world, as official sources report. It is a naturally occurring sympathomimetic tropane alkaloid derived from the leaves of Erythroxylon coca, which has been used by South American locals for millennia. Cocaine can usually be found in two forms, cocaine hydrochloride, a white powder, or ‘crack’ cocaine, the free base. 
  • 1.3K
  • 27 Apr 2022
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