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Topic Review
Biography
Topic Review
De Novo Synthesized Estradiol
The estrogen estradiol is a potent neuroactive steroid that may regulate brain structure and function. Although the effects of estradiol have been historically associated with gonadal secretion, the discovery that this steroid may be synthesized within the brain has expanded this traditional concept. Indeed, it is accepted that de novo synthesized estradiol in the nervous system (nE2) may modulate several aspects of neuronal physiology, including synaptic transmission and plasticity, thereby influencing a variety of behaviors. These modulations may be on a time scale of minutes via non-classical and often membrane-initiated mechanisms or hours and days by classical actions on gene transcription. Besides the high level, recent investigations in the cerebellum indicate that even a low aromatase expression can be related to the fast nE2 effect on brain functioning. These pieces of evidence point to the importance of an on-demand and localized nE2 synthesis to rapidly contribute to regulating synaptic transmission. This review is geared at exploring a new scenario for the impact of estradiol on brain processes as it emerges from the nE2 action on cerebellar neurotransmission and cerebellum-dependent learning.
1.1K
30 Oct 2020
Topic Review
Ocular Cystinosis
Cystinosis is a rare autosomal recessive disease that affects about 1 in 100,000–200,000 people among the general population, characterized by high levels of cystine within the lysosomes in cells of certain types of tissues. The accumulation of this substance is caused by mutations in the CTNS gene which codes for cystinosin, the carrier that transports cystine out of the lysosome. The presence of cystine crystals in different tissues leads to the progressive impairment and dysfunction of multiple organs, such as kidneys, pancreas, brain, thyroid and eyes.
1.1K
16 Dec 2020
Topic Review
Fibroblast Growth Factor Receptor
Fibroblast growth factors (FGFs) are a family of 22 cell-signaling proteins of extracellular origin, generally released upon tissue injury, which act as systemic or locally circulating molecules capable of activating tyrosine-kinase receptors.
1.1K
02 Feb 2021
Topic Review
Cardiovascular Diseases and Stem Cells
This entry provides an update on previous and current research in the field of Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), a class of disorders affecting the heart or blood vessels. Despite progress in clinical research and therapy, CVDs still represent the leading cause of mortality and morbidity worldwide. The hallmarks of cardiac diseases include inflammation, fibrosis, scar tissue, hyperplasia, hypertrophy, abnormal ventricular remodeling, and cardiomyocyte death, which is an irreversible process that induces heart failure with progressive and dramatic consequences. Both genetic and environmental factors pathologically contribute to the development of CVDs, but the precise causes that trigger cardiac diseases and their progression are still largely unknown. In this scenario, the possibility to generate patient-specific cardiac cells from induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) represents a powerful platform for the investigation of these life-threatening disorders.
1.1K
26 Oct 2020
Topic Review
Malnutrition
Malnutrition refers to deficiencies, excesses or imbalances in a person’s intake and/or use of energy and/or nutrients. Malnutrition in the form of undernutrition affects millions of people across the world, especially children living in developing countries. The major cause of malnutrition is inadequate access to food combined with infections causing diarrhoea. Recent advances in our understanding of the gut microbiota have shown a link between dietary intake and gut microbiota that may affect nutritional status; this suggests a potential link between the gut microbiota and malnutrition. Thus, intervention strategies that target the gut microbiota may offer an enhanced approach for combating malnutrition with respect to those traditionally employed (such as treatment with ready-to-use therapeutic food only).
1.1K
14 Jan 2022
Topic Review
COVID-19 Pneumonia and Lung Cancer
Oncological patients are more prone to present severe forms of COVID-19 pneumonia and are subject to worse complications. Radiologists have the challenging role of suggesting a differential diagnosis with lung cancer and treatment-induced lung diseases or suggesting an overlap between these pathologies. Despite similarities or overlapping findings, the combination of clinics and some specific radiological findings, which are also identified by comparison with previous and follow-up CT scans, may guide differential diagnosis.
1.0K
01 Apr 2022
Topic Review
Huntington’s Disease
Huntington’s disease (HD) is an autosomal dominant neurodegenerative disorder caused by pathogenic expansions of the triplet cytosine-adenosine-guanosine (CAG) within the Huntingtin gene. These expansions lead to a prolongation of the poly-glutamine stretch at the N-terminus of Huntingtin causing protein misfolding and aggregation. Huntingtin and its pathological variants are widely expressed, but the central nervous system is mainly a ected, as proved by the wide spectrum of neurological symptoms, including behavioral anomalies, cognitive decline and motor disorders. Other hallmarks of HD are loss of body weight and muscle atrophy. This review highlights some key elements that likely provide a major contribution to muscle atrophy, namely, alteration of the transcriptional processes, mitochondrial dysfunction, which is strictly correlated to loss of energy homeostasis, inflammation, apoptosis and defects in the processes responsible for the protein quality control. The improvement of muscular symptoms has proven to slow the disease progression and extend the life span of animal models of HD, underlining the importance of a deep comprehension of the molecular mechanisms driving deterioration of muscular tissue.
1.0K
24 Nov 2020
Topic Review
Pseudobulbar Affect
Pseudobulbar affect (PBA), or emotional incontinence, is a type of emotional disturbance characterized by uncontrollable episodes of crying, laughing, anger or other emotional displays. PBA occurs secondary to a neurologic disorder or brain injury. Patients may find themselves crying uncontrollably at something that is only moderately sad, being unable to stop themselves for several minutes. Episodes may also be mood-incongruent: a patient may laugh uncontrollably when angry or frustrated, for example. Sometimes, the episodes may switch between emotional states, resulting in the patient crying uncontrollably before dissolving into fits of laughter. The pseudobulbar affect, also referred to as emotional lability, should not be confused with labile mood or labile emotions that stem from emotional instability – affective dysregulation – commonly seen in personality disorders.
1.0K
30 Sep 2022
Topic Review
G-Quadruplexes: Emerging Anticancer Roles
G-quadruplexes, a family of (thermodynamically and kinetically stable) tetraplex helices, are non-canonical secondary structures derived from guanine (G)-rich sequences of nucleic acids. G-quadruplexes were found to occur in functionally-important regions of the human genome, including the telomere tandem sequences, several proto-oncogene promoters and other regulatory regions, ribosomal DNA (rDNA), as well as mRNA sequences encoding for proteins with roles in tumorigenesis, thus establishing a clear connection between G-quadruplexes and known hallmarks of cancer. Stabilization of G-quadruplexes belonging to the above categories, by means of small-molecule intervention, has been correlated with a range of anticancer effects, which has led to classifying G-quadruplexes as novel potential targets in anticancer research. The most common ways in which G-quadruplexes are now understood to serve in an anticancer capacity are presented herein.
1.0K
03 Mar 2021
Topic Review
Garlic (Allium sativum L.)
Garlic (Allium sativum L.) is one of the most important food products in the world and an ancient and widespread medicinal herb. It is rich in minerals and vitamins, which are both essential nutrients for human health.
1.0K
07 Jul 2021
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