Article
Medicine, Research & Experimental
Siriwoot Butsri, Veerapol Kukongviriyapan, Laddawan Senggunprai, Sarinya Kongpetch, Auemduan Prawan
Summary: 13-cis-retinoic acid (13CRA), an FDA-approved drug for severe acne, is being investigated for potential use in preventing skin cancer. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of 13CRA on cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) cells, a type of bile duct cancer, and investigate the underlying mechanisms. The results showed that 13CRA suppressed CCA cell proliferation, migration, adhesion, and invasion by regulating cell cycle and epithelial-mesenchymal transition-associated genes and proteins.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR MEDICINE
(2023)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Congkuan Song, Jinjin Zhang, Chenzhen Xu, Minglang Gao, Ning Li, Qing Geng
Summary: This article discusses the potential and problems of gamma-secretase and its inhibitors in cancer treatment, introducing gamma-secretase as a multi-substrate enzyme and its important role in cellular activities. The failure of current GSIs in clinical trials may be attributed to various factors.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Oncology
Joachim T. Siaw, Jonatan L. Gabre, Ezgi Uckun, Marc Vigny, Wancun Zhang, Jimmy Van den Eynden, Bengt Hallberg, Ruth H. Palmer, Jikui Guan
Summary: The research reveals that ALK and RET play crucial roles in regulating cell signaling and phenotype transition in neuroblastoma. ALK is able to modulate the phosphorylation and transcription levels of RET signaling, while RET knockout results in a striking epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition phenotype in the cells.
Article
Cell Biology
Roshna Lawrence Gomez, Laura M. Woods, Revathy Ramachandran, Ahmad N. Abou N. Tayoun, Anna Philpott, Fahad R. Ali
Summary: This study identifies the differential super-enhancer landscape between different cell types in neuroblastoma, which may contribute to the diverse response to retinoic acid. The study also identifies key super-enhancers responsible for maintaining differentiation.
FRONTIERS IN CELL AND DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Oncology
Qiqi Shi, Bo Yu, Yingwen Zhang, Yi Yang, Chenxin Xu, Mingda Zhang, Guoyu Chen, Fei Luo, Bowen Sun, Ru Yang, Yanxin Li, Haizhong Feng
Summary: TRIM24 is overexpressed in neuroblastoma and is associated with poor prognosis. Knockout of TRIM24 promotes cell differentiation, reduces stemness, and inhibits tumor growth. In addition, TRIM24 knockout activates the retinoic acid pathway. Therefore, TRIM24 may be a critical target in neuroblastoma differentiation therapy.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Matthias Koch, Thomas Enzlein, Shu-Yu Chen, Dieter Petit, Sam Lismont, Martin Zacharias, Carsten Hopf, Lucia Chavez-Gutierrez
Summary: This study explores the mechanism that controls the processing of the amyloid precursor protein (APP) by gamma-secretases, which is crucial in determining the length of amyloid-beta (A beta) peptides and their role in Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathogenesis. The researchers found that polar interactions established by the APPC99 ectodomain (ECD) play a key role in regulating the cleavage of APP by gamma-secretases. Increasing the hydrophobicity of APPC99-ECD attenuates substrate-driven product release and rescues the effects of Alzheimer's disease-associated pathogenic gamma-secretase and APP variants on A beta length. Furthermore, the study reveals that APPC99-ECD facilitates the production of longer A beta peptides caused by certain gamma-secretase inhibitors. These findings highlight the importance of the APPC99-ECD in regulating gamma-secretase activity and suggest it as a potential target for developing compounds that can selectively promote APP processing by these enzymes.
Review
Oncology
Marc Hoemberg, Ruth Schwenzfeur, Frank Berthold, Thorsten Simon, Barbara Hero
Summary: The study analyzed the occurrence of hypercalcemia in patients with high-risk neuroblastoma receiving 13-cis-retinoic acid treatment, and found that having a single kidney and pretreatment with high-dose chemotherapy before stem cell transplantation were potential risk factors for hypercalcemia.
PEDIATRIC BLOOD & CANCER
(2022)
Article
Food Science & Technology
Rui F. Simoes, Rafaela Ferrao, Margarida R. Silva, Sonia L. C. Pinho, Lino Ferreira, Paulo J. Oliveira, Teresa Cunha-Oliveira
Summary: A fast and reproducible in vitro model using differentiated SH-SY5Y cells was optimized to study mitochondria-related neurodegeneration, showing increased susceptibility to mitochondrial toxicants and potential for studying neurotoxicity processes, mitochondrial dynamics, and bioenergetic impairment.
FOOD AND CHEMICAL TOXICOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Jolly Janette Mendonza, Srilakshmi Tirupathamma Reddy, Hashnu Dutta, Venkata Krishna Kanth Makani, Venkata Mallavadhani Uppuluri, Nishant Jain, Manika Pal Bhadra
Summary: Neuroblastoma arises from a failure of mature neural precursor cells to differentiate. Combining histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors and retinoic acid (RA) may overcome RA resistance in high-grade neuroblastoma. In this study, evernyl-based menadione-triazole hybrid 6b was found to cooperate with RA to induce differentiation of neuroblastoma cells, suggesting a potential therapeutic approach for neuroblastoma.
NAUNYN-SCHMIEDEBERGS ARCHIVES OF PHARMACOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Effie G. Halakos, Andrew J. Connell, Lisa Glazewski, Shuo Wei, Robert W. Mason
Summary: Neuroblastoma is the second most common pediatric cancer, with 13-cis RA used for differentiation effects but high relapse rates. Combining therapies have shown to be more effective, with cathepsin inhibition increasing proteins involved in neuronal differentiation and neurite outgrowth, enhancing therapeutic efficacy.
JOURNAL OF PROTEOMICS
(2021)
Article
Oncology
Silvia Lampis, Salvatore Raieli, Luca Montemurro, Damiano Bartolucci, Camilla Amadesi, Sonia Bortolotti, Silvia Angelucci, Anna Lisa Scardovi, Giammario Nieddu, Lucia Cerisoli, Francesca Paganelli, Sabrina Valente, Matthias Fischer, Alberto Maria Martelli, Gianandrea Pasquinelli, Andrea Pession, Patrizia Hrelia, Roberto Tonelli
Summary: This study found that the combination of MYCN-specific antigene oligonucleotide BGA002 and retinoic acid (RA) can restore sensitivity to RA in MYCN-amplified neuroblastoma (MNA-NB) patients and improve their survival rate. Furthermore, by targeting MYCN, a cancer-specific inhibition of the mTOR pathway occurs only in MNA-NB, avoiding the side effects of targeting mTOR in normal cells.
JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL & CLINICAL CANCER RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Oncology
Raoud Marayati, Laura V. Bownes, Laura L. Stafman, Adele P. Williams, Colin H. Quinn, Venkatram Atigadda, Jamie M. Aye, Jerry E. Stewart, Karina J. Yoon, Elizabeth A. Beierle
Summary: RA therapy is commonly used for neuroblastoma but over half of patients relapse; SCLCCs are a subpopulation contributing to drug resistance and relapse; UAB30 was found to decrease tumorigenicity and cancer cell sternness in neuroblastoma PDXs.
TRANSLATIONAL ONCOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
He Zhang, Jinfang Lu, Huiping Shang, Juan Chen, Zhengxiu Lin, Yimei Liu, Xianwei Wang, Liping Song, Xue Jiang, Haiyan Jiang, Jiandong Shi, Dongsheng Yan, Shengzhou Wu
Summary: This study demonstrates for the first time that alterations in serine racemase (SR) expression determine the transition between proliferation and differentiation in neural progenitor cells.
Article
Oncology
Tyler R. McCaw, Evelyn Inga, Herbert Chen, Renata Jaskula-Sztul, Vikas Dudeja, James A. Bibb, Bin Ren, J. Bart Rose
Summary: Gamma secretase inhibitors (GSIs), originally developed as Alzheimer's therapies, have been repurposed as anticancer agents due to their ability to inhibit Notch receptor cleavage. Despite showing promise in preclinical models, GSIs have not demonstrated significant clinical benefit in most solid tumors. Further research is needed to address limitations in understanding GSI mechanisms and improve their efficacy in cancer treatment.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Mark W. Zimmerman, Adam D. Durbin, Shuning He, Felix Oppel, Hui Shi, Ting Tao, Zhaodong Li, Alla Berezovskaya, Yu Liu, Jinghui Zhang, Richard A. Young, Brian J. Abraham, A. Thomas Look
Summary: Retinoids can reprogram enhancer landscape to down-regulate MYCN expression and establish a new retino-sympathetic CRC, causing proliferative arrest and inducing differentiation.
Review
Neurosciences
Edoardo Agosti, Simona Serioli, Kanwaljeet Garg, Alberto Pietrantoni, Pietro Luigi Poliani, Marco Maria Fontanella
Summary: This study reported a rare case of multiple vertebral metastases from anal squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) and aimed to define a treatment strategy. Through case presentation and literature review, it was found that there is currently no universally accepted treatment strategy for vertebral metastases from anal SCC. Prompt and aggressive, local and systemic, and multimodal treatment of the vertebral lesions may be crucial for improving patient outcomes.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF NEUROSCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Alberto Pietrantoni, Simona Serioli, Manuela Cominelli, Giovanni Lodoli, Roberto Stefini, Vincenzo Villanacci, Pietro Luigi Poliani
Summary: This article reports a rare case in which a patient was diagnosed with granulomatous hypophysitis, PitNET, and Crohn's disease, providing new evidence for the association between these diseases.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Bahareh Jamshidi Jam, Farid Shekari, Babak Andalibi, Reza Fotovat, Vahab Jafarian, Javad Najafi, Daniela Uberti, Andrea Mastinu
Summary: The results of this study indicate that spraying silicon can improve safflower's resistance to salt stress and increase biomass production. Silicon application increased plant growth parameters, relative water content, and salt tolerance, while reducing sodium uptake. Treatment with 2.5mM Si showed the most significant effect on safflower growth.
Article
Oncology
Valentina Pieri, Alberto L. Gallotti, Denise Drago, Manuela Cominelli, Ilaria Pagano, Valentina Conti, Silvia Valtorta, Angela Coliva, Sara Lago, Daniela Michelatti, Luca Massimino, Federica Ungaro, Laura Perani, Antonello Spinelli, Antonella Castellano, Andrea Falini, Alessio Zippo, Pietro L. Poliani, Rosa Maria Moresco, Annapaola Andolfo, Rossella Galli
Summary: Glioblastoma (GBM), a deadly brain tumor, has dysregulated metabolism that can be targeted for precise therapeutic strategies. Studying GBM sphere-forming cells, researchers identified the L-fucose pathway as a vulnerability specific to mesenchymal GBM, offering a potential precision medicine approach for targeting cancer metabolism.
Article
Neurosciences
Giovanni Ribaudo, Elisa Landucci, Matteo Giannangeli, Costanza Mazzantini, Giuseppina Maccarinelli, Andrea Mastinu, Sara Anna Bonini, Maurizio Memo, Domenico E. Pellegrini-Giampietro, Alessandra Gianoncelli
Summary: This study investigates the therapeutic potential of Cannabis sativa extracts in treating neurodegenerative diseases through computational analysis and experimental assays. The findings support cannabidiol (CBD) as a potential selective PDE9 ligand, indicating its potential as a therapeutic option for neurodegeneration.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF NEUROSCIENCE
(2023)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Andrea Mastinu, Margrate Anyanwu, Marinella Carone, Giulia Abate, Sara Anna Bonini, Gregorio Peron, Emanuela Tirelli, Mariachiara Pucci, Giovanni Ribaudo, Erika Oselladore, Marika Premoli, Alessandra Gianoncelli, Daniela Letizia Uberti, Maurizio Memo
Summary: The identification of effective treatments for psychiatric disorders is a crucial concern in modern societies. Due to difficulties in finding new drugs, pharmacologists have turned to re-evaluating past molecules, including psychedelics. Psychotherapists have shown increasing interest in using psilocybin or lysergic acid diethylamide for treating disorders such as OCD, depression, and PTSD, although results are still inconclusive. This review aims to summarize the ethnobotanical uses of well-known psychedelic plants and the pharmacological mechanisms of their main active ingredients, as well as provide an up-to-date overview of structural and computational studies on the affinity and binding modes of ibogaine, mescaline, N,N-dimethyltryptamine, psilocin, and lysergic acid diethylamide to relevant receptors.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Mara Giacche, Alessandra Panarotto, Luigi Mori, Pietro Luigi Poliani, Roberto Lanzi, Marco Schiavo Lena, Maurizio Castellano
Summary: ARMC5 gene genetic screening in 10 patients with PBMAH identified four germline variants, including one known variant and two novel variants. Somatic analysis further supported the pathogenic effect of the germline variants. This study highlights the importance of genetic testing in sporadic PBMAH patients and expands the spectrum of molecular variants involved in PBMAH syndrome.
MOLECULAR GENETICS & GENOMIC MEDICINE
(2023)
Review
Neurosciences
Marika Premoli, Susanna Pietropaolo, Markus Woehr, Nicola Simola, Sara Anna Bonini
Summary: Mice and rats emit ultrasonic vocalizations to communicate with each other, and understanding these vocalizations is important for both ethological research and biomedical applications. This review provides an updated overview of the translational value of ultrasonic calling behavior in mice and rats, as well as examples of novel approaches and tools for analyzing these vocalizations.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF NEUROSCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Mariangela Tamburello, Andrea Abate, Elisa Rossini, Ram Manohar Basnet, Daniela Zizioli, Deborah Cosentini, Constanze Hantel, Marta Lagana, Guido Alberto Massimo Tiberio, Salvatore Grisanti, Maurizio Memo, Alfredo Berruti, Sandra Sigala
Summary: This study reveals that progesterone can inhibit the growth and metastasis of adrenocortical cancer (ACC) by reducing MMP2 levels and cellular invasion. Furthermore, progesterone induces apoptosis and changes in cell cycle distribution. These findings provide support for the application of progesterone in the treatment of ACC.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Neurosciences
Roberto Liserre, Francesca Branzoli, Francesca Pagani, Magdalena Gryzik, Manuela Cominelli, Evelina Miele, Malgorzata Marjanska, Francesco Doglietto, Pietro Luigi Poliani
Summary: Medulloblastoma (MB) is a common malignant brain tumor in children and rarely found in adults. MB can be classified into four major molecular groups based on transcriptome profile. DNA methylation profiling has identified additional subgroups within these groups. This case report presents a rare occurrence of an adult MB with both non-canonical somatic IDH1(p.R132C) mutation and a GNAS mutation. Further genetic characterization of MB and the use of advanced medical imaging are important for understanding their biology and improving patient management. The findings raise the need for further investigations on therapeutic implications and prognostic relevance.
ACTA NEUROPATHOLOGICA COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Health Care Sciences & Services
Francesca Pagani, Magdalena Gryzik, Elena Somenza, Manuela Cominelli, Piera Balzarini, Alberto Schreiber, Davide Mattavelli, Piero Nicolai, Francesco Doglietto, Pietro Luigi Poliani
Summary: Chordomas are rare primary malignant tumors arising from the notochord, with a propensity for the skull base and sacrococcygeal region. Different histotypes and molecular alterations, including PTEN deficiency, contribute to the aggressiveness of chordomas. PTEN loss leads to hyperactivation of the Akt/mTOR pathway, which promotes cell proliferation and invasiveness. In this study, a new human PTEN-deleted chordoma cell line was established and characterized, exhibiting molecular features similar to the parent tumor. These cells were sensitive to treatment with mTOR inhibitors, suggesting their potential therapeutic value for PTEN-deleted chordoma patients.
JOURNAL OF PERSONALIZED MEDICINE
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Elisa Landucci, Giovanni Ribaudo, Margrate Anyanwu, Erika Oselladore, Matteo Giannangeli, Costanza Mazzantini, Daniele Lana, Maria Grazia Giovannini, Maurizio Memo, Domenico E. Pellegrini-Giampietro, Alessandra Gianoncelli
Summary: In this study, a nature-inspired PDE9 inhibitor was identified using computational techniques and confirmed through in vitro assays. The study also highlighted the importance of PDE9 in neuronal plasticity and suggested the potential of PDE9 inhibitors as therapeutic tools for neurodegenerative diseases.
ACS CHEMICAL NEUROSCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Serena Calamaio, Marialaura Serzanti, Jennifer Boniotti, Annamaria Fra, Emirena Garrafa, Manuela Cominelli, Rosanna Verardi, Pietro Luigi Poliani, Silvia Dotti, Riccardo Villa, Giovanna Mazzoleni, Patrizia Dell'Era, Nathalie Steimberg
Summary: The process of developing a new drug is time-consuming and expensive, and hepatotoxicity is a major concern. Animal models have limitations due to interspecies differences, but human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) offer new possibilities for drug testing. We miniaturized the process of generating hepatic organoids using hiPSC-derived mesenchymal stem cells, hepatocytes, and endothelial cells. These organoids were cultivated in vitro using static and dynamic cultures, and could be maintained for up to 1 week. This hiPSC-derived liver organoid model could potentially replace animal testing in pharmacological and toxicological studies.