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Topic Review
VitD and Autoimmune Thyroid Disease
Vitamin D is a steroid hormone traditionally connected to phosphocalcium metabolism. The discovery of pleiotropic expression of its receptor and of the enzymes involved in its metabolism have led to exploration of the other roles of this vitamin, namely on autoimmune thyroid disease. Most of the existing data support a relationship between vitamin D deficiency and a greater tendency for development and/or higher titers of antibodies linked to Hashimoto's thyroiditis, Graves' disease, and/or postpartum thyroiditis. The nature of this relationship is yet unknown, it may be due to vitamin D's immunoregulatory role, emerge as a consequence of the autoimmune disease, or be a result physiopathological process underlying the autoimmune disease. Our thesis is that, due to its immunoregulatory role, vitamin D plays a minor role in conjunction with myriad other factors. In some cases, a vicious cycle is generated, thus contributing to the deficiency and aggravating the autoimmune process.
  • 740
  • 21 Sep 2020
Topic Review
SMYD3
The SMYD3 methyltransferase has been found overexpressed in several types of cancers of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. While high levels of SMYD3 have been positively correlated with cancer progression in cellular and advanced mice models, suggesting it as a potential risk and prognosis factor, its activity seems dispensable for autonomous in vitro cancer cell proliferation. We first describe the oncogenic activity of SMYD3 as a transcriptional activator of genes involved in tumorigenesis, cancer development and transformation and as a co-regulator of key cancer-related pathways. Then, we dissect its role in orchestrating cell cycle regulation and DNA damage response (DDR) to genotoxic stress by promoting homologous recombination (HR) repair, thereby sustaining cancer cell genomic stability and tumor progression. Based on this evidence and on the involvement of PARP1 in other DDR mechanisms, we also outline a synthetic lethality approach consisting of the combined use of SMYD3 and PARP inhibitors, which recently showed promising therapeutic potential in HR-proficient GI tumors expressing high levels of SMYD3. Overall, these findings identify SMYD3 as a promising target for drug discovery.
  • 739
  • 14 Sep 2021
Topic Review
Flavocoxid, a Nutraceutical Approach to Blunt Inflammatory Conditions
Flavonoids, from Scutellaria baicalensis (Chinese skullcap) and Acacia catechu (black catechu), have been shown to exert a variety of therapeutic effects, including anti-inflammatory, antiviral, antibacterial, and anticancer activities. Flavocoxid is a mixed extract containing baicalin and catechin and it acts as a dual balanced inhibitor of cyclooxygenase-1 (COX-1) and COX-2 peroxidase enzyme activities with a significant inhibition of 5-lipoxygenase (5-LOX) enzyme activity in vitro. Flavocoxid downregulates gene or protein expression of several inflammatory markers and exerts also strong antioxidant activity in several experimental models. Controlled clinical trials and a postmarketing study have clearly shown that flavocoxid is as effective as naproxen in managing the signs and symptoms of osteoarthritis of the knee and it has better upper gastrointestinal, renal, and respiratory safety profile than naproxen. Flavocoxid may therefore provide a potential therapeutic approach to the treatment of chronic inflammatory conditions.
  • 739
  • 01 Nov 2020
Topic Review
Microplastics in the Aquatic Environment
Microplastics, or microbeads, are plastic particles < 5 mm diameter, and they include nano-sized particles (1 nm). Their size has been miniaturized or fragmented enough that there might be a need for the use of microscopy techniques to study them. In many cases, microplastics continue to carry the chemical structure of their parent plastic with minimum alterations due to exposure to varied environments.
  • 739
  • 30 Jun 2021
Topic Review
Parkinson’s Disease and Taste
In the common language, the word “taste” is often used to describe sensations arising from the oral cavity. However, in biology the sense of taste includes all sensations mediated by a chemosensory gustatory system specialized anatomically and physiologically. The molecular mechanisms underlying the perception of taste include the reception and signal transduction mechanisms, which play important roles in the oral cavity and also in a diversity of tissues including the respiratory and gastrointestinal tracts, kidney and even brain.
  • 739
  • 30 Apr 2021
Topic Review
Plant Extracts for Cachexia
A natural product is a chemical compound or substance produced by a living organism—that is, found in nature. Sequela is a result or condition that follows from a disease or illness Cachexia is a condition that causes extreme weight loss and muscle wasting. It is a symptom of many chronic conditions, such as cancer, chronic renal failure, HIV, and multiple sclerosis.
  • 739
  • 16 Sep 2020
Topic Review
Central Serous Chorioretinopathy
Central serous chorioretinopathy (CSC) is a complex and not entirely understood retinal disease.
  • 738
  • 22 Sep 2021
Topic Review
Metformin’s Mechanism of Action
Metformin is the leading drug for treating type 2 diabetics, but the mechanism of action of metformin, despite some suggested mechanisms such as the activation of the AMP-kinase, is largely unknown. Among its many positive effects are the reduction of blood glucose levels, the inhibition of cyclic AMP synthesis, gluconeogenesis and an increase in sensitivity to insulin. Recent studies have described the natural antagonist of cyclic AMP, prostaglandylinositol cyclic phosphate. The parallels between the beneficial effects of metformin and the regulations triggered by cyclic PIP suggest that the mechanism of action of this key drug may well be explained by its stimulation of the synthesis of prostaglandylinositol cyclic phosphate (cyclic PIP).
  • 738
  • 03 Mar 2022
Topic Review
Antioxidant Properties of Second-Generation Antipsychotics
Recent studies suggest a primary role of oxidative stress in an early phase of the pathogenesis of schizophrenia and a strong neurobiological link has been found between dopaminergic system dysfunction, microglia overactivation, and oxidative stress. Different risk factors for schizophrenia increase oxidative stress phenomena raising the risk of developing psychosis. Oxidative stress induced by first-generation antipsychotics such as haloperidol significantly contributes to the development of extrapyramidal side effects. Haloperidol also exerts neurotoxic effects by decreasing antioxidant enzyme levels then worsening pro-oxidant events. Opposite to haloperidol, second-generation antipsychotics (or atypical antipsychotics) such as risperidone, clozapine, and olanzapine exert a strong antioxidant activity in experimental models of schizophrenia by rescuing the antioxidant system, with an increase in superoxide dismutase and glutathione (GSH) serum levels. Second-generation antipsychotics also improve the antioxidant status and reduce lipid peroxidation in schizophrenic patients. Interestingly, second-generation antipsychotics, such as risperidone, paliperidone, and in particular clozapine, reduce oxidative stress induced by microglia overactivation, decreasing the production of microglia-derived free radicals, finally protecting neurons against microglia-induced oxidative stress. Further, long-term clinical studies are needed to better understand the link between oxidative stress and the clinical response to antipsychotic drugs and the therapeutic potential of antioxidants to increase the response to antipsychotics. 
  • 738
  • 03 Feb 2021
Topic Review
Scoring-Systems for Colon Capsule Endoscopy
Colon capsule endoscopy is a safe diagnostic tool with low adverse event rates. As with other endoscopic modalities, various colon capsule endoscopy scores allow the standardisation of reporting and reproducibility. As bowel cleanliness affects CCE’s diagnostic yield, a few operator-dependent scores (Leighton–Rex and CC-CLEAR scores) and a computer-dependent score (CAC score) have been developed to grade bowel cleanliness objectively. 
  • 738
  • 17 Jun 2021
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