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Topic Review
Biography
Topic Review
Molecular Pathology and Biomarkers of Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) has an extremely poor prognosis due to the lack of methods or biomarkers for early diagnosis and its resistance to conventional treatment modalities, targeted therapies, and immunotherapies. PDACs are a heterogenous group of malignant epithelial neoplasms with various histomorphological patterns and complex, heterogenous genetic/molecular landscapes. The newly proposed molecular classifications of PDAC based on extensive genomic, transcriptomic, proteomic and epigenetic data have provided significant insights into the molecular heterogeneity and aggressive biology of this deadly disease. Studies characterizing the tumor microenvironment (TME) have shed light on the dynamic interplays between the tumor cells and the immunosuppressive TME of PDAC, which is essential to disease progression, as well as its resistance to chemotherapy, newly developed targeted therapy and immunotherapy. There is a critical need for the development of predictive markers that can be clinically utilized to select effective personalized therapies for PDAC patients.
782
02 Dec 2022
Topic Review
Organic Cation Transporters in Lung
Organic cation transporters (OCT) 1, 2 and 3 and novel organic cation transporters (OCTN) 1 and 2 of the solute carrier 22 (SLC22) family are involved in the cellular transport of endogenous compounds such as neurotransmitters, l-carnitine and ergothioneine. OCT/Ns have also been implicated in the transport of xenobiotics across various biological barriers, for example biguanides and histamine receptor antagonists. In addition, several drugs used in the treatment of respiratory disorders are cations at physiological pH and potential substrates of OCT/Ns. OCT/Ns may also be associated with the development of chronic lung diseases such as allergic asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and, thus, are possible new drug targets.
782
23 Jan 2021
Topic Review
Cancer Therapy Targeting CD47
The interaction between cluster of differentiation 47 (CD47) on cancer cells and signal regulatory protein alpha (SIRPα) on immune cells, such as macrophages and dendritic cells, generates a “don’t eat me” signal. This is a common mechanism that provides cancer cells an escape from the innate immune system. Several therapeutics directed to CD47 or SIRPα have entered early clinical trials in recent years.
782
29 Mar 2022
Topic Review
Serum Bilirubin in Obese Individuals
Bilirubin, the end product of heme metabolism, is a potent endogenous antioxidant with anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory, antithrombotic, and endocrine properties. Serum bilirubin concentrations depend on the complex interactions between bilirubin production, consumption (depending on oxidative stress and inflammation), metabolism, and elimination. Importantly, numerous studies have shown that serum bilirubin levels are inversely associated with obesity, metabolic syndrome (MetS), type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), and other oxidative-stress-mediated diseases, including atherosclerosis. Moreover, serum bilirubin levels were recently proposed as a potential pre-disease biomarker for developing metabolic syndrome in asymptomatic middle-aged individuals.
783
07 Sep 2021
Topic Review
An Instrument for Occupation-Based Research
Occupational therapy practice is based on the fundamental assumption that meaningful occupations play a key role in achieving and maintaining health and wellbeing by facilitating personal engagement and accomplishment [1]. This practice framework rests largely on the fact that occupational performance should involve an occupational balance (OB), i.e., a sense of harmony between occupations, becoming a necessary condition to ensure that occupations properly perform a process for obtaining health and wellness. From an occupational perspective of health, it should be noted that there is a variety of risk factors that can affect the right use, choice, opportunity, or balance in an occupation, thereby resulting in occupational dysfunction, which may also involve other negative consequences such as occupational deprivation, occupational alienation, or occupational imbalance.
782
28 Jul 2021
Topic Review
Anticancer Effects of Selenium Compounds
The chemistry of selenium (Se) compounds is not a young field, since its beginning was in the first half of the 19th century. The first steps in this scope were initiated in 1836 by the then toxicologists, who discovered a Se metabolite, diethyl selenide, excreted by inhalation during research using inorganic selenium compounds on animals. Meanwhile, the first synthesis of selenium-containing (Se-containing) compounds took place in 1847, when ethylselenol was obtained. Since then, selenium chemistry has developed greatly and investigators have started to look at whether it can help with society’s health problems, including cancer. The high number of new cancer incidences and the associated mortality continue to be alarming, leading to the search for new therapies that would be more effective and less burdensome for patients. As there is evidence that Se compounds can have chemopreventive activity, studies have begun to establish whether these compounds can also affect already existing cancers. This review aims to discuss the different classes of Se-containing compounds, both organic and inorganic, natural and synthetic, and the mechanisms and molecular targets of their anticancer activity.
781
10 May 2021
Topic Review
Pulmonary Delivery of Fenretinide
At present, there is no vaccine or effective standard treatment for SARS-CoV-2 infection (COVID-19) which frequently leads to lethal pulmonary inflammatory responses. COVID-19 pathology is characterized by extreme inflammation and amplified immune response with activation of a cytokine storm. A subsequent progression to acute lung injury (ALI) or acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) can take place, which is often followed by death. The causes of these strong inflammatory responses in SARS-CoV-2 infection are still unknown. As uncontrolled pulmonary inflammation is likely the main cause of death in SARS-CoV-2 infection, anti-inflammatory therapeutic interventions are particularly important. Fenretinide N‐(4‐hydroxyphenyl) retinamide is a bioactive molecule characterized by poly-pharmacological properties and a low toxicity profile. Fenretinide is endowed with anti-tumor, anti-inflammatory, anti-viral and immunomodulating properties other than efficacy in obesity/diabetic pathologies. Its anti-inflammatory and anti-viral activities, in particular, could likely have utility in multimodal therapies for treatment of ALI/ARDS in COVID-19 patients. Moreover, fenretinide administration by pulmonary delivery systems could further increase its therapeutic value by carrying high drug concentrations to the lungs and triggering a rapid onset of activity. This is particularly important in SARS-CoV-2 infection where only a narrow time window exists for therapeutic intervention.
781
09 Nov 2020
Topic Review
Vincristine (VCR)
Vincristine (VCR) is a frequently used chemotherapeutic agent. However, it can lead to VCR-induced peripheral neuropathy (VIPN).
781
24 Dec 2020
Topic Review
Gastric Intestinal Metaplasia
Gastric cancer (GC) remains one of the most common causes of mortality worldwide. Intestinal metaplasia (IM) is one of the preneoplastic gastric lesions and is considered an essential predisposing factor in GC development. Here we present a review of recent most relevant papers to summarize major findings on the molecular alterations in gastric IM. The latest progress in novel diagnostic methods allows scientists to identify various types of molecular alterations in IM, such as polymorphisms in various genes, changes in the expression of micro-RNAs and long noncoding RNAs, and altered microbiome profiles. The results have shown that some of these alterations have strong associations with IM and a potential to be used for screening, treatment, and prognostic purposes; however, one of the most important limiting factors is the inhomogeneity of the studies. Therefore, further large-scale studies and clinical trials with standardized methods designed by multicenter consortiums are needed. As of today, various molecular alterations in IM could become a part of personalized medicine in the near future, which would help us deliver a personalized approach for each patient and identify those at risk of progression to GC.
781
24 Jun 2021
Topic Review
Bacterial Ghosts-Based Vaccine
Bacterial ghosts (BGs) are empty bacterial envelopes of Gram-negative bacteria produced by controlled expressions of cloned gene E, forming a lysis tunnel structure within the envelope of the living bacteria.
781
22 Dec 2021
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